Everyone laughs at slapstick because, unlike comedy involving language, everyone gets slipping, tripping, and falling. Injury isn’t really funny, even if it makes a good joke. But it is universal, which is perhaps why we laugh at it depicted comedically. And it can happen at home, the one place you thought you were safe from tragedy. There are countless ways to get hurt almost anywhere, and home is no exception. But let’s not get carried away....
The days of tax-free online shopping may be numbered. The Senate is set to vote on a bill that would give states the power to collect sales tax on all Internet purchases. If the bill passes, local governments could get up to $11 billion (yes, with a “b”) per year in added revenue, The Washington Post reports. Small businesses need to know about The Marketplace Fairness Act because it could affect the way they do business....
The owner of a topless maids business in Los Angeles has been told he has to stop parking his mobile ads on city streets. The business owner, Sami Ammari, has been parking his hot pink van emblazoned with “Topless Maids” and the phone number 818-666-HUGE near his business in Studio City, reports NBC. Unsurprisingly, the van has sparked an outcry from local residents, and the City of Los Angeles put Ammari on notice that he can’t park the “mobile ad” on city streets anymore....
Most personal injury lawsuits barely make the papers. But these three made the silver screen. In choosing the biggest injury cases, you could go by the dollar amount of the settlement or the jury verdict. But we decided to go with three that were so big that Hollywood came calling. Here are the three most famous personal injury lawsuits: Your personal injury claim may not be made into a movie, but it’s big to you....
The last thing you imagined doing when you started your business is going bankrupt. Obviously, you were aiming much higher, and you’re a survivor, and you would like to avoid making this particular dreaded declaration. So what can you do? Let’s take a look at what exactly bankruptcy is and three steps you can take to avoid it. What Is Bankruptcy? There are multiple types of bankruptcies, and you may be familiar with the terms associated with the most common of them, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13....
Buying a franchise may seem like a great idea. After all, you’re buying into a business that is presumably already established and has a recognizable customer base. So by paying the franchise fee, you can avoid a lot of the problems that come with starting a business like letting customers know what your business is about, deciding what goods to carry, and even knowing where to get your supplies. However, buying a franchise is not for everyone – the entrepreneurial landscape is filled with failed and disgruntled former franchise owners....
What should you bring to your divorce consultation? Before you hire a divorce attorney, you’ll likely have a consultation during which the attorney can size up your case and answer your questions. But you shouldn’t arrive to your divorce consultation empty-handed, otherwise your potential attorney may have little to say about your case. Come prepared to your divorce consultation with at least these five things: 1. A List of Questions You’ll want to get some good information about the attorney you may hire to handle your divorce, so don’t be afraid to have a list of questions you’d like to ask....
More than 1 in 4 borrowers are likely delinquent in repaying their student loan debts – much higher than the 14.6% delinquency rate suggested by previous calculations, according to a new federal report. The 14.6% delinquency rate comes from comparing the total number of people with student loans (about 37 million) to the number of people with at least one past-due student loan account (about 5.4 million), the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its report....
So you’ve had a baby, and now you want to return to work. There’s just one issue: You’re a breastfeeding mom. Doctors are all touting the merits of breastfeeding. Yet, you’re worried that your employer won’t fully support your choice. How can you ask your employer for proper accommodations? Will your employer even accommodate you, or will you run the risk of irritating your boss and possibly lose your job?...
Less than two weeks after a federal judge in Michigan dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of Detroit students claiming they lacked the resources to attain literacy, a California judge refused to throw out another suit filed by parents of students from Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Stockton, which alleges the state has failed to improve literacy education and make it available to all students. So how is the California case different?...
Despite the Second Amendment right to bear arms, businesses across the country are free to adopt their own policies regulating and even prohibiting guns. Businesses are free to ban guns from their property. However, in some states, there may be some hurdles to jump (or signs to post) before doing so. For the most part, guns are regulated by state laws. Many states already have laws about when, how, and where guns may be carried, such as prohibiting guns from being carried into establishments that serve alcohol....
Prospective students are are often unable to pay for their own college education, so, they need financial aid. Most students will apply for financial aid by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as a FAFSA. For most students entering college, their parents’ income must be entered into the FAFSA to determine how much money the parents must contribute and how much financial aid the student will get....
Darius Jacob Taylor wasn’t even in the same state when Wesley Burnett was shot and killed. And yet Pennsylvania prosecutors charged Taylor with criminal homicide. Under the felony murder rule, anyone who participates in a dangerous felony can be charged with homicide if the crime results in a killing. Burglars have even been given life sentences after victims died trying to flee the scene of the crime. But some are arguing that the felony murder rule is being stretched too far, and that the rule itself may not serve its intended purpose....
Chrysler plans to eliminate 789 of the dealers in its network. This represents 25% of its dealers, many of whom still had life left on their Dealership Agreements. As a warning to any franchisee whose franchisor might declare bankruptcy, the bankruptcy process may allow a franchisor to reject the franchise agreements it wants to shed. In normal circumstances, a franchisor (even if it’s one of the Big 3 automakers) may not simply reject franchise agreements it has in place....
False imprisonment is the intentional unlawful confinement of a person against their will. It comes in many forms and does not require physical restraint necessarily. When it happens in the medical context it is particularly scary. In healthcare, false imprisonment happens when a patient is held involuntarily in a hospital, nursing home, other health facility or institution, or even in an ambulance. A critical element of the claim is consciousness of confinement....
Newark, New Jersey is in the midst of a much needed rebirth. A city that has been in decline since the social movement of the 1960s, gentrification is taking root, much like it did in nearby Brooklyn a decade ago. But like most big cities, this comes at a price, one often paid by those that can least afford it. Buildings all across downtown Newark are being demolished, replaced by mixed use buildings with businesses such as Whole Foods and Chipotle on the ground floor, and upwards of 40 percent of the residential rental units above reserved for low-income housing....
Becky Rogers-Peck built a pink playhouse in her backyard for her granddaughter but if she’d known it would lead to a lawsuit, she might not have bothered. Her Homeowner’s Association is suing over the playhouse’s color which is pink with purple doors. It’s a cute getaway for her 4-year old granddaughter but the playhouse doesn’t match Rogers-Peck’s house which is painted brown. The HOA requires that ‘sheds and garages’ must be the same color as the house....
Calling all grandparents: Do you need some visitation tips for the holidays? Nothing says family time more than the holidays, and nothing makes for a more joyous occasion than being able to get your cheek-pinching and spoiling on this season. You may not know this, but grandparent visitation rights are not as straightforward as they may seem. So before you pack your suitcase to the brim with sweets and toys, here are five tips to keep in mind:...
When you first got divorced, you were just relieved to be done with your spouse. But now your initial relief has been replaced by dismay. You believe a mistake was made in the lower court or your circumstances have changed and the court ordered arrangement will not work for you. You want to challenge or change the terms of your divorce or modify the decree to accommodate changed circumstances. And you can....
When it comes to major sporting events like NASCAR races or college football games, it’s not just the players on the field who are at risk of injury. Spectators may also suffer sometimes serious injuries at major sporting events. Last year, for example, 28 people were injured at a NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway when pieces of a car involved in crash flew into the stands. Sporting event-related injuries can sometimes be fatal, such as the man who fell to his death from an elevated walkway during a San Francisco 49ers game last season....
