Earlier this month, an unmarked New York Police Department car collided with a bicyclist. The official police report said that the cyclist struck the side police officers’ car while the car was legally turning right and that the cyclist was uninjured in the accident. But newly released video of the accident, tracked down by the cyclist himself, shows that the cops weren’t telling the truth about the bike crash, and were probably at fault....
Pet sitting may sound like the “purr-fect” way to combine your love of animals with your need to make some scratch cash. But on the other paw, you may want to think about potential liability issues that can come back to bite you. For example, just because you’re not the pet’s owner doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t responsible if something goes wrong. And if you are the owner, pet sitting can still unleash some unwanted legal consequences....
Do you know what your employees are up to? If you don’t chances are someone else will, and you might face legal trouble because of it. A restaurant owner in Iowa is being fined, thanks to the toad loving antics of his chef. The Scott County Health Department officials also very much appreciated the fact that the chef’s actions violating the health code were captured on video, making their job that much easier....
2. Is Your Small Business Separate or Community Property? 3. 3 Ways to Protect Business Assets in Divorce It’s not just the small business itself that you need to worry about during a divorce. Keeping all the businesses assets (and debts) separate from your individual property is key to keeping a small biz up and running, even if your marriage is crashing and burning. 4. How to Make Your Small Business Divorce Proof Prenups, postnups, and other marital property agreements can carve the small business out of potential divorce proceedings....
You had those kids for a reason, right? You might be wondering when you can put those precious bundles of economic dependence to work earning their keep. If you run a family business, you can put your kids to work as soon as you think they’re able to add value. Before you offer them that job though, you should talk to your lawyer to see exactly how much you can get away with, as many legal employment requirements are state specific....
Summer camp is a great way for your children to socialize with others when school is out. Plus, camp gives your kids something productive to do with their time instead of causing trouble. While summer camp can get your kids out of your hair, you should also be aware that there are some injury risks with these camps. The range of potential injuries your child could encounter while at camp varies wildly....
President Obama has certified the repeal of the 17-year-old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, meaning that after September 20th, gays in the military will be allowed to serve openly. The move comes on the heels of two weeks of legal maneuvering, with the 9th Circuit ordering the federal government to explain why it should not permit a lower court’s order permanently repealing DADT to resume. Obama signed the document that made it official on Thursday, July 21, 2011....
The appearance of a “Dumb Starbucks” store in Los Angeles has drawn the ire of the real Starbucks corporation, demanding its “dumb” counterpart stop using its name. On Friday, “Dumb Starbucks Coffee” opened in a strip mall in L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood, serving “Dumb Frappuccinos” and “Wuppy Duppy Lattes.” The store is a pretty decent parody of the real Starbucks, but according to the Los Angeles Times, Starbucks corporate isn’t laughing....
With fall’s wet weather turning to winter snow and ice in many parts of the country, drivers are (hopefully) driving a bit more cautiously. After all, failing to match your driving habits to inclement weather conditions may place you at fault for an accident, potentially leading to liability for damages or injuries. Unsafe driving in wintry weather can also impact your ability to recover for your own damages. What are some of the worst winter driving habits that can come back to haunt you in the event of a car accident or injury lawsuit?...
When it comes to walking down the aisle, you’ll want to be prepared. While things like color schemes or music for your wedding ceremony may come to mind, there are also a few legal concerns you may want to consider before you get married. For those planning to pop the big question this Valentine’s Day, or for those whose weddings are already set, a legal “to-do” list can come in handy....
American Apparel is struggling hard. The company is facing three shareholder suits, a complaint from the NYSE and immigration issues. How did a once successful company come to such a sorry state of affairs? Only CEO Dov Charney and the leaders of American Apparel know for sure and even that assumption might be in doubt. Almost every area of American Apparel’s business is under attack. According to BusinessWeek, the company is attempting to bring itself under compliance with a New York Stock Exchange letter telling the company it faces being de-listed if it does not file its second-quarter results in a timely fashion....
As a small business owner, you wear many hats and shake a number of hands in an average day… you don’t have time to get duped by scams. And the state of California agrees. As the Central Valley Business Times reports, the state is suing 8 individuals and 6 businesses for orchestrating scams targeting small business owners. What did they do? Below are 3 of the company defendants named in the lawsuits....
As part of an overall increased awareness of the potential to be sued for personal injuries, many businesses and property owners are choosing to display warning signs for potentially dangerous conditions on a property or inside a building. But what happens if you are nevertheless injured by what a warning sign is actually warning you about, such as slipping on a wet floor where a “Caution: Wet Floor” sign was posted, or being bitten by a dog despite a posted “Beware of Dog” sign?...
Airbags are intended to save lives, but they can also cause injuries if they are defective or malfunctioning. Case in point: A Louisiana woman is suing Volkswagen after she claims the driver’s door and seat airbags deployed “without the vehicle making contact with anything.” According to The Louisiana Record, Caroline Harrington also claims that VW knew about problems with her car model’s airbags but failed to notify her of a recall....
A customer walks into a store and only sees merchandise. No cashier. No security cop. And about 30 cameras watching his or her every move, using behavioral data, to decide if that customer will buy, steal, or forego that candy bar. The artificial intelligence built into the cameras can predict if someone is going to steal something, based on behavioral data. According to Michael Suswal, the company’s co-founder and chief operating officer, “We learn behaviors of what it looks like to leave....
Responding to increased frequency of having to provide customer refunds after a merchant has gone out of business, credit card processors have been requiring some merchants to set aside a cash reserve. Some processors have gone so far as to hold back funds from approved transactions until the cash reserve requirement is met. With no shortage of reminders to watch the fine print in your credit card processing statement, here are 5 tips on credit card processing companies....
But it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And drones can cause very real injuries. So, what do you do if your drone injures someone, or you’re hurt by someone else’s toy? Will insurance cover those drone injuries, or will you be paying out of pocket? Some Renters or Homeowners Insurance Covers Drones While some insurance policies will cover the drone itself, you’re probably more worried about your liability for the injuries the drone could cause....
Google is rolling out a new search algorithm that will change how rankings are calculated. That means some pages will see a different in how well they rank in searches. The purpose of the change? To punish copyright infringers. This is good news for copyright holders since it makes infringement less profitable. But the lack of clear standards about what is infringement could also punish innocent businesses and individuals. Google receives copyright-takedown notices sent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act when a copyright holder alleges infringement....
The amendment was sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La) and Senator Olympia Snow (R-Maine) as a response to an earlier May 2009 ruling by the Government Accountability Office (GOA),which held that HUBZone companies had to be considered before other types of businesses when conducting set-aside procurement. Specifically, the Senate measure alters the language of Small Business Act 15 U.S.C. 657a(b)(2)(B) from “shall” to “may”. What’s next for the amendment to HUBZone law?...
Choking is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths, accounting for over 5,000 deaths in 2016. Unblocking an airway within minutes can be the difference between life, death, and extremely impaired quality of life. When choking occurs, time is of the essence, and it’s a natural human instinct to want to help. If choking occurs in a restaurant, must the staff help, and if it doesn’t, is the restaurant liable?...
