Ridesharing is all the rage these days. And if you’ve got a bunch of employees all stuck in traffic commuting to work, why not get them all in the same car? Employers are not only recognizing the environmental benefits of carpooling, but the positive effects on office relationships from staff sharing their commute. And technology is making ridesharing that much easier. But does that mean it’s a good idea for your company?...
So you’re starting your own brewery. You have a vision, you have the passion, and your beer is going to blow people’s freakin’ minds! But you need to get your legal ducks in a row or your beer dreams might amount to nothing more than suds. Don’t let your brewery plans go flat, check out these five steps for keeping your lagers (or ales, pilsners, etc.) legal: 1. Choose the Right Business Type....
You may think that after ending a business, paying off creditors, and shuttering your windows, that you are finally free from any obligations that stem from the business. However, there are some issues you still need to think about. Lawsuits after a business dissolution are one of them. Here are some tips to handle any that may come your way. Please keep in mind that these are just tips. If you have an actual legal question, please consult an attorney....
Your small business is expanding. And not just down the block – you’re eyeing overseas customers via online sales. Growing your customer base is always a good idea, but advertising, selling, and shipping to multiple international jurisdictions can carry its own legal complications. Do these foreign countries have different advertising laws? How are you and your customers taxed? And how much is it going to cost to get your products to your new customers?...
Next to the dance floor and bar, one of the usual favorite places for party people to hang out is the balcony. This past Saturday, at just after 11:00 p.m., 31 party goers at an off-campus party at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut fell victim to a double balcony collapse. NBC News reports that a third floor balcony collapsed, landing on the second-floor balcony, which then also collapsed onto the first floor....
Truck accident injuries are more common than you might think, with 104,000 people injured in truck crashes in 2012, according to the latest report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s an 18 percent increase in the number of injuries compared to 2011, when 88,000 people were hurt in truck crashes, according to NHTSA. Truck accident fatalities also increased by 4 percent, from 3,781 in 2011 to 3,921 in 2012, the latest year for which data were available....
Last year, amid a flurry of legal action and confusion, educators, parents, and students around the country requested guidance from the Department of Education on bathroom policies for transgender students. The Obama administration issued that guidance in May, asserting that public schools receiving federal funds must treat students according to their gender identity (not necessarily their sex), and failure to do so would amount to sex discrimination in violation of Title IX....
Surge pricing, while not customers’ favorite, isn’t illegal in and of itself. But there are plenty of other pricing practices that will get a small business in trouble with the law. Here are a few. Dynamic Pricing Dynamic pricing, which like surge pricing can fluctuate based on demand, is likewise not per se illegal. But price discrimination can cross the line if it’s based on impermissible factors like race, gender, religion, or nationality, or if it violates federal antitrust statutes by injuring a consumer’s ability to compete for fair prices....
Around 40 plaintiffs have sued the Lewis & Clark County detention center for unlawful strip searches under the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution. At the heart of the claim is not only the way the searches were conducted, but on whom. Many of these plaintiffs claim that these searches were not based on reasonable suspicion. There are two basic types of strip searches. One is called a security strip search, and it is done in institutions to ensure safety....
Wildfires are currently burning over 40,000 acres in California, and that’s just from three current fires in southern and central parts of the state. The Clayton fire in Clear Lake and the Chimney Fire in San Luis Obispo County have also claimed 220 structures, many of them homes. Some insurance policies cover natural disasters, but many do not. And not every insurance settlement covers the cost of losing a home or other damage....
Believe it or not, there was a time when a driver’s license was nothing more than a piece of paper with an actual paper photo glued on that got laminated. No magnetic strips, barcodes, holograms, or fancy security features. After the 9/11 attacks, the federal government passed the REAL ID Act, which required state IDs such as driver’s licenses, to comply with new security measures to protect against counterfeit forms of identification....
Virginia is for lovers. But it’s also for students, parents, thrillseekers, risk-takers, and entrepreneurs. No matter which one of those hats you decide to wear in the Commonwealth of Virginia, you’ll need to know the laws of the realm. While in the Old Dominion, be sure to know these 10 laws: DUI threshold. Driving while intoxicated in Virginia is illegal, as you might expect. What you might not know is that the legal limit for commercial drivers is ....
Trick-or-treating, haunted houses, scary costumes, and ghoulish decorations – there’s always a little danger to Halloween. That’s what makes the holiday fun. What doesn’t make it fun is actual danger, coming from our costumes themselves. Hopefully you’ve got your costume all picked out, and, hopefully, you won’t find it on our list of the most dangerous Halloween costumes: Stay scary, and safe, this Halloween. And if you do get injured, talk to an experienced injury attorney near you....
Everyone wants to pay lower taxes, and giving to charity is an easy way to make it happen. Not only do you feel good about giving, you feel good again come tax time. It’s no secret that charitable giving is a way to get tax deductions, but most people don’t capitalize on it. To make itemized deductions through charity worth it, they need to add up to more than your standard deduction....
You have a lot to do – you’re the boss. Your business demands a lot from you. For that reason, you rely on others to comb through resumes and vet candidates for positions. But picking a person who will fit in at your company, truly, and produce the quality of work you demand, requires your involvement. According to a Gallup poll discussed in Fortune, companies choose the wrong person for a job more than 80 percent of the time they hire....
Whenever there is a large scale disaster, there will be con artists, or just plan scammers, that will try to take advantage. The BP oil spill is no exception. Scammers are trying to take advantage of the desperation of unemployed workers and the desire to help out in the Gulf. The Federal Trade Commission is warning that there have been several scams related to the disaster in the Gulf. The most recent trend has been fake job ads posted in print and online that can result in fraud or identity theft....
Cities all across the country are putting pressure on various parts of the e-cigarette industry, in an attempt to dampen what is being called a “teenage vaping epidemic.” For years, the federal government had been fighting traditional cigarette manufacturers, trying to eliminate sales and marketing to those under 18. But the e-cig movement blindsided officials, and though three steps behind, cities are ready to take on the fight to save youth from Nicotine Addiction 2....
School’s! Out! For! Summer! This means days at the beach or the mall with friends. This means no more reading, memorizing, or studying. But, wait! What about summer school? Most states have truancy laws that make school attendance mandatory, except for excused absences, during the school year. Failure to attend school for a certain amount of days can result in criminal charges and punishment for both parents and students. Do these truancy laws also apply to summer school?...
September 22 is National Voter Registration Day, an effort to make sure everyone who would like to vote gets properly registered. At the same time, a theme of not-so-properly registered voters taking part in elections has emerged over the past ten years. Many states have been enacting strict voter ID laws to combat voter fraud. But is voter fraud really that big of a problem? And do these laws actually do anything to curtail voter fraud?...
Hosting a giant (or patriotic, as the case may be) Super Bowl party comes with more than just colossal clean-up duties. It may also make you personally liable for drunk party guests’ actions – even after they leave your house. That’s because throwing a party and serving alcohol makes you a social host in the eyes of the law. Under general legal principles, a social host has an obligation to the public to serve alcohol to guests in a safe and responsible manner....
