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.

Discrimination Lawsuit Against Time Warner Networks Dismissed

August 10, 2017

We’ve heard a lot this year about discrimination allegations being brought against major news networks. From gender and racial discrimination and sexual abuse allegations against Fox News to racial discrimination allegations against CNN, one can’t help but wonder what the ruling will be in any of the lawsuits. Well, the wait is over. In one particular case against Time Warner networks CNN and TBS, a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination was dismissed earlier this week “for a lack of factual evidence.”

Why Aren’t Patients Paying Their Hospital Bills?

August 9, 2017

According to recent studies, including one from “TransUnion, a company that helps hospitals collect unpaid bills,” more and more people are failing to pay off their entire hospital bills. In fact, according to TransUnion, “more than two-thirds of patients aren’t paying” off their bills, “and that number could increase to 95 percent by 2020.”

Columbia University Settles Lawsuit with Former Student Accused of Rape

August 9, 2017

The lawsuit between Paul Nungesser and Columbia University has finally been settled. Nungesser, a former student of the university, filed a lawsuit against Columbia back in 2015 on allegations that the “university supported an outrageous display of harassment and defamation after fellow student Emma Sulkowicz held protests around campus where people openly called him a rapist.” Before the recent settlement was announced, the suit had been dismissed on two separate occasions.

Trucking Company Agrees to Pay $11M Settlement to Family of Kenneth Avis

August 8, 2017

An $11 million settlement has been reached between a trucking company and the family of a South Carolina truck driver “who burned to death last year after colliding with a gasoline tanker that was blocking a rural highway in the dark.” But what happened exactly? How did the tragic accident occur?

Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination in St. Louis Police Department

August 8, 2017

A settlement has been reached between the city of St. Louis and a high-ranking police officer, bringing an end to one of three racial or gender discrimination lawsuits against the city. The officer, Major Michael Caruso, originally sued the city over allegations that “he was passed over for the same job that Jones was passed over because he was white.” While his attorneys haven’t released any details about Caruso’s lawsuit and the settlement, they did confirm “it’s been resolved.”

Image of downtown West Hartford, Connecticut

City of West Hartford Agrees to Settlement in Former Skating Instructor’s Death

August 7, 2017

A $47,500 settlement has been announced by West Hartford’s town council earlier this week, bringing an end to a four-year lawsuit between the family of a former ice skating instructor and the city. The lawsuit was first filed by the family alleging that the skating instructor “died from injuries she sustained while working for the town.”

Salmonella Outbreak Spreads, Prompting Recall of Cavi Papayas

August 7, 2017

It turns out Grande Produce isn’t the only produce distributor having problems with their papayas. Earlier this week Agroson’s LLC, a New York produce distributor, issued a recall for “Cavi brand maradol papayas because they were grown on a farm in Mexico that produced other brands of papaya that are linked to a deadly Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. that has sickened more than 100 people.” According to the recall, the potentially contaminated produce was shipped to stores and wholesalers throughout Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

Franciscan Health Agrees to $15M Settlement in Medical Malpractice Case

August 4, 2017

When many parents head to the hospital for the birth of a child, they do so with the expectation that they will be leaving with a happy, healthy, bouncing baby. The last thing on their minds is that the hospital staff will make a life changing mistake. This was the unfortunate reality for one Sauk Village family. Fortunately, a settlement has finally been reached between the family of Nyelle Brown and Franciscan St. James Health in Chicago Heights. The case settled for $15 million and was the result of a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against the health center back in 2013 in response to the severe brain damage Nyelle suffered during her birth in January 2011.

Image of Dyne Suh Recounting Airbnb Discrimination

Airbnb Fines Host Amid Racial Discrimination Allegations

August 3, 2017

When most people book a stay at an Airbnb, the last thing they expect to experience is discrimination of any form. Unfortunately for Dyne Suh, a 26-year-old law clerk, she faced racial discrimination when she booked a “mountain cabin in Big Bear, California, for $250 a night from Tami Barker for a skiing weekend with friends.” As a result, “Suh complained to both Airbnb and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH),” and Barker was “fined $5,000 for racial discrimination and will have to take a course in Asian-American studies.”

Image of the Recalled Bestherbs Coffee LLC Coffee

Bestherbs Coffee LLC Coffee Recalled Over Viagra-Like Ingredient

August 2, 2017

Coffee fans beware. A new voluntary recall has been issued by Bestherbs Coffee LLC for “New Kopi Jantan Tradisional Natural Herbs Coffee” after an FDA laboratory reported the coffee contained “an ingredient similar to what’s in the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.” The ingredient in question is desmethyl carbodenafil, and though the product has been “marketed as

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