Class Action Roundup – May 11, 2017

Spin.com Publishes Timeline of Events Preceding Fyre Festival Fiasco

Have you found yourself in recent weeks wondering aloud “Hmm, I wonder what the run-up was to that Fyre Festival hubbub I keep seeing on Facebook. . .”

Well, you asked for it (OK, maybe you didn’t), and Spin delivered. The music publication late last week published on its website a continually updating timeline of events surrounding the breathtakingly expensive embarrassment known as Fyre Festival.

ClassAction.org has already covered two of the numerous lawsuits filed in the wake of the would-be ultra-exclusive music and arts island getaway, but Spin has taken it a step further by documenting everything from when its founders—organizers and current class action defendants Billy McFarland and Ja Rule—met, to the pitch sent to potential funders and social media influencers, to the catastrophe that went down once attendees arrived at the Exumas, Bahamas island (supposed once owned by Pablo Escobar) and realized there was nothing close to the lodging, food, performers, or travel back home that was promised.

Check out the great work put together by writer Anna Gaca over at Spin.com.

Landmark $110M Verdict Handed Down in Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Row

A Missouri jury last week awarded a woman $110 million in damages in a case against Johnson & Johnson that alleged she developed ovarian cancer as a result of years of use of the company’s talc-based products.

A report Reuters published on CBS MoneyWatch pegs the verdict as the largest thus far out of a pack of roughly 2,400 lawsuits that allege Johnson & Johnson failed to adequately warn consumers about cancer risks associated with its talc-based products, including its staple baby power. A breakdown of the verdict shows Johnson & Johnson and co-defendant Imerys Talc, a supplier, were hit with $5.4 million in compensatory damages, with J & J on the hook for $105 million and Imerys owing $50,000 in punitive damages.

MoneyWatch notes the plaintiff in this case is currently undergoing chemotherapy after her ovarian cancer came back and spread to her liver.

Head over to CBSNews.com to learn more about the potentially precedent-setting decision.

Disability Rights Advocates Hits NYC’s MTA with Massive Class Actions Over Subway Access

Non-profit Disability Rights Advocates reported on its website on April 25 that the group had filed two “unprecedented” proposed class actions in New York alleging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) systematically excludes individuals with disabilities. According to a write-up on DRALegal.org, one of the suits, an action filed in state court that could affect hundreds of thousands of the city’s residents and tourists, is the first case to take issue with the fact that more than 350 of New York City’s subway stations are ostensibly inaccessible to individuals who cannot climb up and down stairs. The second action, filed in federal court, piggybacks somewhat onto the first lawsuit, alleging the MTA has unlawfully failed to maintain the few breakdown-prone elevators that do exist to aid transit travelers.

The non-profit writes that while New York City has the most-used subway system in the country, “almost 80 percent of its stations are not accessible, virtually making the system unusable to residents and visitors to the city who use wheelchairs, walkers, scooters or are otherwise unable to traverse flights of stairs.”

Head over to DRALegal.org for the latest.

Plaintiffs in Dismissed Comcast Class Action Might Get Second Chance

Although their case was dismissed in October 2016, the plaintiffs in a class action alleging Comcast unlawfully gussied up extra $10 monthly “broadcast TV” and “regional sports” charges as government-levied fees may have an opportunity for another shot in court.

Consumer Affairs wrote recently that U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, though calling the allegations “sketchy,” provided the plaintiffs with a period of time to rewrite their class action complaint and resubmit it, adding that he felt it “appears possible that the complaint could be amended to state a claim with respect to at least some of the counts” first alleged.

According to Consumer Affairs, Comcast claimed the fees in question were to cover the cost of transmitting associated programs, and was “encouraged” by Congress to pass the charges to customers under protection from the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act.

Writer Christopher Maynard has more at ConsumerAffairs.com.

Here’s Why a Class Action Over How Cooking Sprays Were Advertised Was Dismissed

Legal NewsLine has the details of why a February 2017 class action over how certain cooking sprays were advertised was quickly dismissed only a month later. The publication writes U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday closed the suit because he felt the named plaintiff failed to “prove the $75,000 was in question,” that sum being the threshold for class members to establish federal jurisdiction.

Filed in Florida, the now-dismissed case alleged Conagra Brands Inc. misleadingly advertised its cooking spray because it deceptively displayed the word “butter” very visibly, but showed the word “flavor” in much smaller print. The plaintiff claimed there was, in fact, no butter in cooking spray’s ingredients.

Catch up on this interesting case with Dee Thompson’s piece for Legal NewsLine.

Milwaukee Bucks Settle Former Dancer’s Wage and Hour Class Action for $250K

The Milwaukee Bucks will shell out $250,000 to end a class action suit brought in 2015 by a former dancer who alleged she and other dancers were unlawfully underpaid for work they put in for the team. Writing about the settlement, the MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel said the plaintiff, who worked for the Bucks during the 2013-2014 season, claimed dancers were paid less than minimum wage for hours spent training, practicing, dancing during games, and maintaining wardrobes. According to the complaint, the class of around 40 dancers were paid $65 for games, $30 for practices, and $50 for “special events.”

Writer Bruce Vielmetti has more on the deal over at JSOnline.com.