A nurse alleges that while she was providing phlebotomist services to a police department, she was sexually harassed by a City police officer. A jury awarded damages against the City, and judgment was entered for $1.125 million. In its motion for JNOV, the City argued the nurse [who was not a City employee, or a […]
Statute Of Limitations Against Hospital For Slip And Fall.
While plaintiff was hospitalized, she went into the bathroom in her private room. While she was in the bathroom, someone mopped the floor of her room. Walking back to her bed, she slipped and fell and was injured. A cleaning lady said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Within two years of the fall, but more […]
Statute Says It’s Illegal To Sell Foie Gras, So Chef Gave It Away.
Foie gras is considered by some to be a food delicacy; it is made from the liver of a duck fattened by the use of force feedings. In 2004, after animal rights groups argued the production of foie gras involved cruelty to animals, the California Legislature enacted Health and Safety Code section 25982, banning the […]
Just Because You Sit On A State Board Doesn’t Mean You Enjoy Immunity From Antitrust Laws.
North Carolina’s Dental Practice Act provides that the state’s Board of Dental Examiners is “the agency of the State for the regulation of the practice of dentistry,” and it principal duty is to oversee the licensing of dentists. The Board issued cease and desist letters to nondentists who were cleaning teeth at a lower cost […]
No Prohibition Of Recording Birth Date Of Person Who Buys Alcohol With A Credit Card.
Plaintiff filed a class action for damages under the Credit Card Act [Civil Code section 1747.08], one of the provisions of which prohibits businesses from requesting that cardholders provide personal identification information during credit card transactions. In the present matter, a business recorded the birth date of a customer who purchased alcohol with a credit […]
No Living-In-Car Ordinance Held Unconstitutional.
Plaintiffs are four homeless persons who are Living-In-Car contend a city ordinance is unconstitutional. In 1983, the City of Los Angeles enacted an ordinance, Municipal Code section 85.02: “No person shall use a vehicle parked or standing upon any City street, or upon any parking lot owned by the City of Los Angeles and under the […]
Not A Matter Of Trying To Shoot The Messenger–No Anti-SLAPP Protection.
Plaintiff suffered complete blindness after taking Lamotrigine [Lamictal]. She and her husband brought an action against the doctor who prescribed the drug, the drug’s manufacturer and the drug store where she purchased it. She also sued the company which produced the drug information pamphlet, known as a monograph, which gave a consumer-language summary of information […]
Action Against Social Host Parents For Wrongful Death Of 17-Year-Old Sleepover Guest.
After the parents of a 16-year-old went to bed, a 17-year-old sleepover guest obtained vodka from the parents’ bar and consumed 15 shots. She vomited and passed out. The 16-year-old propped her friend’s head against the toilet, closed the bathroom door and went to bed. The girl was pronounced dead the next day. The decedent’s […]
Law Didn’t Keep Up With Science On Abortions [Or Didn’t Want To Keep Up With It].
In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] approved the use of medications to perform abortions, and medication abortions now account for 41 percent of all first-trimester abortions performed at Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. This less invasive procedure is particularly important for victims of rape or sexual abuse as well as women with medical issues […]
Patient Authorization Not Required For Access To Prescription Database.
The Medical Board of California issued investigative subpoenas in connection with the investigation of a doctor for prescribing excessive controlled substances. The investigator sent letters to five patients requesting release of their medical records, and the patients objected, so the doctor would not produce the requested information. The Board accessed a computerized database of controlled […]