Latest Massachusetts Headlines
All the headlines from our Massachusetts Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mass. Police Must Reinstate 7 Who Refused to be Vaccinated, Arbitrator Says
Aug 8 2023 // Massachusetts State Police must reinstate seven troopers who refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19, an independent arbitrator has ruled. The troopers have been on unpaid leave, but the arbitrator`s decision means they can...
Class Action Targets Grocery Delivery Firm for Alleged Unpaid Wages
Aug 4 2023 // A delivery driver in Massachusetts has filed a proposed class action against a grocery delivery company and grocery chain for allegedly misclassifying drivers as independent contractors and not paying minimum wage,...
Massachusetts Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Sentenced for $7M Auto Insurance Fraud
Aug 2 2023 // The owner of a Massachusetts physical therapy clinic who defrauded 24 auto insurers by submitting largely bogus treatment claims was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison and ordered to pay $7,383,756 in...
Uber-Backed Group to Reboot Gig-Worker Ballot Initiative in Massachusetts
Aug 1 2023 // A coalition of gig economy giants plan to reboot a failed ballot initiative in Massachusetts in a renewed push to cement their workers’ status as independent contractors. The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent...
Massachusetts High Court Revives Contractor Liability Claim Over ‘Half Inch’ Defect
Jul 24 2023 // Whether a half-inch granite protrusion on a crosswalk under repair is sufficient to support a negligent claim is a matter for a jury to decide, not a court granting summary judgment for a contractor doing work for a...
Massachusetts Judge Rejects Auto Insurance Class Actions Over Diminished Value
Jul 17 2023 // A judge in Massachusetts denied class certifications for claimants seeking payments from two insurers for the lost resale value of their motor vehicles that were damaged in accidents and then repaired. Suffolk County...
Penske Truck Denies Fraudulent Inspection Allegations But Will Pay $3.5M to End Dispute
Jul 13 2023 // Penske Truck Leasing Co. will pay up to a $3.5 million civil penalty for alleged fraudulent safety and emissions inspections on fleet trucks and trucks it rented for commercial use. According to Massachusetts Attorney...
Massachusetts High Court Affirms Limit on Wrongful Death Suits in Tobacco Ruling
Jul 7 2023 // If a person’s right to bring a personal injury lawsuit has expired by the time of his or her death, the person’s estate is barred from bringing a wrongful death suit in Massachusetts for the benefit of the...
AM Best Issues Improved Outlooks for Barnstable Group in Massachusetts
Jul 6 2023 // AM Best has revised its outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed its Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” (Excellent) for the members of Barnstable Group,...
Car Dealer Shielded From Liability in ‘Courtesy’ Car Accident
Jun 28 2023 // Massachusetts car dealerships that provide customers with a courtesy vehicle to use while their car is being repaired are protected by federal law from liability should the courtesy car be in an accident, despite a state...
Massachusetts Town Not Liable for ATV Rider’s Death on Town Land
Jun 27 2023 // A Massachusetts town is immune from liability for the death of an ATV rider who was killed after striking a wire cable strung across a right of way on town land by the owner of the adjacent private property. The...
Massachusetts Judge Rejects Auto Insurance Class Actions Over Diminished Value
Jun 23 2023 // A judge in Massachusetts has denied class certifications for claimants seeking payments from two insurers for the lost resale value of their motor vehicles that were damaged in accidents and then repaired. Suffolk County...
Federal Regulator Throws Wrench Into Massachusetts Right-to-Repair Plans
Jun 21 2023 // A right-to-repair motor vehicle law in Massachusetts that was passed by voters two years ago but been held up in court has hit what could be a major roadblock. A federal regulator says car manufacturers cannot obey the...
For Groups Fighting Opioid Crisis, Settlement Money Can Be Hard to Come By
Jun 19 2023 // Companies accused of fueling the U.S. opioid crisis have so far paid out more than $3 billion to compensate states, but has any of the money reached the people who need it? It depends where you live. Yes, if you’re...
Study Blames Climate Change for Summer Wildfire Rise in California
Jun 15 2023 // A study out this week shows that nearly all of the observed increase in summer wildfires in California over the past half-century is attributable to man-made climate change. An international team of scientists looked at...
Dave & Buster’s to Pay $275K Over Claims of Meal Break, Child Labor Violations
Jun 12 2023 // Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office has reached a settlement with Dave & Buster’s, which includes $275,000 for workers, to resolve meal break and child labor violations. Dave &...
Massachusetts City Faces Lawsuit Alleging Police Misconduct at George Floyd Protest
Jun 6 2023 // Eleven people have filed a federal lawsuit saying they were assaulted by police or wrongfully arrested while peacefully observing a June 2020 protest in Massachusetts’ second-largest city over the killing of George...
Lightning Strike Cited in Fire That Destroys 160-Year-Old Massachusetts Church
Jun 5 2023 // A fire that burned down a 160-year-old Massachusetts church was likely started by a lightning strike, a fire chief said. The First Congregational Church in Spencer caught fire Friday afternoon, when a storm was moving...
Massachusetts Agency Owner Accused of Stealing Workers’ Compensation Premiums
Jun 1 2023 // The owner of a Gloucester, Massachusetts insurance agency has been indicted and arraigned in connection with an alleged embezzlement scheme that left client companies uninsured. The scheme included the agent transferring...
New England Health Insurer Still Dealing With Ransomware Attack
May 24 2023 // Point32Health, the parent company of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, is still dealing with a ransomware attack it first reported on April 17. The company has now disclosed that patient information has...
