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.

$12M Settlement Awarded in Medical Malpractice Case

January 25, 2018

A recent medical malpractice lawsuit ruled against the University of Arizona Health Network, now Banner-University Medical Center Tucson and awarded $12 million to a “Tucson woman in a vegetative state” due to a medical error. The largest medical malpractice lawsuit in Pima County in the last decade, the suit stems from an incident that occurred on September 13, 2013. In that day, Esmeralda Tripp visited the ER alone and had “been to the same emergency room multiple times dealing with the same issue,” seizures. According to her daughter, Jamaica Tripp-Serrano, she was “generally treated with a Vitamin K shot or plasma and released.” In addition to the frequent seizures, Tripp was also on “Coumadin, a blood thinner medication.”

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Infant Death Results in Lawsuit Against West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

January 20, 2018

Losing a child is always hard, especially when the death could have been prevented. One father who lost a child in such a manner recently decided to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those he feels are responsible for his child’s untimely death, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Eric Gillispie lost his three-month-old daughter, Raynna Rae Boggs, in May 2010 when the child’s mother “passed out on top of her while under the influence of drugs and alcohol at her home in South Charleston.”

175,000 UGG Comforters Recalled Over Concerns of Potential Mold Contamination

January 20, 2018

Are you or someone you know a fan of UGG comforters? If so, this latest recall is for you. Yesterday the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall of nearly 175,000 “Bed Bath & Beyond UGG comforters due to the risk of mold exposure.” According to the recall notice, “mold could be present, posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, damaged lungs or an allergy to mold.” In a statement regarding the matter, UGG said, “The determination to recall the product at the retail level was made after a few mild spores were detected on a minimal number of units.”

Settlement Reached Between the Eagles and Hotel California Baja LLC

January 19, 2018

Who doesn’t enjoy a good Eagles song? Many people grew up listening to the popular band, and even today some of the band’s more famous songs are easily recognizable by even members of the younger generation. Take the band’s catchy tune, Hotel California, for example. However, the band recently settled a lawsuit it filed against a Mexican hotel, Hotel California Baja LLC, to prevent it from “calling itself Hotel California.” Since agreeing to the settlement, the hotel “withdrew their application for a U.S. trademark.”

West Virginia University Hazing Death Ends With Lawsuit Settlement

January 19, 2018

More than three years after the hazing death of Nolan Burch, his family finally reached a settlement earlier this week with West Virginia University, Kappa Sigma fraternity, Richard Schwartz, Jordon Hankins, and others. For those who don’t know, Burch “died in 2014, the victim of acute alcohol poisoning.” According to his family’s lawsuit, which was filed back in 2015, “he drank a whole bottle of alcohol in a fraternity hazing incident at West Virginia University.”

Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Pregnant Woman and 3 Children Die in Beecher Crash

January 19, 2018

Edward Schmidt, filed the lawsuit earlier this month on January 21, against the driver that hit his wife’s vehicle last summer and is seeking “$50,000 for each of the deaths.” At the moment, bond for the driver, “25-year-old Sean Woulfe, who pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of reckless homicide in August, was reduced from $1 million to $250,000 during a court appearance.” He managed to post bond that same day. But what happened last summer? How did the crash occur?

Senate Finance Committee Advances President’s Health Secretary Nominee

January 19, 2018

Earlier this week members of the Senate Finance Committee approved the advance of Alex Azar’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to reports, members of the committee voted “largely along party lines,” with 15 Republicans voting in favor of President Trump’s nomination and 12 Democrats voting against it. Now that the nomination is being advanced, the next step will be for Azar’s nomination to “head to a what appears to be an easy confirmation vote on the floor before the full Senate.”

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Recall Issued for 270,000 Fujifilm Wall Chargers Amid Shock Hazard Concerns

January 18, 2018

Photographers beware. Fujifilm just issued a recall for “more than 270,000 power adapter wall plugs that were packaged with six of the company’s point-and-shoot and mirrorless camera models” over concerns that they could be susceptible to electrical shock. According to the company, the AC-5VF plugs have the potential to “crack, break, or accidentally detach from the device’s charger, posing a hazard.” Fortunately, there have been no injury reports as of yet, and Fujifilm is offering to replace customer wall plugs and adapter units for free.

Family of Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot by Deputies Sue King County

January 17, 2018

After the tragic fatal shooting of a 23-year-old pregnant woman, Renee Davis, her family is moving forward in filing a “wrongful death lawsuit against the county and deputies in King County Superior Court.” The lawsuit stems from the fatal shooting in 2016 that claimed Davis’ life when sheriff deputies, “who had been dispatched to check on her well-being,” opened fire and killed her. But what transpired leading up to the shooting? Why were deputies dispatched to check on her in the first place?

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Paterson Public Schools, K&M Transportation Agree to Settlement, Ending Wrongful Death Lawsuit

January 17, 2018

The parents of 14-year-old Onynx Williams reached a $1.4 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against Paterson Public Schools, K&M Transportation, and the Bergen County Special Services School District. The lawsuit itself was filed after Onynx “stepped out of a moving school bus through a rear emergency exit to her death” back in January of 2013. According to the agreement, $400,000 of the settlement will be paid by Paterson Public Schools, and about $200,000 will be paid by the Bergen County Special Services School District. The rest will largely be paid by K&M Transportation.

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