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.

5 Infants Injured in Hospital Newborn Unit; Nurse Suspended

March 9, 2018

Hospital newborn units are supposed to be havens of safety, where tired parents often send their little ones so they can catch a few hours of sleep here and there shortly after the birth, or where infants receive their first round of vaccinations and other medicines. That’s why a recent story of infants allegedly being harmed in a newborn unit has so many people upset. According to a federal report issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “five infants suffered serious injuries including a fractured skull, rib, and arm in the newborn unit of a Wisconsin hospital and the nurse who cared for them has been suspended.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against ‘America’s Got Talent’

March 9, 2018

‘America’s Got Talent,’ a reality competition show that features dancers, singers, magicians, comedians, and other types of performers, just got hit with some bad legal news. It turns out the show, along with the producers and network, NBC, is being sued in a wrongful death lawsuit. By whom, though, and why? For starters, the lawsuit was filed by the family of a “79-year-old woman claims she died three months after being injured in a fall from her wheelchair outside of where ‘AGT’ was filming” back in March 2017.

Why is the Rate of Pedestrian Fatalities on the Rise?

March 8, 2018

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, the roads are getting more and more dangerous for pedestrians. After decades of experiencing a decline in “the rate of fatal car accidents, numbers have crept back up in recent years,” especially those concerning pedestrian fatalities. Just how many pedestrians are losing their lives each year? Well, according to the most recent Transportation Department data, “nearly 6,000 pedestrians were struck and killed by vehicles on public roads” in 2016.

Image of Wayne State University's Old Main

Did Wayne State Decertify Christian Student Group Because of Beliefs?

March 7, 2018

A student organization at Wayne State University was recently decertified “for requiring its leadership to agree to a statement of beliefs,” according to a new lawsuit. The suit itself was filed on yesterday in federal court, and claims “Wayne State stripped the university’s chapter of InterVarsity of official student organization status illegally.”

Jury Awards Family of Deceased Mother of Three $3.9M, Ending Wrongful Death Suit

March 5, 2018

Late last week a jury agreed to a “nearly $4 million verdict…in the case of the wrongful death of a mother of three,” Garylyn Langell. In handing down the verdict, the jury agreed that “an ER doctor was culpable in Langell’s 2011 death,” not her family physician. In addition to the verdict, the jury “awarded past economic damages at $490,000, and past non-economic damages at $3.5 million.” But what happened? How did Langell die, and what role did the ER play in her death?

The Equifax Hack Just Got Bigger

March 2, 2018

Just when we thought news about the Equifax hack couldn’t get worse, the company announced yesterday that “an additional 2.4 million Americans were impacted by last year’s data breach.” Unlike the millions of other Americans impacted by the hack, however, these new 2.4 million consumers “had significantly less personal information stolen,” according to the announcement. For example, Equifax claims the “additional consumers only had their names and a partial driver’s license number stolen by the attackers, unlike the original 145.5 million Americans who had their Social Security numbers impacted.”

Did a Doctor’s Misdiagnosis Cause a 7-Year-Old Girl’s Death? One Mother Thinks So.

March 2, 2018

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/mom-blames-kid-death-misdiagnosis-woodhull-doc-suit-article-1.3840136

Guillermo del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’ Under Fire for Copyright Infringement

March 1, 2018

Director Guillermo del Toro, Fox Searchlight, and others “associated with the Oscar contender ‘The Shape of Water’” have just been slapped with a copyright infringement lawsuit by the estate of Paul Zindel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. The suit itself was filed by “David Zindel, acting as a trustee of his and his sister Lizabeth’s trusts, which equally share the rights to their father’s literary works.”

Image of the Recalled Instant Pot Multicooker

Has Your Instant Pot Been Recalled?

March 1, 2018

Do you own an Instant Pot Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker? If so, this recall notice is for you. After receiving complaints about the particular product overheating and melting, Instant Pot, a “multi-purpose cookware company,” decided to issue a recall for the multicookers. The recalled product is “similar to a slow cooker, but with more functions, including roasting, stewing, baking, steaming,” according to Instant Pot.

$80K Settlement Reached Between Ebony Magazine and Freelance Contributors

February 28, 2018

When most people do a job, there’s a certain expectation that they will be compensated in a timely matter. In fact, many jobs today pay weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. However, for dozens of freelancers working for Chicago-based Ebony magazine, their paychecks never arrived. As a result of not being paid, many of the freelance contributors filed a lawsuit against the publication. Fortunately for them, Ebony magazine “has agreed to pay $80,000” to cover “unpaid work stretching back more than two years.”

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