USA Archive - Law Commentary

United Airlines airplane flying in a clear blue sky.

Jury Must Decide Whether United Airlines Discriminated Against Disabled Employee Who Couldn’t Wear Face Mask

Plaintiff Robert Bezzina was hired by United Airlines in 1992 to be a ramp serviceman, a position in which he handled freight, mail, and baggage. Like millions of others, an order from then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made it mandatory to wear a face mask at work in order to... Read More about Jury Must Decide Whether United Airlines Discriminated Against Disabled Employee Who Couldn’t Wear Face Mask

Aerial view of a blue bus that has overturned and is positioned against trees in a ravine following a crash in upstate New York.

Fatal Upstate New York High School Bus Crash Results in Negligence Lawsuits

Lawrence Doreson, the father of a 14-year-old Farmingdale High School student who was injured in a fatal bus crash in upstate New York in late September, has filed a lawsuit against the bus company and the driver. Doreson accuses the bus company, Regency Transportation Ltd., and the driver, Lisa Schaffer,... Read More about Fatal Upstate New York High School Bus Crash Results in Negligence Lawsuits

Mugshot of a nurse accused of killing multiple patients in a Pennsylvania nursing home.

PA Nurse Accused of Killing Patients Hit With a Wrongful Death Lawsuit by Family of Victim

The family of a woman who died in a Pennsylvania nursing home has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the nurse who cared for her and the center that hired the nurse. Marianne Bower was 67 years old when she died on September 28, 2021, at the Belair Healthcare and... Read More about PA Nurse Accused of Killing Patients Hit With a Wrongful Death Lawsuit by Family of Victim

Silhouettes of a couple arguing, representing domestic conflict, with a third figure sitting apart, suggesting emotional distress.

Domestic Violence Restraining Order Doesn’t Require “Reasonable Fear”

What is a reasonable fear of harm from domestic violence? A California appellate court has sided with an ex-wife who wanted to extend a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) against her former husband. While the ex-husband argued that her fears were “objectively unreasonable,” the court ruled that the reasonable person... Read More about Domestic Violence Restraining Order Doesn’t Require “Reasonable Fear”

Bodycam footage showing an officer aiming a gun during a traffic stop.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in the Police Shooting of Eddie Irizarry

The family of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against two Philadelphia police officers including former Officer Mark Dial after Dial shot and killed Irizarry during a traffic stop last month. News of the lawsuit came just one day after a judge dismissed murder charges against Dial. ... Read More about Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in the Police Shooting of Eddie Irizarry

Exterior view of the Narcotics Processing Facility, also known as the "Brave Cave," which has faced allegations of misconduct and abuse by Baton Rouge police officers.

Baton Rouge Police Departments Hit With Lawsuits Over ‘Brave Cave’ Torture Warehouse

The Baton Rouge Police Department is facing a flurry of lawsuits accusing the department and select police officers of misconduct and abuse. The allegations come after reports of a police warehouse dubbed the “Brave Cave'' was used as a faux police precinct where individuals who were apprehended by police officers... Read More about Baton Rouge Police Departments Hit With Lawsuits Over ‘Brave Cave’ Torture Warehouse

Hands typing on a backlit keyboard, representing cybersecurity and potential data breach scenarios.

CareSource Faces Multiple Lawsuits After Cybersecurity Data Breach

A data breach that targeted an Ohio-based insurance company has prompted multiple lawsuits including a class action lawsuit filed by victims who lost sensitive personal information following the data breach. One class action suit is seeking more than $9.9 million in damages. CareSource, the administrator of one of the nation’s... Read More about CareSource Faces Multiple Lawsuits After Cybersecurity Data Breach

View of a Boeing production plant with multiple aircraft in various stages of assembly and workstations.

Boeing Production Plant Exposed Workers to Toxic Chemical Causing Birth Defects, New Lawsuits Claim

Leading global aerospace company Boeing is at the center of several lawsuits that claim the company knew about the presence of toxic chemicals in its production plants but did little to protect workers. At least two Boeing employees say these toxins resulted in their children being born with birth defects. ... Read More about Boeing Production Plant Exposed Workers to Toxic Chemical Causing Birth Defects, New Lawsuits Claim

Signage of the Hyatt hotel chain on a building exterior.

Hotel Employees Furloughed During COVID Must Immediately Get Earned Vacation Pay

A group of Hyatt corporation hotel employees who were laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic won the appeal of their class action suit against the hotel chain. They claimed Hyatt violated California law by refusing to give them timely payment for their accrued vacation time. The district court had granted... Read More about Hotel Employees Furloughed During COVID Must Immediately Get Earned Vacation Pay

Close-up of the badge on a black RAM 1500 Classic featuring the HEMI 5.7 liter engine.

Plaintiffs Seek Class Action Status for ‘Hemi Tick’ Lawsuit

Drivers of popular muscle cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with a Hemi V8 engine are paying close attention to an ongoing lawsuit in which the plaintiffs are seeking class action certification. Known as the ‘Hemi tick,’ impacted vehicles make a loud ticking noise once the engine is turned over. As... Read More about Plaintiffs Seek Class Action Status for ‘Hemi Tick’ Lawsuit

Construction workers discussing a project at sunset, with heavy machinery in the background.

COVID Did Not Require Construction to Stop, So Rent Must Be Paid

While virus-weary people all over the world worry about the new COVID variant and rush to get their latest, updated vaccination, the legal fallout over the last pandemic lingers on. One issue, relating to who is responsible for paying rent during construction projects, decided that closure orders issued by the... Read More about COVID Did Not Require Construction to Stop, So Rent Must Be Paid

The Eli Lilly headquarters building with clear skies and trees in the foreground.

Drug Maker Eli Lilly Settles Whistleblower Lawsuit Over Manufacturing Problems

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and a former human resource officer, Amrit Mula, have reached a settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit filed last year. The lawsuit sparked several probes from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lilly and Mula had been actively working on finalizing... Read More about Drug Maker Eli Lilly Settles Whistleblower Lawsuit Over Manufacturing Problems

A woman in a gray sweater lifting her shirt to show scarring, expressing her experience with a double mastectomy.

Woman Who Underwent Double Mastectomy Under Gender-Affirming Care Sues Medical Clinic, Doctors, and Others

A Nebraska woman who underwent a double mastectomy when she was just 16 years old is suing the medical facility, doctors, and nurses who helped perform the operation. Luka Hein, Now 21, was born female but underwent a double mastectomy during her transition into a transgender male. Luka Hein, Now... Read More about Woman Who Underwent Double Mastectomy Under Gender-Affirming Care Sues Medical Clinic, Doctors, and Others

Black Tesla Workers Discriminated Against in California Plant, Says EEOC Federal Lawsuit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against electric car maker Tesla. The lawsuit accuses Tesla of violating workplace discrimination laws after Black staffers in Fremont, California, production facilities were subjected to stereotyping and a... Read More about Black Tesla Workers Discriminated Against in California Plant, Says EEOC Federal Lawsuit

Chipotle Settles a Sexual Harassment Suit, but a Religious Discrimination Complaint Is Still Pending

Even though National Taco Day will be celebrated across the nation on October 4, Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has over 7,000 locations in the U.S. and 17 foreign countries, will have little to celebrate. The Newport Beach, California-based fast-food chain recently settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S.... Read More about Chipotle Settles a Sexual Harassment Suit, but a Religious Discrimination Complaint Is Still Pending