World 042722

.
ATTENTION FIREFIGHTERS
Were you exposed to firefighting foam?
Firefighting foam, commonly used to fight jet fuel fires, has been widely used by the
military and fire departments since the mid 1950s. However firefighting foam contains
chemicals known as PFAS, which have been linked to illnesses like cancer.
Sokolove Law is currently investigating cases nationwide involving pancreatic, kidney,
testicular, thyroid, bladder, breast, liver, colon/colorectal and prostate cancer, as well
as leukemia and lymphoma after occupational exposure to firefighting foam.
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with cancer after exposure to firefighting foam, you
may be entitled to receive compensation.
Call 866-553-0621 now for a FREE legal consultation.
This is a paid advertisement for legal services. Sokolove Law, LLC (LLP in certain states), 1330 Boylston St,
Chestnut Hill/MA. Ricky LeBlanc admitted in MA only. Members: Paul Dix, Alton, IL, admitted AR, Rich
Grabow, 970 Farmington Ave West Hartford/CT (860) 904-7789, Paul J. Morgan, Winter Park/ FL, Nick
Nighswander, Florence/KY, Michael Breaux, Gonzales, admitted LA, Gregg Hobbie, NJ, Matt Christian, 1007
East Washington Street, Greenville SC. Co-funder/AL: Environmental Litigation Group PC, Birmingham.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. No
representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal
services performed by other lawyers. While this firm maintains joint responsibility, most cases of this type
are referred to other attorneys for principal responsibility. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The Wyoming State Bar does not certify any lawyer as a specialist or expert. Anyone considering a lawyer
should independently investigate the lawyer’s credentials and ability, and not rely upon advertisements or
self-proclaimed expertise. Free background information available upon request. ©2021 Sokolove Law, LLC
Rt. 14, Williamstown • 433-1038
Need some heating oil but don’t want to fill your tank right now?
WE SELL OFF-ROAD DIESEL FUEL
Poland Springs
Water
24 pk. 16.9 oz. bottles
Wide Awake Coffee
Cabot Cheese
11-12 oz. ground or
10 ct. K-cups
$
3 99 $
3 99 Bove’s Pasta $ Sauce
24 oz. 3 99
Haagen Dazs Ice Cream
SPECIALS GOOD THROUGH
SUNDAY, MAY 1
Not responsible for typographical errors.
PROUD TO SELL
VP RACING
FUELS
PRODUCTS!
Mon.-Thurs. 5:00am until 9:00pm, Friday 5:00am until 10:00pm
Saturday 6:00am until 10:00pm, Sunday 6:00am until 9:00pm.
Rt. 14, Williamstown • 802-433-1038
DEBIT
Pepsi
2 lt. bottles
2/ $ 3 50
+dep.
MUST
BUY 2
Made in
Vermont!
Premium 91 octane Non-ethanol Gasoline at the pumps
Great for your small engine lawn tools, motorcycles, classic cars,
& more! We stock many high performance fuels in 5 gallon cans!
page 8 The WORLD April 27, 2022
Bars, Slices or
Shredds 8 oz.
2/ $ 5
$ 14 oz. 3 99
Also check out our great assortment of donuts, danish & muffins!
Great Selection of fresh, local baked goods from Graham Farms Maple,
Hannah’s Gluten Free, Maria’s Bagels and La Panciata Breads!!
Now carrying fresh donuts
and pastries from EDDIE’S BAKERY & PEG’S PANTRY
Fresh
Fresh
Boneless
Chicken
Ground
Ribeye
Tenders
Chuck
Steaks
Family Pk.
$
3 99 Family Pk.
/lb.
$
4 99 $
/lb.
14 99 /lb.
Food Club
Hormel Side
Meatballs
Dishes
26 oz. pkg.
$
4 99 Hormel Pork Tenderloins
Marinated
18.4 oz. pkg. $ 6 99
Coca Cola
12 pk. 12 oz. cans
$
6 99
+dep.
20 oz.
$
3 49
Due to market conditions all items may not be
available. We will provide substitutes when possible.
EBT/SNAP Cards Welcome
DFR Reaches $100,000 Settlement with
Insurance Company Over Improper
Handling of First Responder PTSD Claims
Commissioner Michael S. Pieciak announced
that the Vermont Department of
Financial Regulation (DFR) has reached an
agreement with Acadia Insurance Company.
Under the terms of the settlement, the company
will pay an administrative penalty of
$85,000 and contribute $15,000 to the Vermont
Financial Services Education and Victim
Restitution Special Fund.
The settlement relates to the improper
handling of Vermont workers’ compensation
claims, including those filed by first responders
for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
by Acadia’s third-party administrator W.R.
Berkley Corporation (BerkleyNet). DFR’s
review of Vermont workers’ compensation
claims handled by Acadia between 2015 and
2019 showed that BerkleyNet engaged in unfair
claim settlement practices and violated
Vermont’s Insurance Trade Practices Act in a
vast majority of the claims it handled in Vermont
involving PTSD.
BerkleyNet refused to pay claims without
conducting a reasonable investigation or engaging
in a good faith attempt at settlement.
In one of the most egregious examples, BerkleyNet
mailed a reuest to a first responder for
information necessary to process the workers’
compensation claim and denied the claim on
Vermont to Receive $215,500 from Online
Vaping Retailers
Attorney General T. J. Donovan announced
that his office has reached settlements with
two different online sellers of electronic cigarettes
for violations of Vermont’s Delivery
Sales Ban and Vermont’s Consumer Protection
Act. Under the settlements, the companies
resolved claims that they sold electronic
cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco
paraphernalia to individual consumers. As
of July 1, 2019, it is illegal to sell electronic
cigarettes and related “vaping” products over
the internet to individual Vermont consumers.
In total, the companies will pay $215,500 in
civil penalties to the State of Vermont. Since
December 2020, the Attorney General’s Office
has reached settlements with twenty-three
online sellers of electronic cigarettes, totaling
$833,750 in civil penalties.
“The law is clear: It is illegal to sell electronic
cigarettes and related ‘vaping’ products
over the internet to individual Vermont
consumers,” said Attorney General Donovan.
“y office will continue to bring enforcement
actions against any retailer who ships vaping
products to individual Vermonters.”
Since 2008, Vermont’s Delivery Sales
Ban law has prohibited cigarettes, roll-yourown
tobacco, little cigars, or snuff, ordered
• • •
the very same day. These aggressive claims
adjustment and settlement practices deterred
first responders who may have been eperiencing
PTSD due to work related stress from
pursuing claims.
“ur first responders regularly face etraordinarily
challenging situations as they
work to keep our communities safe, and as
a result, they experience unique impacts to
their mental health,” said DFR Commissioner
ichael S. ieciak. “t is critical for our first
responders to receive necessary and deserved
mental health care and this settlement will
help ensure these illegal claims practices do
not occur again as a result of the corrective actions
the company is required to undertake.”
The $15,000 contribution to the fund will
be used to support educational efforts for the
first responder community.
Commissioner Pieciak would like to thank
the DFR staff who worked diligently on these
matters, including Diane Sherman, Isabelle
Keiser, Karla Nuissl, Chris Rouleau, and Phil
Keller.
Vermonters with concerns about insurance
claims or other insurance concerns, should
contact the DFR consumer services section by
phone at 802-828-3302 or 800-964-1784, or
by email at dfr.insuranceinfo@vermont.gov.
Vermont Restitution Fund Helps Defrauded Vermonter
Commissioner Michael S. Pieciak announced
that he has approved the first-ever
payment from Department of Financial Regulation’s
(DFR) Victim Restitution Fund. Under
recent legislative authority, Act No. 57 of
2019, the Fund allows DFR to pay securities
fraud victims a portion of their losses when
full restitution is not paid by the perpetrator
of the fraud. Monies in the fund are derived
from settlements in DFR enforcement cases.
Early in the pandemic, a Vermont resident
was defrauded of $21,250 by William J.
Therieau, an unregistered individual purporting
to be an investment professional. Therieau
accepted the victim’s funds and said he would
invest them but did not. Instead, he converted
the funds to his personal use. The Department
brought an enforcement action and obtained
an order against Therieau for both civil penalties
and restitution for the victim. Therieau,
however, has failed to pay both the Department
and the victim to date.
Now, through the Vermont Restitution
Fund, the department will be able pay the victim
25% of their losses while continuing to
seek the rest from Therieau.
“In cases of investment fraud, stolen
• • •
• • •
or purchased by telephone, mail order, or
through the internet, to be shipped to anyone
in Vermont other than a licensed wholesaler
dealer or retailer. This law was expanded in
2019 to include tobacco substitutes (including
electronic cigarettes), substances containing
nicotine or otherwise intended for use with a
tobacco substitute, and tobacco paraphernalia.
The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery
conducts compliance checks of online retailers
to determine compliance with this law.
Under the terms of the settlement agreements,
in addition to paying civil penalties,
the companies are required to notify Vermont
consumers that they do not ship to individual
consumers in Vermont.
To make a tobacco enforcement-related
complaint to the Attorney General’s ffice,
you may email your concerns to ago.tobaccoenforcement@vermont.gov.
Copies of the settlement agreements, along
with specific penalty amounts, are available
below:
• VR Products II, LLC d/b/a www.ejuicedb.
com ($125,000)
• Magma Holding, Inc. d/b/a www.eightcig.
com ($90,500)
money is often quickly squandered, leaving
the courts and DFR unable to enforce restitution
orders,” said Commissioner Pieciak.
“This fund will provide financial assistance
to victims of scams and frauds who obtain
nominal relief from a court or the department,
but no monetary recovery. I’m pleased that
we’re able to provide some relief to this victim,
while working to recover the rest of their
funds.”
Upon learning they would receive a partial
restoration of their financial losses from the
department, the victim responded, “the fact
that this fund exists is incredible. While my
experience with Mr. Therieau was devastating,
fortunately, the State of Vermont is able
to help ease the loss financially and emotionally.
It helps me in more than just tangible
ways to know the department is willing to
support me and others in this way.”
The department has received no additional
complaints from Vermont residents concerning
Therieau. If you believe you have been
a victim of a securities fraud, please contact
DFR at 833-DFR-HOTLINE, 802-828-3420,
or dfr.securitiesinfo@vermont.gov.
Vermont’s $36 Million Settlement with Purdue Pharma
and Sacklers Allowed to Move Ahead
Vermont’s receipt of its share of a national
settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners,
the Sackler family, cleared its first hurdle
when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the
Southern District of New York determined
that the settlement did not violate the Bankruptcy
Code. Under the settlement agreement,
Vermont is to receive $36.4 million and up to
an additional $1.454 million if certain conditions
are met. The settlement is conditioned
on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturning
an earlier District Court. The result
will be a nearly three-fold increase over the
$12.58 million allocated to Vermont in Purdue’s
original bankruptcy plan—a plan that
Attorney General T. J. Donovan objected to
and appealed in December 2021.
“or the last ten years, first as State’s Attorney
and now as Attorney General, I have
worked to address the opioid crisis in Vermont
by implementing alternatives to our criminal
justice system for those who suffer from addiction
and advocating for treatment options,”
continued on next page