Declarations
No Liability Protection
“(The law) does not protect a website operator from liability that arises from its own conduct in facilitating user activity, as is the case here.”
— Wisconsin’s 1st District Court of Appeals, which reinstated a lawsuit against operators of the gun trading website, Armslist.com. The site facilitated the purchase of a gun used by Radcliffe Haughton to kill his wife, Zina Daniel Haughton, and two co-workers at Azana Salon & Spa in Brookfield in October 2012. A lower court previously dismissed the suit against Armslist LLC brought by Zina Daniel Haughton’s daughter, Yasmeen Daniel.
Making Amends
“While I believe that their lawsuit against me was meritless and unfair, and while I am spending a lot of money to resolve it, I have since 2013 tried to take full responsibility for my mistakes and inappropriate conduct, and make amends wherever possible.”
— Cyclist Lance Armstrong, who settled for $5 million with the federal government in a whistleblower lawsuit that sought $100 million in damages. Armstrong was backed by the U.S. Postal Service but stripped of his seven Tour de France victories after admitting he used performance-enhancing drugs. The suit was filed by Armstrong’s former USPS teammate Floyd Landis in 2010; the government joined in 2013. Landis is eligible for up to 25 percent of the settlement plus attorney fees.
Insurer ATM
“We allege this defendant used his insurance provider like an ATM that would provide him with money any time he filed a fraudulent claim.”
— Acting New Jersey Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson, said Robert Cirino of Reading, Pa., was charged with filing five allegedly fraudulent claims totaling nearly $50,000 on homeowners or renters insurance policies for items allegedly lost or stolen while he was traveling around the country. Cirino was charged in connection with on properties in Jersey City, Newark and Elizabeth, N.J.
Exxon Climate Suit
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue and requires global participation and actions.”
— Exxon spokesman Scott Silvestri responded to two counties in Colorado that accused Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. of “causing and exacerbating climate change” in a state-court lawsuit.
Equifax Failure
“Equifax’s failure to secure consumers’ personal information constitutes a shocking betrayal of public trust and an egregious violation of West Virginia consumer protection and data privacy laws.”
— West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrissey, regarding a lawsuit he filed against the credit agency. It was the second lawsuit filed by a state attorney general since Equifax disclosed the breach that exposed the personal data of about 148 million people.