Potential airbag failures have prompted Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. to recall more than 200,000 vehicles in the United States. According to the car manufacturer, warranty reports indicated that side airbags in some models might fail to deploy during an accident. The recall covers 2007 and 2008 Nissan Altima, Altima Coupe, 350Z, Murano and Rogue; and Infiniti G35 Sedan, G37 Coupe and EX35 built from March 12, 2007, to May 27, 2008.
Personal MP3 players could be putting youngsters at risk for permanent hearing damage, a study released Monday says. According to the study, produced by scientists for the European Commission, high volume levels from a new generation of players could eventually cause hearing loss in as many as 10 percent of listeners. Researchers also warned that similar hearing damage may be caused by using cellular phones at high volume levels.
A New York City hospital must pay $10.7 million for waiting two hours to perform a brain scan on an injured 71-year-old woman, a jury has ruled. Negligence on the part of New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens caused the plaintiff, Candida Diego, to suffer partial paralysis after she fractured her skull in a 2003 fall, jurors found. A spokesperson for the hospital said they will appeal the verdict.
Wachovia Corp. has agreed to pay $200 million to settle class-action claims that the bank turned a blind eye to unscrupulous telemarketers who preyed on elderly consumers. The settlement covers all class members who lost money because of the scheme between June 2003 and February 2006. Earlier this year, Wachovia also agreed to pay $125 million in restitution to resolve an investigation into related allegations by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Asking employees for too much information about why they apply for sick leave can land employers in hot water, as evidenced by a pair of recent lawsuits. According to separate Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuits, Dillard’s Inc. and Delphi Corp. respectively violated health privacy protections by requiring workers to disclose specific details of their illnesses and in some cases employee medical records. Attorneys for employers maintain that tough tactics may sometimes be necessary to prevent sick leave abuses.
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other financial firms hid their true fiscal health in order to boost stock offerings, a new wave of shareholder class actions claims. According to the lawsuits, the financial firms and their executives violated responsibilities to shareholders by failing to disclose their exposure to risky subprime mortgage investments. Among the firms named in the latest filings are Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs & Co., UBS Securities LLC and Wachovia Capital Markets LLC.
The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority violated the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution by charging some drivers who use electronic toll paying systems more than others, a class action lawsuit claims. According to an attorney for the plaintiffs, drivers who use the E-ZPass system have been unfairly charged when compared to drivers who use the MTA’s Fast Lane service. The attorney estimates that the class could cover thousands of turnpike drivers.
Certain segments of the $4 billion a year prepaid calling card industry are scamming customers with cards that deliver far fewer minutes than promised and multiple hidden fees, government officials and consumer watchdog groups say. Advocates say that elements of the industry prey on immigrants, soldiers and those with relatives overseas. In response to the fraud, state and federal regulators have begun to develop regulations to crack down on deceptive practices.
A federal judge has ordered the owner and operator of the Washington Redskin’s FedEx Field to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons audio content within the stadium. In the decision, Judge Alexander Williams Jr. found that FedEx Field, despite providing some assistive listening devices, failed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The ruling also requires FedEx Field to provide additional captioning services for the hearing impaired.
The parents of a gifted Japanese physics student have filed a lawsuit against a Colorado health center after the 30-year-old postdoctoral scholar committed suicide. Kiyoshi and Yasuko Nakata claim the Mapleton Center Behavioral Health Unit failed to properly supervise their daughter after she was admitted and placed on suicide watch. A spokesman for the hospital declined to comment on the case.
