Category Archives: Settlements

Mercedes Benz the Rules

This lawsuit stinks

The luxury car company, Mercedes-Benz, has failed to take the health of their drivers into account when evaluating the severity of a mildew issue in their heating and air-conditioning components.  It is argued that Mercedes-Benz and its parent company, Daimler AG, have been aware of the issue since 2008, but the entities did not uphold their duty to fix the issue.  In response, consumers filed a class-action lawsuit last year, which just recently reached a settlement. Continue reading →

Access Denied

Equal rights to book reading

The advocacy group, Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY), is taking a legal stand against the Queens Borough Public Library and the City of New York. Fighting for the rights of the disabled, CIDNY claims the new library’s interior, which just opened in Long Island City this fall, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The lawsuit cites a handful of sections within the library that are not easily accessible to those whose mobility is impaired or limited. Continue reading →

Explosive Settlement for Merrimack Valley, MA

Residents left to pick up the pieces

At the end of July 2019, a $143 million settlement was announced, connected to a September 2018 Massachusetts natural gas explosion that left one resident dead and 25 other residents injured.  Other individuals were also affected, as 100 buildings and homes in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover were damaged.  Due to the shared misfortune following the explosion, a class action lawsuit was filed against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and NiSource Inc.  A judge is now left to evaluate the terms of the settlement for approval.  In the opinion of some, $143 million is only a small price to pay for the inconvenience and suffering of those who were forced to live without services of natural gas and must also rebuild their lives and homes. Continue reading →

Aged to Perfection, But You Still Can’t Get a Job

Discrimination debacle

Despite the adage that we get better with age, corporate America appears to uphold a different philosophy.  Several companies, including Goldman Sachs, IBM, Verizon Communications, and Google have become the topics of scrutiny concerning their employee demographics.  According to observations, these companies harbor a tendency to hire younger workers and push out the older generation.  In particular, Google played the defendant role in a recent class-action lawsuit that has now settled.  According to claims, Google denied employment to well-qualified applicants who were not fresh out of college, over the age of 40. Continue reading →

Big Breach Leads to Bigger Compensation

What is your identity worth?

Following extensive state and federal investigations, a settlement was reached this month regarding the notorious Equifax breach.  To compensate for the millions of individuals affected by the 2017 data break, the credit reporting agency has agreed to provide $300 million worth of monitoring services to affected consumers and $175 million to settle legal disputes with 48 states.  If it is determined, however, that the $300 million amount for services is not enough, then there is a stipulation stating the amount will increase another $125 million.  Equifax must also pay a $100 million fine to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  In addition, the company must update and enhance their data security, to avoid any future computer-oriented crimes from taking place.     Continue reading →