Class action denied in LV medical waste suit

Friday, April 27, 2001 | 11:57 a.m.

A federal judge Thursday rejected -- for a second time -- attempts by attorneys to certify as a class-action a lawsuit accusing Republic Silver State Disposal Inc. of racketeering for allegedly monopolizing the Las Vegas medical waste disposal industry and charging higher rates than are allowed by code.

Senior U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush denied attorney Frank Cremen's petition to expand the lawsuit from the two existing plaintiffs to a class of up to 2,500 medical operations.

The judge said Cremen's complete control of the case from its inception and the proposed plaintiffs' lack of knowledge about the lawsuit raises questions as to whether they would adequately represent the proposed class.

Silver State denies the allegations in the suit, which is pending but not as a class-action.

"We'll prove at trial that there are no racketeering charges. We've served the medical generators correctly and have not overcharged them," said Jeffrey Bendavid, Republic Silver State's attorney.

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