Hoping to avoid a lengthy trial like the 89-day hearing in the pelvic mesh class action against Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon, a judge has suggested splitting up a class action hearing over TFS Manufacturing and IVS pelvic mesh products to focus on the question of the devices’ safety and efficacy first.
A judge has slashed security for costs sought in a case brought by the liquidators of engineering and construction company Forge Group after the former directors targeted in the action failed to explain why they had retained multiple law firms.
A lengthy dispute over insurance in a settled class action against sandalwood producer Quintis has been resolved, with the Federal Court rejecting a challenge by two insurers to the rectification of policies that could provide a further $11.25 million in recoveries to group members.
An appeals court has found that building company LU Simon should not pay $12 million in damages for a 2014 fire which broke out in Melbourne’s Lacrosse tower and was accelerated by Alucobest cladding panels since the company had relied on consultants’ advice in choosing the cladding material.
A judge has suggested hearing the long-running class action over the Opal Tower disaster as early as the first quarter of next year, as the court juggles three concurrent lawsuits and a slew of cross-claims over the doomed building.
A judge has approved a “disappointing” $25 million settlement in long-running class action litigation over the collapse of electronics retailer Dick Smith with claims worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
A judge has found a group of insurers defending a $309 million lawsuit over an Australia Pacific LNG project in Central Queensland cannot be represented by two law firms, saying it would not be in the interests of justice.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is looking to shut down a class action by irate bondholders of collapsed asset finance lender Axsesstoday Limited over alleged misrepresentations in a $50 million bond offer.
A lawsuit seeking to increase D&O insurance for sandalwood producer Quintis in the wake of a class action settlement has fallen short of the $40 million in additional coverage sought, but a Federal Court decision may see a further $11.25 million go to group members.
Payouts in class actions in 2020 largely kept pace with the previous year despite the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, with companies and other defendants paying more than $696 million to settle class actions last year.