News in Brief April 1 – Garmin, Hyundai and More

Today, the news brings us a couple of tossed class actions, as well as several more that are starting to bloom. Plus, California residents have reason to rejoice – a hefty minimum wage increase is set to hit the Golden State.

U.S. Water Polo Sinks Concussion Class Action

The governing body for U.S. Water Polo has evaded a proposed class action over concussions sustained during water polo. The lawsuit was filed by the mother of a teenage water polo player who suffered a head injury during a game and claims that the organization didn’t fulfill its duty to handle such injuries. The judge dismissed the case because the plaintiff couldn’t prove that U.S. Water Polo increased players’ risk for concussions or that her daughter was susceptible to further injury.

Garmin Avoids Lawsuit over Battery Life

Garmin International Inc. has escaped a proposed class action that claimed its batteries would fail before they were supposed to, leaving consumers with no choice but to replace the batteries at their own expense. The case was dismissed because it was filed in Kansas (where Garmin International’s headquarters in located) under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, but the plaintiff received and registered his Garmin product in Illinois. The judge found that because of the location discrepancy, the case could not survive under Kansas law.

Hyundai and Kia Hit with Peeling Paint Class Action

Automakers Hyundai and Kia have been hit with a proposed class action claiming that they concealed a defect in their vehicle’s paint that caused it to peel. According to the lawsuit, the paint on vehicles including the Elantra, Santa Fe and Sonata would flake off over time despite the companies’ claims that their paint was specially formulated to protect the cars from rust and corrosion.

U.S. Women’s Soccer Players Sue over Wage Discrimination

Five U.S. women’s soccer team members have filed a wage discrimination lawsuit claiming that they are paid close to four times less than their male counterparts. The players allege that, in a regular season, the women’s team earns a base pay of $72,000 with the possibility of earning up to $99,000, while men’s players start at $100,000 and can make up to $260,000. The complaint goes on to say that there is no reason for the wage disparity – except for discrimination over the players’ sex.

FDA Faces Genetically Engineered Salmon Lawsuit

The FDA is under fire over its approval of genetically engineered salmon for human consumption. A coalition of food safety groups have filed a lawsuit against the FDA, saying that its approval of the salmon creates unknown dangers for consumers. According to the lawsuit, the FDA’s assessment was too limited and understudied to justify the approval.

California Passes $15 Minimum Wage Legislation

California legislators have passed a groundbreaking legislation that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. This would be a tremendous increase for the 5.6 million California workers who are making the current minimum wage of $10 per hour. It wouldn’t be an immediate jump though – the rate would increase by a dollar each year until finally reaching $15 in 2022. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees would get an additional year to prepare for the increase.