On August 21, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a $16.65 billion settlement with Bank of America in connection with charges of financial fraud in the lead-up to and during the financial crisis. According to the DOJ press release, the settlement represents “the largest civil settlement with a […]
Human Safety Takes a Back Seat to Asbestos Profits in India
The World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, virtually all of the world’s medical community and the credible scientific community have declared for years that no level of asbestos exposure is safe for humans. We’ve known for decades that asbestos exposure is the only cause of malignant mesothelioma, a horrible […]
Miners With Black Lung Wrongly Denied Benefits Based on Controversial Doctor’s X-ray Review
The Department of Labor has recently instructed more than 1,100 coal miners to re-apply for black lung benefits indicating that the miners may have been wrongly denied. The medical review of x-rays for these miners by a doctor at The Johns Hopkins Hospital has been called into question. According to […]
Community Health Systems, Inc. to Pay $97 Million to Settle Whistleblower Suits
Earlier this week, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Community Health Systems, Inc. will pay $97 million to resolve multiple whistleblower cases brought against the company under the False Claims Act. The global settlement will resolve seven qui tam (“whistleblower”) lawsuits brought in federal courts throughout the country. […]
Bank of America to Reportedly Pay $17 Billion in Mortgage Settlement
Reports surfaced this week that Bank of America and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a tentative deal under which the bank would pay nearly $17 billion to resolve an investigation into its sale of toxic mortgage securities in the run-up to the financial crisis. It would represent the […]
Wrongfully Convicted Louisiana Man Exonerated by DNA Evidence
On June 25, 2014, a Louisiana judge overturned the conviction of Nathan Brown after results from DNA testing of crime scene evidence proved Brown is innocent. The DNA evidence matched an alternative suspect, a man currently incarcerated in Mississippi who lived only a few blocks away from the crime scene. […]
Wrongful Conviction Award Affirmed
A New York appellate court has unanimously affirmed a $5.5 million wrongful conviction award to Daniel Gristwood, an individual who falsely confessed to the attempted murder after police officers subjected him to a lengthy interrogation in a highly coercive manner. Police had investigated him in a small windowless room for […]
Nursing Home Pharmacy Company Settles False Claims Case
Omnicare, Inc., the nation’s largest provider of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy services to nursing homes, recently agreed to pay $124.4 million to settle a whistleblower suit. The government asserted that Omnicare offered improper financial incentives to skilled nursing facilities in return for their continued selection of Omnicare to supply drugs to […]
Justice Department Announces $4 Billion Civil Penalty to be Paid by CitiGroup
On July 14, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $7 billion settlement with CitiGroup, Inc. to resolve federal and state claims related to CitiGroup’s actions with residential mortgage-backed securities prior to January 1, 2009. The settlement includes a $4 billion civil penalty, the largest penalty ever under the […]
CitiGroup to Pay $7 Billion to Settle Mortgage Fraud Claims
CitiGroup has agreed to pay $7 billion to settle charges that it packaged bad mortgages in the period leading up to the financial crisis. The settlement includes $4 billion in penalties, $2.5 billion in mortgage modifications and other relief to homeowners, and $500 million to be paid to a number […]