Suboxone, a drug used for opioid dependence, has been reported to cause severe dental issues. Studies have shown a link between buprenorphine – an active ingredient in Suboxone – and an increased risk of severe dental harms. These issues include cavities, tooth decay, dental abscesses/infection, tooth erosion, fillings falling out, and total tooth loss, including in patients with no history of dental problems. In 2023, the manufacturers of Suboxone updated the product label to warn of dental health side effects and urge users to tell their dentists about their Suboxone use. Canadian class acti ..read more

Siskinds LLP and Slater Vecchio LLP have initiated a class action against the growers and major distributors of the Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes (referred to as the “Defendants”), recalled at the end of 2023 after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed positive cases of Salmonella in some of these cantaloupes. Benefits of Class Counsel Partnership Siskinds and Slater Vecchio have agreed to partner up and pursue this litigation in a coordinated manner. This approach is advantageous as it avoids a carriage battle between the law firms since there can only be one class actio ..read more

When a class member learns that they are part of a class action, they often wonder what that means in terms of compensation. Class actions often deal with complex issues, and it can take many years for the action to be resolved. When the action is resolved by way of settlement or monetary judgment in favour of the plaintiff, those funds are usually distributed directly to eligible class members. As with the contested litigation, the distribution of funds can be a complex task that may take multiple years to complete. The distribution protocol Typically, class counsel develops a protocol for th ..read more

People who spent time at the Camp Lejeune military base in Jacksonville, North Carolina at any point between August 1953 and December 1987 were exposed to contaminated water and may be eligible for compensation for serious heath issues linked to toxic exposure. The US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune – about 2 hours south of Raleigh-Durham, NC – was the site of a serious contaminated water problem for decades. To give victims a path to justice, the US congress has enacted a law which allows anyone who was exposed to bring claims. Canadians who spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune during the ye ..read more

As of December 22, 2023, there have been seven deaths and 164 confirmed cases of Salmonella in Canada linked to a nationwide outbreak arising from contaminated Cantaloupes. Symptoms of Salmonella infection include: fever chills nausea vomiting diarrhea headache abdominal cramps Symptoms typically develop within 6 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated food, and usually last for several days. However, severe cases can last much longer, and in the most severe cases, the Salmonella infection may cause death. Summary of events  In November 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agen ..read more

A recent Federal Court case highlights the importance of timely claims in a class action claims process. While late claims may be accepted in extenuating circumstances, courts generally do not have jurisdiction to modify a settlement entered into by the parties. In McLean v. Canada (Attorney General), 2023 FC 1093, a class action instituted on behalf of residential school survivors, the Federal Court of Canada declined a motion to extend the claim deadline. The settlement in McLean provided that all claims must be filed by July 13, 2022, but individual class members could seek an extension of ..read more

When a class member learns that they are part of a class action, they often wonder what that means in terms of compensation. Class actions often deal with complex issues, and it can take many years for the action to be resolved. When the action is resolved by way of settlement or monetary judgment in favour of the plaintiff, those funds are usually distributed directly to eligible class members. As with the contested litigation, the distribution of funds can be a complex task that may take multiple years to complete. The distribution protocol Typically, class counsel develops a protocol for th ..read more

The Bard PowerPort is a type of implantable catheter product that allows long-term access to major veins in the body. Studies have linked certain implantable catheter products with serious injuries, including thromboembolism, infection, hemorrhage, device migration, heart attack, stroke, and death.[1] In the U.S., several people who have suffered similar injuries after implantation with the Bard PowerPort system or other similar implantable catheter products by the Becton, Dickinson and Company group of companies filed lawsuits against the manufacturers in federal court, across several various ..read more

On October 3, 2023, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (“FSRA”), the Ontario regulatory body tasked with protecting the rights of Ontario consumers related to life insurance, among other things, released two reports outlining enforcement actions it undertook against agents across three life insurance brokerages (“life agents”).1 2 These life insurance brokerages were Greatway Financial Inc. (“Greatway”), World Financial Group Insurance Agency of Canada (“WFG”), and Experior Financial Inc. (“Experior”), which all operate through a tiered-recruitment model, meaning compensati ..read more

The first stage of a class proceeding is the certification stage. Certification is a procedural step, the purpose of which is to screen out cases that are not appropriate to be dealt with on a class-wide basis. In Ontario, an action is certified if it passes the five-step test outlined in section 5 of the Class Proceedings Act. The fourth step of this test requires that a class action be the “preferable procedure” for resolving the complaint. This means that a class action must: Be a fair, efficient and manageable method of advancing the claim and Be preferable to any other available method o ..read more