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In April of 2010, then 17-year-old Sarah Adams was prescribed a NuvaRing contraceptive device by a nurse practitioner at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Less than three months later, Adams suffered a total cardiac arrest that left her with “significant and permanent brain damage with marked cognitive and fine motor skills deficits,” according to a lawsuit she filed against Montefiore. And last week, a state appeals court in New York allowed that lawsuit to continue, denying Montefiore’s motion to dismiss the claims....

New York governor David Paterson is seeking to close out a $7.4 billion dollar deficit by pushing for a NY cigarette tax and a NY soda tax among other things. Reuters quotes the governor as saying, “Since I became governor, I have been warning that New York state is facing an inevitable reckoning. The mistakes of the past, the squandering of surpluses, the papering over of deficits, the relying on gimmicks to finance unsustainable spending increases has led us to the breaking point,” he said....

It’s nearly that time of the year again. Family members from across the nation will soon be congregating at your dinner table, eager to get a slice of that free range turkey you purchased at your local grocery store. Before you selected this year’s bird, you probably read its packaging, including the poultry label touting it as “free range.” But you might wonder what the truth is behind these labels. And what the USDA actually requires of producers....

Whether you’re getting kicked out of your parents’ place, movin’ on up to the East Side, or you finally found the home of your dreams, you’ve got to figure out how to get all your old stuff into your new living space. That’s where moving companies come in. But you can’t trust just anyone with your most treasured belongings, so how do you choose the movers? Here are three tips to get you started:...

An office sports team is a great way to build a healthier workforce, promote camaraderie – and potentially get you, the small business owner, sued. As an employer, you should be concerned about incurring liability if anyone gets hurt while playing sports – be it during a casual lunchtime game of soccer or on an official office-sponsored softball team. Here are three ways an office sports team can get you sued:...

Now that the holiday season is upon us, small businesses need to make sure they are ready to handle just about anything. Before the holiday rush begins, small business owners should take some time to develop a crisis management plan to be ready in case of emergencies, and to minimize risks. Crisis plans should not only include what to do in case of fire, flood, storms, or other natural disasters, but should also include situations like shootings, theft, overcrowding, fights, and injuries....

In recent years, hotels in particular have felt the pain of failing to comply with standards outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Access to public accommodations lawsuits are filed under ADA Title III, and reportedly, they are increasingly targeting hotels. But almost all private businesses that provide goods or services to the public must follow the law, and businesses of almost all sizes fall under the ADA. So let’s take a look at how hotels have been hit, so you can ensure your business is compliant and you don’t find yourself targeted....

The Heene parents (of balloon boy hoax fame) are on the hook to pay $36,000 in legal restitution. A judge ordered Richard and Mayumi Heene to pay legal restitution to authorities who responded to the incident, according to the Associated Press. In general, restitution is money paid by the defendant to the victim or to a state restitution fund. Offenders may be required to return or replace stolen or damaged property....

Homeschooling is an attractive option for many families who prefer their own method of teaching to that of public schools. But it often can exclude homeschoolers from participating in extracurricular activities like school sports. Since there is no federal regulation governing homeschool participation in interscholastic activities like sports, homeschoolers’ place on local school teams may depend on evolving state laws. For example, a recent amendment to the Ohio state budget has allowed homeschool children to be a part of public school sports teams, reports Cleveland’s WJW-TV....

The official first day of summer is only four days away, but it’s already been hot, hot, hot. For those of you lucky enough to work in a comfortable air conditioned room, be grateful. For people who have to work outside, be careful! Previously, we wrote about getting workers’ compensation for skin cancer when you work outside. However, a more immediate danger lurks when the temperature rises, heat stress and heat stroke....

Got a migraine? Just take a couple aspirins, and get back to work! If you’ve ever had a migraine, you’ll know that it can be debilitating. According to the World Health Organization, migraines are one of the most debilitating diseases in the world. Nearly 28 million American may have migraines that affect their ability to work. So, if you can’t work because of migraines, can you get workers’ compensation for it?...

The Anchorage Daily News reports that as part of a bankruptcy plan, the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks will pay abuse victims nearly $10 million dollars. The plan includes sending a bishop to travel to parishes where sexual abuse occurred and putting the names of suspected abusers on the diocese website. Approximately $9.8 million dollars will go into a fund for about 300 victims of sexual abuse. There will be another $2....

Here’s a court case made for the drive-through. A federal court in Chicago has ruled that Afzal Lokhandwala, owner of several Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in the area, can keep selling halal chicken at his restaurants – he just can’t advertise it as halal chicken. The case offers a good example of how franchise agreements can control certain aspects of a franchisee’s business and the problems that can pose for entrepreneurs....

Although you may have done your research when selecting a day care facility, there is always the possibility that your child may be injured at day care. If that happens, should you call a lawyer? In a potential lawsuit against a day care, there could be many possible defendants, including the person who caused the injury to your child, the staff members who were responsible for supervising your child, and the owners of the day care facility, among others....

A New Jersey dating service’s allegedly botched background checks led to a woman’s date with a man who had multiple drunken-driving convictions and a warrant out for his arrest, a lawsuit claims. Jeanne McCarthy, 64, is suing the Lawrenceville, N.J., branch of a dating service called Two of Us, The Trentonian reports. McCarthy says she paid $7,000 to be matched with a man aged 58 to 67 with an active lifestyle....

For business travelers, deducting travel expenses can be a great way to lower your income tax amount. Although there are some great allowable tax deductions available for business travel, the traveling businessperson needs to be aware that there are certain rules under federal income tax law defining the scope of these allowable deductions. Deductible travel expenses are those which are ordinary and necessary expenses for traveling away from home for trade or business....

If a prospective tenant asks, “Do you accept Section 8?” how do you respond? Can you say no, or must you always say yes? Some landlords like having Section 8 tenants because it’s a guaranteed source of on-time rental income. However, others are wary of having to deal with Section 8 bureaucracy and would like to avoid it altogether. Do landlords have a choice, or do they have to accept a Section 8 tenant?...

Think you own a copyright to the things you post on Facebook? Think again. Because despite a Facebook copyright disclaimer that’s floating around, Facebook (and others) still have the right to use some of the information you post. The Facebook copyright disclaimer is basically a hoax and offers you no legal protections, reports the New York Daily News. The disclaimer states in part: Here are three reasons why this disclaimer is legally bogus:...

This month, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) fined Forcerank, makers of a fantasy stock market trading game, $50K in connection with their game. The fine was specifically for failing to file a registration statement and also for failing to sell their contracts through the national securities exchange. While Forcerank’s game was offered as a game, the SEC explained that the offering of a financial reward and entry fee for games where players are essentially playing the stock market invokes various federal laws put in place to protect investors....

If the court rules in favor of same sex marriage, then same sex couples in all 50 states will be able to marry. In addition, the decision will have far reaching financial implications, such as social security, tax, and estate planning benefit once denied to same-sex couples. Social Security Benefits Social Security provides support for disabled and retired Americans from contributions through payroll tax. For married couples, when one spouse dies, the surviving spouse is eligible to receive Social Security benefits based on the deceased spouse’s benefits....