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.

Lawsuit Filed Against Ed Sheeran, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Over “The Rest of Our Life” Song

January 12, 2018

When most people hear the names Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, they think of country music, not copyright infringement. However, a recent lawsuit has the country music power couple caught in the middle of “alleged copyright infringement.”The lawsuit itself was filed by “songwriters Sean Carey and Beau Golden” and also names “Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge, Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac, Sony/ATV and WB Music” in addition to the couple.

Image of the Recalled Skip Hop High Chairs

Skip Hop Recalls Convertible High Chairs Amid Fall Concerns

January 10, 2018

A recent recall was issued that should have families with children in high chairs on alert. Issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the recall involves “certain Skip Hop brand high chairs” over concerns that the “legs of the high chairs might detach,” causing children to become injured. At the moment, the recall only included “Tuo Convertible High Chairs purchased between December 2016 and September 2017,” and already Skip Hop has “received 13 reports of the legs on the high chairs detaching, resulting in two reports of bruises to children.”

Image of a Montrose Memorial Hospital Sign

Montrose Memorial Hospital Agrees to $400K Settlement, Ending Age Discrimination Lawsuit

January 10, 2018

After losing an age discrimination case in court, Montrose Memorial Hospital has to pay “29 former employees — ages 40 and older — a total of $400,000 in a settlement.” The lawsuit itself was filed back in September 2016 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and resulted in a “multi-year investigation sparked by former longtime employees, some with over 20 years experience, who alleged they were fired or forced to resign due to their age.”

Image of the Recalled Giant Eagle Ice Cream Bars

Giant Eagle Pulls Ice Cream Bars From Shelves Over Listeria Fears

January 10, 2018

Fans of Giant Eagle icecream bars, listen up. Recently, the retailer issued a voluntary nationwide recall of ice cream bars “that may contain a bacterium that can cause fatal infections,” listeria. The frozen treats are produced and distributed by Fieldbrook Foods Corp., a New York-based company, “under merchant brands.”

eHarmony Agrees to $1.28M Settlement, Ending Consumer Protection Lawsuit

January 9, 2018

eHarmony, a popular dating website, was recently hit with a lawsuit that resulted in the popular dating website agreeing to a $1.28 million settlement. The consumer-protection lawsuit was filed by “four California counties, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Napa, and Shasta, along with the city of Santa Monica over its automatic-charging practices.” In addition to the $1.28, the company will also “pay $1 million in separate restitution to customers who were unknowingly enrolled into a subscription to the website between March 10, 2012, and Dec. 16, 2016.”

Lawsuit Filed Against Iowa County After Wrongful Arrest and Two Month Jail Stay

January 8, 2018

Earlier this week a lawsuit was filed against an Iowa county and prosecutor after an Arizona man “was arrested, transported cross-country and jailed for a robbery that he didn’t commit.” According to the lawsuit, the man, Joseph McBride, ended up spending “two months in custody after “authorities arrested him at his Phoenix apartment on Aug. 24.” McBride wasn’t the only one charged for the Jan. 1 home invasion “in his former hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa though.” In fact, he was one of three who was arrested, “even though he had proof he was 1,500 miles (2415 kilometers) away and investigators never spoke with him before his arrest.”

Southwest Airlines Agrees to $15M Settlement, Ending Price Collusion Lawsuit

January 6, 2018

A class-action lawsuit against Southwest Airline just came to a close, thanks to a federal judge approving a $15 million settlement. The lawsuit itself stemmed from accusations that Southwest, “along with three other airlines, conspired to limit the number of seats available to customers and keep ticket prices high.” According to the lawsuit the “conspiracy began in 2009,” and since then, “the cost of airfare with Southwest, American, Delta and United — which plaintiffs claimed collectively controls about 80 percent of domestic passenger seats — rose substantially compared to those of other domestic air carriers, despite stagnant or decreasing demand and declines in the cost of jet fuel.” As a result of the pricing conspiracy, the lawsuit accused Southwest and the other airlines of violating federal antitrust laws and said, “Passengers have been injured by paying higher airfares and facing reduced flight choices.”

Was Your Child’s Land of Nod Toddler Bed Recalled?

January 5, 2018

Parents with toddlers, listen up. Recently a popular toddler bed was recalled over concerns that the bed can fall apart, trapping and potentially injuring the child sleeping in it. The recall itself was issued back on December 28 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and includes the Land of Nod’s Nook toddler bed.

City of Sacramento Hit with $1M Medical Malpractice Claim After Woman was Allegedly Fondled

January 5, 2018

The city of Sacramento was recently slapped with a $1 million lawsuit after a 19-year-old woman was allegedly fondled by a paramedic while “she was unresponsive, strapped to a gurney and being taken to a hospital in an ambulance after suffering a seizure.” According to the woman, whose name is not being disclosed at this time, she suffered a seizure back on April 1, 2017, “and was taken to the Kaiser Permanente hospital in south Sacramento by a Sacramento Fire Department ambulance.”

Image of a HP Laptop Recall Notice graphic

HP Recalls Lithium-Ion Laptop Batteries Amid Fire Concerns

January 5, 2018

If you or someone you know has an HP laptop with a lithium-ion battery, listen up. Earlier today, HP announced that it was recalling “more than 50,000 laptops because of the danger of fire in cases of battery malfunction.” The recall itself was issued after HP “received eight reports of batteries overheating, melting, or charring,” according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As a result of the malfunction, there were “three incidents of property damage totaling $1,500 and a single first-degree burn to the hand.”

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