By: Allan M. Siegel
As civil trial lawyers dedicated to fighting on behalf of the injured and
the wronged, our legal team at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel,
P.C. continually covers news, legislative changes, and efforts that relate
to corporate misconduct – especially when it negatively impacts
the rights of our clients and all American citizens. Recently, the American
Association for Justice (AAJ) released a report detailing developments
they defined as the Worst Corporate Conduct of 2017.
In the report – which can be
viewed here – the AAJ outlines examples of corporations that put profits before
the safety and welfare of the public, consumers, and employees, as well
as cover-ups, fraud, and unacceptable practices that impacted millions
of Americans in the past year. Events covered in the list of worst corporate
misconduct include:
- United Airlines physically forcing a passenger off a plane, causing injuries.
- Monsanto, an agricultural biotechnology corporation, ghostwriting scientific
studies in order to conceal cancer risks associated with its products.
-
Wall Street successfully lobbying for the repeal of a Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule on
mandatory arbitration clauses in financial contracts, limiting the rights of consumers to sue
banks and other financial institutions.
- Fox News paying $50 million in one year to settle a number of sexual harassment
claims and prevent employees from making public allegations.
- Equifax profiting from credit-monitoring services offered following a massive
data breach of half the nation’s financial information.
-
Johnson & Johnson facing claims involving numerous injuries and deaths
associated with various products, including
talcum powder lawsuits, pelvic mesh, DePuy artificial hip replacements, and drugs like Xarelto
and Risperdal.
-
Japanese auto part manufacturer Takata’s cover-up of over 70 million
potentially deadly airbags.
Takata airbags, which can explode and send metal fragments at vehicle occupants, have
been connected to at least 19 deaths and many more injuries.
- Pharmaceutical companies, including McKesson Corporation, profiting from
the country’s growing opioid crisis by aggressively marketing medications.
According to the U.S. CDC, prescriptions for opioid medications have nearly
quadrupled. Today, roughly 90 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day.
The AAJ’s report is designed to serve as a resource for members of
the world’s largest trial bar, and to further awareness and advocacy
efforts that can aid lawmakers and others in fighting for policies that
protect the rights of American citizens. Identifying corporate misconduct
and how it shapes our laws is critical to creating change, and to providing
the level playing field everyday individuals need when fighting back against
powerful corporations. Although these are some of the most high profile
examples from the past year, the AAJ notes that such misconduct are not
isolated incidents, and that they affect consumers and employees on a
daily basis.
While corporate wrongdoings can take many forms, they are commonly the
result of corporations that put profits over people. Unfortunately, our
legislative and regulatory system is not always able to force change or
compel corporate powers to act in anything but their own interests –
which is why it largely falls to the civil justice system to serve as
a vehicle for exposing misconduct and deterring injustice and abuse. At
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we help clients throughout
the DC Metro area and beyond in their battles against corporate wrongdoing,
and fight to secure the justice and accountability victims and all Americans deserve.
If you wish to learn more about civil lawsuits and personal injury claims
involving corporate misconduct or negligence, our attorneys are available
to review your potential case, explain your rights, and discuss how we
can help.
Contact us for a free consultation.