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.

Dam Bar Owner Wants to Settle Copyright Infringement Dispute with ASCAP

February 27, 2018

Elda Brandt, the owner of Dam Bar, recently made it known that she wants nothing more than to settle her “copyright infringement dispute with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a nonprofit performance rights organization.” For those who don’t know, the ASCAP filed a lawsuit against her in federal court “for playing unlicensed music.” So far she has been asked to pay “about $4,000 in licensing fees to ASCAP; Broadcast Music Inc., a music rights organization; and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, or SEASAC, also a performance rights organization.” To help defend herself against the complaints from ASCAP, Brandt said she plans on “hiring a Seattle lawyer to represent her.”

Breach of Warranty Lawsuit Filed Against L.L. Bean After Company Does Away With Return Policy

February 25, 2018

L.L. Bean Inc. has recently come under fire for changes it made to its popular lifetime warranty policy. In fact, customers are so upset with the changes that one even went so far as to file a breach of warranty lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit was filed by loyal customer Victor Bondi earlier this month in Chicago federal court and “seeks class-action status.” But why exactly is Bondi upset with the changes? Why file a lawsuit?

Lawsuits Filed Over Deadly Pine Ridge Duplex Explosion

February 25, 2018

Back in 2016, a deadly propane gas explosion occurred at a Pine Ridge duplex, claiming the lives of four people while also maiming three others. As a result of the accident, two lawsuits have been filed. The most recent lawsuit was filed earlier this month in Oglala Lakota County circuit court on behalf of 13 plaintiffs, and “accuses two companies, Nebraska-based Western Cooperative Company Inc. and South Dakota-based C. Brunsch Inc., doing business as Lakota Plains Propane, of negligence, failure to inspect and warn, strict liability and breach of warranty.”

Triple T Specialty Meats Inc. Recalls Chicken Salad Over Salmonella Outbreak

February 24, 2018

Fans of chicken salad should check their refrigerators to make sure they don’t have a certain brand that’s recently been recalled. Earlier this week, Triple T Specialty Meats issued a recall for all it’s chicken salad products “sold at Fareway stores between January 4 and February 9.” The decision to recall to product came after “an investigation by the CDC and the US Department of Agriculture linked a multi-state salmonella outbreak to chicken salad produced by the company in January and February.”

Has Your KitchenAid Electric Kettle Been Recalled?

February 23, 2018

Electric kettles are nifty kitchen appliances that boil water in no time at all. But did you know a certain brand was recently recalled? It’s true. Earlier this week, Whirlpool recalled more than 40,000 KitchenAid electric kettles “sold in the U.S., as well as more than 47,00 units sold in Canada and 1,600 in Mexico.” The affected kettles were sold between “September 2013 through February 2018,” and are being recalled because they pose a “serious burn risk,” according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Wake of Deadly Helicopter Crash that Killed Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry

February 23, 2018

Last year Troy Gentry, a member of country music band Montgomery Gentry, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in September. Now his widow, Angie Gentry, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit as a result. The lawsuit was filed back on February 14 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and names “the aircraft’s manufacturers, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Inc. and the Keystone Helicopter Corporation as defendants in the case.” According to the lawsuit, Gentry’s widow alleges the defendants failed to “make the civilian version of the Model 269 helicopter crashworthy, despite their knowledge that a military version of the same helicopter had been updated years earlier.”

Negligence Lawsuit Filed After Woman Dies from Bedbug Treatment

February 23, 2018

Last July, an 82-year-old woman, Elizabeth Ashbaugh, tragically died shortly after her apartment complex was treated for bed bugs. Now, her family is “suing the pest control company as well as the owners of the Houston apartment complex, Laurel Point Senior Apartments, in which the woman resided,” on allegations that the “bedbug extermination treatment killed her.” The lawsuit also accuses both parties of failing “to consider Ashbaugh’s safety” when conducting the extermination.

Why Is Connecticut Losing Doctors?

February 23, 2018

Connecticut has a major problem. They’re losing doctors left and right, creating an impending health care crisis for those in need of medical care throughout the state. When discussing the matter, Matthew Katz of the Connecticut State Medical Society said, “We are not back-filling, we do not have new physicians coming to the state,” and added that “fewer and fewer young doctors are choosing to practice in Connecticut.” For the state’s health care situation down the road, this can have dire consequences, especially when you consider the fact that “a third of physicians in the state are over the age of 60” and nearing retirement. So, where are all the doctors going?

Britax Jogging Stroller Injury Reports Result in CPSC Lawsuit

February 22, 2018

Jogging strollers are popular among parents who want to pursue a healthy lifestyle and are the ideal accessory for runners and walkers alike. However, one brand of jogging stroller is seeing a rise in injury reports from families, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has taken notice. In fact, recently the agency decided to file a lawsuit against the company behind the faulty strollers, Britax Child Safety, Inc., and has requested the company to stop “selling its jogging strollers that are being blamed for at least 97 injuries.”

$1.5M Verdict Reached in Malpractice Case Against Roanoke Radiology Practice

February 22, 2018

Being misdiagnosed during a medical examination can be frustrating and scary, depending on the diagnosis. Sometimes a misdiagnosis can even lead to medical complications for a patient later down the road, which is exactly what happened to Roanoke patient Alexander Nelson. As a result of being “misdiagnosed during an examination,” Nelson filed a medical malpractice against Radiology Associates of Roanoke last year, “seeking $2.25 million in damages.” The trial for the case began earlier this month, and ended with the jury recommending a “$1.5 million award be paid to Nelson.” But what kind of complications did Nelson suffer as a result of his misdiagnosis?

Trending