News in Brief September 6 – Samsung, Adidas and More

Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note Phones Over Defective Batteries

Samsung has announced that it will be recalling 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones after several reportedly caught fire because of a defect in their batteries. Samsung also said that it will stop sales of the Note 7s and voluntarily replace the ones already sold to the public. No injuries related to the defect have been reported.

Adidas Defective Shoe Suit – Certification Denied

A lawsuit claiming that Adidas’ Springblade running shoes are defective was denied class certification on Friday. According to the suit, the soles of the Springblades wear out quickly (allegedly within a couple days) due to an inherent design flaw. The lawsuit isn’t being allowed to proceed as a class action because Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein found that there wasn’t enough evidence to show how all potential class members suffered as a group. Hellerstein pointed out that only 0.7 percent of those who bought the shoes returned them because of a defect – a figure that shows how not everyone who bought the product was harmed.

Pokémon Go Sparks Lawsuit at California Condominium

Here we “Go” again. The company behind Pokémon Go (Niantic Inc.) is facing another putative class action lawsuit over where players go to well, play the game. According to the lawsuit, rare Pokémon are spawning at a California condominium late at night and early in the morning and residents are losing sleep because of the resulting Pokémon Trainer invasion. Residents are also claiming that Niantic refused their pleas to remove the virtual creatures from the complex.

GM Settles Ignition Switch Bellwethers

General Motors has agreed to settle the final two bellwether cases over its allegedly defective ignition switches. The switches were blamed for several crashes and fatalities that occurred when the affected vehicles turned off while in motion. The details of the settlements will remain confidential.

Several Poultry Companies Are Facing Antitrust Claims

Several poultry producers are facing a proposed class action in which distributor Maplevale Farms claims the companies collaborated to fix the price of chicken. According to the lawsuit, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride led the others in an attempt to limit production and drive up prices. The suit claims that the unlawful practice started as early as January 2008.