George Desdunes, a Sophomore at Cornell University who had aspirations of being a doctor, was pronounced dead on the morning of February 25, 2011 at Cayuga Medical Center. Desdunes was a pledge of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity who died with a blood alcohol level of .409 after being subjected to a fraternity hazing ritual. Members of SAE allegedly kidnapped him by blindfolding him and binding his hands and feet. They then forced him to drink so much alcohol that he passed out and died. After his mother filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit against the fraternity and 11 of its members, Cornell promised to change the way students pledge fraternities and sororities, and now they’re finally taking steps toward that end.
Cornell University Looks to End Abusive Fraternity Practices in Wake of Hazing Death
Systematic Fraud Alleged in Defective Product Lawsuit
A new defective product lawsuit is alleging that a U.S. unit of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. purposefully distorted reports to regulators about hundreds of cases of congestive heart failure caused by Actos, a diabetes drug. Helen Ge, a former Takeda medical reviewer, filed the complaint in federal court in Boston in 2010, and it has recently been unsealed. She is claiming that Takeda hid cases of “non-hospitalized or non- fatal” congestive heart failure by failing to classify them as serious in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System. If her allegations are true, it would mean that Takeda is responsible for many personal injuries and wrongful deaths.
9/11 Victims Family Can Sue for Pain and Suffering
The Bavis family is suing United Airlines and a security firm, Huntleigh USA, who ran an airport checkpoint, for the pain and suffering that their son felt on 9/11. Their son was a passenger on Flight 175.
Massachusetts Family Sues Mall, Manufacturers Over Son's Fatal Fall From Escalator
A Massachusetts family has filed a negligence lawsuit against Simon Property Group Inc., Sears, Schindler Elevator Corp. and Botany Bay Construction after their son fell into a gap between the escalator and railing.
