After watching a few episodes of the hit TLC show, one can only wonder - is Toddlers & Tiaras child abuse being played by pageant moms for our viewing pleasure? The “Botox Mom” might have turned out to be a hoax, but the reality is that the parents featured on shows like Toddlers & Tiaras sometimes do seem to be teetering on the edge of being a bit too forceful or controlling over their child’s grooming, and about the competition itself....
If you fire an employee, it’s normally for a good reason. And when a prospective or future employer calls asking regarding a reference for a fired employee, you might feel obligated to be honest. Generally speaking, former employers can’t be sued for a negative employment reference so long as they are honest about an employee’s employment history and record. But what happens if you’ve signed a settlement agreement requiring a fired employee to receive a “neutral employment reference” in the future?...
There has been quite a bit in the news lately about bed bug infestations and one thing is clear, these bugs do not discriminate on the basis of socio-economic status. From a suit filed over an alleged bed bug infestation at a Hilton Hotel, to student apartments in Portland, OR, the bugs are not picky. Now they have decided to bug a Victoria’s Secret on New York’s posh Upper East Side (Lexington Avenue and East 58th Street)....
Despite law enforcement’s best efforts, getting a fake ID, including fake green cards, drivers’ licenses, and social security cards, can be as simple as walking down the right street, having some cash, and a couple hours to burn. However, getting any sort of fake government identification can result in serious criminal penalties that include jail time. For immigrants, the risks can be even greater. After facing felony criminal charges, an immigrant convicted of obtaining a fake green card, or other government document, is likely to face removal or deportation, after completing a jail sentence....
Discrimination between the scantily clad sexes is now on the docket at a Southern California federal court. A 30-year-old gay man has filed suit against the city of San Diego, accusing its police department of selectively enforcing the city’s public nudity law. The San Diego thong lawsuit arises from an altercation at the city’s 2011 LGBT Pride Festival. Officers arrested plaintiff Will Walters for wearing what he describes as a “gladiator type kilt over black underwear....
Alcohol plays a large part in many of our lives, from weekly happy hours and power lunches for work, to a beer at a ballgame or glass of wine with dinner. So it’s not surprising that alcohol use could be a factor in a divorce. Booze doesn’t always reveal our best selves, and excessive drinking can create or exacerbate tensions within a relationship. So who decides when alcohol use becomes abuse, and how?...
Not everybody gets to work in a nice quiet office. Many people work in loud factories or on construction sites with constant booming and heavy machinery noise. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, nearly 30 million people are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work every year. Long term exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent tinnitus or hearing loss. OSHA sets employee noise exposure limits at 90dBA for 8 hours a day, and only 2 hours of exposure to 100 dBA sound levels....
A homeowner’s insurance policy can cover more than you might expect, including some personal injury claims. While some people might assume that homeowner’s insurance only covers property loss due to things like fire or theft, it can often be extended to cover injuries that occur on your property. In some cases, it can also cover injuries that take place away from your property. Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know:...
An alleged feud between two woment that started on Facebook, ended in the arraignment in Pontiac, Michigan, of one of the women last Friday, July 23. The two women, who were supposedly fighting over the affections of a prison inmate, got into a high speed car case resulting in the death of Alesha Abernathy and leaving Danielle Booth, 20, in the hospital with serious injuries. Torrie Emery, 23, is charged with multiple felonies for her part in the chase and death of Abernathy....
Not that it was facing a shortage of problems, but BP can add another one to the list. BP already had over 250 lawsuits against it, but residents of Georgia with coastal property in Florida have filed another lawsuit, this one a class action against BP. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia. The members of the class allege that the BP oil spill has damaged their property....
For patients suffering from a serious risk of pulmonary emboli or acute deep vein thrombosis, insertion of an inferior vena cava filter to prevent a blood clot from blocking blood flow to the lung can be life-saving. But that doesn’t mean IVC filters are without risk. The Food and Drug Administration has documented hundreds of adverse events regarding IVC filters, due mainly to leaving the devices in long after they are needed....
Two weeks ago, Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Constand was just one of dozens of women who have accused the former actor and comedian of inappropriate sexual behavior and rape, and many of them have filed civil lawsuits against Cosby. Does the guilty verdict in one case necessarily mean Cosby must pay out in the civil lawsuits? And how do convictions generally affect a person’s civil liability?...
Yelp reviews are a blessing and a curse for businesses. Great reviews bring more customers. False or fake reviews don’t only hurt your business’ reputation, but they’re also downright infuriating. It’s unfair that these lies about your business are online for the whole world to see! So, how should you respond to a false or fake yelp review? 1. Flag The Review If you think you’ve received a yelp review from someone who wasn’t even your customer, flag the review for removal....
According to recent investigation into sexual abuse in immigration detention, 1,448 allegations of sexual abuse have been filed against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the past six years, with 237 allegations of sexual abuse in immigration detention facilities in 2017 alone. One such case in 2014 involved a detention center employee grooming and assaulting a 19-year-old mother in a Pennsylvania ICE facility. Although any sexual contact between correctional facility staff and people in custody is illegal under federal and state law, the facility is claiming it can’t be held liable for the assaults because it is an immigration facility (as opposed to a jail or prison) and that the sexual encounters were consensual....
New Jersey is now the 12th state to enact protections for “Good Samaritans” in drug overdose cases, after Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill into law Thursday. The new law passed in no small part due to the support of singer and New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi, whom Christie credited as inspiration for signing the bill, reports The Star-Legder. Now that this law is passed, Good Samaritans can feel free to call 911 to report drug overdoses without fear of legal consequences for the caller or the drug-overdose victim....
Michael Trimble should be the kind of success story any employer would be proud to have. Born in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Trimble had his deformed arms removed at birth, yet he got a “temp-to-hire” position in the human resources department at Kroger’s Oregon offices. Without hands, Trimble uses his feet for typing and fine motor activities, and quickly became one of the office’s star employees. But instead of championing Trimble’s achievements, one supervisor began making odd requests, specifically that Trimble carry his bike, which he used for transportation to and from work, up flights of stairs or push it through a back courtyard....
A witness to last month’s gruesome New York City elevator accident is planning to sue for trauma. Kathleen Mullahy, 36, of Queens, was inside an elevator in a midtown Manhattan office building Dec. 14 when the elevator malfunctioned. Coworker Suzanne Hart, 41, had just stepped into the elevator when it unexpectedly shot up, crushing Hart between floors and killing her, the New York Daily News reports. Mullahy witnessed the bloody accident, and was trapped inside the elevator with Hart’s body parts “for an extended period of time,” Mullahy’s sworn affidavit states, according to the Daily News....
More than a year after the Obamacare website had announced an online marketplace for business owners, the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is finally open. According to The Washington Post, HealthCare.gov officially launched its small business-focused section two weeks ago, but traffic has been a bit slow. Despite health plan options being offered through the newly opened SHOP, early reports indicate that businesses haven’t exactly surged toward the site....
This week is the SBA’s Small Business Week, so we’ll be featuring legal advice for small businesses all week long. Today’s topic is funding – the thing you need right after you have your big idea. There are more sources for startup capital than ever, but which is right for your business? Here are a few tips if you’re looking for startup or small business funding: Know Where It Comes From Like we said, there are a variety of ways to finance a small business, from SBA loans and home equity loans to raising money from friends and family or venture capitalists....
With the popularity of terms like social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and non-profit entrepreneurship it is clear that the non-profit sector identifies itself squarely in the realm of business enterprise. And it’s a good baseline to start from because the law views non-profit organizations as businesses too. And whether a business is powered by revenue or social change, it must complete the needful to hold itself out as a legal entity. Here are 5 steps to start a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization....
