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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been allowed to proceed in its lawsuit against Ford Motor Company for denying a disabled worker’s request to telecommute. The EEOC sued Ford on behalf of Jane Harris, a resale steel buyer at the company, for not reasonably accommodating her under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to Job Mouse. While the EEOC’s case was unsuccessful in a lower court, a federal appeals court is giving it another chance to litigate....

The Federal Communications Commission just voted, 3-2, to regulate Internet service providers like Comcast and Time Warner as “common carriers” under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. The vote caps off a period in which the FCC received an unheard-of 4 million comments to this proposal. There’s been a lot of misinformation going around about what Title II regulation means for businesses and consumers. Will your Internet bill go up?...

Bankruptcy is an economic safety net that can be a beneficial tool for an individual or a business that’s in debt. But, a panel of bankruptcy experts, claim that it’s often too expensive for small businesses to file for bankruptcy. Thus, these experts, which includes lawyers from all over the U.S., urged members of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee “to change the rules to give small businesses a better shot at survival by filing for Chapter 11 protection....

The makers of Cottonelle and Costco-brand “flushable” wipes are facing a federal lawsuit that seeks class-action status. Dr. Joseph Kurtz, a New York dentist, is spearheading the flushable wipes lawsuit effort, claiming the wipes caused major plumbing and clogging issues in his home, ABC News reports. But what’s the whole class action stink about? Kurtz claims the makers of Cottonelle and Costco-brand wipes should have known that the wipes’ “flushable” claims were false and misleading, ABC News reports....

Nothing says danger like a red flag. And that likely inspired the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to name its anti-fraud regulation which requires certain creditors and financial institutions with covered accounts to implement programs to identify, detect, and respond to warning signs–the “Red Flags” Rule. After initial delays, the date the Rule will begin to be enforced is now November 1st, 2009. The implementation of the Act comes at a time when consumers are growing wary of identification leaks and news stories of data breaches....

General Motors emerged from bankruptcy protection last week, a month after Chrysler emerged from its own bankruptcy as a new subsidiary of Italian automaker Fiat. Both companies used the bankruptcy process more or less as expected, seeking to shed liabilities and reinvent themselves as, they hope, more successful enterprises. But in the key area of product liability, the two companies took very different paths, with potentially very different outcomes for their customers....

General Motors has extended the deadline to file claims for injuries or deaths caused by faulty ignition switches in the carmaker’s vehicles. The deadline was extended from December 31, 2014 to January 31, 2015 by Kenneth Feinberg, the compensation program’s administrator, reports Reuters. Notice of the extension was mailed to 4.5 million current and former owners of vehicles eligible for the program. What led to the extension and what should owners of GM vehicles known about the compensation claim program?...

The controversial “stand your ground” law in Florida just entered perhaps its murkiest territory yet. Pinellas County State Attorney Bernie McCabe has charged Michael Drejka with manslaughter in the killing of the Markeis McGlockton. Drejka plans to use the stand your ground defense, available in 25 States, which allows people to use deadly force if they believe they are in imminent danger or death without having to retreat, flee, or resort to other methods of non-deadly defense first....

To get workers’ compensation for an injury, it must be work related. If you slip and fell at work or broke your leg while stocking the shelves, it’s easy to show that the injury was work related. But, how do you prove an injury is work related if it happened away from work, or if it’s not a physical injury, or if the injury developed over time? So, is your injury work-related?...

The various sectors of the economy are clamoring to find out… is the worst behind us? And small business is no exception. Having been particularly affected by the economic downturn– which limited financing opportunities and forced entrepreneurs to make difficult decisions regarding hiring, firing, and closing– U.S. small business has been looking to economic forecasts to determine whether to get ready for more rain or whether it’s okay to put the umbrella away....

The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2009 Legislation was recently introduced in Congress that would force insurers to pay for a minimum hospital stay for patients undergoing certain types of breast cancer treatment. If the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act already sounds familiar, it might be because such legislation has been lingering around in consideration and debate, in various forms, for over a decade. The proposed legislation is aimed at the issue of “drive-through” breast cancer surgeries, and how insurers sometimes try to limit coverage for such surgeries (even mastectomies, or the removal of breasts) to outpatient procedures....

Being in business was always your dream. Now you are doing it and it’s hard. Are there things you can do to hang on to some of that money you labored to earn when tax season comes? Yes, there are. Let’s take a look at five legal loopholes suggested by Incredibly, a small business capital management site. These tips will help you make the most of the money you do make, and give you an idea of options to talk about with a lawyer....

Though they’ve been visiting New Jersey’s Rosehill Cemetery for over 20 years, sisters Evelyn and Hortense Edwards have only recently learned that their mother is not buried in her supposed resting place. The two Queens women have now filed a federal suit against the Cemetery, claiming breach of contract and asking for $25 million. They also want Rosehill to determine the exact location of their mother. In 1990, Evelyn and Hortense Edwards purchased a plot from Rosehill Cemetery where they were to be buried next to their mother, reports the Daily News....

New York City and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced a pilot program that would look into the possible PCB contamination in building materials in public schools citywide. The New York Times reports that there might be PCB contamination in the caulking around doors and windows of some city schools. Caulk is a flexible material used to seal gaps to make windows, door frames, masonry and joints in buildings and other structures watertight or airtight....

New York University’s (NYU) discrimination lawsuit has settled with a $210,000 payout to the plaintiff, an African man whose boss constantly harassed and demeaned him. An institute of higher education, NYU’s lawsuit illustrates that discrimination persists even at prestigious universities. The African plaintiff, Osei Agyemang, was an employee at the university. He worked at NYU’s Bobst Library, where his supervisor continually hurled verbal insults his way. He was called names, including “monkey” and “gorilla....

When it comes to accommodating breastfeeding employees, businesses small and large can benefit from having a written policy. Under federal law, employers with 50 or more employees are required to accommodate employees that need to breastfeed during the 12 month period after giving birth, so long as the accommodation does not create an undue hardship on the employer. Furthermore, if your state’s laws provide more protection for nursing mothers, or apply to smaller employers, then state law will apply over the federal laws....

Under new orders by general in charge of U.S. troops northern Iraq, pregnancy is now among the list of reasons a soldier under his command could face military court martial. CNN reports, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo outlined a new policy released by the Army that would apply to both US female soldiers in Iraq who become pregnant on the battlefield and the male soldiers in Iraq who impregnate them. This directive is part of a larger order restricting the behavior of the 22,000 soldiers in Iraq....

Questions on experience and familiarity with small business challenges are useful in assessing whether an idea is a passing fad or a contemplated innovation. Queries about stages in the process give a clue as to the complexities of establishing a business structure, insuring a venture, and securing funding through loans and savings. Best of all is that this is not a pass or fail kind of quiz. In assessing your responses, the SBA suggests online training and tutorials to help you firm up your weak spots....

Seattle and California, birthplaces of the $15 an hour minimum wage and the app that lets you spend it, have been at the forefront of labor and tech innovation. And now the Emerald City and the Golden State may be creating another addition to modern employment law: a union for gig workers. West Coast legislation could give gig workers like Uber and Lyft drivers the ability to organize and form unions, as well as collectively bargain for pay and benefits....

Trampoline parks have gained popularity around the country. But they might be breeding trampoline injuries, reports the Chicago Tribune. Emergency records show 16 ambulance calls for trauma, including broken ankles, dislocated shoulders and head injuries, since a trampoline park opened last November in Carol Stream, Ill., reports the Tribune. And nationally, almost 100,000 people go to the ER per year after trampoline accidents, reports WGN-TV. Trampolines can provide fun and exercise....