Cochlear Loses US Patent Case, Ordered to Pay $268 Million in Damages; Company Plans to Appeal Ruling
In an announcement Monday, a U.S. district court has ordered Australian hearing implant maker, Cochlear, to pay $268.1 million in damages in a patent infringement case brought against the company filed by the Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research and Advanced Bionics LLC. Following the announcement, the company’s stock was trading down nearly four…
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HHTM Hearing News Round-up: This Week’s Notable Stories
As the end of summer looms, mix your favorite Labor Day cocktail (or sweet tea, if that’s your thing) and catch up on some industry news. Majority of Americans Believe Hearing Loss is No Big Deal According to a survey conducted by Merck Manuals, 86% of respondents say they have participated in at…
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Citing Antiquated Regulations, Florida Dispenser Files Federal Lawsuit
On April 20, Pacific Legal Foundation announced a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s Hearing Aid Licensing rules. The case is Taylor v. Polhill and it pits Dan Taylor, a licensed hearing instrument specialist, against Florida’s Board of Hearing Aid Specialists and Board of Health. Dan Taylor has spent nearly 30 years as a hearing aid specialist.…
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Michigan Hearing Aid Dispensers Face Federal Healthcare Fraud and Identity Theft Charges
A federal indictment was unsealed earlier this week, charging Rasko “Ron” Djordjevic and Milija “Mike” Perkovic with health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced. The announcement was made by US Attorney Matthew Schneider, who was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge…
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Untruthful on the Stand? Some of Austin’s Testimony Struck from Record in Starkey Trial
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — The $20 million embezzlement trial involving former Starkey executives took yet another twist this week when U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim ruled Tuesday that Starkey Laboratories owner Bill Austin perjured himself at least once in his testimony earlier in the trial. The testimony in question, regarding the perjury allegations against Austin,…
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Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Health Insurers Discriminate by Not Covering Hearing Aids; Outcome Could Set National Precedent
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — According to a report in the Yakima Herald, a Seattle law firm has filed suit against two health insurance companies due to the companies not covering treatment for hearing loss. The suit alleges that the exclusion of hearing loss treatment constitutes illegal discrimination under federal law. The outcome of the case could…
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GN Audio Loses Antitrust Lawsuit Filed Against Plantronics
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE — On October 18, 2017, a jury in Federal District Court in Delaware ruled in favor of Plantronics in a lawsuit brought by GN Audio (formerly GN Netcom) in 2012 against the company over its business practices. Despite Plantronics having received a $3 million sanction in 2016 over intentionally deleting thousands of emails…
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Ohio Prison System to Clarify Hearing Aid Policy; Settles Inmate’s ACLU Lawsuit
CLEVELAND, OHIO — As part of a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), following a lawsuit brought by a hearing impaired inmate, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction will clarify its policy on issuing hearing aids to prisoners. James Handwork, serving a murder sentence at the Lake Erie Correctional Institution, filed a lawsuit…
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Department of Labor Withdraws Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Instrument Specialists
As announced on November 18, the US Congress passed the Fit to Serve bill, allowing hearing instrument specialists to work directly with American veterans. Although the Fit to Serve legislation passed, it was not without substantial modifications. The bill, which is expected to be signed in the near future by President Obama, contains considerable patient…
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New York Dispenser to Serve 4 to 12 Years for Hearing Aid Scam
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Miller, a licensed New York hearing aid dispenser and owner of Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers, LLC, has plead guilty to first and second degree grand larceny. Miller will now spend the next 4 to 12 years in prison for his crimes. In November 2015, Miller was indicted by a grand jury…
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