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.

Lawsuits Filed Against Website Known for Illegal Prostitution and Human Trafficking

February 13, 2017

Two lawsuits have been filed against Backpage.com, a website known by many as a hub for “illegal prostitution and sex trafficking of underage teens.” One lawsuit, which was filed in federal court, was filed by an anti-trafficking organization in Orlando known as Florida Abolitionist and a 30-year-old woman who claims to have been a “victim of trafficking through Backpage.” The other lawsuit was filed “on behalf of Sojourner, an Arizona nonprofit victims’ resource organization.” These two lawsuits only add to the legal troubles facing the website, and comes when its “current and former executives” are facing “criminal charges of money laundering in California over accusations of human trafficking.”

New Lawsuit Filed Against CNN for Racial and Religious Discrimination

February 12, 2017

In the midst of celebrating Black History Month, a former employee of CNN has stepped forward, accusing the major news network of “racial and religious discrimination in a lawsuit earlier this month.” The former employee is Omar Butcher, and the lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court Northern District of Georgia. For those who don’t know, though, this isn’t the first round of allegations of discrimination against the news network. In fact, this is the third lawsuit “over discrimination over the past year!” So what exactly transpired to cause this latest lawsuit?

Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky Vehicles Among Latest GM Recalls

February 11, 2017

It seems like every few days a new vehicle is being recalled for one reason or another. So what is the lucky vehicle this time? Well, there’s two. General Motors recently issued a worldwide recall of 107,000 sports cars, specifically the 2006 to 2010 Pontiac Solstice and the 2007 to 2010 Saturn Sky. Why was the recall issued? Apparently, a faulty Passenger Airbag Suppression System (PPS) sensor in the vehicles can “disable the front passenger airbag.”

Baby Formula Packaging Defects Result In Whistleblower Lawsuit

February 10, 2017

Baby formula is a basic necessity for babies all over the world, so the last thing parents should have to worry about is whether or not the formula they’re feeding their babies is safe. Unfortunately, a recent whistleblower lawsuit against Mead Johnson, whose “Enfa family of brands includes Enfamil infant formula” has shed some light on alleged packaging defects that could be leaving the company’s 8-ounce ready-to-use formula “vulnerable to spoilage.”

Lawsuit Filed Against Ohio Clinic for Falsely Diagnosing Dozens With Alzheimer’s

February 10, 2017

It’s every patient’s worst nightmare — being given a diagnosis that will have devastating effects on yourself and your family. Unfortunately for more than 50 people who visited a memory-loss center in Ohio, this is what happened when the center told them that they had Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. The kicker was, many diagnoses the center issued were false. Fortunately, the clinic is closed now, but that hasn’t stopped patients like Shawn Blazsek from speaking out and seeking justice for the lies he was told.

Did President Trump Just Settle Another Lawsuit? Looks Like It.

February 9, 2017

A quick glance at the news at any given notice reveals that our newly elected President is neck deep in lawsuits, especially since his travel ban was introduced. During the last few weeks we’ve seen him settle a few of them, and it would seem that his campaign has settled another one related to the campaign’s use of mass text messaging during the election. You heard that correctly, mass text messaging. It would seem the Trump campaign didn’t only use to Twitter.

Are Smart TVs Spying On Us?

February 8, 2017

Smart appliances and gear is all the rage today. From smartphones and tablets to smart TVs, we’re surrounding by these nifty gadgets that supposedly make our lives easier and more enjoyable. However, some people are skeptical about their security when using smart devices. Afterall, how many times have we heard the story of someone hacking into a baby monitor to spy on a sleeping infant? It’s every parent’s nightmare. But did you know it’s not only crazy hackers the use smart devices to their advantage? In fact, some companies have been caught using their smart devices to spy on their consumers? Enter Vizio, a company that, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “used 11 million televisions to spy on its customers.”

Settlement Reached Between College Athletes and NCAA

February 8, 2017

Part of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA has been settled, and according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs of the case, “thousands of current and former college athletes could receive $5,000 or more” as a result. The $208.7 million settlement was reached last Friday between the NCAA and 11 conferences in a class-action lawsuit “brought by players over the value of an athletic scholarship.”

New Bill Leaves Missouri Consumers Vulnerable

February 7, 2017

Consumers should feel comfortable when shopping, plain and simple. Deceptive and unfair business practices shouldn’t even be a thought when purchasing things like cars and other items. After all, there are laws like the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act that protect consumers from “deceptive and unfair practices in business.” Unfortunately for consumers in Missouri, a new bill is being proposed that will exempt a lot of different types of companies from the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, including “auto dealers, payday and title lenders, finance companies, cable, and phone companies.” Essentially, the new bill would exempt “any company regulated by any government agency” from being sued for violating the act.

Former NFL Cheerleaders Sue League Over Unfair Wages

February 7, 2017

The topic of women’s rights has been in the news a lot lately, especially with the recent Women’s March on Washington that took place late last month. Now it’s in the news again, but this time it’s in relation to unfair wages. A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against the NFL by a group of former cheerleaders. Why? Well, according to the lawsuit, the NFL and all 26 of its member teams that “employ cheerleaders actively conspired to underpay them and keep them from negotiating better salaries.”

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