Class action lawsuits benefit consumers by holding large businesses, government, and individuals who break the law accountable for their actions.
- Author: Bryan Miller
- Posted: 2024-05-15
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Status
Attorney generals from 24 states recognized the accomplishments of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who graduated from college and started businesses that contribute to our economy or became engineers, teachers, or social workers, especially the essential doctors, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and technicians on the frontlines during the pandemic. Dreamers or heroes, our attorney generals petitioned the federal government to strengthen the DACA program to enable children of immigrants, parents on work visas, or migrant workers born in this country to continue to reside in the United States and to continue to benefit our society.
Veterans' Hearing Loss - Multimillion Dollar Settlement
Defective 3M Combat Arms earplugs, used between 2003 and 2015, that did not properly seal service members' ear canals caused them to suffer hearing loss or tinnitus. A $9.1 million settlement reached during July 2021 compensates service members. Attorneys hope that all service members who suffered hearing loss due to faulty 3M earplugs will receive compensation for their medical bills, hearing aids, pain and suffering, and other related losses. A $7.1 million settlement paid compensatory and punitive damages to three veterans with service-related hearing loss. While not all the Plaintiffs prevailed against 3M, the defective earplug litigation sent a message to 3M that paltry $10 thousand dollar settlements per service member will not suffice. It's likely that 3M will settle subsequent lawsuits.
Over the Counter Drugs: Zantac
Zantac, ranitidine, a harmless antacid, was recalled in April 2020 as a defective product. Ranitidine pills deteriorate in the bottle releasing carcinogens. If you developed bladder, breast, colorectal, esophageal, kidney liver, pancreatic, prostate, or stomach cancer after prolonged use of Zantac or generic ranitidine, you may be entitled to compensation. Zantac sales brought manufacturers, Sanofi, Boehringer, and Ingelheim, $1 billion annually. Sanofi did not disclose that their product was defective and continued to poison millions of patients. Zantac released NDMA, which causes cancer in animals without any doubt. If you used ranitidine and developed cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and lost wages. If your loved one died after swallowing Zantac for a prolonged period of time, you and your relative's children may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Monsanto Pesticides Pollute Our Natual Resources
Attorney generals sued Monsanto for damage done to natural resources, waterways, and wildlife habitats for the money to clean up polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) deposited by its pesticides. PCBs are toxic to both animals and people. The Maryland Attorney General demanded money to clean the Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. He expects Monsanto to take full responsibility for preferring profit over Marylanders' welfare.
The U.S. Endangered Species Act
Attorney generals from New York City joined attorney generals from California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.in restoring the Endangered Species Act enacted during Nixon's presidency in 1973. Under the Endangered Species Act, the USDA Fish and Wildlife Service preserves the habitats of animals and plants in danger of extinction. The attorney generals petitioned President Biden to address the effects of climate change on endangered species.
Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A coalition of attorney generals representing consumers suffering the effects of climate change estimate that each year 45 thousand consumers die from the effects of air pollution, especially in low-income inner-city neighborhoods. Therefore, the attorney generals expect the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by cars and trucks to improve the ozone. The attorney generals assert that meeting the standards of the Clean Air Act will reduce the number of catastrophic weather events from wildfires and floods to heatwaves and famines.
