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George Desdunes was a Cornell University student until tragedy struck. Now, his mother is suing the national Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity for George Desdunes’ death, allegedly the result of a hazing ritual gone awry. The wrongful death suit was filed by Desdunes’ mother. She is seeking $25 million from the fraternity, reports The Daily Mail. Desdunes, 19, was “kidnapped” by fellow pledges during the hazing ritual. Fraternity members had then tied him up and quizzed him on the fraternity, forcing him to drink alcohol until he was unconscious....

You’ve decided to close your business, for better or for worse. Maybe you’ve hit your goal, and are now tying up loose ends. Or maybe your great idea didn’t go so great, and it’s time to cut your losses and move on. The first and most important thing to do is to determine your state’s laws regarding going out of business sales. They are usually managed by the state’s attorney general (AG) office....

Stories of local Zika transmission in Florida came as disheartening news, especially for those who are pregnant or thinking about having children in the near future. While many people infected by Zika won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms like a fever or rash, the effects can be catastrophic for pregnant mothers. Passed from mother to child, Zika can cause microcephaly and other birth defects. Given the dangers Zika poses to unborn children, it’s bound to have an effect on all aspects of pregnancy and fertility, including egg donation and surrogacy contracts....

It’s hard enough being unemployed, but the thought of having to file taxes when you have no income seems downright cruel. But sadly, being unemployed isn’t necessarily a free pass to avoid filing your taxes. Don’t act too surprised. There are reasons the IRS isn’t a very popular government agency. Even if you didn’t have a job in last year, it’s a good idea to file taxes despite the emotional sting....

Most entrepreneurs dream of getting their small business off the ground, and growing it into a self-sustainable enterprise. Other employees will take over the day-to-day operations and sales while you think big picture. They’ll rise through the ranks, hire their own employees, and you’ll be further removed from much of the work and the grind, but still sharing in the success and the profits. Multi-level marketing puts a slightly different twist on that idea....

When writing about broad legal topics for these blogs, we often bring up specific examples to explain the law. For instance, we used Bill Cosby’s wife to talk about when spouses can be forced to testify. Of course, Camille Cosby and her husband are public figures, so that comes with the territory, so to speak. Not everyone whose case we write about is famous (yet), and we often get angry calls, emails, or tweets, when someone sees their name or legal case on our websites....

Many Americans consider their pets to be part of the extended family. Selecting a pet sitter for your furry loved-ones can be an arduous process. You might want to know more about a pet sitter’s experience and qualifications. But, have you ever thought about asking if the pet sitter has insurance? Responsible pet sitters will often have written proof that they have commercial liability insurance. What exactly is liability insurance - and why is that important when you’re hiring a pet sitter?...

Stanley Kirk had stopped at a local Walmart to buy some golf equipment when the tornado sirens went off in Joplin, Mo., in May 2011. Kirk, 62, died from injuries he sustained at the Walmart during that tornado. His surviving wife and daughter have filed a wrongful death suit against the retail giant for its part in his death. The suit claims that the store wasn’t properly constructed and that employees directed Kirk and other customers to unsafe areas in the store....

Kenneth Starr has pleaded guilty to fraud charges in New York. No, not the the special prosecutor who handled the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. This Kenneth Starr was a financial adviser running yet another Ponzi scheme. Fun fact: “Ponzi scheme” is named after Charles Ponzi, who carried out a unique form of investment fraud in 1919-1920. A Ponzi scheme is a scam in which belief in the success of a fictitious enterprise is created by the payment of significant, fast investment returns to the early investors, using money invested by later investors....

Lower Merion School District thought that it had put the school spying case to rest, spending $1.6 million last year in litigation and settlement after news broke that it had secretly captured over 65,000 images of students via remotely accessed webcams. Unfortunately, it appears as though the Pennsylvania school will be shelling out a bit more cash, as the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that a 2009 Harriton High graduate is suing the district after learning that it had captured nearly 8,000 images on his school-issued laptop....

Ray Towler, a wrongly convicted Cleveland man recently released from prison, has enjoyed some of the perks of his new found freedom but has not experienced any financial relief. He has he not yet received any of the $1.4 million owed to him. But lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require the state to pay wrongly imprisoned people, including Ray Towler, 50 percent of their mandated compensation within 60 days of their release from prison, the Columbus Dispatch reports....

Kids for Cash. It’s a startling case of the worst kind of judicial corruption – a story that sounds more fitting for a movie script than for reality. A Pennsylvania judge is facing up to 20 years after pleading guilty to a racketeering and conspiracy charge. Michael Conahan admitted to participating in a kickback operation that put juvenile defendants in prison for minor offenses. Prosecutors allege that Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr....

Food trucks are all the rage these days, allowing both entrepreneurs and established restaurant owners to take their culinary shows on the road. But with the rewards come unique risks. As shown by Tuesday’s explosion of a Philadelphia food truck, even a truck-sized food business can present potential legal liabilities. If you’re thinking about getting behind the wheel of a food truck, what should you be aware of? Here are three potential legal issues to keep in mind:...

Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed the bill overhauling the student loan industry into law. This law will make major changes in student loan programs, most notably, cutting out banks as middlemen and making the education loans a direct government to student transaction. The changes in this law are expected to save taxpayers about $68 billion dollars over the next ten years. The law will make changes not only in how the loans are granted, but how they are repaid....

Tax day is creeping up fast. Do you have your tax return ready? For self-employed or small business owners, you might not have to file your taxes in April, depending on when your year end lands. But if you are running a sole proprietorship, you might want to get cracking. Unless, that is, you opt to file for an extension to file your tax return. If you aren’t ready to file, there’s no need to worry....

Rustic weddings have been all the rage this past decade, and throngs of people are looking to cash in on the fad, much to the dismay of neighbors who live out in the country for peace and solitude. City Slickers descend on farm communities for a One Night Only event, hoping to wear those designer cowboy boots that looked so cool in the SoHo boutique last year. Any neighbor could handle one or two raging weddings a year when they live in multiple-acre plots....

A Georgia teen is suing her former high school after a school administrator used her Facebook photo in a presentation on the dangers of social media. The now college freshman, 17-year-old Chelsea Chaney says she was “embarrassed” and “horrified” to learn that her alma mater was using a bikini-clad photo from her Facebook page to show students the risks of posting photos on Facebook, reports Atlanta’s WSB-TV. Chaney is requesting $2 million for her claims against the school district....

Most foster care arrangements are temporary: foster parents care for a child until the child is adopted, returned to his or her family, or reaches the age of 18. And although the relationship may be temporary, foster parents can have an enormous impact on a child’s life and well-being. Court and child placement decisions will almost always be made with the child’s best interests in mind, and the requirements of foster parents are based on those concerns....

We all want our children to be happy and healthy, but sadly some children are born with birth defects or birth injuries. And while some may be genetic or random chance, some birth defects can be caused by medication, the environment, or even a virus. Some birth injuries can be caused my the negligence of doctors, nurses, or other medical personnel. If a child’s birth defect or injury is the fault of another person or product, parents may consider suing the person or company responsible....

Yesterday, the Georgia Supreme Court handed down two cases that will have a strong impact on tort reform in the state. Whether or not the citizens of Georgia will like the result may depend on which side of the courtroom they are on now, or in the future. The first case the Court decided involves the increased burden of proof on plaintiffs in medical malpractice suits against ER doctors, the second, a penalty for plaintiffs in tort suits who refuse good faith settlement offers....