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.

IKEA Recalls 33,000 Beach Chairs Amid Safety Concerns

January 30, 2017

Imagine relaxing on a beach somewhere in a comfortable beach chair. The sun’s shining and you’re having a great day, until you prepare to leave and go to fold up your beach chair, only to have the tips of your fingers hacked off in the process. Sounds pretty ridiculous and hard to believe, right? Well, believe it, because this was the reality for a handful of people worldwide who made the unfortunate choice to purchase, use, and fold up IKEA’s Mysingo beach chairs. Recently, IKEA issued a recall of these finger hacking chairs, “citing the product’s tendency to injure people.”

Common Myths of Obamacare Reform

January 28, 2017

Even before Donald Trump was elected our nation’s new president, Republicans were calling for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare. However, many wonder what kind of plans Republicans have for a replacement. According to President Trump, he wants “insurance for everybody” that “lowers costs and deductibles.” That sounds nice, but how will it be accomplished? After all, Tim Michling, an analyst for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan summed it up nicely when he said, “healthcare is complex and requires trade-offs in terms of how best to use limited resources. It’s time to make some tough decisions.” However, there are many misconceptions about healthcare reform floating around out there that should be addressed before anyone makes any concrete plans for Obamacare reform.

State Juvenile Detention Officer Found Guilty of Workers’ Compensation Fraud

January 27, 2017

Workers’ compensation is one of those great programs that provides financial relief to those who need it most. It’s a form of insurance designed to provide “wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee’s right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence.” Unfortunately, all too often people try to take advantage of the system, like a state juvenile detention officer who was recently busted for workers’ compensation fraud.

USDA’s Food Safety Testing Disrupted By Trump’s Federal Hiring Freeze

January 27, 2017

It’s only been one week, and already President Trump has ticked off a lot of boxes on his to-do list. Unfortunately, one of those things has been to implement a hiring freeze for federal organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So what’s the big deal? Is it possible that the media and opponents of this freeze are just blowing things out of proportion. After all, Trump probably has his reasons, like trying to reign in wasteful spending and the lot. Well, the big deal is that a federal hiring freeze has the potential to negatively impact the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).

Michigan Environmental Officials Accused of Racial Discrimination

January 27, 2017

Another instance of racial discrimination has been uncovered, this time by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s civil-rights office. It’s been discovered that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) discriminated against African American’s residing in Flint “during the permitting of a power plant” in Genesee County more than two decades ago. Since it’s construction, the Genesee Power Plant burned “wood waste and other debris from 1992 through 1994.”

$1.25M Awarded To Student Forced To Urinate In Bucket

January 26, 2017

Schools and especially teachers should be two things that students can count on to make them feel safe and comfortable. Unfortunately for one student in the San Diego Unified School District, this wasn’t the case. What happened, you ask? Well, the former student was “forced to urinate in a bucket after her request for a bathroom break was denied.” After years of battling depression, having to put up with gossip and “lewd texts,” and suffering from a suicide attempt, the student has finally been granted justice after winning a lawsuit against the San Diego Unified School District, who has been “ordered to pay more than $1.25 million in damages.” The settlement comes after her initial claim seeking $25,000 was denied by San Diego Unified.

Hart Island To Increase Access for Families of the Deceased

January 26, 2017

Relatives of family members buried on Hart Island will soon enjoy “increased access to the cemetery under a modified lawsuit settlement.” Under the new settlement agreement between the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and New York City, “the number of monthly visitors allowed at the site will increase to 70 from 50” and relatives will be allowed to visit graves once a month. Additionally, the city, which actually owns the island, will offer photographs of grave sites to visiting relatives and mourners. All of this is part of a “three-month pilot program” under the agreed upon settlement.

Trump’s Agriculture Pick and His Not So Great Food Safety Track Record

January 26, 2017

President Trump has had a busy week, what with signing all of his executive orders and filling positions and everything else that goes into running a country. He’s even taken upon himself to nominate someone new as the agriculture secretary, and as is common with some of his picks, his choice has many throughout Washington raising their eyebrows. So who did he choose? Sonny Perdue, the former Governor of Georgia. If approved, he will be tasked with “helping ensure the safety and quality of America’s food supply.”

Samsung Note 7 Battery Fires Prompt Call for Better Safety Standards

January 25, 2017

Remember all those Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fires? Well, consumers will be glad to learn that, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Samsung officials have taken the necessary steps to try and figure out what went wrong. As for the rest of the industry, the safety agency has called for other manufacturers to “set better safety standards for batteries.”

Denver Life Insurance Company Accused Of Racial and Sexual Discrimination

January 24, 2017

A Denver life insurance company has been accused of racial and sexual discrimination in a recent federal lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The plaintiffs include seven African American Denver “annuity wholesalers and supervisors” who’s experiences include many “blatant racial and sexual abuse incidents,” such as when one saleswoman was “ordered to get on her knees while her boss mimicked a sex act with a vodka bottle and fellow workers laughed.” Others recounted times when they were “demeaned, denied promotions and bonuses, and fired” when they spoke out against the discrimination. According to EEOC attorneys and other private attorneys involved in the case, the lawsuit aims to award the plaintiffs things like “back pay, punitive damages and future lost wages.”

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