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.

West Virginia University Hazing Death Ends With Lawsuit Settlement

January 19, 2018

More than three years after the hazing death of Nolan Burch, his family finally reached a settlement earlier this week with West Virginia University, Kappa Sigma fraternity, Richard Schwartz, Jordon Hankins, and others. For those who don’t know, Burch “died in 2014, the victim of acute alcohol poisoning.” According to his family’s lawsuit, which was filed back in 2015, “he drank a whole bottle of alcohol in a fraternity hazing incident at West Virginia University.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Pregnant Woman and 3 Children Die in Beecher Crash

January 19, 2018

Edward Schmidt, filed the lawsuit earlier this month on January 21, against the driver that hit his wife’s vehicle last summer and is seeking “$50,000 for each of the deaths.” At the moment, bond for the driver, “25-year-old Sean Woulfe, who pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of reckless homicide in August, was reduced from $1 million to $250,000 during a court appearance.” He managed to post bond that same day. But what happened last summer? How did the crash occur?

Senate Finance Committee Advances President’s Health Secretary Nominee

January 19, 2018

Earlier this week members of the Senate Finance Committee approved the advance of Alex Azar’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to reports, members of the committee voted “largely along party lines,” with 15 Republicans voting in favor of President Trump’s nomination and 12 Democrats voting against it. Now that the nomination is being advanced, the next step will be for Azar’s nomination to “head to a what appears to be an easy confirmation vote on the floor before the full Senate.”

Image of the Recalled Fujifilm Wall Chargers

Recall Issued for 270,000 Fujifilm Wall Chargers Amid Shock Hazard Concerns

January 18, 2018

Photographers beware. Fujifilm just issued a recall for “more than 270,000 power adapter wall plugs that were packaged with six of the company’s point-and-shoot and mirrorless camera models” over concerns that they could be susceptible to electrical shock. According to the company, the AC-5VF plugs have the potential to “crack, break, or accidentally detach from the device’s charger, posing a hazard.” Fortunately, there have been no injury reports as of yet, and Fujifilm is offering to replace customer wall plugs and adapter units for free.

Family of Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot by Deputies Sue King County

January 17, 2018

After the tragic fatal shooting of a 23-year-old pregnant woman, Renee Davis, her family is moving forward in filing a “wrongful death lawsuit against the county and deputies in King County Superior Court.” The lawsuit stems from the fatal shooting in 2016 that claimed Davis’ life when sheriff deputies, “who had been dispatched to check on her well-being,” opened fire and killed her. But what transpired leading up to the shooting? Why were deputies dispatched to check on her in the first place?

Image of Bergen County Special Services School District

Paterson Public Schools, K&M Transportation Agree to Settlement, Ending Wrongful Death Lawsuit

January 17, 2018

The parents of 14-year-old Onynx Williams reached a $1.4 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against Paterson Public Schools, K&M Transportation, and the Bergen County Special Services School District. The lawsuit itself was filed after Onynx “stepped out of a moving school bus through a rear emergency exit to her death” back in January of 2013. According to the agreement, $400,000 of the settlement will be paid by Paterson Public Schools, and about $200,000 will be paid by the Bergen County Special Services School District. The rest will largely be paid by K&M Transportation.

Image of Otter Creek Reservoir, Chase Memorial

Otter Creek Reservoir Drowning Results in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

January 15, 2018

A mother recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a handful of “state and federal entities” after her 17-year-old son, Chase Clark, drowned back on August 6, 2016. The tragic accident occurred “in Otter Creek Reservoir in Piute County while his family was attending a family reunion.” Shortly after the accident, the mother, Melissa Betley, “hired attorney Eric Olson with the law firm, Eisenberg, Gilchrist & Cutt to investigate the drowning.”

Former Custodian Files Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Franklin Township Public Schools

January 14, 2018

One of the tragic truths of our time is that racial discrimination still exists, and happens every day. One former custodian who used to work for Franklin Township Public Schools found this to be true when he experienced racial discrimination first hand and was “wrongfully terminated from his job.” As a result of his treatment, the former employee, Curtis Warren Sr., filed a lawsuit back in 2014 against “Franklin Township Public Schools, the township school district, the township school board and various board and district officials.”

Lawsuit Prompts Kid Rock to Change Name of His ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ Tour

January 13, 2018

Singer and songwriter Kid Rock is expected to go on tour throughout 2018, though he recently had to change the official name of his tour from ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ to ‘The American Rock N Roll Tour.’ The change came on the heels of a lawsuit filed against the performer back in December by Feld Entertainment, “longtime owners of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, over the right to use that trademarked tagline.”

Cherokee Nation Lawsuit Over Opioids Faces Hurdles from Federal Judge

January 12, 2018

Recently, a federal judge in Oklahoma issued a setback to a “Cherokee Nation lawsuit seeking to stop the flow of addictive opioid painkillers in its territory by issuing a preliminary injunction to prevent the case from being heard in tribal court.” The judge, U.S. District Judge Terence Kern, came to his decision because he felt the “tribal court lacked jurisdiction because the lawsuit involving six wholesale drug distributors and pharmacy operators does not directly concern tribal self-government.”

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