Airline passengers have to deal with all manner of human menace — whether it’s that inconsiderate person in the aisle seat eating a tuna sandwich, the charming child repeatedly kicking the back of your seat while his parents pretend not to notice, or the dude next to you voiding his bladder on your leg. At what point does another passenger’s transgression become the fault of the airline? [More]
legal
L.L. Bean Sued For Using The Word “Outsider” In Ad Campaign
By 10.6.17
L.L. Bean is arguably the apparel brand most widely associated with the outdoors, but when the plaid-clad company dared to use the term “outsider” in a marketing campaign, it put its duck boot into a bit of a legal mess. [More]
Kroger Drops Lawsuit Against Lidl Over Similar Store Brand Names
By 9.12.17
Are consumers likely to confuse one of Kroger’s store brands, Private Selection, with one of Lidl’s store brands, Preferred Selection? Kroger filed a lawsuit a few months ago against Lidl, a German chain opening its first stores on this side of the Atlantic, claiming that the store brand names were too similar. Now Kroger has dropped the suit. [More]
Jury Awards Woman $417M In Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit
By 8.21.17
Three months after a Missouri jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay a record-setting $110.5 million to a Virginia woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer linked to the company’s talcum-based products, another jury in California has dwarfed that judgment, handing down a $417 million verdict in a similar suit. [More]
Walgreens Charged Soda Tax On Unsweetened Beverages
By 8.8.17
It’s only been a few days since Chicago’s tax on sodas and other sweet drinks went into effect, and already some Illinois residents are claiming they’ve been charged improperly for drinks that don’t contain any sweeteners. [More]
Someone Sued Because ‘Natural’ Nature Valley Granola Bars Contain Common Pesticide
By 7.18.17
Although the term “natural” is not defined by the federal government — allowing basically any food company to slap it on a product’s label — a judge has decided that General Mills’ use of the term to describe granola bars that contain herbicide is not deceptive. [More]
Federal Court Says Uber Minimum Wage Lawsuit Can Go Ahead, Add More Plaintiffs
By 7.13.17
There’s been a tiny bit of progress for Uber drivers seeking “employee” status along with reimbursement of vehicle expenses and back pay. While other cases have simply settled for large cash payments, one lawsuit that could cover multiple drivers is working its way through the federal court system in North Carolina, and a judge is letting the case go forward as a conditional action under the Fair Labor Standards Act. [More]
DraftKings, FanDuel Throwing In The Merger Towel After Feds Oppose The Deal
By 7.13.17
Weeks after the Federal Trade Commission went to court to block the merger of daily fantasy sports mega-sites DraftKings and FanDuel, the companies are throwing in the towel rather than fight the government. [More]
If The Deal Never Ends, Is It Really A Deal?
By 7.10.17
The thing about getting a good deal on something? It only feels special if it’s limited in some way — whether that means only a certain set of customers has access to it, or it’s only available for a window in time. To that end, some LensCrafters customers claim proffered discounts on prescription eyewear are bogus, accusing the chain of faking a regular/original price and then offering a so-called discount. [More]
Phone Sex Operators Say They Are Making Less Than Minimum Wage
By 6.29.17
No matter what field you work in, we all have the right to make at least minimum wage. But phone-sex operators working for a Florida-based company claim in a lawsuit that they’re being paid far less for their intimate chat time. [More]
ABC News Settles ‘Pink Slime’ Defamation Case With Beef Company
By 6.28.17
Well, that was quick: Just a few weeks after Beef Products Inc. and ABC News squared off in the opening arguments of the trial over the broadcaster’s use of the phrase “pink slime” to describe an ingredient in some ground beef, the two sides have agreed to put the whole thing to rest. [More]
American Airlines Passenger Claims Unsecured Beverage Cart Caused Brain Injury
By 6.16.17
An American Airlines passenger says that he suffered “chronic traumatic brain injury” after allegedly being struck in the head by a runaway beverage cart. Making matters worse, claims the traveler, the cabin crew was not prepared to deal with the situation. [More]
Congratulations Wisconsin, You Can Sell Your Homebaked Cookies Like Everyone (Except New Jersey)
By 6.1.17
Three Wisconsin entrepreneurs have the sweet taste of victory in their mouths today after a judge ruled that a law banning the sale of home-baked goods doesn’t fly under the state’s constitution. [More]
Dumpster Diving For Beauty Products: Is It Legal And Safe?
By 5.31.17
Sure, it’s always nice to get a great deal on beauty products, and what’s a better deal than 100% off? “Dumpster Diving” — the art of sourcing still-usable items from the trash — is nothing new, but there are growing reports from beauty bloggers and YouTubers claiming to score free lipsticks, nail polishes, eye shadows, and other items by sorting through the items that Ulta, Sephora, and others throw out. Is this legal, and if so, is it safe? [More]
Gas Station Cheese Sauce Linked To Dangerous Botulism Outbreak
By 5.18.17
Food-borne illness outbreaks are often tied to fresh foods — unwashed raw vegetables, tainted undercooked meat, raw dairy products — but not the neon yellow nacho cheese sauce you’d get at a movie theater or convenience store. However, one batch of this processed cheese-like product has been linked to multiple, potentially lethal cases of botulism. [More]
The Eagles Accuse ‘Hotel California’ Owners Of Making Money Off Band’s Song
By 5.3.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
When you think of “Hotel California,” your head probably fills with snippets of the classic 1976 Eagles song — the seductive 12-string intro that every 13-year-old tries to learn, the epic guitar battle between Don Felder and Joe Walsh. Or maybe you think of the completely unrelated Hotel California in Mexico, which the Eagles have accused of trying to cash in on their hit song. [More]
$100M Lawsuit: Fyre Festival Was “Closer To ‘Lord Of The Flies’ Than Coachella”
By 5.1.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Only a few days after organizers of the highly hyped Fyre Festival were forced to cancel the two-weekend event after the event totally fell apart, leaving many people stranded in the Bahamas, one person who shelled out thousands for a ticket has filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming that attendees were subjected to a hell more akin to The Hunger Games or Lord of the Flies than the posh version of Coachella they were promised. [More]
United Airlines Reaches Confidential Settlement With Forcibly Removed Passenger
By 4.27.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
United Airlines and Dr. David Dao — the paying passenger who was forcibly removed from his seat to make room for an airline employee — have reached a deal that preempts a potentially lengthy legal battle. Though what that settlement entails will likely remain a mystery. [More]
