News in Brief August 25 – Target, Toyota and More

Lawsuit: Target’s Aloe Gel Contains No Aloe

Target is the latest company to face a proposed class action over the contents of its aloe vera products. According to the lawsuit, Target’s Up & Up Aloe Vera Gel is advertised as containing “pure aloe vera” even though it doesn’t actually contain any aloe. For more information on the companies under investigation for the contents of their aloe products, check out this page.

Toyota Facing Class Action Over Airbag Defect

Toyota is facing a proposed class action claiming that its lazy response to the Takata airbag recall showed no concern for driver safety. According to the complaint, Toyota refused to take action when plaintiff Carole Black reported that her 2011 Lexus ES 350 contained one of Takata’s potentially faulty airbags – despite her warranty covering airbag repairs. Black is looking to represent a nationwide class of anyone who owns or leases an ES 350 affected by the May recall.

Twitter Sued Over Profile Trading App

Twitter and Hey Inc. are facing a putative class action over their profile trading game, Famous: The Celebrity Twitter (previously known as Stolen). According to the suit, the game (which involves trading celebrity Twitter names and profile images like Pokémon cards) violates the rights of Twitter users by using their information without their consent. Plaintiff Jason Parker also finds issue with the fact that Twitter and Hey are profiting from using celebrity likenesses – since anyone playing the game can spend real money to “buy” different profiles.

Fuel Pump, Window Issues Prompt Ford Recall

Ford has announced that it will be recalling 111,500 cars due to a handful of different issues. Here’s how it all breaks down.

More than 88,000 2013-2015 Ford Flex, Ford Taurus, Ford Police Interceptors, Lincoln MKS and MKT vehicles are being recalled for fuel pump control module issues that can cause engines to stall. Close to 2,500 2015-2016 Ford Transit vans are being recalled for issues with their fuel injection pumps, while 23,000 2017 Ford Escapes are being brought in for an update to their power window software. On the Escapes, it has been reported that the windows are closing with too much force. Ford says that it will begin notifying customers about the recalls in mid-October.

United Flight Attendant Wage Statement Suit Certified

On Tuesday, a proposed class action claiming that United Airlines issued inaccurate pay stubs to its flight attendants was granted class certification. According to the suit, the flight attendants’ wage statements didn’t list their total hours worked or their hourly pay rates. Judge Philip S. Gutierrez found that the 5,000 current and former flight attendants included in the filing have enough in common for the case to proceed as a class action.

Yakult Yogurt Drink Lawsuit Dismissed

A putative class action claiming that Yakult deceptively advertised the digestive benefits of its yogurt drinks has been dismissed. Plaintiff Nicolas Torrent asked for the case to be dismissed because its dollar value fell below the threshold for federal court. Judge Cormac J. Carney said that Torrent’s reasons for dismissal weren’t valid, but agreed to the proposal because plaintiffs have the right to dismiss their own claims for any reason.