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For most Americans, tax season ended almost six months ago on April 15. But those who instead filed a tax extension have hopefully spent the last six months preparing for their extended deadline, which is coming up on October 15. Tax extensions allow taxpayers who are unable to complete their taxes by the filing deadline to instead file for an extension with the IRS, giving them an extra six months to complete their tax returns for the previous year....

A comparative study of the injury rates in different states published in May could have an impact on safety laws across the country. The study, performed by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, looked at overall injury rates in each state. Injury is the leading cause of death among people aged 1 to 44 and the third highest cause of death overall. With numbers like that, it’s important to keep yourself injury free....

Have you ever been wrongfully terminated? It’s natural to answer this question in the affirmative, but the truth is that wrongful termination exists in limited situations. Legally, wrongful termination only occurs when an employee is fired in violation of a contract or employment laws. To put this in perspective, the following are the most common ways to be wrongfully terminated. Discrimination. It is illegal to fire someone in violation of state and federal anti-discrimination laws....

Toyota has spoken. And they’ve spoken quite apologetically. But will apologies be enough for the victims of the families left behind in the wake of Toyota’s fatal car accidents? This morning, the head of Toyota Motor Corp. and grandson of the company’s namesake, Akio Toyoda, apologized on behalf of Toyota in his testimony before Congress. He also claimed that he was “absolutely confident” about the fact that there was no design flaw in Toyota’s electronic throttle control system....

The NY Post reports the wife of a Google engineer injured by a falling tree branch has sued the city of New York for $120 million dollars. Sasha Balir-Goldensohn is still injured from a falling tree branch that fell on the engineer back in July 29, 2009. The falling tree branch struck Mr. Blair-Goldensohn in the head. According to the New York Times, Mr. Blair-Goldensohn was walking alone near a Central Park entrance when the tree branch struck him....

In what may be the first incident of its kind, a truck driver crashed into a highway guardrail in Indiana yesterday when his e-cigarette exploded in his hand. The driver’s injuries were reportedly primarily due to the e-cig explosion and not the crash and no one else was injured, local ABC News reported. Indiana State Highway Patrol troopers who handled the crash said that they had never heard of any such accident happening before....

After weeks of focus on President Obama’s healthcare reform plan featuring a public option alternative, offering consumers a choice between government-run insurance and private insurance, may not make the final cut. Weekend murmurs from the White House suggest that it is considering a compromise and may opt for non-profit health cooperatives instead of a public insurance alternative. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, in a CNN interview, that the public option was not the essential piece of healthcare reform, suggesting that it was a bargaining chip that President Obama’s team was willing to work with....

Bicycle injury accidents occur with regular frequency in most cities where bicycle delivery services are common. When a bicyclist is involved in an injury accident, there are specific issues that can arise if the injured person was working as a bicycle courier or messenger. Whether the cyclist is at fault, or the other party was at fault, there are similar considerations that non-cyclists should be aware of when it comes to accidents with bicycle messengers....

Will Connecticut decriminalize marijuana? It might be the next state to do so - Connecticut’s marijuana laws might be revamped after legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana passed through the Senate. The next stop for the bill will be the state’s House of Representatives where it will receive its final legislative vote, reports the AP. Proponents of the bill argue that the decriminalization will be a positive effect. Decriminalizing small amounts would allow younger adults who are arrested on possession charges evade a criminal record, which may hurt their chances at a career or at a college, according to the AP....

It seems like nearly every year, a school foolishly decides to exclude a student from the yearbook, not because of any horrific criminal activity, but because of her choice of clothing. This year, Lincoln High School, in Stockton, California, excluded Crystal Cumplido’s senior portrait from the yearbook because she wore a tuxedo instead of the low cut shoulder bearing drape required for girls. But not only was her picture excluded, no mention of Cumplido could be found in the yearbook, not even in the index....

Around 15 million people get some form of plastic surgery every year. And while everyone’s reason for cosmetic surgery may differ, many of the health risks involved in these procedures will be the same. Most cosmetic surgeries will go off without a hitch, but here are some of the most common issues you should be aware of: Infection. This is true of any surgery, and all surgeons and facilities take measures to minimize surgical and postoperative infections....

Last Friday was the latest court-ordered deadline for the Trump administration to reunite immigrant parents and children who had been separated for detention. And while the Department of Homeland Security claims that over half of the separated children have been reunited with their parents, hundreds remain in government custody, many with no plan for reunification. So, what’s next for these families? Though exact figures are hard to come by, Vox has a breakdown of the numbers based on statements from DHS, ICE, and the Department of Health and Human Services:...

A blind man’s service dog caused an entire flight to be cancelled, with the airline citing safety concerns. What are the rules for service dogs on airplanes? Albert Rizzi, a legally blind man who boarded a US Airways Express flight from Philadelphia to Long Island, caused a fracas Wednesday when he was told his guide dog Doxy had to “stay under the seat in front of him during the flight,” Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV reports....

The largest franchisee of Burger King restaurants has agreed to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit for $2.5 million. Carrols Restaurant Group announced that it will pay the money to 88 former and one current employee in a case that’s dragged on for 14 years, reports Reuters. Carrols did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement. In its announcement, the company simply explained that the settlement was “far less costly” than continuing to litigate the case....

Fireworks are really dangerous. Not only can the explosions and fire destroy property, but people can be severely injured. In some states, and localities, certain fireworks require permits, and oftentimes those permits require insurance. Regardless, there really is nothing quite like safely firing off some giant fireworks into the night sky. Heck, even medium sized ones are fun. But, with great firepower comes potentially even greater legal liability. If your property is damaged when a neighbor sets off fireworks, even if illuminating the night sky is legal in your state, you can still sue....

Sports injuries in children aren’t uncommon and can lead to steep medical bills. But unlike most injuries, courts aren’t as likely to award damages in a suit against the player that caused the injury or the coach or teacher supervising the behavior. Take the example of Shawn Bukowski, a college student who sued his university after he was injured by a line drive that hit him in the face during an indoor practice....

Casey Anthony is being sued by meter reader Roy Kronk for defamation. Kronk discovered 2-year-old Caylee Anthony’s remains in the woods near Casey Anthony’s home in 2008. He reported his findings to the police. But he later found himself a crucial part of Anthony’s defense: he was accused of killing Caylee. He was also accused of putting the body where it was found, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The defense also said he was “morally bankrupt,” and that he “took the body and hid it....

In what sounds like an episode of 24: a scientist and his wife have been arrested for allegedly attempting to sell nuclear weapons secrets. The plot included the development of a nuclear bomb over the course of 10 years using enriched plutonium. This time however, Jack Bauer didn’t swoop in and get an immediate confession to selling nuclear secrets at gun point. Instead, the case is headed to U.S. Federal Court, where prosecutors allege that Argentine-born U....

Crowdsourcing your invention sounds like a good idea to many entrepreneurs, but there are some worrisome legal tripping points. In February, the White House announced it would even consider “crowdsourcing” the review of patents, in an attempt to deal with the increasing issue of patent trolls. So before you decide to let your invention enter the fray, here are three legal tips to consider when crowdsourcing your invention: 1. Know Who Owns What....

It’s the bookend of the biggest sales weekend of the year. Cyber Monday is here, and we hope your small business was ready. Because, as entrepreneurs have learned, Cyber Monday can actually hurt small and local businesses. Here are a few tales of Cyber Monday shenanigans and how to avoid them: The whole point of Cyber Monday is to generate sales via your small businesses website. But how secure is that website?...