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Chicago Personal Injury News Blog

25 July

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Family of motorcyclist killed in crash sues city

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in IL

June 25, 2012|By Naomi Nix | Tribune reporter The mother of a motorcyclist who died in an accident last June filed a lawsuit Monday alleging the city was negligent in its placement of a traffic-control device. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court says a sign gave motorists inadequate notice that the southbound lane of Harlem Avenue near the intersection of Myrtle Avenue was closed for construction, contributing to a fatal motorcycle crash. Ronald Bizeau Jr. was riding his 1998 Suzuki motorcycle south on North Harlem Avenue on June 29, 2011, when he struck the sign, police said last year. Family of motorcyclist...

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24 July

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Special Report: Wisconsin companies insulated from stiff penalties in worker deaths

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in Uncategorized

Photo: Ace Work Gear Job foremen across the country fear running afoul of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but the federal regulatory agency’s power is more image than reality. A Gannett Wisconsin Media review of 240 workplace fatalities in Wisconsin over 11 years shows OSHA imposes tiny fines on companies whose employees are killed on the job, and often negotiates even smaller penalties than originally issued. Workers’ families are often shocked by the outcome of the investigation, which by law isn’t designed to assign blame or impose huge punitive fines. Families also are stunned to realize they have no right to sue...

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22 July

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Get Schooled Letter to Gwinnett: Look deeper into student sexual harassment

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in Uncategorized

3:48 am July 20, 2012, by Maureen Downey Carolyn Garfein of Alpharetta is national president of the American Association of University Women. By Carolyn Garfein From our nation’s top college campuses to small towns in Florida, Texas, Minnesota, and, yes, Georgia, the painful stories of children and teens experiencing bullying and sexual harassment have filled the news, leaving parents, educators, and community leaders with many questions and few answers. Last year, in an attempt to shed some light on the issue, the American Association of University Women surveyed students in grades 7–12 and published the results in a report confirming many of the headlines...

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22 July

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Reedsburg McDonald’s harassment suit settled for $1 million

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in Uncategorized

Kim Lamoreaux, Times-Press The Reedsburg McDonald's will pay $1 million to three former employees who sued for sexual harassment. Ten women will split $1 million in a settlement reached this week over sexual harassment of employees at the McDonald’s in Reedsburg. Poynette-based Missoula Mac Inc., the owner and franchisee of 25 McDonald’s, was ordered to pay the women who were harassed and carry out a number of corrective actions, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Missoula Mac, however, no longer owns the Reedsburg McDonald’s; it sold the restaurant late last year to Lorrie Gorichs of Sauk...

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22 July

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Lawsuit filed by family of teen killed in fall at shuttered hospital

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in IL

July 19, 2012|By Naomi Nix | Tribune reporter The family of a 16-year-old boy who died after falling from the second floor onto the concrete floor of the former Ravenswood Hospital building has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the building’s owners. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that the building’s owner, Lycee Francais de Chicago, failed to maintain the site in a safe condition when Jose Morales fell through a hole in the second floor of the building earlier this month. The lawsuit also names American Demolition Corporation. On July 2, Morales and two other boys, both 17,...

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22 July

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Family files wrongful death suit against Illinois company in fatal crash

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in IL

July 17, 2012|By Naomi Nix | Tribune reporter A family filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday against an Illinois construction company after one of its drivers was involved in a car crash in Lee County in western Illinois last year that killed three of their relatives. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court alleges that Martin & Company Excavating was negligent when Nathan Merrill drove a company car at a high speed through a stop sign and struck and killed the driver of another vehicle and two of his passengers. Both Merrill and the company are named as defendants. Merrill was driving...

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22 July

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Cook County court staffer held on $750,000 bail for allegedly shredding court files

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in Chicago

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN Criminal Courts Reporter/rhussain@suntimes.com July 20, 2012 6:28PM A veteran Cook County Circuit Court employee was ordered held in lieu of $750,000 bail Saturday for allegedly taking court files from work and then shredding them at her kitchen table. Authorities didn’t know the quantity of the data that Jeannette Neibauer allegedly destroyed nor did they know how long they suspect it’s been going on, said Cook County Sheriff’s spokesman Frank Bilecki. After Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown’s office was alerted about Neibauer’s activities, the sheriff’s office started its investigation ten days ago, Bilecki said. Cook County court staffer held on $750,000...

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21 July

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US Department of Labor Finds 2 Companies in Violation of Federal Railroad Safety Act

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in Chicago, IL

Chicago IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered two railroad companies to pay three workers a total of $650,729.14 in back wages and damages for retaliating against them for reporting workplace injuries and safety concerns. The orders resulted from investigations conducted by the Chicago office of the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which were initiated upon receiving complaints from the employees. "It is critically important that railroad employees in the Midwest and across the nation know that OSHA intends to defend the rights of workers who report injuries and safety concerns," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary...

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20 July

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Construction Worker Slaps Teamster Union Bosses with Federal Charge for Job Discrimination

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in Chicago, IL

Teamster union officials obstruct worker from getting work Chicago, IL (July 19, 2012) – With the help of National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, a nonunion Chicago-area construction worker has filed a federal charge against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and two of its local affiliate unions for discriminating against him on account of his union membership status. Construction worker John Lugo filed the charge against the Teamster Local 697 and Teamster Local 601 unions with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Monday. Because Teamster union bosses claim monopoly bargaining privileges over all the workers in his workplaces, Lugo, who refrains...

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19 July

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Chicago Trampoline Centers Sued Over Injuries

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in Chicago, IL

By Andrew Chow, JD at FindLaw.com Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:10pm EDT Two suburban Chicago trampoline centers are being sued for injuries to children after employees allegedly failed to follow safety rules. In both cases, the children ended up with broken legs, Chicago's WLS-TV reports. Separate lawsuits by the injured kids' parents blame workers at the indoor trampoline centers for causing the injuries. The suing parents likely signed liability waivers before their children took to the trampolines. But do those waivers cover the types of injuries the lawsuits are alleging? It appears they probably do, but the parents' personal injury lawyers will likely argue...

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18 July

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Troubled New York Hospitals Forgo Coverage for Malpractice

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in Chicago

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS Published: July 15, 2012 264 Comments Every hospital makes mistakes. But some New York City hospitals may not have enough money to pay for them. Several of the city’s most troubled hospitals are partially or completely uninsured for malpractice, state records show, forgoing what is considered a standard safeguard across the country. Some have saved money to cover their liabilities, but others have used up their malpractice reserves, meaning that any future awards or settlements could come at the expense of patients’ care, and one hospital has closed its obstetric practice, in part out of fear of lawsuits. Troubled New...

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17 July

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NYT: ALEC is a fraud on taxpayers

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in Uncategorized

Posted by: Katie Gommel Today the New York Times calls out the shadowy corporate front group known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) on its tax-exempt status as a nonpartisan charity despite ALEC’s clear pro-corporate, anti-consumer mission. ALEC has been working behind the scenes for decades to push legislation with one clear purpose—provide immunity for their corporate donors by limiting Americans’ access to the political process and our nation’s courts. ALEC-sponsored legislation includes voter ID laws that disenfranchise whole groups of voters and laws that grant immunity to manufacturers of deadly products like asbestos and pharmaceuticals that harm and kill patients. AAJ...

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16 July

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City questions injuries, but cop wins top disability benefits

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in Chicago

By TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO Staff Reporters tnovak@suntimes.com cfusco@suntimes.com July 16, 2012 12:46AM Weeks after she leveled sexual harassment charges against some co-workers 19 years ago, Chicago Police Officer Kimberly Miller-Shemash suffered what turned out to be a career-ending injury when someone didn’t replace the lug nuts on her squad car. Challenged over the severity of her injuries, she had to sue the city to get a lifetime of disability benefits from the squad-car mishap — a deal that would become one of the richest ever given to an injured Chicago cop. She also ended up filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against...

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15 July

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Northwest Community’s top doc lacked medical license

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in Chicago, IL

By Andrew L. Wang The top doctor at Northwest Community Hospital wasn't licensed to practice medicine, an embarrassing setback for a medical center that has struggled after missing out on the health care merger boom. Dr. Leighton Smith left his position this month as chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at the 496-bed hospital, where his duties included setting policy and managing...

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14 July

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Wet Seal sued by ex-managers for alleged racial bias

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in Chicago

July 12, 2012|Jonathan Stempel | Reuters (Reuters) - Wet Seal Inc has been sued by three former employees who accused it of discriminating against black store managers because they did not fit the image the U.S. retailer, which sells clothes for young women, wanted to convey. According to a complaint filed Thursday in a federal court in Santa Ana, California, "the most senior executives" of Wet Seal adopted a "policy and practice" of discriminating against black store managers at Wet Seal and Arden B stores from at least 2008 because those workers did not fit its "brand image." Wet Seal in a statement...

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13 July

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Wells Fargo, Justice Department settle discrimination case for $175 million

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in Uncategorized

By Ylan Q. Mui, Published: July 12 In one of the largest fair- lending payouts in history, Wells Fargo agreed on Thursday to spend at least $175 million to settle federal accusations that it steered black and Latino borrowers into high-cost loans and charged them excessive fees. The settlement with the nation’s largest home mortgage lender is rooted in a lawsuit filed four years ago by Baltimore over fair-lending violations. It culminated Thursday in what federal officials called “systemic discrimination” spanning 36 states and involving more than 34,000 minority customers over five years. “This is a case about real people — African American...

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13 July

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Former FOP Secretary Sues Union For Sexual Harassment

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in Chicago, IL

CHICAGO (CBS) – A woman who was a secretary for the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police has filed a federal sexual harassment suit against the union. The lawsuit goes into some salacious detail, using words we cannot use. It accuses FOP attorney Paul Geiger of asking then-secretary Marie Marrero, “How do you like this” as he “showed her a Facebook picture of him shirtless and flexing.” Marrero’s attorney, David Lee, said Geiger harassed Marrero in other ways. Former FOP Secretary Sues Union For Sexual Harassment...

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12 July

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Brother of victim files wrongful-death suit in Lakeview taxi accident

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in Chicago

July 10, 2012|By Naomi Nix | Tribune reporter A relative of an 86-year-old pedestrian who was fatally struck by taxi last year in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the driver and cab company. Brian Kier says Mohammed Ahmed was negligent last August when he failed to yield to Coral Kier while she was walking across Sheridan Road, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The lawsuit also names Yellow Cab Affiliation Inc. as a defendant. Ahmed was traveling west on Briar Place Aug. 22 when he tried to turn left on Sheridan. His cab then hit...

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12 July

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Florida A&M president resigns over hazing death

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in Uncategorized

In the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Champion's parents alleged that FAMU leaders tolerated hazing that had hospitalized three other band members and was implicated at least 107 other incidents since 1983. They also alleged that the university failed to act three days before Champion's death on a proposal by the school's dean of students to immediately suspend the band in an effort to tackle the hazing problem. Champion's mother, Pamela, welcomed Ammons resignation at a press conference in Orlando late Wednesday. "They (FAMU) need to clean house and that's the only way to move forward," she said. Florida A&M president resigns over hazing...

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11 July

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Family of motorcyclist killed in crash sues city

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in Chicago

June 25, 2012|By Naomi Nix | Tribune reporter The mother of a motorcyclist who died in an accident last June filed a lawsuit Monday alleging the city was negligent in its placement of a traffic-control device. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court says a sign gave motorists inadequate notice that the southbound lane of Harlem Avenue near the intersection of Myrtle Avenue was closed for construction, contributing to a fatal motorcycle crash. Ronald Bizeau Jr. was riding his 1998 Suzuki motorcycle south on North Harlem Avenue on June 29, 2011, when he struck the sign, police said last year. Family of motorcyclist...

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10 July

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“Talent” Contestant Sues Hotel in Wife’s Death

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in Uncategorized

A contestant on "America's Got Talent" files a wrongful death lawsuit against the Biltmore Hotel in connection with his wife's 2010 death at the LA landmark By Jason Kandel Monday, Jul 9, 2012 | Updated 7:24 PM CDT A wrongful death lawsuit against the Biltmore Hotel moved forward on Monday when a man whose wife was found dead at the LA landmark during an audition for “America’s Got Talent” alleged the hotel destroyed evidence to cover up the slaying of his wife. The allegation comes as part of a lawsuit filed by Joseph Finley in March 2011. The body of his wife, Laura, was...

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09 July

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CIA cracks down on sexual harassment in its ranks

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in Uncategorized

Spy agency reacts to complaints of sexual harassment by women working in CIA war zones. Former officers say trysts are part of the agency's culture. By Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times July 4, 2012, 3:04 p.m. WASHINGTON — Spurred by complaints from women working for the CIA in war zones, the spy service is stepping up efforts to enforce what it calls a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment by supervisors and co-workers. David Petraeus, the CIA director, sent a message to agency staff members last month to emphasize the initiative. He ordered a team of managers to meet with senior officers at stations...

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08 July

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Hospital Safety Ratings Released By Consumer Reports

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in Chicago

redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports – Your Universe Online Billings Clinic in Montana is the safest hospital in the US, while Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago scored lowest, according to Consumer Reports’ first-ever list of the best and worst medical facilities. According to the organization, a 2010 US Department of Health and Human Services report said claims that infections, surgical error, and other types of medical malpractice contribute to the deaths of as many as 180,000 Medicare patients each year, and most likely numerous non-Medicare patients as well. As a result of those figures, officials from Consumer Reports collected information on more than...

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07 July

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Wrongful Death Suit Filed in Train Derailment

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in Uncategorized

By Charlie Wojciechowski, Friday, Jul 6, 2012 Two victims found beneath the wreckage of Wednesday's train derailment have been identified A judge has ordered all clean-up halted at the site where a train derailed Wednesday in Glenview after a couple was found dead buried beneath the rubble. Two people discovered inside a car beneath debris from the derailment were identified as Burton Lindner, 69 and wife Zorine Lindner, 70. The couple lived a block away from the site of the derailment, which spilled thousands of tons of coal from the train. Their car and bodies were discovered Thursday morning while crews cleaned up wreckage...

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06 July

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AIG workers compensation settlement disputed by Liberty Mutual units

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in Chicago

CHICAGO—Subsidiaries of Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group Inc. have asked a federal judge to reverse a $450 million settlement paid by American International Group Inc. for its alleged underreporting of workers compensation premiums. In a June 12 filing in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Safeco Insurance Co. and Ohio Casualty Insurance Co. say the court erred in approving the settlement from New York-based AIG because they believe it was the "result of collusion and an improper reverse auction" between AIG and insurers that AIG had accused of premium underreporting. In particular, the brief claims the settlement unfairly benefited ACE INA Holdings...

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05 July

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Too many creeps see opportunity on buses, trains

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in Chicago, IL

BY DR. LAURA BERMAN drberman@bermancenter.com July 3, 2012 9:33AM Crowded buses and dirty train cars are just the beginning. Sexual harassment can be an issue, as is sexual assault in the form of unwanted touching, indecent exposure and public masturbation. This is especially true in Shanghai, China, where sexual harassment on public transportation has reached critical status. Too many creeps see opportunity on buses, trains...

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05 July

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Yellow Transportation Inc. discrimination case shows why racism is so frustrating

Posted by editor

in IL

BY MARY MITCHELL marym@suntimes.com July 2, 2012 5:48PM The $11 million settlement in a discrimination case brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows why racism is so frustrating. The suit was against Yellow Transportation Inc., a trucking company in Chicago Ridge that is now known as YRC Freight. Harry Glasper, who received professional training and hauled loads long distance, said someone hung a noose on his forklift in 1991. After complaining, he had problems getting promotions and new work assignments until he left the company in 2010. Yellow Transportation Inc. discrimination case shows why racism is so frustrating...

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04 July

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Avoid Fireworks Injuries With These Safety Tips

Posted by editor

in IL

By Andrew Lu at FindLaw.com Mon Jul 2, 2012 10:40pm EDT It's all fun and games until someone blows his head off in a ghastly Fourth of July accident. You may not think about fireworks as weapons, but that's essentially what they are -- gunpowder in canisters lit with fuses that blow up. It's this lax attitude about fireworks and fireworks safety that lead to horrible fireworks injuries. Here we'll discuss fireworks laws in your state (they're not legal in every state) as well as fireworks safety tips. First the laws. All 50 states have their own laws regarding the purchase and use of...

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03 July

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BREAKING NEWS: AAJ Response to SCOTUS decision on the Affordable Care Act

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in Uncategorized

Posted by: Katie Gommel Washington, DC—The following is a statement from the American Association for Justice (AAJ) President Gary M. Paul in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act: “Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a step forward not only in the fight to expand access to healthcare, but also in the fight to protect patients’ access to justice. “This ruling bolsters AAJ’s longstanding argument that federal efforts to deny patients’ legal rights by mandating changes to state laws and state courts exceed Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause and violate our system of federalism. BREAKING NEWS:...

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02 July

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Celine Dion sued by employee for overtime violations

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in Chicago

Tim Kenneally Reuters 1:42 p.m. CDT, June 29, 2012 LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Celine Dion is being sued by a former employee who claims that he was illegally denied overtime compensation by the singer, and says that there are other people in Dion's employ who've been similarly stiffed. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Florida, Keith Sturtevant, who says that he worked for Dion and her husband Rene Angelil in Florida from 2009 until this June, claims that he never received overtime compensation while working for the couple, despite the fact that he "routinely worked in excess of 40...

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