News in Brief May 19 – Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and More [UPDATE]
by Ty Armstrong
Last Updated on July 7, 2022
May 6, 2021 – BMW Handed a Win
The judge overseeing one of the cases detailed on this page has granted summary judgment to defendant BMW.
According to a March 17, 2021 order, found here, the plaintiffs’ evidence “falls short” of proving that the automaker’s 2014 to 2016 i3 Rex models contain a design defect that causes the cars to decelerate while in motion. Instead, the evidence the plaintiffs offered, including testimony from their engineering expert, only proved that the cars functioned as the individuals alleged—not that the design was defective, U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. ruled.
“[The plaintiffs’ expert] did not opine that the Class Car’s design was defective,” the judge wrote. “Rather, he opined only that the Class Car was designed to function as Plaintiffs’ alleged – that at a certain battery charge level and in certain driving conditions, the Class Car would decelerate. [The plaintiffs’ expert] did not opine that such a design was defective and, indeed, stated that he was not opining as to whether the design was defective.”
The order further noted that while the plaintiffs pointed to excerpts of their expert’s deposition in which he testified that he experienced the deceleration while driving one of the cars at issue, the deposition excerpts were not properly authenticated because they were missing the court reporter’s certification. For the sake of argument, however, the judge added that even if the court were to consider those excerpts, they again only prove that the i3 Rex cars functioned the way they were designed and not that the design was defective. The judge ordered that judgment be entered in favor of BMW and that the plaintiffs “shall take nothing” as to their individual claims and the class claim.
Uber Accused of Sabotaging Lyft
Uber has been hit with a lawsuit claiming that it came up with a scheme: the company told its drivers to use fake Lyft accounts to make ride requests that would disrupt their rival’s business. In a move Jason Bourne would be proud of, Uber drivers were instructed to use prepaid, disposable cellphones (so they couldn’t be traced, I guess) to make the requests in an attempt to draw Lyft drivers away from anyone actually in need of a ride. “Operation SLOG,” as the media refers to it, is an unfair business practice that violates state law, according to Lyft.
Lawsuit Claims Electric BMWs Lose Power While In Motion
BMW is facing a proposed class action lawsuit that claims its 2014-2016 BMW i3 Rex cars can suddenly drop to precariously low speeds because of an alleged defect. According to the complaint, the vehicles switch to the traditional gas combustion engine when the battery runs too low and, if this happens while in motion, the cars can drastically decelerate.
FDA Warns of Link Between Janssen’s Diabetes Drugs and Amputations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced its concerns over the safety of Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ diabetes drugs after a clinical trial linked the medications to amputations. According to the study, patients taking Janssen’s Invokana or Invokamet were almost twice as likely to have their feet, toes or legs amputated than those taking the placebo. The FDA announced that patients shouldn’t stop taking the drugs without first speaking with their doctors.
Volkswagen, Audi Face Lawsuit Over Engine Defect
Volkswagen and Audi have been accused of hiding an engine defect that could potentially cause total engine failure. According to the lawsuit, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles made between 2008 and 2013 contain a defective timing chain tensioning system – which can cost thousands of dollars to replace if it breaks.
Video Game Addiction Lawsuits
If your child suffers from video game addiction — including Fortnite addiction or Roblox addiction — you may be able to take legal action. Gamers 18 to 22 may also qualify.
Learn more:Video Game Addiction Lawsuit
Depo-Provera Lawsuits
Anyone who received Depo-Provera or Depo-Provera SubQ injections and has been diagnosed with meningioma, a type of brain tumor, may be able to take legal action.
Read more: Depo-Provera Lawsuit
How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Did you know there's usually nothing you need to do to join, sign up for, or add your name to new class action lawsuits when they're initially filed?
Read more here: How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Stay Current
Sign Up For
Our Newsletter
New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox.
A note on class action complaints:
Bear in mind that the information in this blog post summarizes the allegations put forth in the following legal complaint. At the time of this writing, nothing has been proven in court. Anyone can file a lawsuit, with or without the representation of an attorney, for any reason, and ClassAction.org takes no position on the merits of the suit. Class action complaints are a matter of public record, and our objective on this website is merely to share the information in these legal documents in an easily digestible way.
Before commenting, please review our comment policy.