Class Action Roundup – October 21, 2016

Concussion Class Action Against NHL Continues to Balloon

A class action lawsuit against the National Hockey League over the purported effects of repeated blows to the head continues to pick up steam, as it now includes upward of 100 former players who claim they are at serious risk of developing disorders such as dementia and CTE. The former players’ suit—which in many ways mirrors the head trauma litigation in which the NFL is currently embroiled— alleges the NHL behaved with “fraudulent misconduct” when it ignored medical evidence on the risks associated with traumatic brain injuries. Additionally, the players claim the league failed to warn them of these risks and even exacerbated the problem by allowing fighting during games. “[Players] signed up to play hockey knowing that they might get injured and dinged,” the complaint reads, “but they did not sign up for avoidable brain damage.”

Read more about the suit from Joe Augustine’s write up over at KAAL TV’s website.

After a Settlement, Consumers Continue to Take Aim at Gun Maker Taurus

In the wake of forking over $239 million to settle a product liability suit filed over an allegedly defective trigger design, gun maker Taurus International continues to be the subject of litigation. After two lawsuits were filed against the company in 2015, two more were fired at Taurus this year claiming the company’s pistols can discharge even with the safety engaged. One plaintiff, who filed suit in August, says he was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when his .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol fell from a bookshelf, went off upon hitting the floor despite the fact the safety was engaged, and caused the solider severe muscular and nerve damage when the gun struck his hand and knee. Worse, the previous suit filed against Taurus came after an individual was killed after dropping his gun, which caused it to discharge.

Learn more about the mounting litigation against Taurus International by reading Jacki Billings’ article over at Guns.com.

Certain Playstation 3 Owners May Be Owed Money from Sony

Individuals who purchased a “Fat” Sony Playstation 3 between November 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010 may be eligible to claim part of a settlement stemming from a class action filed against the console’s maker over its decision to pull Linux support from the video game system. The suit was filed in 2010 over the “OtherOS” feature of the console, which allowed users to reserve part of its hard drive to install Linux. Sony abruptly removed this capability over “security concerns,” which sparked the consumers’ breach of warranty and false advertising class action against Sony.

Consumers looking to claim part of the settlement must fill out a form here. According to reports, the class encompasses two groups of consumers: Consumer Class A includes individuals who bought the “Fat” PS3 in the U.S. between November 2006 and April 2010 and used the OtherOS component to install a Linux operating system; Consumer Class B is categorized in the same way minus use of the OtherOS feature.

Check out Aaron Mamiit’s breakdown of the settlement and how you can submit a claim over on the Tech Times.

Kate Spade Digs in to Fight False Advertising, Fraud Class Action

A class action filed in New York in September claims retailer Kate Spade engaged in deceptive advertising and fraud, among other transgressions, by misrepresenting the prices of certain discount outlet store items by comparing them to those of a higher priced boutique. The consumers who filed the suit say they found out that items they bought in Kate Spade outlet stores were never previously offered for sale in boutique stores, meaning the outlet store prices were in fact the original price of the products.

Read more from Jenie Mallari-Torres about the consumers’ allegations against Kate Spade over on Legal News Line.