Tercica Inc., a Biopharmaceutical company, sued Insmed Inc., one of its competitors, claiming that Insmed infringed on Tercica's patents related to the drug Increlex. Insmed makes the rival drug, Iplex. Both drugs are used to treat growth hormone disorders in children.
The jury returned a verdict for Tercica, awarding $7.5 million, plus 15 percent of future royalties up to $100 million and 20 percent for past Iplex sales over $100,000,000.
The parents of a young woman who died in a roll-over accident in a 1995 Ford Explorer filed suit against Ford, claiming that the roof was not strong enough. A jury awarded $15 million in damages to the parents in November. Several weeks earlier, Ford lost a similar case and was ordered to pay $31,000,000 to a tennager who suffered a serious brain injury in a roll-over accident of a 2001 Bronco II. One month before that, Ford was ordered to pay $18,000,000 in another SUV case. Ford is apparently appealing every verdict and also has attempted to keep internal Ford Motor Company roof strength documents confidential.
Last month, Ford failed to overturn on appeal $82,600,000 verdict for a woman seriously injured in a similar accident.
In a letter to NHTSA, Ford recently declared it would improve the roof strength of many of its larger vehicles beyong federal standards. NHTSA determines minimum safety standards.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit agaisnt Custom Companies, an Illinois trucking company. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three salewomen, who each claimed that they were sexually harrassed at Custom Companies.
The sales representatives presented evidence that they were subjected to groping, sexual language, pornography, and unwanted sexual advances. After one of the women filed a complaint with the EEOC, the company filed a lawsuit against her. In addition, the evidence showed that the company required the three female sales representatives to entertain clients of Custom Companies in various strip clubs in town, including one in which the president of Custom Companies was a part owner.
Custom Companies also hosted golf outings and hired strippers as entertainment for its customers. The jury returned a verdict of over $2.5 million.