With 80 product liability lawsuits already filed and hundreds more likely to follow, lawyers are discussing the coordination of multi-district litigation (MDL). To date, legal action has been taken against Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., and other pharma companies.

Plaintiffs allege that these companies knowingly withheld risks connected with long-term use of the drug. Complaints list such outcomes as retinal damage and blurred and distorted vision.

After four years of litigation between plaintiffs and Johnson & Johnson, the multinational corporation agreed to the first set of major settlements. The agreement to pay $100 million will resolve more than 1,000 lawsuits in which plaintiffs allege that the talc in Johnson & Johnson’s signature baby powder causes cancer, according to a Bloomberg report.  This settlement marks the first to come from almost 20,000 lawsuits.

Aearo Technologies’ Combat Arms earplugs were standard issue for U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The devices were hailed as groundbreaking technology that enabled soldiers to protect their hearing while still being able to hear commands amidst war zones.

When drinking water supplies around Fayetteville, North Carolina proved to be contaminated, all fingers pointed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured at Chemours’ Fayetteville Works plant. U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. called a roundtable meeting to discuss the pollution. The meeting included various local officials, but the A-list attendee had to have been federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

A class-action lawsuit might be taking shape against Geico auto insurance company. When the insurer announced its 15% “Geico Giveback” premium discount program in April, consumers understood it would reflect the dramatic reduction in driving during the COVID-19 crisis. Consumers, however, think the country’s second largest auto insurer undelivered on its promise, and they have taken legal action.

In a press release announcing second-quarter earnings, Bayer AG reported that it has reserved $1.47 billion (1.25 billion euros) for the potential settlement of Essure contraceptive device lawsuits filed against the company. Some of the funds set aside will be used in settlement for other lawsuits the company faces.

On April 1, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration told companies to stop selling Zantac, and they further urged consumers to throw away any form of the heartburn medicine that might be sitting in household medicine cabinets.

Most stores had already taken Zantac, also known as ranitidine, off their shelves last September when the FDA announced that the drug contains a type of carcinogenic nitrosamine (N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA).

Is Your Portfolio Still Down More Than 10 Percent in the Coronavirus Stock Market? Then Your Advisor Has Some Explaining to Do!

Peter Mougey says you should never accept the "whole market is down" excuse from your advisor. He debunks some common misconceptions about what "the market" really is, what real diversification looks like, and how to push back if you're down more than 10 percent.

The market has been super volatile lately. With the coronavirus still wreaking havoc, economic ups and downs, and an election on the horizon, that's not likely to change any time soon. If you're retired or nearing retirement, investors' rights advocate Peter Mougey says you might want to look at a) what's happening with your performance, and b) the make-up of your portfolio.