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Bank of America Garnishment Fees may Constitute Breach of Contract

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The consumer attorneys at Golomb & Honik are currently investigating claims from Bank of America account holders in Pennsylvania and other states who may have been victims of breach of contract via Bank of America charging them unauthorized fees associated with garnishment actions.

When Bank of America is served with a garnishment order on a customer’s account, the bank charges the customer various fees. Specifically, Bank of America has charged account holders who were the subject of garnishment actions separate attorney’s fees in addition to legal processing fees.

The contract that governs personal accounts provides that Bank of America will charge the customer $100 for each garnishment order the bank receives (a “legal processing fee”). In various states, including Pennsylvania, the bank deducts the legal processing fee in addition to charging each customer a separate, additional attorney’s fee. Bank of America’s actions in this regard constitute a breach of contract.

If you’re a Bank of America customer who believes you were a victim of this practice, please call Golomb & Honik at 855-889-5389 for your free case review.

Our accomplished lawyers are dedicated to protecting consumers from unfair banking practices and deceptive financial services. We have an extensive record of success in individual and consumer class action cases, and we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. In 2012, our attorneys were part of a legal team that was a finalist for a national award for holding some of the nation’s largest banks—including Bank of America—accountable for charging customers unfair fees.

If you think you were charged unauthorized fees associated with garnishment actions by Bank of America, please contact Golomb & Honik today for your free claim evaluation. Our experienced attorneys welcome clients from the greater Philadelphia area, throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and nationwide.

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Consumer Attorneys Investigating Claims of Energy Company ‘Slamming’

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The Philadelphia-based consumer rights attorneys at Golomb & Honik are currently investigating cases in which certain energy supply companies have enrolled customers for electricity generation supply services without the customers’ knowledge or consent, a practice known as “slamming.”

If you believe you have been a victim of this fraudulent and deceptive business practice, please call our lawyers at 855-889-5389 for your free case review. We welcome clients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nationwide.

How Electricity Slamming Works

Under deregulation laws in various states, the supply portion of a consumer’s energy bill is separated from the delivery portion. With the supply portion open to competition, consumers are free to shop around for the best energy rates.

However, some energy supply companies subvert the consumer-friendly purpose of deregulation and prevent their customers from making independent, informed decisions about their electricity providers by engaging in slamming. Consumers typically do not discover they have been slammed until they notice changes in their energy bills from a different electricity supplier than the one from which they received their electricity in the past.

Energy Companies and Slamming

Our experienced attorneys are currently reviewing claims from consumers who may have been slammed by energy companies including:

  • Clearview Energy
  • AP Gas & Electric (APG&E)
  • IDT Energy

If you suspect you were a victim of slamming by one of these energy providers, please contact Golomb & Honik today for your free claim evaluation. Our lawyers are proud to represent consumers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and across the United States.

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Recent da Vinci Recall Addresses Faulty Instrument Arms as Robotic Surgical Device Lawsuits Mount

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Already facing mounting lawsuits related to its da Vinci Surgical System, Intuitive Surgical recently initiated a voluntary recall to repair or replace faulty instrument arms on certain robot-assisted surgery devices.

The Philadelphia-based consumer class action attorneys at Golomb & Honik are dedicated to helping victims of dangerous medical devices pursue the financial peace of mind they need to move forward with their lives. If you or a loved one suffered injury that may have been related to the use of a da Vinci Surgical System, please call 855-889-5389 for your free case evaluation; our accomplished lawyers welcome clients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nationwide.

The recent da Vinci recall was intended to address potential problems with the so-called Patient Side Manipulators (PSMs) on S, Si and Si-e model da Vinci Surgical Systems. PSMs are the instrument arms of the robotic devices.

According to Intuitive Surgical’s notice on the matter, excessive friction within the instrument arms of certain affected models “could interrupt smooth instrument motion.” This interruption is felt as resistance by the conducting surgeon; if the surgeon pushes through this resistance, Intuitive says “the instrument could stall momentarily and then suddenly catch-up to the correct position.”

In its own notice, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorized the issue as a Class II recall, which means the PSM defect could result in “temporary or medically reversible” complications if not corrected. As for the da Vinci Surgical System itself, an increasing number of lawsuits allege that use of the robotic devices in hysterectomies, prostate surgeries and other surgical treatments has led to severe—and sometimes fatal—complications.

Adverse effects associated with da Vinci devices include:

  • Internal burns
  • Internal tissue tears and punctured organs
  • Hematomas (blood clots that form within tissue or organs as a result of broken blood vessels)
  • Fistulas (abnormal connections between organs)
  • Sepsis (a potentially deadly whole-body inflammation caused by infection)

For additional information about defective medical products, please see our Dangerous Drugs and Medical Devices page.

If you or a family member was treated with a da Vinci Surgical System and suffered complications, please contact Golomb & Honik today. Our attorneys are leaders in consumer class action cases, and we are proud to represent clients from Philadelphia, New Jersey and nationwide.

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Ford Windstar Rear Axle Defect Attorneys

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On Jan. 17, 2014, the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez of the Central District of California ruled that plaintiffs Jenelle and Barry Ford could proceed against Ford Motor Company with consumer fraud and warranty claims arising out of defective rear axles found in nearly every ford Windstar minivan of the model years 1998 to 2003. Attorneys with the law firm of Golomb & Honik litigated this case on behalf of the plaintiffs, who seek to represent a class of Windstar owners who bought or leased their minivans in California.

The rear axle on these Ford Windstar models is defective because it is highly susceptible to premature cracking and fracture due to an inherent metal fatigue flaw that develops on specific places on the axle under normal driving conditions. Moreover, the axle is an unsealed, hollow cylinder that allows water and other corrosive agents to collect inside the axle, causing it to rust from the inside out. This defect renders the Windstar’s rear axle highly susceptible to failing while the vehicle is being operated.

In early 2010, in response to hundreds of complaints from consumers across the country, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating reports of rear axle failures on 1998 to 2003 Ford Windstars. On August 26, 2010, Ford announced a voluntary recall of the Windstar minivans because of the rear axle defect.

However, Ford’s recall was a limited regional recall that only included certain so-called “Salt Belt” states, where road salt corrosion is allegedly more common. This limitation to Salt Belt states excluded California as well as more than 20 other states from the recall fix, even though Ford admitted that the axle failures are primarily caused by metal fatigue, and only accelerated by corrosion.

The metal fatigue defect is present on Ford Windstars in every state in the United States, including California; not just the Salt Belt states, where the defendant selectively conducted the recall.

The consumer class action attorneys at Golomb & Honik are dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers nationwide. Please call us at 855-889-5389 or contact Golomb & Honik online for your free case evaluation.

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Attorneys Investigate Johnson & Johnson Talc Powder and Ovarian Cancer Claims

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The national consumer class action attorneys at Golomb & Honik are actively investigating claims on behalf of women who may have developed ovarian cancer following the regular use of talcum-based Johnson & Johnson powder products for feminine hygiene.

If you or someone you love was diagnosed with ovarian cancer that may be associated with the use of a Johnson & Johnson powder, please call our lawyers at 855-889-5389 for your free case assessment. Our law firm is based in Philadelphia, but our experienced attorneys are dedicated to helping victims of dangerous consumer products nationwide.

In one recent lawsuit related to ovarian cancer and Johnson & Johnson talcum powder, a jury ruled that talcum contained in body powders led to the onset of ovarian cancer in a woman who used Johnson & Johnson powders for personal hygiene purposes for approximately 30 years. The jury also found that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers about a potential link between talc-based powder and an increased risk for ovarian cancer.

Medical research into an association between talcum powder and ovarian cancer is limited, but growing. An analysis of data published last year indicates that women who routinely use a talcum powder for feminine hygiene may face a 41 percent greater risk of developing ovarian cancer.

About 20,000 women are thought to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. A medical expert who testified in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder case mentioned above told jurors talc may be a contributing factor in about 10,000 instances of ovarian cancer annually.

If you or a family member suffers from ovarian cancer that may be linked to the regular use of a talc-based Johnson & Johnson powder such as Shower to Shower or Johnson’s Baby Powder, please contact Golomb & Honik today for your free claim evaluation. Our attorneys welcome clients from the greater Philadelphia area, throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and nationwide.

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Welcome to the Blog for the Consumer Class Action Attorneys at Golomb & Honik

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Welcome to the blog for the consumer class action attorneys at Golomb & Honik. Based in Philadelphia, our lawyers are proud to protect the rights of consumers from across the country.

Please call us at 855-889-5389 for your free case evaluation if you or a loved one was a victim of a defective product, consumer fraud, hazardous material exposure or medical negligence. Our accomplished attorneys welcome clients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and nationwide.

In the coming weeks and months, this space will include information about a wide range of consumer injury and fraud cases, including those related to:

  • Dangerous and recalled prescription drugs
  • Defective medical devices
  • Deceptive financial services
  • Medical malpractice
  • Personal data breaches
  • Chemical exposure
  • Faulty products

The experienced attorneys at Golomb & Honik have an extensive record of success in consumer class action cases and individual lawsuits. We understand that our clients come to us at challenging points in their lives; you may be injured and overwhelmed, confused about your options and intimidated by the legal process.

Our lawyers are here to help you understand your rights, relieve some of the stress you feel, and fight for the financial security you and your family need to move forward with your lives.

For your no-cost case consultation, please contact Golomb & Honik today. Our attorneys represent clients from the greater Philadelphia area, throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and nationwide.

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Golomb & Honik

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1515 Market Street , Suite 1100 Philadelphia, PA 19102