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.

Goodwill Agrees to Pay $850,000, Settling Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

May 11, 2018

In a recent agreement to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit, Goodwill Industries of the East Bay Area “and an affiliate have agreed to pay $850,000 to eight current and former employees,” according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit was originally filed by the EEOC against Goodwill and Calidad Industries Inc., after “six female janitors assigned to work the night shift at the federal building in Oakland alleged they faced routine sexual harassment by their direct supervisor.”

California Coffee Retailers Now Required to Serve Their Coffee with Cancer Warnings

May 10, 2018

If you plan on visiting a California Starbucks shop or other coffee roaster or retailer in the near future, you’ll likely notice something new with your order. According to a recent court ruling from a Los Angeles judge, coffee roasters and retailers “must serve up a cancer warning with coffee sold in California.” The judge, Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle, published the ruling earlier this week after determining that “other coffee sellers did not show that the risk from consuming acrylamide, a possible cancer-causing byproduct created during coffee roasting, was offset by benefits from drinking coffee.”

Settlement Finalized, Freelancers Finally Receive $9 Million in Copyright Lawsuit

May 9, 2018

Nearly seventeen years after a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 3,000 freelance journalists, settlement checks are in the mail. The lawsuit itself claimed “copyright infringement by some of the country’s biggest publishers,” but now the writers who endured the lengthy legal process “will start receiving their pieces of a settlement totaling $9 million this week.”

Carter’s Issues Recall of Popular Children’s Cardigan Sets Amid Choking Hazard Concerns

May 8, 2018

If you’re the parent of a baby and enjoy dressing them in Carter’s clothing, this recall notice is for you. Recently, Carter’s decided to recall “more than 100,000 three-piece cardigan sets sold in sizes newborn to 24 months” over choking hazard concerns. As it turns out, the button on the cardigan can “fall off, posing a choking hazard to young wearers.”

Grieving Couple Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Botched Delivery

May 7, 2018

Ashley and Leland Jones recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit “on behalf of their daughter, Rowyn, who was born on October 16, 2016, and died the next day.” In the lawsuit, the couple allege that their daughter’s death was “caused by a botched delivery and a failure to order a needed Caesarean section,” and names Dr. Ashley M. Lane, nurse Chelsey Roberts, and Bolivar OB/GYN LLC and its parent company, Signature Medical Group, Inc. as defendants, according to the suit.

Family of Indianapolis Father Who Drowned While Saving Daughter Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

May 4, 2018

Earlier this year, 24-year-old Anthony Burgess Jr. drowned in a pond after saving his three-year-old daughter. Now the family of the child is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against an apartment complex and car manufacturer, “alleging they are responsible for the death.” The accident occurred on March 26 “after Burgess Jr. jumped into a pond when his car rolled in with his daughter, Amina Garret, inside.” Amina survived, and since the incident, Burgess Jr. has been hailed as a hero.

Justin Timberlake Sued in Class Action Suit Over Misleading Marketing Claims

May 3, 2018

Last month, a California man, Kevin Branca, filed a class action lawsuit against Bai Brands, and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. In addition, the lawsuit also names a few individuals, including Larry Young, the president of Dr. Pepper, Bai founder Ben Weiss, and Justin Timberlake. According to the lawsuit, Timberlake was added to the lawsuit in an amended complaint early last week on claims that he worked with Bai to help “deceive consumers by saying their drinks are all-natural when they actually are not.”

After Defending Sexually Harassed Co-Workers, Former San Jose Policeman Was Fired

May 2, 2018

After voicing concerns to upper management about alleged sexual harassment towards female employees at a tech company, a San Jose security contractor was fired. As a result, the security contractor, Robert Lobach, who also happens to be a former San Jose police officer, has filed a lawsuit against the tech company, Xilinx. So what happened? What were the events that lead up to Lobach’s termination?

Will the Chicopee City Council Settle a Gender Discrimination Lawsuit for $140K?

May 1, 2018

Recently it was determined that the Chicopee city council will be asked to fork over $140,000 to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit itself was filed by Nicholle Huber back in 2016 in the U.S. District Court and claimed “she was hired to repair and maintain city vehicles only to have that offer rescinded four days later because of her gender.” The city and the “supervisor of the central maintenance garage,” Allen Ryczek, were named in the suit.

Audi Recalls 1.2M Cars and SUVs Amid Fire Hazard Concerns

April 30, 2018

Early last week, Audi issued a recall of more than 1.2 million cars and SUVs around the world amid concerns that “the electric coolant pumps can overheat and possibly cause a fire.” According to the recall notice, the affected vehicles include the 2013 to 2016 A4, the 2013 to 2017 A5, the 2012 to 2015 A6, and the Q5 SUV from 2013 to 2017. All the recalled cars and SUVs have “2-Liter turbocharged engines.”

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