Many small businesses are called “mom and pop” stores for a reason, as they’re often run by married couples. But what happens when the marriage ends, making them newly divorced business partners? Marriage is stressful, and so is running a business; the combined stress can sometimes be too much to handle. But just because a marriage ends does not necessarily mean that you have to end a successful business too....
According to a new federal class action lawsuit, Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train Yam Good dog treats are responsible for the death of a 9-year-old Pomeranian named Cleopatra. The furry canine reportedly ingested one chicken jerky treat a day for three days before becoming ill and eventually dying of kidney failure. The Waggin’ Train lawsuit, filed by Cleopatra’s owner Dennis Adkins, claims Nestle Purina Petcare Co. and Walmart knew that the treats posed a substantial risk of illness to pets, yet still manufactured and sold them....
Bicyclist Lisa Granert was wearing a reflective vest and a helmet while she was riding her bike along Route 70 in New Jersey but it was of little help when she got struck by a car operated by a man distracted because he was texting. Philly.com reports that Robert Sharrer told police that he was texting while he was driving. The worst part? It was a text about a drug deal....
A dying ex-Marine who was ousted for being gay nearly 60 years ago finally got his wish on Friday, receiving paperwork that upgraded his discharge to “honorable.” Hal Faulkner, 79, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few years prior, and his dying wish was to change the language of his discharge from the Marines, reports National Public Radio. Faulkner’s story shows how times have changed for military veterans discharged for being gay, and highlights the process for upgrading a less-than-honorable discharge....
When people talk about getting legal help, it’s usually for serious issues like a lawsuit or a divorce. But real people need legal help all the time. How do I write a will? Can I make my neighbor stop blasting music at 3 am? Is my employment contract going to come back and bite me? What about my lease? All of these are important everyday questions and all of them have a legal answer....
Priceless. That’s what most of us pet owners would tell you about the value of our dogs, cats, and other furry, feathered, or scaly pets. (Well, maybe not cats, though as a dog owner, I might be biased.) But the Georgia Supreme Court might soon attach a dollar figure to your favorite non-human – in an upcoming case, the court will decide whether, and how much, a family should be compensated for the loss of their dog....
You’ve come up with an ingenious new idea for a product. So how do you protect your invention, legally speaking? If you think you’re destined to be the next Billie Mays, there are a number of steps you can take to make sure your brilliant idea remains yours – and to keep others from making money off of all of your hard work. Here are a few tips on how to protect your invention:...
Love may make the world go ‘round but it does not promise to keep a marriage intact. The statistics about marriage may surprise you. The New York Times reports that the risk that any marriage will end in divorce is about 45 percent, according to David Popenoe, a professor of sociology emeritus at Rutgers University. The chances fall to about 40 percent for first marriages and decline further for college-educated couples, people from intact families and couples who share the same religion....
Will a carrot or a stick approach work best in New York? The city and state are petitioning the federal government to allow them to ban soda or other sugary drinks from the food stamps program. If the request is granted, this will be the first time the federal government has agreed to this type of waiver. State and city health officials are trying to attack the health problems caused by obesity, reports NPR....
It’s the third time in decade that New York City has agreed to pay inmates for illegal strip searches, reaching a legal settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The suit settled for $33 million. According to the Associated Press, the suit was filed by on behalf of people arrested on misdemeanor drug and weapons charges who were illegally strip searched at Rikers Island and other jails. The case included people arrested, but not convicted, between July 15, 1999 and Oct....
The parents of a Virginia Tech student plan to sue the school for not invervening before it was too late. The Washington Post reports that Mr. William Kim and Mrs. Elizabeth Kim are suing Virginia Tech for negligence over their son Daniel Kim’s suicide on December 9, 2007. The Virginia Tech student committed suicide shortly after the Virginia Tech shooting. According to The Virginian-Pilot, Mr. Daniel Kim, a Korean-American confided in his sister that he feared that he resembled the Virginia Tech shooter Mr....
The parents of a boy who committed suicide after an embarrassing video was posted online are seeking $1 million from his school district, alleging the school was culpable for their bullied son’s treatment. Matthew Burdette, 14, of San Diego, killed himself in November after an online video of the teen in a school bathroom stall went viral; the classmate who posted the video claimed Matthew was masturbating. San Diego’s KGTV reports that Burdette’s school knew about the incident, but the boy’s parents didn’t learn about it until well after their son had passed....
By now most parents have heard about the danger of concussions in sports like football and hockey. But parents trying to keep their children safe from head injuries need to be concerned with more than contact sports. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found around 21,000 kids aged 14 and younger suffer traumatic brain injuries including concussions on playgrounds every year. The study also found that the rate of concussions was rising among children, from 23 out of 100,000 in 2005 to 48 out of 100,000 in 2013....
According to the World Health Organization, the Zika virus is now a global health emergency. The virus has turned up in the United States, and researchers are learning more each day about how the virus is spread and its potential effects on infected people and fetuses. Here’s what you need to know about the Zika virus and its potential impact on your small business and employees: The Centers for Disease Control has warned that pregnant woman should avoid travel to Cape Verde, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, the Pacific Islands, and South America where transmission of the Zika virus is ongoing....
While on the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to build a “big, beautiful wall” along the United States border with Mexico and create a “special deportation task force” to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Now that he’s president, many are wondering if it’s even possible, and whether a President Trump would have the legal authority to do so. Logistically speaking, Trump’s plan would target somewhere between 5 and 6.5 million people currently living in the country, and cost anywhere from $51....
It is sadly only too often that it is only with perfect hindsight, in the aftermath of school violence, that the “warning signs” leading up to the disaster are discovered. One mother in Denver, Colorado, is upset with the actions, or rather, inaction, of her child’s school in response to a “kill list” found in a classmate’s journal. According to the report, “[t]he journal contained several disturbing drawings of girls being hung by nooses and a list that included the names of eight people the girl’s classmate wanted to kill....
With the recent school shootings and subsequent student protests in the news, gun legislation is getting a lot of press these days. While many activists are talking about gun control and ways to get more guns off the streets, some states are passing legislation to increase or clarify citizens’ use of guns in self-defense. Idaho is one such state, and both sides of the issue have a lot to say about their new “Stand Your Ground” law....
As soon as people realized how important a URL or domain name could be – and how cheaply they could be acquired – cybersquatting became one of the internet’s first scams. Cybersquatters purchase URLs with another business’s or celebrity’s name (or even some close misspellings) with the hope of either enticing the purchase and therefore profit off the URL, or to snare unwitting internet users looking for the legitimate entity....
It can be one of the most painful injuries imaginable. And of course it’s right in the middle of your face. A broken nose can be an expensive injury as well, between immediate medical care, missed time at work, and any reconstructive surgery that might be necessary. Generally speaking, a broken nose can either be the result of an accident, or an intentional act. And in either case you may be able to sue for your injuries....
Who’s liable for your injury after a slip and fall accident? That depends on a number of factors, most importantly where you fell, whether it’s public property, a business, or a residence. Premises liability law makes home and business owners responsible for injuries that occur on their property. If you fall in a store or some area the business manages, like the parking lot, then the store may be liable for your injury if it was caused through its negligence....
