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.

Settlement Reached in Ruby Tuesday Age Discrimination Lawsuit

November 26, 2017

One would think that in 2017, discrimination of any type would be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Discrimination is a common occurrence, and no industry, including the restaurant industry, is immune. For example, a Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Boca Raton was recently accused of age discrimination for refusing to “hire an older applicant because it wanted to maximize longevity.” Fortunately for the older applicant, Floyd Cardwell, the lawsuit reached a settlement agreement after the Georgia corporation agreed to pay $45,000.

Image of Cooper Doucette at his Graduation Ceremony

$1.3M Settlement Reached Between City and Paralyzed Former Football Player, Cooper Doucette

November 23, 2017

A settlement was reached between the Nashua School District and Cooper Doucette, a “former high school football player paralyzed during a 2010 practice.” According to the 12-page settlement agreement, Doucette will receive $1.3 million that will be paid by the “city’s insurance company, American Alternative Insurance Corporation.” According to court documents, an estimated $737,972 “will be paid to Doucette’s legal team at the law firm Nixon, Vogelman, Barry, Slawsky, and Simoneau,” and Doucette will receive “$2,000 a month for the next 25 years for a total of about $562,000.”

Families of Victims Lost in Berkeley, CA Balcony Collapse Reach Settlement

November 22, 2017

Another partial settlement has been reached in relation to the deadly 2015 balcony collapse in Berkeley, California that “killed six and injured another seven reached a settlement.” This most recent settlement, “the amount of which is confidential, was reached between the injured victims and the families of the dead, mostly from Ireland, Greystar property managers and BlackRock, who owned the Library Gardens apartment complex at 2020 Kittredge St.”

800,000 Odyssey Minivans Recalled Amid Safety Concerns

November 22, 2017

A massive recall for Odyssey minivans has been issued by Honda, impacting approximately 800,000 of the popular vehicles over a problem stemming “from the minivan’s second-row outboard seats.” At the moment the vehicles included in the recall are models manufactured between 2011 and 2017. But what’s the problem, exactly? According to Honda, the second-row outboard

Lawsuit Filed Against Sun Dial Restaurant for Negligence After Fatal Accident

November 22, 2017

One families trip to an Atlanta restaurant took a tragic turn earlier this year, and now the parents have filed a lawsuit “against the 73-story hotel and restaurant where it happened” for negligence. Back on April 14, Michael and Rebecca Holt took their son, Charlie Holt, to the popular Sun Dial restaurant, a place well known for its revolving floors. Unfortunately, upon leaving after their meal, little Charlie became trapped “in a 5-inch gap between the furniture and a wall as the restaurant’s floor rotated in the opposite direction” while his parents and patrons tried desperately to free him.

Image of the Austin Royster Funeral Home

Did Austin Royster Funeral Home Charge Families for Services it Didn’t Provide?

November 21, 2017

Did a D.C. funeral home charge families for services it never provided? That’s what one lawsuit against the “Austin Royster Funeral Home on Kennedy Street in D.C.’s Brightwood Park neighborhood” is claiming. According to the lawsuit, which was filed by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, the funeral home “operated without proper licenses and charged families for services it did not provide.” In addition, a motion was filed by the Office of the Attorney General “for a temporary restraining order against Austin Royster Funeral Home and Jamelle Royster and James Agee, who were involved in owning and operating the funeral home.”

Image of Students at Camden Military Academy

Lawsuit Filed Against Camden Military Academy Dean, Alleging Sexual Harassment

November 21, 2017

Another lawsuit alleging sexual harassment has been filed in federal court, this time against Camden Military Academy. According to allegations laid out in the lawsuit, the “school’s dean of students engaged in sexually inappropriate conversations, innuendos and conduct with a minor child identified only as A.M. at the school.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Blames Silver City Law Enforcement in Murder-Suicide Shooting

November 20, 2017

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of a woman who was shot and killed by a “high ranking police officer” before he shot and killed himself. According to the family of the woman, Nikki Bascom, the “tragic situation could have been avoided by law enforcement.” The lawsuit itself was filed against the “Silver City Police Department for negligence, claiming they ignored her calls for help.” Additionally, the lawsuit claims the “police and sheriff’s departments violated her civil rights by failing to help her.”

Image of Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland

Two Disneyland Cooling Towers Shut Down After Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak

November 18, 2017

For many people, a trip to Disneyland is a chance to create memories and enjoy the day with family and friends. The last thing anyone thinks about when visiting a theme park is contracting a debilitating illness. Unfortunately for several people who visited Disneyland in Anaheim, that’s exactly what happened to them. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, the theme park had to recently shut down “two bacteria-contaminated cooling towers after health officials discovered several cases of Legionnaires’ disease in people who had visited” the park in recent months.

Image of the Recalled Trader Joe's Salads

FSIS Issues Recall for Three Trader Joe’s Salad Products, Citing Possible Contamination

November 18, 2017

Trader Joe’s is a popular grocery store taking the country by storm. However, that doesn’t mean it’s immune from the occasional recall hiccup every now and then. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently issued a recall for “three salad products sold at Trader Joe’s in California.” Why? Well, according to the recall notice, “the salads with either chicken or turkey may be contaminated with hard silica and glass fragments.”

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