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The FDA issued a black box warning for the gout medication Uloric (febuxostat) in February 2019 after results of a clinical safety study found an increased risk of heart-related death and death from all causes compared to other drugs to treat gout. Uloric lawsuits claim that Takeda, the manufacturer of Uloric, failed to warn users of the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

In July 2018, the American multinational corporation 3M settled a whistleblower lawsuit brought by the federal government alleging that the company knowingly supplied defective Combat Arms Earplugs to the US military. 3M was accused of violating the False Claims Act by selling the defective earplugs, falsifying test results and not disclosing the design defect that exposed the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan from hearing loss during the period of 2003 to 2015.

Since the middle of 2018, cryptocurrency lawsuits alleging various forms of financial fraud have become increasingly common. In some ways, the story is familiar — the price went up suddenly at the beginning of 2018, and then it crashed through the proverbial floor. The lawsuits followed.

Tennessee labor lawsuits allege violations of Tennessee employment laws including overtime pay, discrimination and harassment. Tennessee labor law sets out guidelines for overtime, meal and rest breaks and other wage & hour laws. Possible violations of Tennessee employment law include wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination.

On August 8, 2018, Elon Musk, high flying CEO of Tesla, Inc. tweeted to the world that he was considering taking Tesla private at $420 per share. He said he had the money. The price of the stock skyrocketed, trading was temporarily suspended and the SEC launched an investigation into potential price manipulation. The financing later appeared to have depended on inconclusive conversations with the Saudi government. Some securities lawyers began to consider the impact of Musk’s tweeting on Tesla stock investors, including those who might be invested through their 401k plans. Within a week of Musk’s surprise announcement, several investors had filed Tesla stock lawsuits, claiming that they had suffered financial losses as a result of market manipulation.

On July 30, 2018, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a formal warning to manufacturers of laser gynecological devices and patients who have undergone, or plan to undergo, treatment with such devices. The FDA initially cleared these “energy based” devices for the treatment of serious health conditions, including cancer and hysterectomies. However, after reviewing reports of problems and the results of several studies, the agency has issued a stern warning against the use of these devices for “off label” purposes—including vaginal rejuvenation. Although these devices have been approved for the treatment of serious health conditions, the FDA has not approved their use for the treatment of other conditions for which they are being used. Seven device manufacturers have been targeted with warning letters, and the FDA has requested their feedback before deciding what actions, including potential enforcement actions, are appropriate.

A store manager at First Cash, Cash America Central or Cash America Pawn has filed an overtime complaint against the franchise chain. Plaintiff Mr. J. Martin East alleges he has been misclassified as exempt and that First Cash has failed and refused to pay him and those managers in similar positions overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a work week.