This isn’t normally a topic we cover on our blog but there are some interesting cases that seem to perfect fit our Public Safety and affecting those financially and on the homefront themes.

These are gleaned from https://www.Law360.com website and you may need to subscribe to their site.

State Farm Dodges Class Cert. Bid In Homeowner Dispute

A Georgia federal judge on Thursday refused to grant certification in a putative class action accusing State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. of failing to compensate homeowners for diminished value of their damaged homes, ruling that the court did not have jurisdiction over the claims.

Wells Fargo Faces Class Action In Sales Quotas Scandal

Consumers have filed a putative class action against Wells Fargo & Co. in California federal court, accusing the bank of pressuring employees to open illegal accounts that rack up fees for unknowing customers in order to meet unrealistic sales quotas.

State Farm Seeks To Ax Property Damage Class Action

State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. on Tuesday urged an Arizona federal court to scrap a putative class action lodged by policyholders accusing the insurer of violating state law by systemically undervaluing actual cash value payments, asserting that it has complied with its obligations under the plaintiffs’ policies and state law.

Merck Nabs Partial Win In Vioxx Securities Fraud Row

A New Jersey federal judge ruled Wednesday that a class alleging securities fraud could not prove Merck & Co. Inc. misrepresented Vioxx’s heart attack risks at least prior to a study comparing the arthritis medication with another leading drug, but could still prove Merck misled investors after learning of the study results.

Takeda Says FTC’s AbbVie Loss Backs Actos Dismissal Bid

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and several generic-drug makers accused of delaying cheaper versions of diabetes treatment Actos on Tuesday said the recent dismissal of a chunk of one of the Federal Trade Commission’s own pay-for-delay cases has doomed the Actos antitrust litigation.

Chrysler Rips Plaintiffs In Bid To Toss Clutch Defect Suit

Chrysler Group LLC on Wednesday doubled down on its bid to shake off a proposed class action in California federal court alleging clutch defects in 2013 and 2014 Dodge Darts, arguing that the plaintiffs’ claims are “devoid of any facts” linking their vehicle problems to the purported defects.

11th Circ. Told To Nix BofA $228M Force-Placed Insurance Deal

Two members of a settled class action accusing Bank of America NA of accusing the bank of overcharging homeowners for force-placed insurance told the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday that the $228 million deal shouldn’t have been approved because the settlement amount is illusory.

Players Who Skipped NFL Concussion Deal Ask To File Suits

Pro football players who opted out of a settlement over head injuries they got while playing for the National Football League on Tuesday asked the judge in the multidistrict class action to start letting them resume their own cases.

Wal-Mart Pharmacists Say Unpaid Homework Was Mandatory

A group of former Wal-Mart pharmacists defended their second shot at a proposed class action alleging they were stiffed immunization training pay and break periods against the retail giant in California federal court Monday, arguing they now adequately allege the claims that they were required to perform work for which they were never paid.

Philly Can’t Get ‘Robo-Forfeiture’ Suit Dismissed

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday refused to dismiss a putative class action against the city of Philadelphia accusing it of unconstitutionally depriving residents of their property and their right to due process of law through its civil forfeiture program, saying neither statute or precedent bars the suit.

Android Users Move For Class Cert. In Google Privacy Case

Android users suing Google Inc. in California federal court for allegedly handing over their names, email addresses and locations to app developers without permission moved for class certification Tuesday.

Leaf Class Sprouts New Deal After 9th Circ. Judge Objects

Nissan Leaf owners on Monday asked a California federal judge to approve a deal that offers replacement batteries for owners of the electric cars, after addressing the objection of a Leaf-owning Ninth Circuit judge who’d shed his robes to blast an earlier proposal.

Adams & Reese, Others To Pay $5M In Stanford Fraud Suit

Adams & Reese LLP, Breazeale Sachse & Wilson LLP and several individual defendants on Tuesday agreed to pay $5 million to settle class claims — stemming from Allen Stanford’s $7 billion Ponzi scheme — alleging attorneys and directors aided and abetted in a breach of fiduciary duty and a fraudulent scheme.

More Anthem Plaintiffs Spar Over Breach Suit Consolidation

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation continues to hear arguments over whether and where to consolidate class actions stemming from a huge data breach that hit Anthem Inc. in January, with two more plaintiffs voicing support for and opposition to consolidation on Monday.

Dart Owners Slam Chrysler’s Bid To Nix Clutch Defect Suit

A putative class of car owners suing Chrysler Group LLC for alleged clutch defects in 2013 and 2014 Dodge Darts blasted the automaker’s bid to dismiss their second amended complaint, telling a California federal court Monday that Chrysler is attempting a second bite at the apple.

Nissan-Japan Can’t Appeal Engine Defect Order, Class Says

A putative class on Monday urged a California federal judge to nix Nissan Motor Co.’s attempt to appeal an order denying the automaker’s bid to toss a suit over allegedly defective timing chain tensioning systems that can lead to “catastrophic engine failure,” saying Nissan is trying to “shirk” its responsibility.

3rd Circ. Revives Cancer Claims In G-P Asbestos Suits

The Third Circuit on Monday ordered a Pennsylvania district court to reconsider a ruling in multidistrict litigation that blocked three men who filed claims against Georgia-Pacific LLC for asbestos-related diseases in the 1990s from supplementing their complaints with claims for lung cancer that each developed later.

Plaintiffs Demand Docs In Scotts Toxic Bird Seed Row

Plaintiffs in a proposed class action accusing Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. of selling wild bird food that contained toxic pesticides claimed on Monday the company was flouting a California judge’s order to produce documents by withholding third-party reports about the bird food.

Allergan Consumers Want Class Status In Skin Cream Suit

Consumers accusing Allergan Inc. and its subsidiary SkinMedica Inc. of concealing the cancer risks of anti-aging creams made from human foreskin cells, cow blood and other biological materials moved for class certification in California federal court on Monday.

Class Slams Ford’s ‘Secretive’ Acceleration Row Discovery

Plaintiffs in three class actions against Ford Motor Co. over unintended acceleration risks on Tuesday urged a West Virginia federal judge to reconsider the automaker’s use of a “secretive and defective” self-selection method for discovery, saying Ford misrepresented that it was reasonably producing documents.

Philly Hospital Chain Denied ER Workers OT, Class Suit Claims

A Philadelphia-based hospital chain was slapped with a class action in state court on Friday alleging that emergency room workers were denied overtime pay after being forced to work through their meal breaks.

GM Wrongly Excludes 10M Cars From Victims’ Fund, Suit Says

A compensation fund through which General Motors Co. is resolving claims over deaths and injuries from ignition switch-related accidents erroneously excludes 10 million cars, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP attorneys asserted in a wrongful death suit filed Monday in Washington federal court.

BofA, Chase Agree To Delete Debt Discharged In Bankruptcy

Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently agreed to settle issues related to class action suits claiming debt that remains on consumer credit reports even after it’s been discharged in bankruptcy, a practice that hurts credit scores and can keep people from getting jobs.

Chinese Manufacturer Protests Class Cert. In Drywall MDL

Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd. asked a Louisiana federal court Friday to decertify some 3,500 property owners across the U.S. who alleged the Chinese company manufactured or sold defective drywall used in building homes, arguing their property damage issues are too individualized to merit class treatment.

Endo Settles 100 Vaginal Mesh Suits

Endo International PLC on Monday reached settlement agreements with more than 100 plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation over its subsidiary American Medical Systems Inc.’s allegedly harmful vaginal mesh products, according to the judge’s order dismissing the suits.

Major Airlines Deny Conspiracy In Mexican Flight-Tax Suit

Seven airlines, including Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Inc., asked a Georgia federal court Friday to dismiss a proposed class action that claimed they unlawfully charged Mexican citizens millions of dollars for a “Mexico tourism tax,” arguing the suit falsely claimed they engaged in racketeering, mail and wire fraud.

Honda Buyers Tell 9th Circ. Judge Botched Cert. Ruling

The Ninth Circuit was urged Thursday to overturn a district judge’s denial of class certification in a suit accusing American Honda Motor Co. of selling cars equipped with defective power windows, with the plaintiffs arguing the judge improperly found that the class vehicles lack a common defect.

Pittsburgh Police Settle Class Action Over Hiring Bias

The American Civil Liberties Union and Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto have cut a $1.6 million deal to end a class action accusing the city’s Bureau of Police of discriminating against black candidates seeking to joint the force, both sides said Thursday.

Bimbo’s Bread Customers Seek Cert. In False Labeling Suit

Customers who bought bread products from Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. urged a California federal judge Wednesday to certify four classes of California buyers who say the bagels and loaves they bought were misbranded in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and California’s Sherman Act.

Samsung Can’t Duck Fraud Claims In Suit Over Faulty Washers

A New Jersey federal judge blocked warranty claims but gave the green light Tuesday to fraud claims by a proposed class who bought Samsung Electronics America Inc. washing machines they say were prone to break and flood their homes.

Duke Seeks To Pause Shareholders’ Coal Ash Derivative Suit

Duke Energy Corp. urged a Delaware Chancery judge Tuesday to stay a derivative suit that seeks to hold management liable for a spill that released tons of coal ash into North Carolina’s Dan River, saying proceeding with the shareholder action would hamper the power company’s ability to defend itself it in other litigation.

Blue Cross Data Breach Class Action Stays In Federal Court

A proposed class of California consumers failed to move their case claiming that Blue Cross of California’s lax data security left millions of Social Security numbers exposed back to state court, as a California federal judge Tuesday said the insurer had met its burden for establishing federal jurisdiction.

Pa. Federal Court Picks Trial Suits In Zoloft Birth Defect MDL

A Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday selected five cases to go to trial in the ongoing federal multidistrict litigation involving allegations that Pfizer Inc.’s antidepressant Zoloft can cause heart defects in children born to those taking the drug during pregnancy.

Bayer Wants Out Of One-A-Day Labeling Class Action

Bayer AG told a California federal court Monday that it should toss a proposed class action against it over the labeling on its One-A-Day vitamins, arguing that the plaintiffs had not shown that it had made any impermissible “disease-prevention” claims on the products.

Thesee cases are from May 1-11, 2015.

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