Updates

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Renowned Attorney from Washington State Honored as ‘Champion of Justice’

Paul L. Stritmatter, a Hoquiam, Wash., attorney known for taking on complex consumer cases, has received the Public Justice Foundation’s “Champion of Justice Award” for his leadership and record of accomplishments in public interest law.The Foundation honored Stritmatter in Vancouver, B.C., at its annual Gala…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Public Justice Brief Fights Preemption Claim in Vehicle Crash Case Before Supreme Court

Fighting for access to justice, Public Justice has filed an amicus brief in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc., a U.S. Supreme Court case involving federal preemption of claims that a minivan was defective because its aisle seat lacked a lap/shoulder harness.The United States…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Federal Court Orders Patriot Coal to Pay $45 Million to Treat Toxic Selenium from W. Va. Coal Mines, Holds Patriot in Contempt

In what environmental leaders are calling a “game changer,” a federal judge has ordered Patriot Coal to clean up selenium pollution from two West Virginia coal mines within two years and to set aside $45 million to cover the costs of treating the discharge. In…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Public Justice Joins Fight Against Health Insurer’s Attempt to Seize Benefits from Personal Injury Victim

Public Justice has agreed to fight for a Washington state woman being sued by her employer’s health insurance plan for the money it paid to cover her medical expenses after she was seriously injured in an auto accident.The insurance carrier claims that Rhonda Rose must…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Public Justice Urges West Virginia Supreme Court to Strike State Law Capping Non-Economic Damages

In a case involving a man who fell seriously ill after taking an erroneously prescribed medication, Public Justice has filed an amicus brief urging the West Virginia Supreme Court to strike down the state’s statutory cap on non-economic damages as unconstitutional under the state constitution.The…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Denied Job Because of Sikh Identity, Beard and Turban, North Carolina Man Sues Convenience Store Chain

A North Carolina man who practices the Sikh faith was denied a job because of his religion and race — a violation of federal and state civil rights laws — according to a federal lawsuit filed by Public Justice and its co-counsel, Winslow Wetsch, PLLC,…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Class Action Against Country’s Largest Payday Lender Reaches $18.75 Million Settlement

Advance America, the country’s largest payday lender, agreed to pay $18.75 million to more than 140,000 North Carolina consumers under a proposed settlement agreement announced by the consumers’ attorneys. The settlement resolves a 2004 class action lawsuit against Advance America that accused it of charging…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Public Justice Wins U.S. Appeals Court Decision Requiring Coal Mine Cleanups

The state of West Virginia will have to clean up toxic acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines under a federal appeals court decision.Public Justice argued that discharges from the abandoned mines should comply with federal water pollution limits. The state had asked the court…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Jury Finds State of California Responsible for Wrongful Death of Francisco Castaneda; Awards $1.73 Million

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found the State of California liable in the wrongful death of Francisco Castaneda, a prison detainee who died of a metastasized cancer that began as a lesion on his penis that state prison and medical officials had refused…

May 1, 2012 In Updates

Tire Maker Seeks to Seal Court Documents Proving Defective Tires Caused Fatal Crash

A brief filed by Public Justice is challenging a tire manufacturer’s attempt to hide documents showing it was at fault in a fatal car accident three years ago in Iowa. The brief follows Public Justice’s motion to intervene in the case of Toe v. Cooper…