Blogging for Justice

The House of Representatives recently considered the “Protecting Cyber Networks Act” and the “National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015.” While their main purpose is to prevent cybersecurity crime, they expose everyday people to identity theft because of companies that don’t practice safe cybersecurity.

Here’s a problem: Generic drug manufacturers are not allowed to independently update their labels to warn of newly discovered side-effects. And they can’t be held accountable if their drugs injure or kill Americans. It’s a generic drug safety loophole.

The week marks the 11th Annual National Asbestos Awareness Week, as designated by the United States Senate with the bipartisan, unanimous passage of Senate Resolution 125. The American Association for Justice applauds our lawmakers and advocates who created this important event, and we welcome this opportunity to honor and remember the countless lives lost to asbestos diseases. Further, our observance of Asbestos Awareness Week renews our commitment to seek justice and accountability from the corporations that knowingly poisoned and killed Americans.

Corporations from sketchy payday lenders to shrewd Wall Street banks have found a way to cheat, steal, and defraud Americans without ever being held accountable for their actions.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce really doesn’t like class actions. Neither do the corporations that fund their efforts. Why? Mainly because corporations and their front groups know that class actions give American workers and consumers the power and ability to level the playing field, even when facing the most powerful corporations in the world. In fact, class actions are often the only way that individuals can hold corporations accountable when they are faced with widespread wrongdoing.

Hidden in the fine print of many consumer contracts - from credit cards and cell phone contracts to nursing home care and employment contracts - are dangerous forced arbitration clauses. Consumers and employees are often forced to sign these clauses in order to receive services or get hired and often don't know they've signed-away their legal rights until it is too late.

Joel’s Story:

I remember sending pink roses to my daughter Casey for Valentine’s Day. Pink was her favorite color.

Yesterday was World Cancer Day, which was established in 2008 with the primary goal of significantly reducing illness and death caused by cancer by 2020. Several Members of Congress recognized World Cancer Day, but certain members of the House Judiciary Committee chose to mark the occasion by holding a hearing on a bill that insults and injures victims of cancer caused by asbestos. 

On January 26, 2015 two members of the U.S. House of Representatives reintroduced a controversial piece of legislation that delays compensation for asbestos victims and puts victims' privacy at risk. The so-called "Furthering Asbestos Claims Transparency (FACT) Act" (H.R. 526), is supported only by the asbestos industry, their insurers, and the corporate front groups working on their behalf.

The American Association for Justice (AAJ) launched its new Safe Driving Policy initiative to encourage AAJ members, their law firms, and their staff to promote safe driving practices on a professional and personal basis. The AAJ Safe Driving Policy was developed by AAJ member, Joel Feldman, who created the End Distracted Driving (EndDD) campaign after his daughter was killed by a distracted driver.