GlaxoSmithKline, a behemoth drug manufacturer, has agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil complaints that the company knowingly sold contaminated drugs, including contaminated baby ointment and an ineffective antidepressant. The settlement is the result of a whistleblower suit filed by a former quality control manager with the […]
Gulf Oil Spill Claims Administrator Rejects U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Attacks on U.S. Legal System
Ken Feinberg, the attorney who has served as mass claims administrator for claims from both the September 11th terrorist attacks and now the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, defended the U.S. legal system. The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the chief lobbyists for multinational corporations, […]
Catastrophic Surgical Errors More Common Than The Public Thinks
Dr. Martin Makary, M.D., a professor of surgery and public health at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore reported, stated in a CNN article that catatrosphic surgical errors are more common that the pubic thinks. The problem is commonly referred to as wrong patient wrong site surgery. The findings arise from […]
Consumer Product Safety Commission Allows Industry ‘Self-Policing’ On Toxic Cadmium
In an announcement covered by the Associated Press, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) yesterday caved in to industry and declined to set mandatory limits on cadmium. Cadmium is a toxic metal that was the focus of a recall of 12 million ‘Shrek’ glasses at McDonald’s earlier this year, […]
New Blood Test Can Detect Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
In USA TODAY, it was announced that the Army has developed a reliable new test to detect the presence of traumatic brain injury, an immense help to its troops who receive concussive injuries from bomb blasts and blount force injuries to the head. The test has significant applications in the […]
Health Care Providers Fail To Report Errors Or Correct Malpractice
Reporting medical errors protects the public in many ways. Despite laws that require medical providers to report medical errors, they frequently choose not to comply. Washington State is one of 27 states which require reporting of serious medical errors but it frequently fails to enforce adequate reporting. Reporting requirement are […]
Federal Reserve Board Announces New Rules Targeting Loan Originator Compensation Practices
The Federal Reserve Board recently announced final rules designed to protect mortgage borrowers from unfair and deceptive practices by loan originators. The new rules target a lender compensation scheme in which loan originators receive more money if a borrower accepts an interest rate higher than the rate required by the […]
Legislation Introduced Which Would Aid Government Loan Modification Program
Representative Brad Miller of North Carolina has introduced a bill, the Mortgage Servicing Conflict of Interest Elimination Act. The bill would prohibit a company that services a loan it does not own from holding any other mortgage on that property. The proposed legislation would eliminate a built-in conflict of interest […]
Federal Reserve Board Issues Final Rule On Credit Card Fees
The Federal Reserve Board recently approved a final rule to protect credit card users from unreasonable late payment and other penalty fees. The rule also requires credit card issuers to reconsider any interest rate increases imposed since the beginning of 2009. The final rule represents the third stage of the […]
Legislation Outlawing Foreclosure Rescue Scams To Become North Carolina Law
North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed into law the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act. The Act is intended to provide important protections to those at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. Such distressed homeowners are too often victimized by foreclosure rescue scams. The Act provides that it is unlawful […]