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You’ve been injured in a minor car accident. Do you know how to collect the damages you are entitled to by filing a car accident claim? For catastrophic and serious car accidents, the steps to collect may be simple: Just call a lawyer. However, for minor fender benders, getting the assistance of an attorney may not be practical. Most car accidents are minor, and result in short-term injuries, if any. But even for a minor car accident, you may still end up paying out of pocket for things like touch-up repairs for your car, co-pays for doctor’s visits and prescriptions, and even lost wages from missing a few hours of work....

We like to think that we don’t punish people for being ethical and honest. But it happens. That is one reason why whistleblower laws exist. They protect people who speak truth to power at great personal risk … and if you are ever tempted to fire one of your employees for calling attention to wrongdoing in your business, think again. Those “troublemaker” types not only do the right thing when they speak out about wrongs, they can sue you for firing them....

Two recent deaths of high school football players have shifted some parents’ focus from head injuries to abdominal injuries. From heat stroke to sickle cell trait to concussions and now the rupture of internal organs, the dangers of playing football seem to increase every day. But are abdominal injuries avoidable in high school football, or just the cost of playing the sport? High School Risk Taylor Haugen suffered a ruptured liver during a high school football game in Florida in 2008....

Pennsylvania’s attorney general is declining to fight an ACLU lawsuit that seeks to strike down the state’s gay marriage ban. Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Thursday that she “cannot ethically defend Pennsylvania’s version of DOMA,” referring to the federal Defense of Marriage Act that had defined marriage as between a man and a woman, Reuters reports. That part of DOMA was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in June....

Back in December, the Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back Obama-era net neutrality rules that prohibited internet service providers from charging internet users different prices based on the user, content, website, platform, application, or method of communication. But yesterday the Senate pushed back, voting 52-47 to reinstate net neutrality protections. The vote may be cosmetic – the House is unlikely to take similar action and the FCC could move ahead with its repeal anyway....

A lawsuit has yet to be filed, but the Steve Jobs turtleneck is now at the center of a bizarre fashion controversy. Knitwear Corp., manufacturer of the St. Croix line of men’s knitwear, is accused of lying about the turtleneck’s origin. Interviews with top executives imply that Steve Jobs wore St. Croix mock turtlenecks. A website promotion further insinuates this connection. Statements made by Jobs to his official biographer indicate that these assertions are anything but true....

As the old saying goes, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” And with more fun and games over the summer months comes more opportunity for injury. While we hope everyone stays safe this summer, some injuries are inevitable. So here is some of our best advice for avoiding and dealing with summertime injuries, from our archives: 1. Top 5 Summer Camp Injury Questions Kids off to camp? Make sure you know the ins and outs of injury liability for summer camps before your kids hit the bunkhouse....

Need tips on choosing a virtual office location? Long gone are the days when brick-and-mortar offices were the only options around. Virtual offices are increasingly popular because of their convenience and practicality factors. These days, many businesses (especially small businesses and startups) don’t really require an actual brick-and-mortar location. Unless you run a business that requires constant in-person client or customer contact, a virtual office may be the perfect fit for you....

As more and more states relax marijuana restrictions, more and more of your employees may be taking part. And while some small business owners might think of cannabis like a cocktail and not give a second thought to their staff sparking up after work or even during a business lunch, many more are worried about weed invading the workplace. So where can employers draw the line between pot-friendly state laws and office policies?...

Michigan lawmakers passed a controversial bill on Wednesday that will ban insurance plans in the state from covering abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger. The law, dubbed “rape insurance” legislation, will require residents who want health insurance coverage for abortions to purchase an extra policy, even in cases of rape and incest. Because of the way the legislation was introduced, it is set to become law despite the objections of both the state’s Democratic minority and the veto of the Republican governor....

What is Obamacare, legally speaking? With open enrollment set to begin October 1, Obamacare is going to be a big part of the nation’s health care landscape for the foreseeable future, so it just makes good sense to know what it entails. Obamacare, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was a bill that was signed into law in 2010. It affects individuals, most businesses, and health insurance companies....

A jury in Alameda County, California, has awarded a verdict of $15 million dollars in a wrongful death suit against Enterprise Rent a Car. The plaintiffs were the parents of sisters Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, who were killed when their car crossed the Highway 101 median, hit a truck and burst into flames in 2004. Their parents claimed the negligence of Enterprise, who rented a recalled car to their children, was the cause of the crash and death of the two women....

Gay marriage is now legal in New Mexico’s most populous county, after a state court ruled Monday that denying the right to marry is unconstitutional. Bernalillo County, where the city of Albuquerque is located, joins Santa Fe and Doña Ana counties as the third jurisdiction in New Mexico to offer gay marriage licenses. The court’s ruling has set the stage for expanding gay and lesbian rights statewide, reports Reuters. Will New Mexico soon be the 14th state to legalize gay marriage?...

Are you really in business if you’re not online? While some small business websites are extensions of a brick and mortar shop, others represent a company’s entire occupation. And all are catering to a connected customer base. Whatever your Internet presence, navigating online advertising, sales, social media, and cybersecurity can be a daunting task for any small business owner. Here are a few legal tips to help your online business:...

Although some have suggested that the ongoing recession may result in a rise in the divorce rate, results from a FindLaw survey may indicate that the recession is actually delaying many Americans’ major life events such as marriage, having children, and yes, even divorce. FindLaw’s survey indicated that due to their concerns over the economy: One in ten Americans are postponing marriage One in ten Americans are delaying having children Six percent of Americans considering adopting children are holding off Four percent of Americans are delaying divorce The survey also suggested that economy’s effect is felt in particular by younger people as almost “40 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 are delaying marriage, divorce or having children....

Voter ID laws have been around for quite a while, but they’re back in the news as we near the mid-term elections. Voter ID laws can vary from state to state, and the Justice Department and some courts have rejected new voter ID laws, which require government-issued photo identification at the polls. So why do we have voter ID laws, and why are some of them legal and some not?...

The morning of Monday, October 2, 2017, Windfern High School Principal Martha Strother witnessed senior student India Landry sitting during the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance over the school’s intercom. Landry had allegedly been sitting through the pledge since her freshman year, “around 200 times in class through six or more teachers without incident.” But Principal Strother’s response on this occasion was curt and definitive: “Well you’re kicked outta here....

In South Carolina, the Confederate flag remains a hotly contested symbol of this nation’s past. But in one historically black neighborhood, it continues to be an integral part of the present. Residents of Summerville are currently embroiled in a year-long battle over Annie Chambers Caddell’s Confederate flag. The white woman moved to the neighborhood last year, angering residents with the flag’s display. Now her neighbors have built 8-foot high fences, and she’s erected a flagpole....

New EEOC guidelines have been released revising the definition of what constitutes a disability under the ADA. The guidelines, ordered by the ADA Amendments Act, significantly expand what counts as a disability for discrimination purposes. With these changes, you may now be a legally disabled employee. Up until now, courts have narrowly interpreted what meets the criteria of a disability under the ADA. They required a disabled employee to show that their medical condition significantly limited a major life activity....

We tend not to think of driveways as unsafe spaces. After all, our cars are generally already parked at home, or pulling in or backing out slowly (hopefully), so our driveways rarely feel like danger zones. But recent studies have shown that driveway accidents are sadly all-too-common, often targeting younger children and can be fatal. And in a tragic twist, the vast majority of children are injured with their parent or a close relative behind the wheel....