J&J Sues Doctors Over Talc Papers; Harvard’s ‘Grim Reaper’; Doc’s Non-Compete Suit

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has sued four doctors who published studies linking talc-based personal care products and cancer, asking a New Jersey federal court to pressure three of the researchers to retract their paper or issue a correction, after doing the same to another doctor in May. All four doctors have provided expert testimony in lawsuits against the company. (Reuters)

In other J&J talc lawsuit news, a jury decided the company should pay $18.8 million to a California man who said he developed mesothelioma from exposure to its baby powder. (Reuters)

A lawsuit filed against Harvard University claims Cedric Lodge, the former morgue employee accused of selling human remains from bodies donated for medical research, thought of himself as the “Grim Reaper.” (Boston Herald)

Three DNPs (doctors of nursing practice) are suing California authorities, including the state attorney general and the medical and nursing boards, arguing they have a right to call themselves doctors. California law only permits physicians and surgeons to refer to themselves as doctors. (Washington Post)

Indiana pediatric intensivist David Lankford, DO, is suing his former employer, Lutheran Medical Group, to get out of a non-compete clause. The suit will put to the test a new state law that restricts non-competes for some doctors. (Indiana Public Media)

A man is suing New York City Health + Hospitals for donating his deceased mother’s organs without his consent. (ABC 7)

Virginia pediatrician Martin Seth Forman, MD, who previously had a $1.3 million civil verdict against him for allegedly fondling a 15-year-old girl, is now being sued by the parents of another young alleged victim. (NBC News)

California nurse practitioner Bradley Earl Reger was arrested and accused of sexually abusing more than a dozen young male patients under the guise of doing medical exams at his clinic, in hotel rooms, and at camp sites. (Sacramento Bee)

Kansas hospital Ascension Via Christi is facing two lawsuits after at least three women were allegedly sexually assaulted by an impostor who claimed to be a nursing student. (Kansas Reflector)

Texas mother and social media influencer Jessica Gasser has been arrested and accused of medical child abuse. (ABC 8)

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has ordered BetterHelp, an online counseling service, to pay $7.8 million for allegedly sharing sensitive health data with third parties such as Facebook and Snapchat for advertising purposes, after purporting to keep the data private.

HCA Healthcare has been hit with at least four class-action lawsuits after disclosing a large breach of patient data. (Fierce Healthcare)

Tennessee dermatologist John Y. Chung, MD, will pay $6.6 million to settle allegations that he submitted false claims to government payers for Mohs procedures that were billed as if he himself performed the surgery and pathology, when indeed others were involved, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Kansas chiropractor Timothy Dale Warren pleaded guilty to money laundering after illegally obtaining COVID-19 relief funds and depositing them into various bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.