Welcome to the TGIF edition of Law News for You—brought to you by LawyersandSettlements.com.
The Top 10 legal news stories our readers were most interested in this week.
#1 New Evidence Linking Edison to Eaton FireLos Angeles, CA - New data from a technology company adds fuel to multiple wildfire lawsuits filed by residents and the local government, alleging that Southern California Edison's equipment started the Eaton Fire. However, the official cause is still under investigation. Specifically, SCE is accused of starting and perpetuating the Eaton Fire by failing to properly maintain power equipment and not de-energizing electrical lines in a timely manner to prevent the blaze.
#2 3M to Settle PFAS Lawsuit for $450 MillionTrenton, NJ - On May 13, the New Jersey Attorney General, Matthew Platkin, announced that 3M Company has agreed to settle its portion of a wide-ranging PFAS contamination lawsuit. 3M is expected to pay $285 million this year, with additional amounts payable over the next 25 years. The total could reach $450 million.
#3 Google Settles California Equal Pay Lawsuit for $28 MillionSanta Clara, CA - On March 17, Google announced that it would pay $28 million to settle a class action equal pay lawsuit brought under various sections of the California Labor Code. Ana Cantu v. Google, LLC. alleges that the tech giant systematically paid Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders and/or Alaska Natives less than White and/or Asian/Asian American employees for substantially similar work.
#5 LA Residents’ Palisades Wildfire Lawsuit Includes Two JudgesLos Angeles, CA - Two federal district judges whose homes were destroyed by the Palisades wildfire have joined hundreds of their neighbors in lawsuits accusing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) of failing to properly prepare for the wildfire and respond when the blaze broke out.
#6 NCAA and Volunteer Coaches Settle for nearly $50 MillionSacramento, CA - About 1,000 volunteer baseball coaches have reached a settlement of nearly $50 million in their proposed antitrust class action lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The coaches, who said they were owed compensation for years of unpaid work, will be paid based on a model that takes into account their school and the number of years worked.
#7 Walmart Wage Statement Lawsuit and $35M SettlementLos Angeles, CA - Walmart has agreed to settle for $35 a wage-and-hour class action lawsuit filed in 2017 alleging the retail giant failed to provide accurate wage statements to employees and therefore violated California labor law. In his lawsuit, plaintiff James Evans argued that an inaccurate wage statement is the same as “not providing any wage statement at all.”
#8 Understanding Your Legal Rights as an Injury VictimDenver, CO - If you've been injured in an accident, the aftermath can feel like a whirlwind: doctors’ appointments, missed work, insurance calls, and a whole lot of stress. On top of everything, you're expected to understand what your legal rights are and how to protect them. That’s no small task, especially when you're recovering from physical or emotional trauma.
#9 Suboxone + Kratom = Adding Insult to InjurySan Francisco, CA - Kratom is a dangerous drug, whose ingredients may be highly addictive at larger doses. Kratom products may not be marketed in the U.S. as prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Instead, they exist in the murky, unregulated world of herbal supplements. According to a kratom researcher at the University of Florida, “It’s totally a wild, wild west market. Buyer beware. You never know what you’re going to get in this business.” Treating the resulting addiction with Suboxone sublingual film can make a bad situation worse.
#10 Judge Extends Block on Trump’s Federal Worker LayoffsSan Francisco, CA - A block to massive layoffs and reorganizations at 22 federal agencies has been extended. In the case against Trump and others filed on May 23rd in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, Judge Susan Illston states that, “Agencies may not conduct large-scale reorganizations and reductions in force in blatant disregard of Congress’s mandates, and a President may not initiate large-scale executive branch reorganization without partnering with Congress.”
