In the News

State legislators meeting with their counterparts from other states to discuss policy ideas – that all sounds well and good, right? But what if corporate lobbyists are paying for the whole event, and are inside the private meeting, and are even writing the draft bills that the legislators are discussing?

Did you make a call on your cell phone today?  Or buy something using your credit card?  Most Americans engage in these activities every day without realizing that they could be giving up their legal rights – specifically, their right to hold the cell phone company or the bank accountable in court if they cheat customers or violate their privacy.  It may sound crazy, but when you bought that cell phone or opened that credit card, the corporation likely buried a forced arbitration clause in the fine print of the agreement.

With your help, 23,485 people have signed our petition to the FDA, calling on the agency to promptly finalize its rule that would enable up-to-date safety warnings on generic drugs.

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.

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. 

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.

Change.org prides itself on “empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see,” and now it’s leading by example. 

The popular online petition website has just dropped its forced arbitration clause from its terms and conditions.  This means that if a user has legal dispute with the company, Change.org will answer for itself in court rather than in a rigged forced arbitration system. 

According to the message on its website: