Case Studies

GM Case Study

General Motors
What Happened
On February 6, 2014, General Motors (GM) recalled about 800,000 of its small cars due to faulty ignition switches, which could shut off the engine during driving and thereby prevent the airbags from inflating.

Chrysler Case Study

Daimler Chrysler
What Happened
Gilbert was the first female millwright at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Michigan when she was hired in 1992. She alleged that male co-workers immediately started harassing her, with one remarking that a “bitch” had joined...

Catholic Healthcare West (Dignity) – Case Study

Catholic Healthcare West (Dignity)
What Happened
A federal jury in California awarded Chopourian $168 million, potentially the largest judgment in U.S. history for a single victim of workplace sexual harassment.

Pfizer Damages

Pfizer & Bextra
What Happened
Pfizer launched Bextra, a drug apart of the revolutionary class of painkillers known as Cox-2 inhibitors. Pfizer and its marketing partner, Pharmacia, planned to sell Bextra as a treatment for acute pain, so long as the FDA permitted it.

Volkswagen Case Study

Volkswagen
What Happened
In September of 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency found that many Volkswagen cars being sold in America had a so-called “defeat device” - or software - in their diesel engines that could detect when the vehicles were being tested.

Zenefits – Case Study

Zenefits
What Happened
Zenefits used unlicensed brokers to sell insurance. They created a Google Chrome add-on that allowed trainees to bypass the 52-hour requirement for licensing. Multiple investigations were opened across different states.

Wells Fargo – Case Study

Wells Fargo
What Happened
In September 2016, Wells Fargo was issued a combined total of $185 million in fines for creating over 1.5 million checking and savings accounts that its customers never authorized.

Takata – Case Study

Takata (2000-2015)
What Happened
As of May 19, 2015, Takata is now responsible for the largest auto recall in history. Takata has already recalled 40 million vehicles across 12 vehicle brands for “Airbags that could explode and potentially send shrapnel into the face.

DB Case Study

Deutsche Bank
What Happened
A 5-year investigation led to the conclusion that Deutsche Bank had overvalued its derivatives portfolio at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, hiding potential losses.