News from May 2024
Rideshare driver stabbed by passenger can't sue Lyft for not screening passengers' criminal history
The passenger who attacked a rideshare driver had a lengthy criminal history, easily pulled in a basic background check. But a state appeals court says California law blocks Lyft and other rideshare operators from screening passengers to protect their drivers
California Employment Law Update: Employment Harassment and Discrimination: Updates and New Guidance on May 23, 2024
John Carrigan, Jr., Ethan Chernin, Michele Ballard Miller, and Nicole Herter Perkin will present “California Employment Law Update: Employment Harassment and Discrimination: Updates and New Guidance.”
Attorney General Bonta, District Attorney Stephan Announce Sentencing of Travel Agent for Embezzling Funds from School Trips Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan announced that defendant Marie Martin, a San Diego-based travel agent and registered seller of travel, was sentenced to six months of home confinement and six months of felony probation for embezzling travel funds from more than 150 parents who paid for eighth-grade school trips to the East Coast.
Federal Government Regulatory Update on May 22, 2024
Join us for the latest session in our Labor & Employment Law Developments Series as members of our labor and employment team cover updates in federal regulatory initiatives.
L.A. Superior Court limits enforcement of California zoning law designed to create more affordable housing
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has invalidated the state’s marquee law to increase the supply of affordable housing in California, finding that the 2021 measure violates the home-rule rights of charter cities.
Federal judge allows some NAS claims to move forward
SAN FRANCISCO – A California federal judge has denied parts of a motion to dismiss some Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome claims against a management consulting company, allowing the claims of some West Virginia children to move forward.
Ex-Jurupa teacher, fired over alleged anti-faith directives, to get $360K in deal to end religious discrimination suit
Former Jurupa Valley High School teacher Jessica Tapia had sued when she was fired, allegedly after refusing to comply with school administrator's demands she stop talking about her Christian beliefs on social media and at school, and refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns
Woman sues The Vons Companies in slip and fall accident
Lea Sanchez files a lawsuit against The Vons Companies alleging negligence after slipping on a liquid spill in their Ventura store.
Man sues Reiter Brothers Inc., Reiter Affiliated Companies over car accident injuries
Francisco Rocha files a lawsuit against Reiter Brothers Inc., Reiter Affiliated Companies alleging negligence in a car accident causing him significant injuries.
Woman sues Los Robles Hospital for wrongful detention and abuse
A woman has filed a lawsuit against Los Robles Hospital alleging wrongful detention and abuse during her hospitalization earlier this year.
Woman appeals decision against City of Saratoga for injuries from tripping hazard
Tatiana Shevertalova sues City of Saratoga over injuries from a tripping hazard related to road improvements. The court dismissed her complaint due to untimely claim presentation. She is appealing this decision.
Restaurant industry critical of state's interpretation of new California law barring 'hidden fees' on goods
Attorney General Rob Bonta has served up an unappetizing interpretation of a new California measure designed to do away with junk fees on goods and services, according to the state’s restaurant industry. Bonta's office has indicated that interpretation could expose restaurants to lawsuits and official enforcement actions.
Woman appeals $1.4 million judgment in personal injury lawsuit over motor vehicle collision
A woman appeals a $1.4 million judgment for injuries sustained by a man in a motor vehicle collision in Palos Verdes Estates in 2018.
Man sues Armstrong Garden Centers for alleged labor code violations under PAGA
A man has sued Armstrong Garden Centers alleging labor code violations under PAGA; the court ruled that his claims are not subject to arbitration.
Parents appeal decision for abritration with Silverscreen Healthcare Inc.
Parents allege negligence by Silverscreen Healthcare Inc., claiming it led to their son's death at a nursing facility in Los Angeles County Court case B323237 on April 16, 2024. The court confirmed that it would need to be arbitrated. The plaintiffs disaagree.
Lawyers hit with $10K in sanctions over 'schoolyard bullying'
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - A California law firm must pay $10,000 in sanctions for behavior an appellate judge likened to “the adult equivalent of schoolyard bullying,” including refusing to respond to requests for evidence and sending sneering emails to opposing counsel.
Woman appeals Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ruling in medical malpractice case
A woman is appealing a ruling in her medical malpractice lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center over alleged brain injury caused by surgical negligence.
California saw $912 million in nuclear verdicts in 2023
In a report released on May 3, which examined "nuclear verdicts" nationwide, Marathon Strategies, a public relations firm, discovered that California experienced $912,019,135 in nuclear verdicts in 2023. Nuclear verdicts are defined as those exceeding $10 million.
Attorney General Bonta to Congressional Leaders: Federal Data Privacy Law Should Set a Floor, Not a Ceiling
California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a multistate coalition of 15 attorneys general urging congressional leaders to remove preemption language in the current draft of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA), a proposed federal data privacy bill.
California officials enter overdose-treatment drug deal with company that had faced opioid claims
A pharmaceutical company that has been accused of profiting from the sale of opioids is poised to enter into a decade-long agreement with California officials to provide emergency medicine for the treatment of opioid overdoses.