It’s never a good idea to partner up with a colleague or family member based on a handshake and your word. Just ask the lawyers who get tasked with sorting out the mess after the partnership hits an iceberg and sinks. If you consult an attorney before entering a partnership or starting a business with one or more other people, the most important thing you’ll be told is to put the agreement in writing....
Loss of consortium is a personal injury claim that can lead to damages for loss of affection and normal marital relations. In some cases, loss of consortium can also apply to a relationship between parents and children. So when can a loss of consortium claim be made, and what will you have to prove in order to prevail in court? Here are some general guidelines: Who Can Sue? Loss of consortium is usually limited to the loss of love, sexual relations, and services of a spouse....
No matter what the circumstances leading up to a divorce, it’s common to wonder: Who gets what? And, especially, who gets the family car? While this seems like it would be a simple question, the answer could depend on a variety of factors, like who bought the car, when they bought it, and even what state you live in. Here’s a look at some state divorce laws, and how they might impact who gets the car after a divorce....
The State of Virginia may appeal an $8 million jury award in a wrongful-death lawsuit tied to the Virginia Tech massacre. The main issue: a state law that caps jury awards at $100,000. A jury Wednesday awarded $4 million each to the families of Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson, two Virginia Tech students who were among 33 shot and killed in the 2007 massacre, the Associated Press reports. Jurors found that officials at Virginia Tech, a state university, were negligent in not warning the campus that a gunman was on the loose....
When you suffer an injury at work or in an accident, you’re usually entitled to insurance benefits to cover the expenses related to treating your injuries. Unfortunately, collecting insurance benefits isn’t as easy as simply filing an insurance claim. After filing a claim, the insurance company will usually investigate the claim to make sure you qualify for insurance. This investigation can include anything from talking to you to having a doctor provided by the insurance company to examine you....
For an older worker hurt on the job, a potential workers’ compensation claim may have an added wrinkle: Medicare. Medicare is the federal health care program that provides medical benefits to those 65 or older, as well as some people younger than 65 who are on disability. Workers’ compensation, on the other hand, provides benefits to those who are injured on the job, including paying for medical treatment for work-related injuries....
A pair of young sisters was amazed when their nifty little invention – a microfiber cleaning cloth that sticks to the back of a smartphone or tablet – started picking up steam. Called HypeWipes, the cloths were a hit at trade shows and amongst a growing number of customers. But that luck soon changed for 14-year-old Sophia Forino, her sister Marissa, and the girls’ father Rocca Forino: A company which markets a product called Hype-Wipe filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Forinos claiming the girls’ invention infringes on the trademark for the Hype-Wipe, reports WVIT-TV....
What are the fastest growing small business industries? With the economy still a bit sluggish, it’s a question many entrepreneurs are contemplating. As a new report shows, small business owners with certain skill sets are finding themselves increasingly in demand as the nation begins to rebuild – literally – from the depths of the recession. So which industries are seeing the most growth? Sageworks Inc., a financial information company, recently compiled a list of small businesses (with annual sales below $5 million) that have grown at double-digit rates over the past 12 months....
You’re in business because you believe people can be convinced of things, for example to purchase your products or services. So when you are served with a lawsuit, you might want to do all kinds of things that will convince the plaintiff that you’re a decent human who would never cause anyone harm. Don’t do that. There is no single approach that works for all lawsuits. But there are definitely some things you don’t want to do when your business is sued....
A great restaurant can get your meal just right. And yet, a million things could go wrong. We’re not saying that restaurants are inherently dangerous places, but injuries can happen everywhere and they can happen with great variety in restaurants. Here are five common injuries sustained in restaurants and whether you can sue for them: Obviously, restaurant liability often centers on the food. And food poisoning and food contamination lawsuits are too numerous to count....
The Trump administration has certainly been aggressive in its immigration policies, but those policies haven’t fared so well in federal court. After a few circuit courts ruled against a few different version’s Trump’s proposed travel ban, the executive order barring entry from citizens of several Muslim-majority countries is now before the Supreme Court. And that could be the destination for Trump’s attempted roll back of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that protects individuals brought to the United States as children from deportation....
You may be able to marry without your parents’ permission but that depends on: 1) how old you are, and 2) where you live. State marriage laws vary. Sixteen is commonly an age that marriage is allowed without parental consent. But you really will have to look up the laws in your state to answer the question yourself. In addition to age, there are other factors that may influence your ability to marry very young and without parental permission in some states, such as pregnancy....
The law recognizes that death is sacred and that it is not to be treated lightly. Society reserves death as the most severe punishment for its worst criminal law offenders and it recognizes that neglect in the context of death is particularly egregious. Funeral home negligence does happen and you can sue when a mortuary mishandles a corpse. What Is Mortuary Negligence? A mortuary or funeral home has a duty to care for bodies entrusted to the business....
So, you stayed out later than planned, had a few too many margaritas, and got arrested for having a loud, one-man dance party in the streets of your quiet neighborhood at 3 a.m. Or maybe you refused to stop shouting angry insults at every person entering the local grocery store. Whatever your disorderly conduct charge was for, you’re probably wondering if you can get the charges dropped. It’s always possible, but the probability of success depends on a number of factors....
You always heard restaurants carried a really high risk of failure, right? So why would restaurant loans have such a low default rate? Why would government guaranteed loans to restaurants look so safe to risk-averse banks? In the past decade, 34,138 government guaranteed loans have gone to full-service restaurants. More than any other industry. The limited-service restaurant industry–drive-ins, take-outs and fast-food–came in second, reports The Wall Street Journal. The borrowed bucks run big, too....
Breastfeeding mothers will unite on August 4, 2012 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Mother of two Rachel Papantonakis is organizing what will either be dubbed “The Great Nurse-in” or “The Million-Boob March.” The event will focus on shedding more awareness on public breastfeeding laws. It will also take place during World Breastfeeding Week, which this year falls on August 1-7. Papantonakis told The Washington Post that she has never been pressured not to breastfeed in public....
A sham marriage is a union that was entered into fraudulently for the purposes of obtaining immigration benefits. If you get married because you want to become an American, and that is the basis for the marriage rather than a love story, your marriage is a sham. Not every person who marries a US citizen can obtain a green card and citizenship ultimately. Those who marry for the benefit exclusively will be denied if their fraud is suspected and uncovered....
Spring is almost here and that is very exciting indeed. No doubt we’re all ready for a little warm weather and more light. But spring brings more than a new season. It’s also tax time. This is a time of year when you should be looking for ways to pay the least possible while following the rules. To do this, we seek credits on all different kids of taxes based on who we are and what we do....
With Mother’s Day around the corner, we here at FindLaw would like to congratulate new moms on their new bundles of joy, and give them a special gift that should come in handy for the next 18 years: a few legal considerations. We know, with everything else new moms have to deal with, legal issues regarding their newborns are probably the last thing on their minds. But it’s always good to be prepared....
A single-engine experimental plane crashed into a Florida grocery store after takeoff on Monday. The plane collided into a Publix supermarket and sent a ball of fire through the store. A shopper in the store estimated there were about 100 people inside at the time of the crash, MSNBC reports. By the time emergency crews arrived, smoke was billowing from the grocery chain. Three shoppers along with the plane’s pilot and passenger suffered burn injuries and were sent to the hospital....
