What a saga began a couple of years ago when Microsoft finally reached a settlement agreement in class action suits brought by 27 California customers claiming the software giant violated the state’s antitrust and unfiar competition laws and overcharged consumers. As a result, people and businesses that bought certainMicrosoft software licenses between 1995 and 2001…
Monthly Archives: April 2005
Did Merck know of Vioxx risks 5 years ago?
From the ABC News Health Highlights for April 25th: E-mails Suggest Merck May Have Known of Vioxx’s Risks: Report Did Merck officials know about the heart risks posed by its now-defunct painkilling drug Vioxx as far back as five years ago? The New York Times reported Sunday that in 2000, Merck overruled one of its…
Breakthrough Test for Mesothelioma
Researchers on the other side of the world have come up with a simple test to figure out whether someone has mesothelioma. Australian researches have “developed a world-first blood test which could help in the early detection of mesothelioma, a deadly asbestos-related cancer of the lung lining.” “The non-invasive blood test developed by University of…
Asbestos Bill Being Filed Despite Disputes
Reuters reported on April 19th that Sen. Arlen Specter’s Asbestos Bill is going to be filed, despite ongoing disputes. The bill proposes that a $140 billion compensation fund be set up for asbestos victims. The point of the bill, according to Specter, is to “take asbestos claims out of the court system” so that they…
Pain Relievers’ Safety Questioned (Motrin, Advil?)
The AP is reporting that doctors are now questioning the safety of drugs such as Motrin and Advil: THE ISSUE: The removal of Vioxx and Bextra from the market because of heart risks has led to worries that other pain relief medications carry similar danger. WHAT: A study on preventing oral cancer in smokers in…
Chicago Law Firm Files Bextra Class Action Lawsuit Against Pfizer
Source: Business Wire Published: April 11, 2005 A class action lawsuit was filed against Pfizer Inc., on behalf of all persons who died or were injured by the pain relief drug, Bextra, the Chicago law firm Kenneth B. Moll & Associates, Ltd. announced Monday. The Bextra lawsuit accuses pharmaceutical giant Pfizer of failing to properly…
Auto Workers Union Backs U.S. Asbestos Fund Plan
Reuters is reporting that the Auto Workers Union is backing a proposal for an asbestos fund: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A plan to create a $140 billion asbestos compensation fund picked up an important labor endorsement on Wednesday from the United Auto Workers, one of the largest labor unions in North America. The UAW’s legislative director…
Asbestos Still a Major Concern in Australian Schools
Think the asbestos problem is going away anytime soon? Think again. Unfortunately, this is not one environmental / health issue that’s going to be swept under the rug and forgotten about too easily. (even if all the companies involved eventually file for bankruptcy) Bayside Bulletin of Australia reports: Asbestos is present in more than half…
France Looks to Class-Action Lawsuits to Boost Consumer Rights
From Bloomberg France Looks to Class-Action Lawsuits to Boost Consumer Rights April 12 (Bloomberg) — French government ministers said they will begin the process of legalizing class-action lawsuits, which allow claims on behalf of a group of people, in a bid to strengthen consumer rights. “We want to devise a system that protects consumers as…
Asbestos Bill Hopes Blossom, Then Wither
Should Congress bail out the companies responsible for the asbestos crisis? Apparently some seem to think so: As the legislative day dawned on Capitol Hill yesterday, an unexpected ray of hope arrived with it: A bill to resolve the asbestos crisis, pronounced dead a month ago, appeared to be alive once more. “I think that…