June 23, 2010 - Judge William W. Walls today granted Final Approval of the Settlement entered in Sheri et al. v. Nissan North America, Inc., No. 07-2516 (D. N.J.). As a result of the Settlement, approximately 2,500 persons in New Jersey who either own or lease a 2005 model year Infiniti G35X will be able to file a claim for reimbursement for replacement of rotors. The Court found that the Settlement was fair and reasonable and that if all class members filed a claim, the maximum benefit under the Settlement would be approximately $856,000.
Mason LLP represents the class.
June 11, 2010 - A federal court judge has certified a class action against Erie County, New York, and several Erie County officials, for claims relating to the strip search policies and practices in its jails. Plaintiffs alleged that Erie County maintained an unconstitutional blanket strip search policy in its jails for all individuals who were strip searched following their arrest for misdemeanor crimes or minor offenses. The class period commences on July 22, 2001 and extends until May 1, 2004. Class certification allows all members of the class to bring their claims in a single class action lawsuit. A copy of the order certifying the class action is available here.
May 19, 2010 - Gary E. Mason has been invited to join the faculty of "Oil in the Gulf: Litigation & Insurance Coverage", a legal conference scheduled for June 24-25, 2010, in Atlanta. He will address the process for filing claims for business interruption, property damage and economic losses caused by the oil spill.
May 12, 2010 -
A federal court judge has certified a class action against Zurn Pex, Inc., (“Zurn”) for claims related to “pex” plumbing systems that fail and leak prematurely. The class certification allows all owners of Zurn pex plumbing systems in Minnesota to bring their claims in a single class action lawsuit. It is estimated that as many as 50,000 properties in Minnesota have Zurn pex systems. This was the first class certification sought in the coordinated litigation of lawsuits brought against Zurn in Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina and Virginia. More lawsuits in other states are expected and class certification will be sought for property owners in states other than Minnesota.
More information about the lawsuits may be obtained at www.zurnclassaction.com
. A copy of the order certifying the class action is available here
.
May 17, 2010 - Judge Thelton E. Henderson, United States District Court Judge, today grated preliminary approval of the proposed settlement in
Walsh, et al v. Globalstar, Inc., No. C07-1941 (N.D. Cal.) Judge Henderson also rejected objections to the Settlement lodged by the Texas Attorney General, finding that the objections were unfounded and that the proposed settlement is fair and not the product of collusion. A copy of the Order Granting Preliminary Approval of the Class Action Settlement, Approval of Form of Notice, and Preliminary Certification of Settlement Class is available
here. A copy of the Order Re: Texas Attorney General's Objections to Class Settlement is available
here. The Final Approval hearing is set for October 4, 2010.
May 2010 -- Mason LLP has co-founded the BP Oil Spill Legal Network, a national coalition of attorneys with extensive experience litigating environmental and mass tort cases, to represent individuals and businesses who have suffered harm resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The BP Oil Spill Legal Network has filed class actions in Louisiana and Alabama on behalf of commercial fisherman and operators of charter boat operators who have suffered economic losses caused by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill against BP, Haliburton Energy Services, Inc., and Cameron International Corporation.
The BP Oil Spill Legal Network is also pursuing individual claims under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) for economic losses suffered by other individuals, including those employed in the tourism industry, and owners of private property.
May 3, 2010 - Mason LLP filed a class complaint today on behalf of Captain Eugene Dugas, Rather Be Fishing LLC, and all persons who have incurred economic loss as a result of the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil rig fire, explosion and consequent Oil Spill. Captain Dugas earns income by operating a fishing guide business on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Rather be Fishing is a charter fishing company operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana and is available here.
April 28, 2010 - Judge Fallon of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered his ruling today in Hernandez v Knauf, one of the cases in the Chinese Manufactured Drywall Multidistrict Litigation. The Court awarded $164,000 to one Louisiana homeowner, setting the per-square foot repair cost at $81. The homeowner will also receive money for damaged property and be reimbursed for living expenses and attorney and court fees. A copy of the Court’s ruling is available here.
April 27, 2010 – In an article, “Vets Use Settlement Millions From Massive Identity Theft Suit Against VA to Help Other Vets,” the New York Daily News reports that the veterans in the In re Stolen VA Laptop Litigation are donating about $13 million to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the Fisher House Foundation, two New York-based charities that help families of fallen and wounded troops. "When I first heard about it, it just really knocked me down. It's indicative of the kind of men and women they are," said Fisher House CEO Ken Fisher. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund raises money for families of soldiers killed in combat. It also helped build the renowned Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and the soon-to-be opened National Intrepid Center for Excellence, a traumatic brain injury hospital in Bethesda, MD. There are 45 Fisher Houses across the country, located next to VA hospitals to give families of wounded soldiers a place to stay while they're being treated. "It's just an incredible gift," said Chairman Arnold Fisher, whose uncle, Zachary, founded the organization in 1991. "Veterans have been forgotten about by many people of this country. They're the ones who deserve the credit." Read more
April 13, 2010 - Judge David L. Bunning entered an order granting preliminary approval of the settlement entered by the parties in Hassan el al v. Progressive Casualty Co., No. 2:07-cv-00139-DLB (E.D. Ky.). The plaintiffs alleged that Progressive, among other insurance carriers doing business in Kentucky, miscalculated the taxes it collected on payments of insurance premiums. The settlement will refund 100% of the overcharges to class members. The final approval hearing is set for September 2, 2010 in Covington, Kentucky. A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available here.