The Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo paid $4.5 million to settle a case that alleged it improperly used money from Medicare. The case claimed that the Iowa hospital used the money to bribe five doctors to refer patients to the hospital.

The case was brought by the U.S. Justice Department, which argued that the five doctors, because of their above-market incomes, were disqualified from receiving medicare funds. Although Covenant never admitted to the charges, the payment indicates that the hospital recognized some wrongdoing.

If your company is facing a case from the U.S. Justice Department, contact the Iowa business litigation attorneys of 877-327-2600.

Although many companies across Iowa are struggling in the recent economic downturn, 33 Iowa companies are on the rise according to a ranking released by Inc. magazine. 

Of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies, 33 Iowa companies are on the list, including Hy-Vee Food Stores with $6.2 billion and 52,152 employees in 2008. Other companies included Charles F. Day & Associates, GeoLearning, LightEdge Solutions and TCE Technologies. 

If you have a growing business with business litigation problems, contact the Iowa business litigation lawyers of LaMarca & Landry at 877-327-2600.

As fears of H1N1 spread throughout the country, some hog farmers in Iowa are suffering the consequences. Some farmers with hog production contracts have been notified by integrators that they cannot fulfill their part in the contracts.

Using "force majeure" provisions, integrators are backing out of contracts. Force majeure is a contractual clause that allows one party to get out of his obligation under certain extraordinary cricumstances like war or crime. 

Some regulators have claimed that these integrators cannot terminate the contracts with a force majeure provision because the clause does not apply to the swine flu case. The Iowa Supreme Court previously ruled that force majeure provisions cannot be used in cases that involve the normal risks associated with business.

If you or anyone you know is considering filing a business claim, contact the Iowa business litigation lawyers of LaMarca & Landry at 877-327-2600.

Patrons at McDonald's in Illinois and Iowa have filed lawsuits after getting seriously ill eating at a McDonald's restaurant in Milan, Ill. 

The sicknesses and lawsuits appear to be related to a recent hepatitis A outbreak. In the lawsuits, some plaintiffs claim they got sick because one or more food handlers at the restaurant were infected. 

A spokesperson for the Health Department of Iowa said the two Iowans who got sick had eaten at the McDonald's restaurant in Milan. 

If you or anyone you know has gotten sick from eating at a restaurant, contact the Des Moines business lawyers of LaMarca & Landry at 877-327-2600.