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Suing the military is no easy feat. Alas, under the doctrine of sovereign immunity, you typically can’t sue the federal government without its permission. However, the passage of certain laws has reduced this broad governmental immunity. Here’s an introduction to three notable laws – the Federal Tort Claims Act, Military Claims Act, and Military Personnel and Civilian Employees’ Claims Act – that may allow you to sue the military: Federal Tort Claims Act The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) is a federal law that waives the sovereign immunity of the federal government under certain circumstances....

First time DUI offenders in Illinois can now get back behind the wheel more quickly – as long as they use a breath alcohol ignition interlocking device. Like many states, Illinois has previously required ignition interlock devices for some repeat DUI offenders. Now, however, first time offenders can begin driving up to a year before they normally would by using the device. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, about 40,000 of the 50,000 DUI arrests each year are first offenders....

Online streaming is gaining in popularity, and for some, it’s replaced illegal (and legal) downloading altogether. The entertainment industry is undoubtedly annoyed, having tried so hard to kill Napster and BitTorrent sharing. But will it be able to do the same to online streaming? The answer to this question hinges on whether or not streaming songs – and streaming movies – is illegal for both the viewer and the poster. And as explained below, current law is a bit of a mixed bag....

Is your business thinking of accepting credit or debit cards for transactions? Consumer privacy is a very big issue these days. Credit card information, as well as other personal information, is rampantly available and the availability can cause consumers to fear for the safety of their credit history. Credit card identity theft is a very big problem for consumers as well as for businesses. Some businesses accept credit cards online via a system like Paypal or Google Checkout....

A year ago, few people outside the retail industry would even know what on-call scheduling is. Now, after a few high-profile lawsuits, big-name employers can’t run from the practice fast enough. The latest retailer to end on-call scheduling is J. Crew, after the Attorney General of New York announced this week that the company has agreed to “end on-call shifts nationwide and to provide one week of advance notice about schedules to employees....

A woman was crushed to death in what rescuers are calling a freak elevator accident in a New York City office tower. Two other women were taken to a hospital. The accident happened about 10 a.m. Wednesday in a 1920s building near Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan, the Associated Press reports. The victim apparently took one step into an elevator on the 25-story building’s first floor. That’s when the elevator, with its doors still open, unexpectedly shot up to the second floor, the AP reports....

Order in Spanish, get a free pizza. That’s the gist of Pizza Patron’s Spanish marketing ploy, which it has named “Pizza Por Favor.” On the evening of June 5, all patrons who order a pizza in Spanish will get a free pepperoni pie. The advertising campaign has been drawing criticism from all sides. Marcela Gomez, president of Hispanic Marketing Group, even thinks it’s discrimination. This blogger thinks she’s probably right....

Judging by the spike in the number of small business bankruptcies over the summer, it is clear that Main Street is looking for lifelines to stay afloat. The Small Business Administration (SBA) wants you to know that it is here to help. And in true Web 2.0 fashion, the SBA has introduced an online course to introduce small businesses to basics in small business finance, resources offered by the SBA, as well as loan guaranty programs it has developed....

Small business efficiency isn’t doing so hot, according to a recent survey conducted by OfficeMax. In the aggregate, the OfficeMax Small Business Efficiency Index claims “the nation’s 23 million small business owners lose more than 4 billion hours each year managing time-consuming – but crucial – business operations and administrative tasks.” Yes, that’s 4 billion (with a “b”) hours. Here’s a succinct summary of the survey’s other findings, and a look at what business owners can do to combat inefficiency:...

Sandwiched in between the monolithic shopping holidays of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday – a day for local and small businesses to really shine. And while your focus might have been on the day before, don’t forget to prepare for the day made for your small biz. So here are five legal tips to prepare for Small Business Saturday, and the biggest shopping weekend of the year....

After more than a decade of protracted litigation, Starbucks lost its trademark battle against Charbucks, a coffee produced by a small, family-owned New Hampshire roaster. The trademark case turned on Starbucks’ failure to prove that consumers are confused by the name Charbucks because of a “blurring” of its brand. A trademark is an identifying name, logo, phrase, or design that customers associate with a brand or product. The purpose of registering a mark is to make sure competitors don’t profit off your recognizable mark....

This seems unheard of: One of the nation’s largest insurers going above and beyond what they have to do. But that’s exactly what UnitedHealth Group announced they planned to do. It’s a rather timely announcement. The Affordable Care Act is under attack, and the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to rule on the validity of this law later this month. Currently, federal healthcare law requires insurers to provide certain protections to consumers....

In March, Utah followed in the footsteps of Arizona, enacting a strict new immigration law that requires criminal suspects to prove U.S. citizenship or legal residency when arrested. In response to the law, the ACLU, along with the National Immigration Law Center, has filed suit, arguing that the Utah immigration law violates the Supremacy Clause, prohibitions against unreasonable seizures, and equal protection. Under the new law, it’s mandatory that a person arrested for a felony or a Class A misdemeanor prove his citizenship by presenting a birth certificate or official immigration papers....

But court is one of those places where lying will get you into serious trouble. And even if you’re not appearing in court, filing false documents or claims with the court can be just as bad. As tempting as you might be to embellish or exaggerate your situation, especially in a divorce case, telling the truth in court, and in court documents, is the only way to go. Perjury We normally think of perjury as lying on the witness stand, but it can include signing any legal document you know to be false or misleading....

Being the victim of theft is an awful experience. On top of having something literally taken away, a victim can often be left feeling traumatized. Typically, when a person is robbed, or discovers something has been stolen from them, contacting the police is the first step. If you know the perpetrator, depending on the specific facts of the situation, you may not want to involve police. However, failing to involve the police will put you at a serious disadvantage when it comes to recovering your stolen money or property....

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) prevailed earlier this week in a lawsuit that pitted a religious employee against an employer that wouldn’t give him a reasonable accommodation. Well, it’s really more complicated than that. The employee claimed that the employer’s biometric hand-scanning system, used for time tracking, would brand him with the Biblical “Mark of the Beast.” He quit after neither he nor the employer could come to an agreement; later, he got the EEOC involved....

Sexts for legal favors? That appears to be the case in Wisconsin. The sexting D.A. that made headlines last week is staying in the spotlight after two more women have come forward to discuss the unwanted text message advances of Kenneth Kratz. When the initial allegations came forward, Kratz was not planning on resigning from his position, however that may all be changing now. The two other victims of the advances came forward after reading about the initial incident....

When it comes to protecting a company from economic espionage or data theft, business owners don’t need to hire James Bond for protection, nor Ian Flemming for ideas. Generally, just having the right policies and security measures in place is all a company can do without making significant sacrifices to the movement of information and exchange of ideas. However, when a company’s process or data is so confidential that disclosure to a competitor could cause disruption, significant sacrifices may actually be worthwhile to safeguard the information....

Every worker in the US knows that federal and state laws protect them from discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and unsafe working conditions. However, the laws that govern employment vary from state to state and are often rather nuanced. Generally, employees should know: If they are actual employees or independent contractors Whether local, state or federal minimum wage laws apply to them, and Whether they are an at-will employee In addition to the above, below you’ll find 7 common employment laws that everyone should know....

Like the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” For many business owners – especially retailers – the holidays are the busiest, and most important, time of the year. But even if your business doesn’t pick up during the holiday season, you’ll likely still have to handle many holiday-related issues, from employees taking time off to dealing with with icy sidewalks. What are some of the important legal issues that business owners should be aware during the holiday season?...