The IRS tax audit notice. Is there anything more feared and dreaded for both individuals and small business owners alike? You filed your return, paid any taxes you owed, and breathed a sigh of relief. But, wait! You’ve just received an audit notice in the mail. (Note: The IRS will never call you. If you got a call, it’s probably a scam.) What should you do next? Here are a few options to consider:...
You can sue your doctor if you become addicted to opiates – commonly known as pain killers. But only if your doctor was negligent in prescribing the pills. Physicians owe their patients a certain standard of care. If they fall below it and patients are harmed, doctors are liable. This applies to prescriptions, just like any other aspect of treatment. Medicine is not a perfect or precise science, however, and not everything that goes wrong is due to negligence....
This Sunday is Grandparents Day. And while we should be celebrating our elder family members every day, it is a nice reminder of how much they mean to us. It can also be a reminder of how grandparents face some unique situations, legally speaking. The law often treats grandparents differently from parents, and differently than senior citizens without children or grandchildren. So here are five laws grandparents should be familiar with and consider in their relationships with their grandchildren....
Las Vegas police killed one chimpanzee and captured another after the animals escaped from a home in a residential neighborhood. The chimps’ caretakers could face legal consequences. The animals likely escaped from a home where a domestic dispute was reported Thursday morning, police told the Las Vegas Sun. About the same time, someone called 911 to report a pair of chimpanzees on the loose nearby. No humans were hurt. Witnesses say the chimps appeared fearful and in distress before police took them down....
A basketball coach in Jackson, Mississippi has been sued for using corporal punishment on his student athletes. Coach Marlon Dorsey has been disciplined, according to the school, for hitting students with a weightlifting belt when they failed to run basketball plays properly. Coach Dorsey has admitted to hitting the students and some of the punishment even took place while players parents were present. So why hasn’t the coach been fired?...
The tables were turned at a new International House of Pancakes in Mississippi this weekend when a sinkhole in the restaurant parking lot swallowed 14 or more cars. The restaurant just opened, NBC News reported. The earth opening up and swallowing stuff sounds like a nightmare. But obviously sinkholes do happen in waking life. And when they do, victims may have recourse with a lawsuit. In the case of the new IHOP in Meridian, Mississippi it seems very likely indeed that legal action is in the offing....
Temporary protected status (TPS) is a designation given to certain countries undergoing temporary moments of crisis which would prevent that country’s nationals from returning safely. For immigration purposes, nationals of countries who are granted TPS may apply for authorization to work and travel within the United States – even those who are undocumented. What countries have been designated for TPS, and what does that entitle their nationals to do? As of July 2014, the following countries had been designated TPS:...
What’s going on with Utah and same-sex marriage? It’s been a tumultuous couple of days since a federal judge ruled that Utah’s anti-gay marriage laws were unconstitutional, but many Utah gay couples are still being blocked from legal marriage. In Utah County, officials on Monday turned away same-sex couples attempting to get marriage licenses, citing the “need for legal clarification from the county attorney,” reports The Salt Lake Tribune. With some counties refusing to issue licenses, what legal challenges lie ahead for same-sex marriage in Utah?...
Do you speak legalese? No, it’s not a foreign language (though it may seem foreign at times). Rather, legalese describes the specialized language of the legal profession – i.e., words only lawyers would use. Acceleration clause. An acceleration clause is a clause in a loan agreement accelerating the date by which payment in full is due under certain circumstances. For example, an acceleration clause in a mortgage agreement can be triggered – meaning payment of the remaining balance of the loan will be due – if the home is sold, title to the property is changed, the loan is refinanced, or if the borrower defaults on the loan....
An Ohio gay couple will be recognized as legal spouses on a death certificate, after a federal judge’s ruling questioned Ohio’s laws against recognizing out-of-state gay marriages. James Obergefell and his ailing partner John Arthur, both 47, of Cincinnati, had pleaded their case against Ohio’s marriage law in federal court, asking to list Obergefell as Arthur’s spouse on his death certificate so that they can be buried together, reports The Associated Press....
In the face of a lawsuit by a woman who was allegedly raped by her sex offender date, Match.com has vehemently defended its policy of not screening members against the national sex offender registry. The dating site has now changed its tune, announcing Sunday night that it will begin screening Match.com members. The catch? They cannot and will not guarantee members’ safety. As a quick recap, the Match.com lawsuit stems from an incident wherein a woman, on her second date with a man she met on the site, was allegedly raped....
As discussed in a prior post, this past December, gay teen Constance McMillen had requested of Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi that she be allowed to bring her girlfriend as a date to the school prom and wear a tux. This month, the school (and fashion police) responded to both requests by canceling the prom. This week, McMillen and the ACLU were in U.S. District Court claiming the teen’s free speech rights were violated by the school’s move to cancel the dance....
A California gay marriage lawsuit that claims that the United States Constitution prevents states from placing a limitation on marriage to be between a woman and a man is creating a great divide amongst gay rights activists. The Prop 8 lawsuit claims that California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman in the California Constitution, is unconstitutional. Time reports that while some gay rights activists are fully supportive of the Prop 8 lawsuit, others are worried that the lawsuit will ultimately harm the gay rights movement instead of helping it....
Can you get fired for refusing a flu shot? Many employees may be wondering this exact question. There’s a massive flu outbreak hitting many parts of the country hard, The Washington Post reports. You might be coughing and sneezing in your cubicle, or the guy next to you may be coughing and sneezing onto you. Sick of sick employees infecting their entire workforce, many employers are now taking proactive measures and requiring that employees receive a flu shot....
If you’ve ever been a renter, you’ve undoubtedly met a landlord who has attempted to saddle you with a host of rental fees. Between application fees, overnight guest fees, late fees, repair fees and cleaning fees, you might have ended up paying a lot more than you bargained for. To avoid a repeat, here are the top five rental fees that deserve a bit of your skepticism. Excessive application fees. Did you know that most states actually limit how much a landlord can charge to run a credit check on a prospective tenant?...
Spring Break on South Padre Island is supposed to be a good time. But when a party at “Coca-Cola Beach” got out of hand, it turned into a lawsuit. Derek Madrigal was attending the spring break party sponsored by Coca-Cola when he noticed a group of men being rude to a young woman. He stepped in and asked the men to stop, but when he did the group turned on him....
Do you allow your employees to telecommute for work? If so, there are a myriad of legal issues that may arise. In many cases, it’s just more practical, more convenient, and preferred by both the employee and the employer – especially if the job doesn’t involve clients coming into the office. But like any list of pros, there are some cons that accompany telecommuting as well. Here are five potential legal concerns to watch out for if you plan to allow telecommuting at your business:...
Job search tips can always come in handy, whether you’re desperately seeking employment or think you’re happy with your job. No matter who you are, there comes a time when you need to look for a job or help a friend or family member do the same. It’s not an easy process for anyone, especially in a tough job market. Before you dive right in, it helps to prepare yourself....
There are over 150,000 medical malpractice lawsuits filed annually. A recent survey of 4,000 doctors found that nearly half, or 47 percent, were named in such a lawsuit. So, obviously lots of doctors are getting sued. But some kinds of doctors get sued more than others, and surgeons are particularly susceptible. Here is a list of the top five types of doctors most likely to be subject to litigation, according to CBS News....
Accidents happen, but when the crash involves a truck, there can be significantly more damage. Not only can a civil lawsuit help cover your medical bills, but your insurance company may require that you try get the other party to pay before your benefits will kick in. If the other party resists, a lawsuit may be your only option. But suing a truck driver for causing an accident isn’t always the same, or as simple, as suing the driver of a car....
