Case Filings Alert™ reports daily on new cases filed in courts around the country, alerting you to significant new cases at the beginning of the litigation process, long before the case is settled or a decision handed down. A wide range of topics are covered, including product liability, intellectual property, antitrust, among others. A number of these cases, particularly the product liability litigation, will develop into mass torts as new cases raising similar issues are filed. Mass torts are covered in our report MDLCases.com, which deals with major multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases. Editor: Robert S. Want (rwant@LegalEditor.com).
October 26, 2026 – Breach of Contract
Apple Sued Over Ending Software Support for Recent Watch Models
Plaintiff alleges that Apple Inc. breached contracts with customers by prematurely ending software support for several recent Apple Watch models, reducing their value and useful life.
Filed in San Francisco federal court, the lawsuit says Apple’s watchOS 27 excludes the Apple Watch SE 2, Series 6, Series 7, Series 8 and original Ultra, leaving them permanently ineligible for future major operating-system updates. Plaintiff says he bought an Apple Watch Ultra for about $799 in December 2022. He claims that Apple never disclosed how long the device would receive major software updates and says he expected the premium watch to remain supported for substantially longer than four years.
The complaint contends that without updates, affected watches may lose features, application compatibility, and security protections or become increasingly prone to bugs. Apple’s decision allegedly forces consumers to replace otherwise functional devices and constitutes an unfair “software tethering” or “bricking” practice.
October 23, 2026 – Intellectual Property
Photographer Sues Painter, Sotheby’s Over Oasis Image
A music photographer has sued painter Elizabeth Peyton, David Zwirner Gallery and Sotheby’s, alleging that Peyton copied his 1995 photograph of Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher and that the businesses profited from the infringement.
Plaintiff Robert Thomas filed the complaint in Manhattan federal court, saying he took the candid photograph at an Earls Court afterparty, capturing the famously combative brothers sharing a kiss at the height of Britpop.
In his lawsuit, Thomas argues that Peyton’s 1996 painting, “Earl’s Court (Liam + Noel),” is a “slavish copy” replicating the photograph’s composition, expressions, poses, lighting, and other details. Sotheby’s valued the painting at $1.5 million to $2 million for its May auction, the suit says.Top of Form
October 22, 2026 – Consumer Fraud
Lawsuit Challenges DraftKings Predictions ‘Event Contracts’ as Unlicensed Sports Betting
A California man has filed a proposed class action in Los Angeles federal court, accusing DraftKings of disguising an illegal, unlicensed sports betting operation as an event-contract trading platform.
The complaint says DraftKings launched the service Predictions in December 2025 and offers it where the company lacks authorization to operate a sportsbook. According to the complaint, users buy contracts tied to game outcomes, receiving a payout if correct and losing their payment if wrong. “This is sports betting,” the lawsuit says.
Plaintiff alleges that DraftKings misleadingly calls those transactions “event contracts” or “trading,” although the service mirrors a sportsbook’s design and mechanics. He also says DraftKings failed to disclose that its affiliates could take positions against customers and that the company profits from every transaction. The suit asserts claims under California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law.
October 21, 2026 – Product Liability
Oura Lawsuit Alleges Sleep Quality Measurement Deception
Oura Inc. falsely advertised its tracking rings as able to track the quality of the wearer’s sleep cycles, alleges a proposed class action filed in federal court in Oakland, Calif.
Sleep quality, the complaint says, is measured through brain electrical activity, eye movements, and other metrics gleaned from electrodes placed on the scalp and sensors on the face. Defendant’s rings don’t measure any such parameters.
The complaint says Oura advertised its rings as “Built for accuracy” and offering “95% Sleep Staging Accuracy compared to a clinical sleep lab.” Plaintiff contends that the devices “estimate wake, light, deep and REM sleep” through artificial intelligence rather than directly measuring neurological signals. According to the complaint, clinical sleep-stage analysis requires equipment that measures brain waves, eye movements, and muscle activity. Oura rings contain none of those sensors, the suit argues, noting that Oura acknowledges in technical materials that its product “does not measure electrical brain activity or eye movements.”
October 20, 2026 – Administrative Procedures Act
States Sue Administration Over Mortgage Interest Escrow Rule
Ten states have sued the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), challenging federal rules that override state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on mortgage escrow accounts.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon, names the OCC and Comptroller Jonathan Gould as defendants. Oregon, New York, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont brought the action alleging a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. The states challenge a decision by the OCC that invalidates an Oregon law requiring mortgage lenders to pay interest on the funds borrowers put into escrow for taxes and insurance. The result of this decision, the states argue, is to “take money from homeowners and put it into the pockets of the banks that lend the mortgage.”
The OCC issued two new rules in May, according to the complaint. The first rule says federal law preempts state laws requiring banks to pay interest on money held in escrow accounts, while the second rule gives banks discretion to decide whether to pay interest or charge fees on those accounts. These new rules, the complaint says, ignore federal court rulings that uphold state interest-on-escrow laws and bypass the safeguards enacted by Congress to “prevent this kind of bureaucratic overreach.”
October 19, 2026 – Intellectual Property
Amazon Sued By Universal Electronics for Allegedly Infringing Smart-Device Patents
Universal Electronics Inc. has sued Amazon and two subsidiaries, alleging that numerous Echo, Fire TV, Alexa and Prime Video products infringe five patents covering home-entertainment and automation technology.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, names Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Web Services Inc. and Amazon.com Services LLC as defendants. Plaintiff Universal Electronics says it holds more than 500 U.S. patents involving television, home-entertainment and home-control technology. The five patents at issue concern user monitoring, universal-remote setup, appliance control, smart-home coordination, and media-stream transfers.
The accused products include Echo speakers and displays, Fire TV streaming devices and remotes, the Alexa app, and the Prime Video mobile app. Universal Electronics alleges that Amazon directly infringed the patents and induced customers to infringe them through ordinary product use. The complaint notes that Prime Video allows customers to “watch hundreds of TV shows and movies” on supported devices and cast programming to other screens.
October 16, 2026 – Securities
Investors Sue Selena Gomez. Alleging Fraud Over Mental-Health Start-Up
Two investment groups have sued celebrity Selena Gomez and her Wondermind co-founders, alleging they used false representations to secure nearly $1.2 million for a mental health company that failed to deliver promised products and partnerships.
Filed in federal court in Delaware, the investors claim that Gomez was presented as Wondermind’s active head of marketing. However, according to the complaint, Gomez failed to perform under her contract, the partnerships did not exist, and the planned Wondermind app was never built. The plaintiffs also accuse company leaders of concealing operational problems, missed payroll, and deteriorating finances for more than three years.
In their lawsuit, investors say they were told that Gomez, one of the biggest celebrities on social media with more than 500 million followers, would be actively involved in building the company as head of marketing. They argue that Gomez and other company leaders failed to deliver on their promises, including creating a mobile app. “Gomez purported to sign a contract obligating her to perform and then ignored it,” plaintiffs contend. “There was no legitimate enterprise in the works, much less a lucrative one,
October 15, 2026 – Cybersecurity
Amgen Faces Lawsuit Over July Data Breach
Biotech company Amgen Inc. has been hit with a proposed nationwide class action alleging inadequate cybersecurity allowed hackers to steal sensitive personal and health information from tens of thousands of patients and customers.
In a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, plaintiff alleges that unauthorized actors entered Amgen’s computer systems in July 2026 and obtained names, addresses, financial information, medical diagnoses, prescription records, and other data. Amgen reported the breach to the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 31.
According to the complaint, Amgen failed to use reasonable safeguards despite describing itself as “committed to the lawful stewardship” of personal information. The complaint says stolen data was published on the dark web and that plaintiff experienced attempted fraudulent account openings, increased spam calls, and emotional distress. Plaintiff seeks damages, restitution and credit-protection services, along with an order requiring stronger security measures, employee training, independent audits and limits on data retention.
October 14, 2026 – Product Liability
SaunaBox User Sues After Steam Unit Allegedly Explodes
Plaintiff has filed a lawsuit against SaunaBox LLC, claiming that a portable home sauna’s water tank exploded without warning and subjected her to severe burns.
The company markets the product as a portable personal steam sauna that provides “the full rejuvenating experience of a traditional sauna” in a compact, easy-to-use package, according to the complaint filed in New Jersey federal court. Plaintiff says the unit had not been misused or modified before the water tank exploded and sprayed hot water onto her body.
The complaint asserts that the sauna was defectively designed, inadequately tested, and sold without sufficient instructions or warnings. Plaintiff contends that feasible alternative designs could have prevented or substantially reduced the risk without impairing the product’s intended function. She alleges severe burns, pain and suffering, and continuing medical needs.
October 13, 2026 – Antitrust
Ski Resorts Vail, Alterra and Others Challenged Over Alleged Price-Fixing
Plaintiff skiers have filed a proposed class action accusing Vail Resorts, Alterra Mountain Co. and other major ski businesses of conspiring to inflate prices for destination ski packages nationwide.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado, also names Boyne Resorts, Powdr Corp., consulting firm RRC Associates and the National Ski Areas Association. It alleges violations of the Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts dating to at least January 2020. According to the lawsuit, Vail and Alterra led a consolidation strategy that left the resort defendants owning or controlling access to all but two of the nation’s 32 destination ski resorts. The companies allegedly hold at least 81% of the market.
The resorts, the complaint says, exchanged confidential pricing, revenue, cost and capacity information through RRC and the trade association. Plaintiffs argue that this exchange allowed competitors to avoid meaningful competition and charge “artificially high” prices for season passes, lift tickets, rentals and lessons.
October 12, 2026 – Privacy
Walmart Accused of Illegally Collecting Customers’ Voiceprints
Two Illinois consumers have filed a proposed class action accusing Walmart Inc. of illegally collecting, storing, and sharing customers’ voiceprints without obtaining their written consent.
Walmart’s artificial intelligence system records customer-service calls and analyzes callers’ pitch, cadence, tone, and frequency to create unique voice templates, according to the complaint filed in Chicago federal court. Plaintiffs claim that Walmart tells callers only that “[t]his call and your voice may be recorded for business purposes, including fraud prevention.” They contend that the disclosure does not explain other uses of the biometric information or identify third parties receiving it.
The lawsuit argues that Walmart violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act by failing to disclose in writing the specific purpose and duration of its voiceprint collection, obtain written releases or secure consent before sharing the information. Walmart’s privacy policy acknowledges collecting voiceprints when consumers contact customer service. Plaintiffs seek statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for each alleged violation.
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