Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

In what state officials describe as a record-setting verdict, a jury found that a global drug manufacturer misrepresented prices to the state's Medicaid program and said the company should pay the state and federal government $170.3 million. The verdict concluded a nearly three-week trial in state district court, where lawyers for the attorney general's office argued that the drug company artificially inflated the costs of medications to obtain more money. Medicaid reimbursed pharmacies at higher rates because of the falsely reported prices, officials said.

The trial reportedly was the first of its kind in the state; similar cases in recent years have settled out of court. The attorney said in a statement that the case makes clear his office will hold accountable those who defraud the Medicaid program, a joint federal and state effort to provide health coverage to needy Americans. "Considering the hundreds of millions of dollars that are at stake, we will continue to vigilantly pursue providers that falsely report prices to defraud the taxpayers," he said.

Drug company officials said in a statement that they are disappointed by the verdict and are exploring legal and appeal options. "We remain, as always, committed to offering high-quality, lower-cost alternatives for health consumers, including the millions of Americans who participate in the Medicaid program," said the company's vice president and chief legal officer.

The verdict stemmed from a sealed whistle-blower lawsuit -- filed in 2000 by a pharmacy, that accused a number of drug-makers of reporting inflated drug prices to the Medicaid program. They joined the lawsuit in 2000 and reached settlements with 11 companies, settling for more than $139 million. In 2008, the state increased pressure on the drug companies and three other drug-makers -- and began to discuss settlements or possible trials.

If you suspect fraud that may affect your right call me at 1-800-320-0080 or call for an appointment at my offices located in Rockville or Baltimore for an initial free consultation.

Investors suing the former owner of the biggest U.S. bank to fail, won certification as a class-action case of their suit alleging shoddy lending practices. Investors suing the former owner of the biggest U.S. bank to fail, won certification as a class-action case of their suit alleging shoddy lending practices. Shareholders who lost money on stock purchased from October 2005 to July 2008 can proceed with claims under a single lawsuit, U.S. District Judge ruled Tuesday, according to court documents. The judge appointed a local-based law firm to lead the plaintiffs' case. The lawsuit consolidates more than 20 cases filed against the bank that claim the bank secretly lowered lending standards, artificially inflated home-price appraisals and failed to disclose its deteriorating financial condition when the loans began to fail. An attorney representing the defendants didn't immediately return a voice-mail message seeking comment. The named plaintiffs in the case include a pension plan in Canada, and four other pension groups, according to court documents.
They seek to represent tens of thousands of shareholders who lost money on three types of preferred stock purchased between October 2005 and July 2008 and certain securities offered by the bank in 2006 and 2007. The shareholders argued the case should be granted class-action status because their claims are typical of what other investors experienced and are based on common legal issues. The bank filed for bankruptcy the day after its banking unit was taken over by regulators and sold for $1.9 billion. Before it failed, the bank had more than 2,200 branches and $188 billion in deposits. The judge ruled that a separate federal shareholder lawsuit claiming the bank misled purchasers of $10.8 billion in mortgage-backed securities could proceed. Separately, the bank said the Internal Revenue Service has paid it $4.77 billion of an expected tax refund of up to $5.8 billion. A proposed agreement on dividing that money between the banks and the FDIC requires approval by various parties to the bankruptcy case. If you have been a victim of fraud or misrepresentation in commerical transactions or foreclosure scams contact me at my Rockville or Baltimore offices for a free intial conversation at 1-800-320-0080.