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The first lawsuit from the Colorado shooting has been filed by an uninjured man. Torrance Brown says he was at the “Dark Knight Rises” premiere when suspect James Holmes went on his shooting spree. Brown avoided injuries, but says that his best friend, A.J. Boik, was shot in the chest and was one of the 12 victims who died. Brown is suing the movie theater, the doctors of James Holmes, and the film studio that produced the movie, reports The Christian Post....

We’ve all heard of common law marriage–where the state deems two people married despite their never having had a marriage ceremony or filed a marriage license. The truth is that only fifteen states and the District of Columbia recognize common law marriages, some of which only recognize marriages created before a certain date. Capacity to marry. Both persons must be of age to marry, as well as mentally capable of consent....

In 2016, a Connecticut judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre against Remington, the manufacturer of the weapon used in the killings. But this week, the Connecticut Supreme Court revived part of the lawsuit, ruling that federal protections did not prevent the families from bringing a lawsuit based on wrongful marketing tactics, and claims based on a state law regarding unfair trade practices could move forward....

It has been over a month since the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program– popularized as Cash for Clunkers– ended, but dealers are apparently still recovering from all of the heavy car sales partying. According to some dealers, Cash for Clunkers wiped out their lot inventories, leaving bare pickings for the fall. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have reportedly seen a inventories at a 25-year low. However, even some hangovers have their silver (or emerald) linings....

The online gambling industry might be under attack. A 2006 law, which goes into effect in June, expands the authority of the Department of Justice to shut down online gambling operations. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) was passed with an intent to cut off monetary flow from American gamblers to online casinos. For online casinos and e-poker websites, this could pose a huge problem with 2.5 million American players and $30 billion in revenues from the United States....

A Colorado district attorney was recently arrested for exposing himself to his staff (as well as other inappropriate behavior). But the criminal charges are likely just the start of his legal woes. He and his ex-employer are likely to face a civil sexual harassment suit. The news of his deplorable treatment of his staff illustrate how such behavior is a recipe for harassment. Myrle Serra was a top prosecutor in his office until it was discovered that he was also using his position of power for sexual favors from some of his staff members....

A Virginia jury awarded a man $25 million last week in a suit he brought against Exxon alleging that the company’s practices had caused him unnecessary exposure to asbestos. The Exxon asbestos suit is just one in a line of thousands of lawsuits brought against employers every year. However, the case is particularly notable for two reasons. Not only was is it one of the largest verdicts in state history, but evidence presented at trial demonstrated just how much Exxon, and probably other employers, knew about asbestos in the 1930s....

When injured in a car accident, it’s common to feel bent out of shape. Your car might be a compressed chunk of metal. You might be sitting in the hospital or at home nursing some nasty injuries. And going to work, school, or about your daily routine? Yeah … so much for that. 1. Make a Timeline Cases are built on the facts. Your lawyer is going to want as many details as possible, and will press you for specifics, specifics, specifics....

Should you sell your product on QVC? How about on one of those “As Seen on TV” commercials? Or should you produce your own infomercial? If you’ve developed a unique product, chances are you’ve thought about selling it on TV. In fact, you’ve most likely considered infomercials, which are also known as Direct Response Television (DRTV). There’s a lot to consider before you sell on TV, including licensing rights and manufacturing....

Businesses often charge a fee for using credit cards, and although consumers may hate it, the practice is legal. The cost of making most transactions via credit card (interchange fees) can add up, and businesses can legally pass those costs on to the consumer via a credit card surcharge. But you need to be careful about how that fee is added. So how can your business legally charge customers for using credit cards?...

This is your busy season, a critical time of the year for your business. You are sending out products, and lots of them. You do your best to get everything out on time but are concerned about package woes. As Christmas approaches, you worry. Who pays if they are stolen? It depends on a few things, but chances are good that it will not be you held liable for package loss and package theft (unless delivery is your business and you’ve been negligent)....

Accidents in the home caused by falling furniture and television sets are leading to more and more trips to the emergency room for young children, according to a study released this week. But there are a number of simple steps you can take to prevent furniture and appliance tip-overs in your home. The study Injuries from Furniture Tip-Overs Among Children and Adolescents in the U.S., 1990-2007, published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, analyzed the incidence of children’s injuries from furniture and appliance tip-overs in the home, and uncovered a “significant increase” in these kinds of injuries from 1990 to 2007....

When you leave the country, you don’t necessarily leave all your potential legal troubles behind. Whether you’re traveling abroad for an extended period or have moved overseas permanently, legal issues back in the United States may require your attention. But how can you handle legal matters while you’re out of the country? Fortunately, you may be able to take care of matters without having to book an international flight. Here are a few tips to consider:...

The U.S. Labor Department has announced a settlement with online business networking service LinkedIn after an investigation revealed the company failed to properly compensate employees for working overtime. According to a news release from the Department’s Wage and Hour Division, LinkedIn has agreed to pay $3,346,195 in overtime back wages to and $2,509,646 in liquidated damages to 359 employees affected by the company’s violations of the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA)...

The top court in Massachusetts ruled this week that the state’s ban on stun guns and Tasers is unconstitutional. The Massachusetts Supreme Court concluded that stun guns are “arms” under the Second Amendment, and therefore can’t be fully banned under state law, but can be regulated under new state statutes. Here’s a look: “Having received guidance from the Supreme Court,” the Massachusetts Supreme Court said, “we now conclude that stun guns are ‘arms’ within the protection of the Second Amendment....

Lisa Bernstein, whose daughter was killed in a accident with a Pacific Gas & Electric truck in 2006, has agreed to a $5 million settlement. Mary Bernstein and her boyfriend Robert Conway were killed when a PG&E truck slammed into several stopped cars on an off-ramp of the California Interstate 280. John Mayfield, the driver of the truck, was a diabetic and claimed that he blacked out due to a faulty insulin injector, which cased a blood sugar level drop....

More than ever before, it seems like employees simply can’t leave their political beliefs out of the workplace. Perhaps that’s because of our current vitriolic political climate or because so much of our political beliefs affect what happens in the office. Thoughts on union membership, workplace discrimination, and equal pay often come from certain political leanings or take on political overtones when discussed at work, so employers trying to keep politics out of the office have a harder task than they may even realize....

Like many business owners, you may be considering implementing some sort of pre-employment test to sift out the best potential candidates from the throngs of applicants. While these tests may be effective in saving time by cutting down on job interviews, frivolous or careless use in testing may leave your business with more lawsuits than qualified hires. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents employers with 15 employees or more from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, national origin and religion....

The deadline to avoid Obamacare penalties by enrolling in a health plan is March 31, and it is fast approaching. Despite early issues with the HealthCare.gov website, the federal government expects most citizens to be signed up with some form of minimum Obamacare-compliant health coverage or face a tax penalty for 2014. The Washington Post reports that many states are asking the federal government for an extension of that deadline....

The settlement offer from Learjet Inc., Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and other companies involved in a Learjet crash that involved Travis Barker, the late DJ AM, and their entourage back in 2008 in South Carolina, has been approved by Judge Mary Strobel in Los Angeles County Superior Court. We had written about this Learjet crash earlier in FindLaw’s Common Law Blog. It occurred on Sept. 20, 2008 in South Carolina....