Brianna Smith, Author at Legal Reader

Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.

Image of the State of Connecticut Superior Court Raymond E. Baldwin Courthouse, Middletown, Connecticut

Town of Cromwell Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Suit Involving Police Officer

September 6, 2018

Discrimination is never pretty, especially when it’s directed towards pregnant women. As any pregnant woman or previously pregnant woman will tell you, they have enough on their plate without having to worry about being discriminated against in the workplace. Unfortunately, workplace discrimination against moms-to-be happens often and sometimes even results in the pregnant woman losing her job. One woman, Sarah Alicea, learned first hand what pregnancy discrimination looks like, and filed a lawsuit as a result. Fortunately for her, her case recently reached a settlement in her favor.

Rust-Oleum Recalls Countertop Coating Amid Lead Concerns

September 5, 2018

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation or update in the near future, you may want to check the label on some of the products you plan to use. Earlier this week, Rust-Oleum issued a recall of it’s “black satin-colored countertop coating due to excess levels of lead.” According to the recall notice, only the “one-quart (32 fluid ounce) containers of Rust-Oleum black satin countertop coating with product number 263209 and batch code P7612D” are affected. Concerned consumers can find the product number and batch code printed on the bottom of the cans.

Image of cooked chicken ontop of a salad

Wayne Farms, LLC Recalls 438,960 Pounds of Chicken Over Contamination Concerns

September 5, 2018

Do you enjoy chicken sandwiches or the occasional chunks of chicken on your salads? If so, this latest recall is for you. Earlier this week, Wayne Farms, LLC issued a recall of “approximately 438,960 pounds of frozen, fully cooked chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal pieces,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The company is based in Decatur, Alabama.

Image of the Buffalo Wild Wings location in Athens, Ohio

Buffalo Wild Wings Agrees to Pay $1.5M, Ending Lawsuit Over Employee Pay

September 4, 2018

Late last month, Buffalo Wild Wings agreed to settle a federal class-action lawsuit for $1.55 million. The suit itself was filed by two former employees, Zachary Barton and Ethan Forness, who worked at a Buffalo Wild Wings location in Athens, Ohio. Both of the employees worked as servers and bartenders and alleged in their suit that Lancaster Wings, Inc., “which owns seven BWWs in Ohio and three in Arizona, violated the Fair Labor Standards Act in at least four ways, largely related to tipped employees allegedly performing ‘non-tipped’ work and being underpaid for that work.”

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Lawsuit Filed After Urgent Care Visit Results in Leg Amputation

September 4, 2018

When most people visit an urgent care clinic for treatment, there’s an expectation that they will receive whatever care they need. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Last year on August 31, 2017, Trenton Twidwell visited an urgent care clinic in Overland Park for a wound on his left foot. At the time, the wound was small, according to a lawsuit filed in Johnson County Court. However, two weeks after visiting the clinic, Twidwell’s leg was “gangrenous and dying and had to be amputated.”

Couple Files Negligence Suit After Being Exposed to Hepatitis A at Wedding Reception

August 31, 2018

A lawsuit was recently filed on behalf of a Kentucky couple after they and their “240 wedding guests were exposed to hepatitis A during an August reception at the banquet hall.” Kentucky attorney Donald L. Nageleisen filed the suit against the Newport Syndicate on behalf of Jeff and Kameron Slavey, “their wedding guests and two other couples who hosted weddings at the Syndicate between July 25 and Aug. 11” after an employee fell ill with hepatitis A.

Image of the Recalled Rubber Octopus Toys

BSN Sports Recalls Rubber Toys Amid Concerns of Lead Contamination

August 31, 2018

Parents beware. BSN Sports recently issued a recall of “tens of thousands of rubber critter toys in the shapes of animals” amid concerns that they may be contaminated with “excessive lead levels in their orange and yellow paint.” According to the recall notice, the Farmers Branch-based company sold the “31,200 recalled units nationally through catalogs and online at Amazon.com, Athleticconnection.com, Bsnsports.com, Esportsonline.com and Usgames.com” between February 2017 to June 2018. The recall was announced earlier this week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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New Orleans Landlord Hit with Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuit

August 31, 2018

Earlier this week, a lawsuit was filed against a New Orleans landlord accusing him of discrimination and sexual harassment. According to the suit, the landlord, Jerry Wayne Kelly Jr., only rented “units to young, attractive women, and even offering to exchange rent for sexual favors.” The complaint itself is more than 20-pages long include allegations that Cashauna Hill, an employee with the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, said are “very concerning.” The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center filed the lawsuit after complaints about Kelly surfaced on social media.

Image of police cars of the Los Angeles County Sheriff

LA County Pays Record $14.35M to Settle Wrongful Death Suit

August 30, 2018

A $14.35 million settlement was recently reached between Los Angeles County and the family of a man who was accidentally shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy “during a standoff four years ago.” The victim was Frank Mendoza. He was 54-years-old at the time and was standing at the front door of his home in Pico Rivera when the fatal shooting occurred on August 1, 2014.

Image of Aerosmith performing in Arnhem, Netherlands

Aerosmith Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter to President Trump Over Song Use

August 30, 2018

Aerosmith front man, Steven Tyler, does not like that President Trump has been using one of his songs at campaign events, and recently made those thoughts known by sending a cease-and-desist letter to the president. In the letter, Tyler asked Trump to stop using the band’s “1993 hit song ‘Livin’ On The Edge’ at campaign events.” This isn’t the first time an artist has accused the president of using songs without permission, though. In the past, both Neil Young and Brian May of Queen got after Trump for using their songs at campaign events.

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