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• Settlement Reached in Case of Michigan Body Dumped in Landfill

  Clayton Kent | June 22, 2009 6:12 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  If losing a family member was not already traumatic enough, imagine the nightmare of having the body of your loved one disappear from the funeral home you have entrusted with the remains. Worse yet,...

• Funeral Home Negligence: CA Mortician Loses License

  Laura Blatt | May 17, 2007 12:32 AM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  A mortician's license was indefinitely suspended for improperly storing bodies, allowing them to decay in a warehouse without proper refrigeration. Anthony Villeggiante is co-owner of Abby Chapel of the Redwoods in Rohnert Park, California. The mortuary has now been shut down. When state inspectors checked the warehouse in March, they found nine bodies. A swamp cooler and baby powder did nothing...

• Even Barbie's Puppy Cannot Escape Lead Paint Recall

  Clayton Kent | September 05, 2007 4:21 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  The Mattel toy recalls have now reached Barbie. Mattel voluntarily recalled more toys as a result of lead paint posing a dangerous threat to infants and small children. Barbie's own puppy has been recalled due to toxic levels of lead paint, as have many other product lines. This is now the third recall of Mattel toys, and it includes 675,000 Barbie accessories, but for now, Barbie herself is...

• Kaiser Arbitration Agreement Held Invalid

  Clayton Kent | May 23, 2008 5:49 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  Earlier this year, the Third Appellate District of California held that the Kaiser mandatory arbitration agreement contained within its Enrollment Application/Change Form did not substantially...

• Many Pleasant Care Facilities Sell at Auction, Despite History of Nursing Home Violations

  Laura Blatt | July 20, 2007 11:26 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  Twenty-one California nursing homes owned by the bankrupt Pleasant Care Corp. were sold at auction earlier this month, despite their history of violations and substandard care. The buyers included LifeHouse Retirement Properties, Bina Bhatia and HC Management."You won't see any cutbacks in care, although there might be changes made to improve efficiency," said the CEO of LifeHouse, Lou...

• Toxic Toy Legislation Bans Phthalates Used in Baby Toys

  Christina Cole | May 09, 2007 8:46 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxics Materials Committee passed legislation, authored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, to eliminate a dangerous toxic chemical that is used in the manufacturing of baby toys. AB 1108 passed the committee with an unofficial vote of 5-2. During the hearing, the bill was amended to include a ban on phthalates only. After It was agreed upon to focus on banning...

• Public Justice Formally Joins Bleed Air Lawsuit

  Brandon West | October 05, 2009 8:14 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  For Terry Williams, the health effects of contaminated bleed air have been life altering. A flight attendant for 17 years, Ms. Williams suffered injuries preventing her from working, from taking...

• Airplane Ventilation System Defect the Focus of Air Bleed Contamination Case

  Brandon West | September 03, 2009 12:37 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  For former flight attendant Terry Williams, there is no doubt in her mind that the ventilation system used on the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 is defective, potentially exposing passengers and airline...

• Funeral Directors Charged in Human Chop Shop Case

  Clayton Kent | October 09, 2007 9:02 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  Three funeral directors in Philadelphia were charged last week with the illegal taking and selling of body parts. Bones, skin, tendons and spines were taken from bodies without the permission of the families, and most of the "donors" were not suitable due to their age, physical condition, or because of disease. Once the body parts were taken, the bodies were then sent for cremation. The...

• Defective Cell Phone Battery Poses Potential for Injury

  Clayton Kent | August 15, 2007 4:58 PM | 0 CommentsNovato, CA

  Nokia has issued a voluntary product advisory concerning a specific battery used in their phones, that can overheat during charging, and pose a potential for fire and injury. In August, Nokia, the leading manufacturer of cell phones, issued a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery. Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan manufactured the BL-5C battery for Nokia between...