UCLA Medical Center, a large hospital in Los Angeles, wrongly disclosed the personal and private information of 16,288 patients when it allowed a computer containing highly sensitive medical and personal records to be stolen. The wrongly disclosed private records include patients’ names, addresses, and medical records. Although the stolen information was encrypted, a piece of… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: November 2011
Is Johnson & Johnson Taking Advantage Of New Parents?
Anyone with a child knows that one of the earliest challenges new parents face is getting their infants to sleep through the night. Thus, it comes as no surprise that some sleep-deprived parents are particularly susceptible to the claims of companies offering products they claim will help infants fall asleep easier and sleep through the night. Unfortunately,… Continue Reading
Wrongful Disclosure Of Private Information By Sutter
Sutter Health, a large hospital and health care system in Northern California, wrongly disclosed the personal and private information of 4.2 million patients when it allowed a computer containing highly sensitive medical and personal records to be stolen. The wrongly disclosed private records include patients’ names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, medical record numbers and… Continue Reading
Did Your ISP Sell Your Private Online Data To A Third Party?
As the computer becomes more ubiquitous in everyday life, consumers are increasingly requested to conduct their personal and professional business on the Internet. When consumers use their computers at home or at work, they reasonably expect that their Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) is not spying on them, cataloging their personal buying or web surfing habits, or… Continue Reading
HIPAA And HITECH Compliance Audits Start This Month
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that it is initiating compliance audits beginning this month under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act provisions. An audit program was mandated by the American Recovery… Continue Reading
Tips Belong To Waiters, Not Restaurants
New York law requires that tips at restaurants go directly to wait staff, and New York law explicitly forbids restaurants from taking a percentage of the tip left for a waiter or waitress. Nonetheless, some restaurants disregard the law and pocket a share of the tip. Not only is such behavior unlawful, it amounts to… Continue Reading
Your Company May Not Be Able To Make You Pay For The Uniform You Wear
For many of us, dressing properly is part of work. Employers can require employees to dress a certain way or to buy certain items of clothing for work. That’s fair and most people have no objection to doing what it takes to make sure their appearance suits their job. But, if your job makes you… Continue Reading
When Labels Lie: Made In The USA Claims Aren’t Always True
Many customers who choose to buy items that are made in America are attempting to support American jobs, and they deserve to be told the truth. However, the Made in the USA Foundation recently filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, alleging that Ford and Chrysler mislead consumers by advertising that their cars were "made… Continue Reading
The Simpsons Berry Squirts May Be Shortchanging Kids On Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids have a wide variety of health benefits, from alleviating inflammation, aiding better brain function and higher intelligence, reducing depression, and aiding cardiovascular health. Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally present in many foods, such as walnuts, certain fruits and vegetables, and fish such as herring, sturgeon, and anchovies. Unfortunately, many Americans are unable to… Continue Reading
Ford F-Series And E-Series With 6.0 Liter Engines May Be Defective
Ford Motor Company sells its trucks with the slogan “Built Ford Tough.” Unfortunately, the Ford F-Series and E-Series with the 6.0 Liter engine are not quite so tough. The engine, which is manufactured by Navistar, Inc., appears to be riddled with design and manufacturing defects which Ford did not disclose to potential buyers. Interestingly, however, Ford did sue… Continue Reading
Pay-For-Delay Agreements Are Hurting Consumers
A “Pay-for-Delay” agreement is one in which a brand name pharmaceutical company delays a generic competitor from releasing its generic product to the market, by agreeing to pay the generic brand to hold its competing product off the market for a certain period of time. Typically, a brand name drug company challenges the generic drug… Continue Reading