Amazon is the Prime Option

Antitrust arguments

To receive fast, convenient access to countless products and digital streaming, consumers may consider Amazon as the prime option. The benefits offered by Amazon extend beyond the consumer-driven perks, and also include opportunities for retailers and suppliers to sell their products on the platform. Despite these incentives, the DC Attorney General has recently filed a lawsuit against the e-commerce company, citing antitrust claims. According to the filing, Amazon has developed into a monopoly that manipulates pricing options for consumers. The company has achieved this position by entering contractual agreements with its third-party sellers. Specifically, the contracts dictate that in order to participate on the platform, the sellers are forbidden from offering lower prices or improved purchase terms on any other websites, including their own personal sites. Continue reading →

Resort Slopes to an Agreement

Icy compensation

An upscale Montana ski resort has entered a settlement with several seasonal workers who claimed they were discriminated against and cheated out of their tips and wages. During the winter months between 2017 and 2018, the group of visiting workers from Jamaica maintained positions in the hospitality, food and bar departments as housekeepers, cooks, servers, and bartenders. Despite the promise of potentially receiving between $400 and $600 a night, the workers were not able to collect the full amount of their tips or service charges. The defendants named in the lawsuit, which was filed in 2018, have agreed to pay $1 million in legal fees and compensation to the workers. Continue reading →

Company Insures a Settlement Option

Healthcare hiccup

The main purpose of antitrust laws in the United States is to encourage competition among businesses and help eliminate monopolies. The intent is to allow consumers the opportunity to decide which business or distributer best meets their needs. Otherwise, consumers may be left with limited options and may become victim to destructive business practices. Recently, the announcement of the $2.7 billion settlement between claimants and Blue Cross Blue Shield relates to antitrust laws and violations of fair competition. Policyholders who may be eligible to receive a piece of this class action lawsuit include those who were covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield plans from February 2008 to October 2020. Continue reading →

Legal Matter Finally Extinguished

California fire stamped out

Wildfires may cause debilitating effects on the environmental landscape. Despite the deadly risks of playing with fire, homes may be burned to the ground, wildlife may lose its habitat, pollution may permeate clean air, and carbon dioxide may be released into the earth’s atmosphere. Given the negative consequences of large fires, the United States has routinely investigated the source of wildfires and has held certain individuals responsible for starting them. In this most recent wildfire settlement, a Mariposa County, California resident agreed to pay $950,000 to compensate for his part in initiating a 2016 blaze, known as the “Old Fire.” Continue reading →

Christmas Decision in April

Holiday solution

Although the Christmas season ended several months ago, the spirit is still alive in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Towards the middle of this month, news spread of a settlement to a yearlong lawsuit, which involved the dispute over the legal right of a private organization to display a Nativity scene on municipal property. During the December 2018 to January 2019 holiday season, city workers asked that St. Edmond Catholic Church remove the wooden stable with surrounding religious statues. This Nativity scene was positioned near the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, which serves as a popular area and focal point to the city. Continue reading →