News from April 2016
Former employee alleges Prestige Transportation Service did not pay overtime
MIAMI – A chauffeur is suing his former employer alleging that he was not paid overtime.
Georgia resident alleges she was injured while on cruise
MIAMI – A Georgia resident alleges she was injured in a slip-and-fall incident while aboard the Carnival Ecstasy.
Cruise passenger alleges she was injured while on ship
MIAMI – A Naples woman alleges she was injured on a cruise ship and required a 12-day hospital stay in Germany.
Broward County resident accuses Pasquale & Sons Pizza Co. of discrimination
MIAMI – A man alleges that a Coral Springs restaurant has barriers that restrict access to the disabled.
First Choice Travel Group, owners accused of not paying minimum wage
MIAMI – A Palm Beach County vacation sales representative has filed a class-action lawsuit against his former employers over allegations that he was not paid minimum wage.
Warren's Concrete accused of patent infringement
MIAMI – Patent owners are suing a Miami-Dade County business alleging infringement of its '111 patent, which covers a method of stabilizing an automatic grade control system for use with a dozer blade.
Outdated red light law at the heart of recent case
TALLAHASSEE – At issue in a recent Florida Supreme Court decision is an old version of the state’s red light camera procedures, which was found to be unfair to drivers of rental cars.
Feds: Gibraltar Private Bank still must comply with Bank Secrecy and Anti-Money Laundering acts
MIAMI – Miami-based Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust Co. was fined $4 million, including $2.5 million in civil money penalties (CMP), earlier this year by the U.S. government over lapses that included not reporting suspicious transactions linked to a Ponzi scheme, but additional steps are needed to rectify the situation.
Aetna Life Insurance Co. alleged to have wrongfully denied benefits
MIAMI – A woman alleges her disability payments were wrongfully terminated.
Sales consultant alleges Norwegian Cruise Line did not pay her overtime wages
MIAMI – A personal cruise sales consultant alleges that she was not paid overtime while working for her former employer and was terminated when she filed a complaint.
Former Dollar Express Stores employee alleges she was not paid overtime wages
JACKSONVILLE – A Duval County woman alleges her former employer did not pay her overtime wages in violation of federal law.
SEC files suit against various companies and its officers for alleged violations of registration provisions
MIAMI – A federal agency has filed a suit against businesses and individuals alleging they sold unregistered shares.
Chanel files suit alleging defendants sold counterfeit goods
MIAMI – A luxury goods company has filed a suit against multiple distributors alleging that they have been selling, promoting and advertising goods that uses counterfeit and infringing trademarks that resemble the Chanel marks.
Microsoft employee alleges insurance company denied benefits
JACKSONVILLE – A former community development specialist at Microsoft Corp. alleges her insurance company wrongfully denied her long-term disability benefits.
Former employee accuses DeBartolo Construction Services of not paying overtime wages
ORLANDO – A construction superintendent filed a suit against his former employer alleging he was not paid overtime wages in violation of federal law.
Tow truck driver files suit against Metro Towing for alleged unpaid wages
ORLANDO – A former employee is suing a company that conducts business in Orange County alleging that he wasn't paid overtime wages.
Utah enacts law promoting tranparancy in asbestos claims; FJRI advocates for similar reform in Florida
TALLAHASSEE – Utah recently joined the growing list of states enacting laws to rein in asbestos fraud. The question is: will such reform take place in Florida?
Florida case that affirmed AG's power to dismiss whistle-blower lawsuits not quite over yet
TALLAHASSEE – When Florida's 1st District Court of Appeals affirmed in February the state attorney general's authority to dismiss a qui tam whistle-blower lawsuit in which it chose not to intervene, most legal observers declared the case of Zoltan Barati vs. State of Florida, Motorola, Inc. et al. dead. The case, however, is proving to still have some fight left.
Orlando soccer stadium deal stirs up eminent domain ruckus again
ORLANDO – Just when it seemed the dust had settled over Orlando’s decision to use the eminent domain process to acquire land on which to build a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium, local activists Lawanna and Betty Gelzer allege in a lawsuit that the city violated Florida law by selling the land to private developers.
Florida DUI laws face constitutional challenge in new class action
ORLANDO – Two Orlando attorneys amended a class-action complaint to name four more plaintiffs in a case against the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) that challenges the constitutionality of the state’s driving under the influence laws.