You Work Hard For Your Money - But Are You Getting What You Pay For?

The number of companies that seem eager to get one over on their customers can feel overwhelming. Worse, sometimes we face the double whammy of being underpaid by our employers and then overpaying for products - some of which end up being defective. Companies that violate overtime laws deserve to face legal action; so too do those responsible for inflating the price of tickets to see the world's biggest pop stars. That's why class action lawsuits matter in 2014 - they provide an effective way for groups of individuals to band together to say they've had enough. Together, we're stronger - so read on for the latest class action news.

- Simon Clark, ClassAction.org Writer

Are Pop Stars Ripping Off Their Fans?

There's nothing quite like live music - the sound, the sights, the crowd ... and the cost. Plenty of fans are willing to pay to see acts like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, One Direction and Taylor Swift. But is it possible that these artists have been scalping their own tickets on sites like StubHub, Ticketmaster, and eBay - and profiting from these sales? If you bought resold tickets for the musicians mentioned above, we'd like to hear from you.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime pay requirements, lays out specific rules for when and how workers are to be paid. With only some exceptions, all work over 40 hours a week should count as overtime, and be paid at a rate of time-and-a-half. A new lawsuit alleges, however, that some oil and gas workers' overtime pay has been withheld in direct violation of the FLSA. These workers were paid on a day rate basis - i.e., paid a set amount per day plus a basic salary, but no more, regardless of hours worked - and are now seeking compensation for their unpaid overtime. The suit was filed against North American Pipeline Inspection, LLC by Gregory McGeary, who says he and other inspectors regularly worked more than twelve hours a day, but were denied overtime wages. The suit was filed in Pennsylvania, and there may well be more on the way.
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TAMKO Shingles "Plagued By Design Flaws"

We shouldn't have to say it more than once per newsletter, but shingles really have one job: to protect your home from the elements. Well, TAMKO Building Products, Inc. and TAMKO Roofing Products, Inc. didn't seem to get the memo. A class action lawsuit filed over the companies' Heritage fiberglass shingles says the product cracks, curls, blisters, deteriorates and generally fails to keep moisture and water out, causing property damage and other problems. What's more, the companies may have known about the problem and concealed it from the public while continuing to sell the shingles.
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Xarelto Blood Thinner Linked to Fatalities

Xarelto, also known as rivaroxaban, is a blood thinner used to prevent blood clots after hip and knee replacement surgeries. It's also approved for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, lawsuits have been filed alleging that the drug can cause serious and potentially fatal internal bleeding. According to the suits, Xarelto has no antidote, meaning doctors cannot reverse the effects of the blood-thinning drug in the event of an emergency and therefore have no effective way of stopping patients from bleeding. Patients and their loved ones are now taking action against Johnson & Johnson and Bayer, and are seeking compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses, and other losses.
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