Vaping Seen to Dramatically Increase Chances of Contracting Covid-19, Intensification of Coronavirus Illness

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Juul dangers

Emerging data on coronavirus indicate radically heightened risks, particularly for young vapers and smokers

The New York Times reports that experts are warning the corona virus and its attendant respiratory disease are more easily contracted by and can cause elevated damage to the already-scarred lungs of smokers and vapers. Several new studies have found that smoking can double a person’s risk of severe covid-19 symptoms, and researchers are now reporting that young adults who vape are five times more likely to contract the coronavirus. There are also heightened concerns about other vape liquid additives such as Vitamin E acetate, which can further expose the lungs of vapers to toxins and foreign contaminants. This exposure weakens the body’s ability to fight diseases as airways become clogged and the flow of oxygen to the blood is impeded. [Read more…]

Class Counsel Announce U.S. District Court Grants Final Approval to $135m Settlement in Navistar Diesel Engine EGR Emissions Defect Litigation

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Navistar MaxxForce Diesel Engine Emissions Settlement

Owners and lessees of affected vehicles must file their claims by May 11, 2020 to recover up to $2,500 cash, up to $10,000 rebate on a new Navistar truck, or up to $15,000 for documented costs relating to the alleged defect

January 3, 2020, New York—(BUSINESSWIRE)—On January 3rd, 2020, Judge Joan B. Gottschall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted final approval to the proposed settlement of multidistrict litigation brought on behalf of plaintiff truck owners and lessees alleging that Navistar, Inc. and Navistar International, Inc. sold or leased 2011-2014 model year vehicles equipped with certain MaxxForce 11- or 13-liter diesel engines that had a defective EGR emissions system. Judge Gottschall concluded that the parties’ class action settlement is a fair, reasonable, and adequate resolution of plaintiffs’ claims. [Read more…]

Lieff Cabraser Announces Settlement of Nationwide Mercedes-Benz A/C Mold and Mildew Case

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Mold in vehicle air conditioning

Uncapped settlement will provide reimbursement for qualified past repairs and all or part of the cost of future repairs to owners and lessees of approximately 2.5 million Mercedes-Benz vehicles affected by the alleged Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system mold and mildew defects

Lieff Cabraser and Corpus Law Patel announce that plaintiff vehicle owners and lessees have reached a nationwide settlement with Mercedes-Benz to end the class action product defect litigation over claims that certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles were affected by HVAC system defects that led to noxious odors inside the vehicles that could be severe enough to render the luxury vehicles unfit for driving. [Read more…]

Court Directs Ford F-150 Brake Defects Litigation to Move Forward

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traffic

As reported by Law360, on Wednesday July 10, 2019, U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain directed that the lawsuit filed on behalf of hundreds of Ford F-150 pickup truck owners who’ve experienced sudden brake failures in their vehicles should move forward. While discarding some warranty claims in the suit, Judge Drain noted that the plaintiffs’ fraud and reliance claims had been pled sufficiently to overcome the defendant’s request for dismissal. [Read more…]

Preliminary Approval Granted to Settlement in Navistar Diesel Engine EGR Emissions Defect Litigation

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Navistar MaxxForce Diesel Engine Emissions Settlement

$135 million settlement provides class members with $2,500 per truck or $10,000 rebate off new truck, or option to seek up to $15,000 per truck in out of pocket damages caused by alleged defect

On June 12, 2019, Judge Joan B. Gottschall of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued an Order granting preliminary approval to a proposed settlement of multidistrict litigation brought on behalf of plaintiff truck owners and lessees alleging that Navistar, Inc. and Navistar International, Inc. sold or leased 2011-2014 model year vehicles equipped with certain MaxxForce 11- or 13-liter diesel engines equipped with a defective EGR emissions system. Judge Gottschall ruled that the proposed class action settlement which had been submitted to the Court on May 28, 2019, is likely to be approved as fair, reasonable, and adequate in addressing plaintiffs’ claims, and that the Court was also likely to certify the Settlement Class for purposes of implementing the settlement. [Read more…]

Class Counsel Announce $135 Million Proposed Class Action Settlement of Federal Navistar Diesel Engine EGR Emissions Defect Lawsuits

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Navistar MaxxForce Diesel Engine Emissions Settlement

Class members can choose up to $2,500 per truck or $10,000 rebate off new truck, or seek up to $15,000 per truck in out of pocket damages caused by alleged defect

Lieff Cabraser together with co-lead counsel DiCello Levitt Gutzler and Audet & Partners LLP and liaison counsel The Bellows Law Group announce that the parties in the In re Navistar MaxxForce Engines Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liabilities Litigation reached an agreement to settle the nationwide federal class action lawsuit relating to certain MaxxForce 11- or 13-liter diesel engines equipped with an allegedly defective EGR emissions system. Plaintiffs filed the proposed settlement, under which Navistar International and Navistar, Inc. (NYSE: NAV) must pay out $135 million, with Judge Joan B. Gottschall of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for her consideration and approval. [Read more…]

Lieff Cabraser Announces Settlement in Samsung Top-Loading Washing Machine Explosions Litigation

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CPSC Recalls 2.8 Million Samsung Top-Loading Washing Machines Over Explosion Risks

Samsung making more than $100 million available to owners of certain 2011-2016 Samsung top-loading washers with a range of benefits including rebates, refunds, and repairs

March 18, 2019, New York—(BUSINESSWIRE)—The law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, announces that a settlement (washermdlsettlement.com) has been reached with defendant Samsung Electronics and retailer defendants including Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s over certain 2011-2016 models of Samsung top-loading washing machines whose tops consumers alleged could detach during operation and whose drain pumps could break or detach during operation. Consumers contended that the washing machines, whose operations caused some of the devices to explode in owners’ homes, are defective; Samsung and the defendants deny all of the allegations of the lawsuit, including those relating to defects in the washers. [Read more…]

Annika K. Martin Featured in WSB-TV Atlanta Report on Mercedes-Benz Mold Lawsuits

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Annika K. Martin Featured in WSB-TV Atlanta News Report on Georgia Mercedes-Benz Mold Lawsuits

In May of 2017, Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel filed the Mercedes-Benz Vehicle AC Mold class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers in federal court in Georgia against Mercedes-Benz USA over complaints that various Mercedes vehicles, dating as far back as the 1999 model year through to the present, have a serious design defect that causes the air conditioning system to accumulate mold and mildew, spewing extremely unpleasant odors throughout the vehicles any time the air system is in use. [Read more…]

Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Georgia Mercedes-Benz Mold Case

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Mold in vehicle air conditioning

On December 18, 2018, Judge Amy Totenberg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued an order denying defendant Mercedes-Benz USA’s motion to dismiss the vehicle air conditioning mold defects case, finding that the plaintiffs had sufficiently plead their claims against the luxury vehicle manufacturer, which claims include fraud by concealment and unjust enrichment. [Read more…]

Lieff Cabraser and Co-Counsel File Nationwide Federal Fraud Lawsuit Over Mercedes-Benz A/C Mold Defects

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Vehicle Air Conditioning Mold Defects

Lieff Cabraser and Corpus Law Patel have filed a consumer fraud class action lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on behalf of all persons in the U.S. who purchased or leased certain Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with an allegedly defective air conditioning system. [Read more…]

American Association for Justice “Worst Corporate Conduct of 2018” Features Numerous Lieff Cabraser Cases

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Silhouette row of businessmen sitting in meeting room

The American Association for Justice has published its annual analysis of the “worst corporate conduct” of 2018. The AAJ’s report “examines how civil justice is the most powerful tool to hold corporations and institutions accountable when they cause harm. From the energy companies who spent decades denying their role in climate change, to a university and sports program that for years protected a pedophile instead of students and athletes, institutions have shown time and again they will not act in the public’s best interest unless something forces them to. In these cases, and others involving unscrupulous student lenders, defective airbags, child slave labor, and corporate attempts to rig justice, the civil justice system has allowed Americans to hold bad actors accountable and change the way they do business.” [Read more…]

Mark Chalos Named Co-Lead Interim Counsel for Plaintiffs in Ford F-150 Brake Failures Class Action

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Motion blurred cars and trucks driving on the highway

Lieff Cabraser partner Mark P. Chalos has been named Co-Lead Interim Class Counsel for plaintiffs in litigation filed on behalf of hundreds of 2013-2016 Ford F-150 pickup truck owners who are experiencing sudden brake failures in their vehicles. The suit was filed after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received more than 200 complaints from Ford F-150 drivers who said the trucks’ brakes suddenly fail without warning during driving. [Read more…]

Consumers Reach Deal in Exploding Samsung Top-Loading Washers Case

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Consumers Reach Deal in Exploding Samsung Top-Loading Washers Case

Consumers have reached a settlement in the multidistrict litigation against Samsung and retailers over exploding top-loading washing machines, which consumers report can vibrate and blow themselves apart. Some owners of affected machines may receive a new Samsung or other brand washing machine, rebates, or a “free in-home repair to reinforce their washers’ top.” [Read more…]

New California Federal Court Decision Denies Mercedes’ and Daimler’s Attempts to Dismiss Moldy Vehicle Air Conditioning Lawsuit

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Mold in vehicle air conditioning

On April 16, 2018, Judge Terry J. Hatter, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Central District of California issued an Order rejecting defendants Mercedes-Benz USA and Daimler AG’s motions to strike and dismiss plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint in the litigation over allegations of defective, mold-harboring climate control systems in numerous Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The defendants had moved to strike the claim for damages under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act and to dismiss the common law implied warranty claims and all of the express warranty claims, along with all amendments to the original filed complaint. [Read more…]

Annika K. Martin Named Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in GM Air Conditioning Defects Litigation

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Annika K. Martin Named Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in GM Air Conditioning Defects Litigation

On April 11, 2018, Judge Matthew F. Leitman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan issued an order appointing Lieff Cabraser partner Annika K. Martin as Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in the consumer fraud class action lawsuit against General Motors Company in federal court on behalf of all persons who purchased or leased certain GM vehicles equipped with an allegedly defective air condition system. [Read more…]

Judge in Mercedes-Benz Moldy Air Conditioning Case Validates Plaintiffs’ Claims that Mercedes Cheated Customers

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Vehicle Air Conditioning Mold Defects

Decision Rejects Mercedes’ Attempt to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Claims that Mercedes Knowingly Sold Them Cars With Defective, Mold-Harboring HVAC Systems

On March 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg of the Northern District of Georgia issued an order denying most of Mercedes’s arguments attempting to dismiss Plaintiffs’ putative class action against Mercedes over allegations of mold in Mercedes vehicle AC. At the same time, the Court confirmed the validity of plaintiffs’ claims that Mercedes-Benz misled its customers by selling them expensive cars Mercedes knew to have defective, mold-harboring climate control systems. “Plaintiffs just want Mercedes to do right by its customers,” noted Lieff Cabraser’s Annika K. Martin, who represents the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit. “The Court’s opinion today is another positive step towards holding Mercedes accountable for cheating its customers.” [Read more…]

Lieff Cabraser Files Consumer Protection Lawsuit Against General Motors in Federal Court in Tennessee Alleging Air Conditioning Systems in Certain GM Vehicles Are Defective

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Defective Air Conditioning

Lieff Cabraser and Bruno Newsom filed a consumer fraud class action lawsuit against General Motors Company in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee today on behalf of all persons who purchased or leased in Tennessee certain GM vehicles equipped with an allegedly defective air conditioning system. The lawsuit claims the vehicles in question have a serious defect that causes the air conditioning systems to crack and leak refrigerant, lose pressure, and fail to function properly to provide cooled air into the vehicles. These failures lead owners and lessees to incur significant costs for repair, often successive repairs as the repaired parts prove defective as well.
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Lexi Hazam Weighs in with Law360 on Product Liability Cases to Watch in 2018

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Law360 Report: Product Liability Cases To Watch In 2018

Law360 reports on product liability cases to watch in the year 2018, highlighting cases of national interest with potential impact on millions of Americans. The review includes cases in which Lieff Cabraser plays a prominent role, and Law360 spoke directly with Lieff Cabraser’s Lexi Hazam. [Read more…]

Annika K. Martin Speaks to WSB-TV Atlanta About Georgia Mercedes-Benz Mold Lawsuits

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Annika K. Martin Speaks to WSB-TV Atlanta About Georgia Mercedes-Benz Mold Lawsuits

In May of 2017, Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel filed the “Mercedes-Benz Vehicle AC Mold” class action lawsuit in federal court in Georgia against Mercedes-Benz USA on behalf of consumers over complaints that various Mercedes vehicles, dating as far back as the 1999 model year through to the present, have a serious design defect. This defect causes the air conditioning system to accumulate mold and mildew, spewing extremely unpleasant odors throughout the vehicles any time the air system is in use. [Read more…]

Honda Settles Deadly Takata Airbags Case; Lawsuits Continue Against Fiat Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, and GM

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Takata airbag lawsuits

On September 1, 2017, Honda agreed to a $605 million settlement in multidistrict litigation with consumers over dangerous and deadly Takata airbags in Honda vehicles. The settlement will cover owners of 11.4 million U.S. vehicles with potentially faulty Takata air bag inflators. Honda is the sixth automaker to avoid litigation via the settlement path after Nissan, BMW, Mazda, Subaru, and Toyota reached similar settlements valued at over $651 million earlier in the year. Honda’s settlement leaves suits ongoing against Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz, among other auto manufacturers. [Read more…]