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Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg To Be Added to a Consumer Privacy Violations Lawsuit

Posted by David Brown 
· November 9, 2021 

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, has been included in a consumer privacy violations lawsuit following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. This is the first time the Facebook CEO has been targeted individually by a US regulator, with a previous lawsuit by Attorney General Karl A Racine filed against the social media giant in 2018 on the grounds of unfair and deceptive practices.

According to Racine, internal documents and interviews from former Facebook employees have shown that Zuckerberg was aware of the collection of user data by Cambridge Analytica and knowingly participated in the misrepresentation of data security. Following this, both the company and Zuckerberg could pay millions of dollars in restrictions and damages to victims if found guilty. In addition to this, they could also pay attorney fees and civil penalties.

Racine’s complaint further states that Zuckerberg misled government officials and the public about Facebook’s role in the data breach. With these facts in mind, Zuckerberg should be held accountable for the deceptive trade practices of the company, according to Racine. As a major shareholder with more than half of the voting shares, Zuckerberg’s influence contributes majorly to how the company is run and what activities Facebook participates in. This includes giving third parties access to user data that Cambridge Analytica may have used to target users ahead of the 2016 US election. Following his mention in the lawsuit, Zuckerberg has vowed to take responsibility for the scandal. Facebook’s legal defense has also come out to state that they will continue to defend themselves while focusing on the facts at hand. The company also termed the allegations as meritless, just as they were when the initial lawsuit was filed. While Cambridge Analytica was suspended from Facebook for accessing consumer data, the social media giant still faced a $5 billion settlement in 2019 following the scandal that later stretched out to other security concerns.

As the company continually faces scrutiny over its privacy safeguards and related matters such as public health, democracy, and polarization, it may soon bid farewell to its name as it attempts to rebuild its new ambitions. This may see it get into new markets, with Zuckerberg’s desire to invest in the metaverse signaling a new era of broadened tech dominance.

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Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson at War with Corrupt Chicken Producers, Files Mega Lawsuit

Posted by David Brown 
· November 4, 2021 

If you’ve ever gone into a grocery store and were shocked at the high prices of chicken, it wasn’t just your imagination or inflation changing the prices. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson alleges in a new lawsuit that chicken producers purposefully engaged in illegal tactics to raise chicken prices- and their profits.

Who is involved in the lawsuit?

The lawsuit, filed on October 25, alleges that some of the most recognized chicken producers, such as Tyson Foods, Sanderson Farms, Foster Farms, Peco Foods, and 15 other household name brands have been slowly raising chicken prices for years. These companies allegedly engaged in tactics to lower supply, therefore increasing demand and raising prices at the expense of millions of Americans.

Specific tactics these companies allegedly used include restraining production, manipulating price indices, rigging bids, and exchanging highly sensitive competitive information with one another. They even engaged in culling breeder flocks. The term “culling” means removing animals, in this case chickens, purposefully from a flock because they are no longer needed. However, chicken meat and groceries were desperately needed during the first instance these chicken producers decided to increase costs- during the 2008 market crash.

Who was affected?

While the country was reeling in the effects of the 2008 economic meltdown, Ferguson alleges these 19 companies continued their shady business practices to cut down on supply and increase costs, violating the Washingtons state consumer protection and anti-trust laws (Relating to legislation preventing or controlling trusts or other monopolies, with the intention of promoting competition in business.)

It isn’t just Washington families that suffered from this so-called chicken conspiracy. These companies have already had to pay settlements to other states nationwide. However, Washington was not eligible to receive payments, hence Ferguson’s lawsuit being filed that now seeks restitution for millions of Washington families. In addition, businesses such as schools, private pre-schools, and nearly everyone who ever bought broiler chicken and chicken products within Washington were all victims of the price hikes.

Ferguson said, “This conspiracy cost middle-class and low-income Washington families more money to put food on their table. I will hold these companies accountable for the profits they illegally made off the backs of hardworking Washington families.”

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This is How the American Federation of Teachers Settled the Loan Forgiveness Lawsuit

Posted by David Brown 
· November 2, 2021 

The American Federation of Teachers has settled a lawsuit against the Department of Education over a loan forgiveness lawsuit filed in 2019. In the complaint, the plaintiffs sued the former Secretary of Education over failure to properly manage the student loan forgiveness program as promised. According to the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, and other members of the Federation, they struggled to get relief from their student loans due to gross mismanagement of the program. This was mainly due to incorrect information from the servicing programs, lack of oversight, and inaccurate records of payment information.

Due to the above failures, the Department of Education has agreed to a settlement with the plaintiffs. This will see the plaintiff’s loan debt of up to $400,000 discharged. The lawsuit also marks a victory for public employees, with the Department of Education agreeing to several reforms that help solve the program’s inefficiencies. The first of these will allow borrowers with direct loans that have not been successful in their forgiveness to undergo a reconsideration process. The process will be announced by the department no later than January 31, 2022.

In addition to this, the department will notify borrowers of the remaining payments before they can qualify for loan forgiveness. This will be followed by notifications of the payments that qualify for the program and those that do not. Borrowers will also be notified of the personnel they can contact to get guidance about their loan forgiveness application. These notices will be sent within 90 days of the execution of the agreement. During this period, the department will ensure that borrowers who qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness are notified along with those eligible for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Other highlights arising from the lawsuit include a review of denied applications, a temporary reconsideration allowing borrowers to request a review of their denied applications, and a review of processing practices by the parties responsible for the loan forgiveness program. To note is that the agreement reached in the lawsuit applies to all borrowers, with the terms also not limited by any specific period. This will allow borrowers to get relief from the once overwhelming debt payments overlooked by the Department of Education.

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Facebook Is Asking a US Court To Dismiss the FTC Antitrust Case

Posted by David Brown 
· October 28, 2021 

Facebook has asked a federal judge to dismiss the antitrust case of the American government that seeks Facebook to sell WhatsApp and Instagram. An antitrust case is a case that is used to prevent monopoly within the free market. According to the social media giant, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was not able to provide a plausible factual basis for branding Facebook as an unlawful monopolist. Facebook also added the FTC relied on guesswork rather than real facts.

As a result, a U.S. judge James Boasberg dismissed the FTC’s complaint against Facebook stating that it was legally insufficient. It is important to note that he dismissed the complaint, not the case, which gave the FTC a chance to file a revised complaint, and the FTC did that.

The FTC amended their original complaint by adding more details and asked the judge again to force Facebook to sell WhatsApp and Instagram. The FTC claimed that Facebook has been the most dominant and largest personal social network in the US since 2012. Facebook responded to this claim by saying that they are facing enough competition from such social websites as LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. However, the FTC argued that these websites do not fall under the category of “personal social networking”.

Facebook also added that the amended complaint is not valid because of the participation of the new FTC chair, Lina Khan. Facebook said that she should have to recuse herself from this case due to her criticism of big and influential tech companies, including Facebook. According to Facebook, she joined the FTC having already made up her mind against the social media giant.

Facebook also noted that one of the purposes of this lawsuit filed by the FTC is to undo mergers that it had approved. These mergers include Instagram bought by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp bought by Facebook for $19 billion in 2014.

By responding to the FTC complaint, Facebook claims that this case does not have any factual or legal support. One of the Facebook spokesmen also added that Facebook cannot be accused of having monopoly power because this power does not exist at all.

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Important Steps to Winning Your Personal Injury Lawsuit

Posted by David Brown 
· October 26, 2021 

If you are contemplating filing a personal injury lawsuit, there are several steps you should take in order to maximize your chances of success. You may be suffering from not just physical injuries, but also a loss of work, high medical bills, and other issues. Being prepared is the key to success.

Seek Medical Care Right Away

If you delay seeking medical care, an opposing attorney or insurance company can claim that you were not really injured. You may not even realize that you are hurt, so get any EMTs or other medical personnel available at the place of your injury to check you out. Be sure they fill out reports. Also, go see your doctor. Describe exactly what happened, as a medical professional will know how to look for signs of specific injuries based on what happened.

Gather All of Your Evidence

Get everything that you can on paper, and preserve any emails, text messages and voicemails between you and the other party. Ask the police, medical personnel, and anyone else involved for written statements. If there were any witnesses, get their information in writing immediately. The recollections of people who aren’t a party to the action lend credibility to your claim, particularly when it comes to the negligent actions of others.

Act Quickly

You only have a limited time to file a personal injury lawsuit. Beyond these court deadlines, witnesses may move or not remember events clearly over time. It also becomes harder to collect information like medical and police reports if you have to go through additional channels down the road.

Hire An Attorney and Talk Only to Them

The most important thing you can do to guarantee the success of your personal injury lawsuit is to hire an experienced attorney. They can help you navigate a very complicated legal system, and they know how to deal with insurance companies and their attorneys. Make sure you only talk to your attorney about your case. Things that you say to others can be brought to light during your lawsuit, and even completely innocent comments can be portrayed in a negative light.

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USPS Faces Lawsuit for Slower Mail Delivery in Fast-Paced World

Posted by David Brown 
· October 21, 2021 

The story begins with a 10-year plan created by General Louis DeJoy, the current Postmaster General. In a nutshell, the plan, which already kicked off on October 1, is meant to overhaul how the USPS does business.

According to the Postal Service, the plan aims to restore service excellence and financial sustainability. The emphasis is on financial sustainability because the Postal Service has now slowed down mail delivery after hiking postage costs the previous month.

Americans who were used to the standard three-day delivery for first-class mail, including bills, tax forms, and letters, will now have to adjust to five-day deliveries.

What Does the Complaint Allege?

Attorney Generals from the following twenty states are suing the Postal Service because of this new development: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Nevada, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington D.C, and Virginia.

Here are the main points raised in the complaint:

  • The complaint alleges that the Postal Regulatory Commission, responsible for overseeing USPS operations, did not do its due diligence in assessing the viability of the 10-year plan developed by the Postmaster General. Instead, the PCR only gave an advisory opinion on two occasions, which is not enough to cover the entire scope of the plan.
  • According to Josh Stein, North Carolina’s Attorney General, the changes will negatively impact Americans who previously relied on the timely delivery of important mail. This is especially so for Americans in low-income households, the elderly, and those who live in rural areas.
  • The complaint also alleges that the public was not given an opportunity to weigh in on the plan before it was implemented.

The Response From the PRC and USPS

It appears the PRC shared some of the concerns raised by the complaint. In July, the PRC released a report where PRC commissioner Ashley Poly stated that they were not entirely convinced the slowdown and reduction of service standards by the USPS were justified.

However, the PRC had little to say after the lawsuit was filed beyond that it will establish a docket to look into the matter. The USPS has dismissed the lawsuit as having no factual or legal merit and says it will implement the radical plan while adhering to all statutory and legal requirements.

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King County Drops Suit Against Fossil Fuel Giants Chevron, Exxon, BP and Others

Posted by David Brown 
· October 19, 2021 

A Washington state court lawsuit accusing five large oil companies of influencing climate change has been dropped. King County, home to Seattle, accused fossil fuel companies, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and BP Plc of contributing to current climate conditions like global warming.

A recent filing stated the county is voluntarily abandoning the suit. In the lawsuit, the county alleged the companies were a public nuisance and committed trespassing in their production and marketing of fossil fuels.

Over the last four years, two dozen state and municipal plaintiffs filed lawsuits similar to this one. King County is the first one to end its lawsuit. The case asked for hundreds of millions in damages caused by the manufacturing and marketing of fossil fuel.

King County lawyer Matthew Pawa did not comment, and King County did not respond to requests for comment.

The county wanted the companies to provide funding for planned spending to protect residents from rising sea levels, increased flooding and other projected changes in the climate caused by global warming.

Casey Norton, an Exxon spokesperson, said lawsuits like this don’t advance meaningful measures to reduce climate change and waste millions of taxpayer dollars. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind Wharton and Garrison represent Exxon.

There has been no comment from Chevron or BP. Theodore Boutrous of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher is one of Chevron’s lawyers. Arnold and Porter Kaye Scholer represent BP in this matter.

Patrick Parenteau of Vermont Law School and Dan Farber of the California Berkeley School of Law — both environmental law experts — expressed surprise that the case ended so suddenly. However, Farber believes the county’s retreat from the suit may be a developing legal tactic.

Farber stated King County could be regearing its lawsuit to follow other states and municipalities that have focused their lawsuits on promotional claims. “I think it will give King County a stronger case,” Farber said.

Massachusetts, Vermont and other state attorneys’ generals filed lawsuits recently stating consumers are being deceived by fossil fuel companies about the harm their products cause. Some legal experts think these lawsuits have a better chance at success since the claims accuse companies of violating state law instead of the nuisance claim filed by King County.

 

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Some Workers in Washington State Are Fighting Vaccine Mandates

Posted by David Brown 
· October 14, 2021 

A proclamation signed by Governor Jay Inslee mandates that broad swaths of workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18th in order to keep their jobs. The proclamation includes most long-term care and health providers, and all K-12 education, childcare, college and state employees. The governor states that his authority lies within his February 2020 declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. According to the governor, he then has broad authority under that state of emergency to protect the health and safety of those he governs.

Some workers who are in danger of losing their job are fighting back. They have filed a lawsuit stating that the governor has overstepped his authority, and that he cannot force people to get vaccinated as a condition of employment. Among other claims, the lawyers for the state workers who signed on to the action say that the vaccine mandate for workers violates the 14th amendment. Among other things, that amendment says that the state can’t make and enforce laws that unduly affect people’s rights as citizens. To these workers, a vaccine mandate does just that.

The lawsuit also challenges the lack of religious and medical exemptions built into the governor’s proclamation, and a subsequent letter sent by the Spokane Fire Chief that the city would not make such exemptions. According to a letter sent to employers, this decision was based on the city’s ability to protect the health and safety of others who work with the unvaccinated.

In total, the lawsuit gives eleven reasons why the mandate is unlawful. It seeks monetary damages for the violation of federal law they see through the mandate, continued employment without vaccination, and repayment for attorney and court costs. The lawsuit is funded by a non-profit organization called the Washington Citizens for Liberty. It names not only the governor, but other government officials such as the Secretaries of the Departments of Transportation and Social and Health Services.

While the lawsuit is still in its early stages, it is one of many filed by workers across the country who believe that governors overstep their bounds when they put vaccine employment mandates in place.

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Does Healthcare Technology Influence Medical Malpractice?

Posted by David Brown 
· October 12, 2021 

Nowadays, medical technology is fundamental to healthcare policies due to its impact on accessibility, cost, and quality. However, technology is also prompting medical malpractice. Although technological advances enhance medical treatment and diagnosis, technical hitches, incompetence in its applications, and malfunctions can lead to severe problems.

According to Forbes, about 400,000 people die annually as a result of preventable medical errors, including preventable Hospital Acquired Infections. Many of these errors are linked to technology. In the United States, over 100,000 people are killed or injured due to medical errors annually, in reference to Jacoby & Meyers, personal injury attorneys. These common medical errors include birth injuries, prescription dosage errors, surgical errors, diagnosis failure, anesthesia errors, treatment delays, and emergency room negligence.

Benefits of Medical Technology

Healthcare providers and patients positively view medical technology due to its contribution to improved understanding of health conditions, diagnosis, and treatment. Besides, technology has also improved access to health services, especially in rural areas.

The simplification of procedures by healthcare technology has also enhanced productivity and more focused healthcare. Additionally, technology has also enhanced the reduction of human error, particularly in recordkeeping and filling, as this can cause devastating concerns.

Risks of Medical Technology

Despite the benefits offered by medical technology, there are some risks linked to it. As healthcare providers learn to use and apply new medical tech systems, they may make errors endangering patients. Although tech advances may restrain some human error areas, people are also likely to make mistakes. Besides, due to the mechanical nature of technology, malfunction is also another risk posed by the use of technology. This can place the life of a patient in danger or cause severe damage.

Impact of Technology on Medical Malpractice

Although several professionals claim tech advances help minimize medical malpractice incidences, since human error is not common when applying electronic methods, technology can also help a medical malpractice case. The use of electronic records facilitates the availability of documentation that can prove an error. As opposed to the past, where attorneys relayed in in-office or recalled conversations, nowadays, lawyers can use patient portals, emails, electronic records, and other forms of technology in court.

Technology has greatly influenced how people live. However, the application of technology can create some risks, especially if not properly managed or controlled.

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Greyhound Settles Lawsuit with Washington state for $2.2 Million

Posted by David Brown 
· October 7, 2021 

Greyhound Lines Inc reached a $2.2 million settlement with the State of Washington as a result of a lawsuit filed by State of Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The basis for the lawsuit was the policy of Greyhound to allow the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to conduct warrantless immigration sweeps on Greyhound buses.

The lawsuit, filed April 13, 2020 in Spokane County Superior Court, cited the “unfair, deceptive, and discriminatory practice of regularly allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to board Greyhound buses” on its non-public property at the Spokane Intermodal Center. The suit alleged that the purpose of CBP boarding the buses was to perform suspicionless and warrantless immigration sweeps of Greyhound bus passengers. The suit further alleged that the immigration sweeps violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination, along with the Consumer Protection Act.

The state attorney general’s office further alleged that Greyhound refused to implement changes and continually failed to notify Greyhound passengers about the possibility of immigration sweeps. The warrantless sweeps continued even after Greyhound acknowledged in 2018 that they resulted in harm to its passengers.

The settlement, announced September 28, 2021, will go towards recouping legal fees, and for restitution to passengers that were arrested, detained, or deported because of the immigration sweeps. Greyhound agreed to other terms, which include:

  • Issuing a public statement in both English and Spanish that the company does not support CBP agents boarding its buses without a warrant
  • Placing stickers at or near the front door of buses indicating that Greyhound does not consent to immigration officers boarding its buses without reasonable suspicion or a warrant
  • Providing placards for Greyhound drivers to give to immigration agents that state that the company does not consent to immigration officers boarding buses to perform warrantless or suspicionless searches
  • Implementing a complaint procedure for passengers that want to complain about the presence of CBP agents on buses or at Greyhound bus stations

Judge Maryann C. Moreno previously denied a request by Greyhound to dismiss the lawsuit in March 2021. The judge rejected the argument that Greyhound did not have a choice but to allow the immigration agents to board their buses and to conduct the immigration sweeps. The trial was set to begin the day before the announcement of the settlement.

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