Posts

Over the weekend, the 3-year-old Dansby twins were riding the Python Pit roller coaster located at Go Bananas–a small indoor children’s amusement park just outside of Chicago. While on the coaster with his twin brother, Jayson somehow crawled under the safety bar while the ride was moving, falling about 4 feet, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He unfortunately died. Roller coaster accidents are not uncommon–not even for the Python Pit, which only goes as high as 8 feet and is considered suitable for young children, reports the paper....

An American hero, a recipient of the Medal of Honor, is suing a former employer in a case that spotlights what employers can – and cannot – say about ex-employees. U.S. Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer’s lawsuit accuses his former bosses at BAE Systems OASYS in San Antonio of ruining his shot at landing another job, The Wall Street Journal reports. BAE managers allegedly told a prospective employer that Meyer was mentally unstable and had a drinking problem, the Journal reports....

With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, and kids nationwide counting the days until summer vacation, it’s a great time to make sure pools and spas are as safe as possible for kids. Parents and caregivers should also learn how to prevent Recreational Water Illness (RWI) outbreaks that can be caused by swimming in public pools, water parks, rivers, and lakes. Pool Safety Hazards. Swimming pools pose a special hazard for very young children, even kids that know how to swim....

For small business owners, the concept of trademarks and branding can be confusing. Many worry that the expense will be prohibitive, and instead focus on getting their business off the ground. Owners assume that they will be better able to deal with the issue down the road, perhaps after they turn a profit. But trademark experts say that this can be a major mistake. “The time to think about a brand is absolutely before the brand gets traction,” said Anthony Biller, a partner with Coats & Bennett in Raleigh, N....

Square, the mobile payment company used by many small businesses to process credit card transactions, is looking to help out small businesses in an entirely new way. The San Francisco company has launched Square Capital, which will advance cash to small businesses who need it. There’s a catch, however. Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You As reported by Mashable, the new Square Capital service won’t be taking applications for cash advances....

An Illinois man was killed and about 100 people were hurt when high winds caused a deadly tent collapse outside a St. Louis sports bar, the Associated Press reports. The tent collapse happened as a fast-moving storm rolled in Saturday, after a St. Louis Cardinals game at nearby Busch Stadium. Winds exceeded 70 mph, a spokesman for St. Louis’ mayor said. City officials approved the bar’s tent permit, and the tent passed a city inspection that requires tents to withstand 90-mph winds, the AP reports....

The critical DC same sex marriage bill was approved by members of the the DC City Council on Tuesday. The New York Times reports that the bill which would allow gay marriage south of the Mason-Dixon line, passed with an 11-2 vote. It is important to realize that this bill still faces some major hurdles. As we wrote about in Law and Daily Life, Congress does have the power to block such legislation....

While drunk driving arrests are all too common, each DUI case is unique, meaning the possible penalties you could face when charged with drunk driving will vary depending on the specifics of your case. There are, however, some general rules that prosecutors and courts follow when charging, plea bargaining, and punishing DUI offenses. Here’s a look at some of the most common questions regarding DUI penalties, and the most common punishments for DUI convictions....

Most employers know about the various protected classes such as race, national origin, religion, gender, disability, medical condition, and sexual orientation. However, many employers are unaware of the fact that a person’s genetic information is also protected. Under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), employers are limited in what genetic information they can collect, and are prohibited from using that information in hiring, firing, or other employment decisions. Generally, genetic information includes things like DNA and other medical tests, and even medical histories for individuals and their family members....

You’ve probably read about kids suing companies. In more recent years, you’ve probably also seen stories about kids suing their bullies. But did you know that these kids, who are all under the age of 18, have not actually filed the lawsuits themselves? They can’t. Federal and state laws generally don’t permit minors to file lawsuits. This is because minors often don’t have the capacity to contract, hire an attorney or sign court documents....

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that President Trump blocking Twitter users from accessing his @realDonaldTrump account violates their First Amendment rights. Interestingly, the judge declined to order Trump to unblock those users, instead issuing this veiled warning: Well, we all know the old adage about what happens when you assume. And we’re pretty well familiar with Donald Trump’s response to people who try to tell him what to do....

For people from foreign countries who want to stay in the United States or become a citizen, you may be wondering if you need an immigration lawyer and how you know whether a specific lawyer is right for you. Although it’s not required that you hire an immigration attorney when filing for citizenship or a green card, an experienced lawyer can help clarify laws to make sure that all your paperwork is filled out and filed correctly....

Having a baby can be scary. Your whole life changes. You’re going to be responsible for another human being who will be completely dependent on you. Having a baby as an unmarried mother can be even scarier. But fear not, there are rules and laws that protect your rights and your baby’s rights. Here are five rights unmarried mothers should know about: 1. Medical Decisions Healthcare decisions, generally, are an individual right....

While law enforcement officers are more diligent than ever about collecting forensic evidence in rape investigations, they often still lack the financial resources to ensure rape kits are tested in a timely fashion. According to some estimates, hundreds of thousands of untested kits remain in police and crime lab storage facilities nationwide. This means that justice for rape victims, if it is ever granted, is often delayed. One example is the 55,000 rape kits recently tested thanks to grants from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office....

The parents who pulled off the balloon boy hoax, Richard and Mayumi Heene were sentenced to jail time and must pay legal restitution. ABC News reports that Judge Stephen Schapanski sentenced Richard Heene to 90 days jail time and four years probation. He must serve 30 days in jail beginning January 11, 2010, and 60 days may be served at night, if he is working during the day. His wife, Mayumi Heene, was sentenced 20 days jailtime because the judge said she was “less involved” in the hoax....

The new $20 billion BP fund opened today, and many potential claimants are scrambling for information to get started. The new BP fund, which is being paid in addition to the $368 million already paid, is being managed by the new Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) headed up by Washington attorney Ken Feinberg. Feinberg is known for handling the 9/11 victims fund as well as setting the executive pay for companies bailed out by the government....

Rental relationships are hard. At first, you and your subtenant are friends. He’s nice, clean, pays rent on time. Then, something happens, and the relationship sours. The subtenant stops washing the dishes, trashes the house, and refuses to pay rent! Can you evict him? Can your landlord evict him? Definitions Before we get started, let’s get some definitions out of the way. Landlord – This refers to your landlord. While technically, you are the subtenant’s landlord, we’ll keep it simple and give you a different name....

Unfortunately, the legal world is somewhat devoid of any concrete rules about the intersection of social media and the law. It’s a relatively new field and most defendants simply don’t want to risk trial. This is a problem for the business world, as the prevalence of social media can give rise to employer liability when an employee breaks the law or causes an uncomfortable working environment. It’s therefore a good idea to create a social media policy–guidelines that spell out what employees can and can’t do–at work and at home and with company technology....

A scandal is brewing on the social networks and it raises an interesting legal question. The carmaker Tesla, brainchild of Elon Musk, is refusing to sell venture capitalist Stewart Alsop a car, claiming he was super rude. Can he do that? Before we address the question, let’s look at what happened here, according to Auto Guide. Woes of the Rich Last September, venture capitalist Stewart Alsop wrote an angry post on Medium directed at Elon Musk, complaining about a Tesla Model X unveiling event that started late, was boring, and did not seem designed to impress customers, all of whom had already paid $5,000 for the new Model X, sight unseen....

Facebook executives apparently don’t “like” it when job interviewers ask for a job seeker’s Facebook password. The social-networking giant is now threatening to sue employers who do so. “We’ll take action to protect the privacy and security of our users, whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action,” Facebook’s chief privacy officer announced in a statement Friday, according to UPI. Sharing a Facebook password, or asking for someone else’s password, violates Facebook’s user agreement....