Tag: Vytorin

Week Adjourned: 10.4.13 – Yahoo, LG Washers, Citizens Financial Group, Vytorin

The latest class action lawsuit news for the week ending October 4, 2013. Top class actions include Yahoo, LG Washers, Citizens Financial and Merck’s Vytorin

Yahoo LogoTop Class Action Lawsuits

Oh Yoo-Hoo Yahoo! This One’s for You! Yahoo following in Google’s footsteps? Umm, maybe…Yahoo got hit with a proposed Internet Privacy class action lawsuit this week, in case you missed it.

The Yahoo privacy lawsuit alleges Yahoo illegally reads, copies and analyzes emails in direct violation of California’s Invasion of Privacy Act and the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

Specifically, John Kevranian and Tammy Zapata, named plaintiffs in the action, allege Yahoo accesses Yahoo Mail users’ emails in order to make money on targeted advertising, profiling, data collection and other services.

According to the lawsuit, entitled Kevranian et al. v. Yahoo Inc., case number 5:13-cv-04547, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Yahoo put in place a new email system which became the default interface for all Yahoo users in May 2011. At the time, Yahoo said the system could “look for keywords and links to further protect you from spam, surface photos and in time, serve users with Internet-based advertising,” the lawsuit states. After a short grace period, all Yahoo email users were switched to the new version. Any of this sounding familiar?

Short version: The lawsuit states that Yahoo told its email account holders that the new email search capability looks for patterns, keywords and files in users’ communications, and that the automated system would scan and analyze all incoming and outgoing email, instant messages and other communications content sent and received from a user’s account in order to personalize his or her experience. “In employing the above described device, plaintiffs and the class allege that Yahoo intentionally intercepts and reviews the content of their electronic communications for financial gain.”

Not surprisingly, the plaintiffs allege “Yahoo’s acquisition and use of content from plaintiffs’ and class members’ email sent to Yahoo Mail users, and those emails sent from Yahoo Mail users to plaintiffs and class members, is not necessary to the transmission of email or to the operation the electronic communication service known as Yahoo Mail,” the lawsuit states.

Might be time to start writing more interesting emails…

LG Spinning Washer Efficiency Claims? And now—from “dirty laundry” to clean—or not…LG Electronics USA Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp got hit with a defective products class action lawsuit this week, alleging the companies manufactured and sold defective washing machines.

The LG defective washer class action lawsuit, entitled Laury Smith v. LG Electronics USA Inc., et al., Case No. 4:13-cv-04361, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleges the defendants misrepresented LG’s top-loading washing machines as being “high efficiency” , claiming the machines featured “extra high” spin speeds of 1,050 to 1,100 revolutions per minute. The lawsuit contends, however, that the machines tended to fall apart at high speeds. That’s useful!

The defective washing machines named in the class action are LG models WT5001CW, WT5101HV and WT5101HW; and Kenmore Elite brand models 29002, 29272 and 29278.

And the laundry list of charges (ok—that’s bad) are… unjust enrichment, breach of warranty, violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and California’s False Advertising Law. Got all that?

Top Settlements

Who Knew? Even Bankers get Screwed on Unpaid Overtime…This week, an $11.5 million settlement was proposed in an unpaid overtime class action lawsuit pending against RBS Citizens Financial Group Inc. The lawsuit is brought by employees against the financial institution and two of its subsidiaries alleging they failed to adequately compensate employees for overtime pay.

All six of the complaints, which have been consolidated into one lawsuit, entitled Cuevas v. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. et al., 1:13-cv-03871, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges RBS violated federal and state laws throughout New England and the Northeast and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

One of the lawsuits, filed by Kevin Martin in Pennsylvania in 2010 on behalf of all nonexempt employees working at Citizens Bank retail branches and its two subsidiaries, RBS Citizens NA and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania, alleged Martin worked in excess of 40 hours per week but RBS prevented him from recording the additional work hours. Martin also alleged he was required to work through his breaks without pay, and that the institution erased or changed his recorded time to reduce his reported overtime hours.

The class or collective members involved in the litigation include some 5,827 employees such as assistant branch managers or hourly employees. Under the proposed settlement terms, the payout will cover class members’ payments, attorneys’ fees, litigation costs and enhancement awards, with assistant branch managers averaging an award of $2,000 and hourly employees averaging an award of $850.

Additionally, the 10 plaintiffs named in the action and who initiated the six lawsuits, will each receive $7,500. A further 36 people who testified at or provided a deposition for one of the case’s three-week jury trial will receive $1,500. Well done!

Big News for Vytorin. This one’s definitely a biggie…: A $688 million Vytorin settlement has been approved by a federal judge effectively ending claims that Merck & Co. Inc. and its subsidiary Schering-Plough Corp. concealed test results on the efficacy of their anti-cholesterol drug Vytorin.

Back in 2008, New York Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo began investigating whether Vytorin’s marketing campaign violated the state’s laws regarding false advertising. Specifically, officials were concerned that, despite results from a study that found Vytorin was no more effective than generic drugs.

This whopper of a settlement was initially proposed in February—interestingly—just prior to the class action’s trial date. Neither Merck nor Schering-Plough admits any wrongdoing—why would they?

The settlement will end claims against the companies for the vast majority of the class, except for 187 plaintiffs who opted out, according to court papers.

Ok Folks, That’s all for this week. Have a good one—see you at the bar !

 

 

Week Adjourned: 2.15.13 – Gender Discrimination, Motrin, Zetia & Vytorin

Motrin, Zetia, Vytorin and gender discrimination are top stories in this week’s Weed Adjorned wrap on top class action lawsuits and settlements for the week ending February 15, 2013.

Top Class Action Lawsuits

Gender discrimination? Sorry—what year is this? Maybe the year Daiichi Sankyo gets nailed for the unlawful practice, if the allegations are true…Allegations made by six current and former female pharmaceutical sales professionals who filed a $100 million class and collective action gender discrimination lawsuit against the Japanese Pharmaceutical company.

Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, these women seek to end pervasive gender discrimination in their workplace on behalf of themselves and a class of several hundred female Daiichi Sankyo sales professionals who have worked for the company in the United States.

The short version, like we don’t know it chapter and verse by now, is that Daiichi Sankyo pays female sales employees less than male employees for doing the same work; promotes or advances female sales employees at a slower rate than male sales employees; treats pregnant employees and working mothers of young children adversely compared to non-pregnant employees, male employees, or non-caregivers; and subjects women to other discriminatory terms and conditions of employment.

According to the Daiichi Sankyo lawsuit, a discrete group of predominantly male Daiichi executives and senior sales managers keep a tight rein on employment decisions, including decisions regarding sales employees’ compensation, advancement, and other terms and conditions of employment. Through this male dominated leadership structure, the Company has approved and implemented policies, practices and decisions that have systemically discriminated against female employees. No, this is not a Mad Men script. This, sadly, is real life.

Just in case there are any doubts as the validity of the allegations, the Plaintiffs cite Daiichi Sankyo’s violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963, as well as the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, the California Equal Pay Act and the California Unfair Business Practices Act in today’s Complaint. Umm… 1963—1964 the laws changed and yet we’re still fighting for gender equality in 2013. No comment.

Top Settlements

Major Motrin Award. A landmark award this week—but brace yourself for the backstory. Boston, MA was the scene of a personal injury lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its subsidiary, McNeil-PPC Inc, that ended this week with the jury awarding $63 million in damages to the Reckis family who brought the lawsuit involving Motrin.

The two pharmaceutical companies were ordered to pay 16-year old Samantha Reckis $50 million in compensatory damages, and her parents $6.5 million each.

What happened? Samantha suffered toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a late stage of Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS), as a result of taking Motrin brand ibuprofen. Just seven-years old at the time, Samantha was given Motrin brand ibuprofen by her parents, and shortly thereafter began presenting with symptoms of TEN, which resulted in her losing 90 percent of her skin and her eyesight.

Samantha also suffered brain damage involving her short-term memory, and surgeons had to drill through her skull to relieve some pressure on the brain, the Reckis’ attorney noted. Additionally, Samantha suffered damage to her respiratory system, in which her lungs were burnt, leaving her with only 20 percent lung capacity.

Samantha had taken Motrin previously with no side effects. However, in 2003, the day after Thanksgiving, her parents began giving her the medication to reduce fever. The resulting toxic epidermal necrolysis, which can be fatal, causing inflammation of the mucus membranes and eyes and is marked by a rash that burns off the outer layer of skin, had her physicians puzzled. Samantha suffered inflammation of her throat, mouth, eyes, esophagus, intestinal tract, respiratory system and reproductive system. Her doctors were forced to put her in a medically induced coma.

The family filed the lawsuit in 2007. The trial took five weeks. The Reckis’ claimed that Samantha was blinded by Motrin and alleged that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers that the drug could cause life-threatening reactions. Another positive, in addition to the award, is that while Samantha has to work twice as hard as her fellow classmates, she is in school and is an honor student, demonstrating a remarkable spirit.

Zetia & Vytorin False Statements Settlement. Here’s another record-breaking settlement from the world of pharmaceuticals—this time it’s a securities class action settlement. Actually, make that two securities settlements totaling $688 million. Whoppa! The securities class actions are pending against Merck & Co. Inc. (“Merck”), Schering-Plough Corporation (“Schering”), Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, certain of the Companies’ directors and officers, and the underwriters of a 2007 Schering stock offering over allegations the companies made false and misleading statements about results from a clinical trial called “ENHANCE” involving the anti-cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin.

The actions, currently pending in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey before Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh, are In re Schering-Plough Corporation/ENHANCE Securities Litigation, Master File No. 08-397, which settled for $473 million; and In re Merck & Co., Inc. Vytorin/Zetia Securities Litigation, Master File No. 08-2177, which settled for $215 million.

The two class actions stem from claims that Merck and Schering (which merged in November 2009) artificially inflated their securities by concealing material information and making false and misleading statements regarding the blockbuster anti-cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin.

Namely, the lead plaintiffs alleged that even though the Defendants knew that a clinical trial of Vytorin, called “ENHANCE,” demonstrated that Vytorin (a combination of Zetia and a generic statin medication) was no more effective than the cheaper, generic statin drug at reducing artery thickness, the Companies nonetheless championed the “benefits” of the drugs, attracting billions of dollars of capital in the process. Yielding to public pressure to release the results of the ENHANCE trial, Lead Plaintiffs allege that the companies reluctantly announced that the cholesterol drugs showed “no statistically significant difference” in plaque buildup, and that news of these negative results and their related consequences caused sharp declines in the value of the companies’ securities, resulting in significant losses to investors.

The combined $688 million in settlements is the second largest securities class action settlement in the Third Circuit, among the top 25 securities class action settlements of all time, and among the ten largest recoveries in a securities class action not involving a restatement.

So—the moral of the story? You tell a Whoppa, you pay a Whoppa—quid pro quo baby!

See you at the bar—I know who’s buying…