The family of a former Marine urged lawmakers Tuesday to pass a bill that would allow military personnel to seek damages for medical malpractice. Marine Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez died of cancer in 2007 after military doctors failed to diagnose melanoma for nearly 10 years. The bill, proposed by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, would overturn the Feres Doctrine which prevents members of the military from filing lawsuits for medical negligence

A California woman has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart and a medical supply company after she allegedly received a mislabeled bottle of blood pressure medication from a store pharmacist. According to the lawsuit, Geraldine Schamanski nearly died after taking about twice the recommended dosage. The lawsuit seeks $1.2 million in damages on behalf of Schamanski and her family

According to a Government Accountability Office report, seafood fraud is on the increase in part because federal agencies are not acting cooperatively. Some of the examples of fraud detailed include adding water to increase weight, substituting inexpensive fish for more costly fish, and altering labels to show different countries of origin. As an example of where working together would create a safer and more efficient system, the report cited the separate fish DNA libraries being built by the Food and Drug Administration, the Customs and Border Protection and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The city of Atlanta�??s lawsuit against 17 online travel companies was given new life by the Georgia Supreme Court. Their ruling returns the case to a Fulton County judge to determine whether online retailers such as Expedia and Travelocity are required to collect hotel and occupancy taxes and pay those taxes to the city. The case is expected to have far-reaching consequences as more people make travel reservations online.

Richard Garman will receive $75,000 from the city of Indianapolis to settle his suit arising from a 1999 car wreck caused by a driver fleeing police that seriously injured him and killed his fiancée. He alleged that the police department�??s chase policies were not stringent enough to protect bystanders. Settlement negotiations began after the Indiana Supreme Court upheld a lower court�??s ruling that the police department did not have immunity from the claim of negligence.

�??American Idol�?� producer FremantleMedia North America is facing suit by former reality show employees who claim they were denied overtime and food and rest breaks. The case, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges staffers were paid a flat rate and required to falsify time cards to show they did not work more than 40 hours per week. Several other subsidiaries of FreemantleMedia are also named in the suit.

A case in U.S. District Court that alleges officers at Baltimore�??s Central Booking facility routinely strip-search people arrested for minor infractions and hold them longer than allowed before being brought before a commissioner was granted class action status Thursday. Potentially thousands of people who entered the Central Booking facility between May 2002 and April 2008 are now eligible to join the suit.

A University of Colorado fraternity has reached an undisclosed settlement with the family of a student who died following a 2004 initiation ritual. Lynn “Gordie” Bailey suffered acute alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink large amounts of whiskey and wine while pledging the Chi Psi fraternity. Individual members of the fraternity named in the lawsuit reached a settlement with the family last year.

A class of plaintiffs is challenging a judge�??s order to eliminate potential damages for EarthLink customers who accused the Internet service provider of charging improper termination fees. In an order last month, Fulton County Superior Court Senior Judge Alice D. Bonner found that such claims were barred by Georgia’s “voluntary payment doctrine.” Attorneys for the plaintiffs maintain that the fees were not voluntary and were intended to keep customers from canceling their subscriptions.

The family of a man who died in a Phoenix assisted living facility should receive $11 million in damages, an Arizona jury has ruled. According to the lawsuit, Liberty Manor Residency failed to properly monitor Earl Scherrer and falsified documents related to his care. An autopsy showed that Scherrer died of heart problems caused by ingesting foreign objects. The award is believed to be the largest ever against an assisted living facility.