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.

Spanish Sonrise Dairy Recalls Raw Milk Amid E. Coli Concerns

August 17, 2017

After testing positive for E. coli, a dairy farm is recalling unpasteurized, raw milk to protect the public from the bacteria that can “cause serious infections, especially in young children.” The farm, Spanish Sunrise Dairy in Yacolt, WA, actually has a “history of pathogen problems,” and posted their latest recall earlier this week on Tuesday. According to the recall notice on the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s website, “Consumers who have purchased Spanish Sonrise Dairy raw milk with a Best By date of 08-23 are urged not to drink the product and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.”

Settlement Reached in “Free Cruise” Robocall Lawsuit

August 17, 2017

Between July 2009 and March 2014, many households across the country received calls from an unfamiliar number that turned out to be a pre-recorded message informing the homeowner that they qualified for a free cruise. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it was, and given the fact that many people received multiple calls from the unfamiliar number, a class-action lawsuit was filed to bring an end to the robocalls. Fortunately for members of the lawsuit, a settlement was announced earlier this week. But who was responsible for the phone calls? Who filed the lawsuit?

Image of a Carton of Eggs with Salmonella Label

Salmonella Concerns Prompt Michigan Farm to Recall Shell Eggs

August 16, 2017

Due to concerns of possible Salmonella enteriditis contamination, a Michigan poultry farm is recalling “shell eggs in eight counties.” The recall was issued shortly after an environmental sample from a “foodborne illness outbreak investigation” detected the presence of salmonella at LaBar Poultry Farm in Manistique. The farm itself is owned by Jeff and Heidi LaBar, and so far they, along with the Michigan agriculture department and the health department have been silent on the matter, media outlets report that LaBar Poultry Farm “has recalled eggs distributed to restaurants, grocery stores and directly to consumers.”

City of Baltimore Pays $98k to Settle Free Speech Lawsuit

August 16, 2017

The city of Baltimore is set to pay out $98,000 to settle a free speech lawsuit filed by a “former deputy who sued Sheriff John W. Anderson for firing him after he spoke out about a raid that resulted in him getting shot.” The payment will be issued by Baltimore’s Board of Estimates, “which is controlled by Mayor Catherine Pugh.” The decision to settle was made when the former deputy, James Lane, agreed to drop the lawsuit if the payment was issued. It’s important to note that this latest payment is in addition to “a $160,000 settlement approved by the state’s Board of Public Works in January.”

Image of the Beef Products Inc. and ABC News Logos

New Details Emerge Regarding “Pink Slime” Lawsuit Settlement

August 15, 2017

ABC News and Beef Products Inc. finally reached a settlement over “an ABC News report about so-called pink slime, a once-common ingredient in ground beef.” The trial began earlier this month after Beef Products Inc claimed the news report “wreaked havoc on its business after it aired in 2012,” misleading viewers and causing “hundreds of layoffs.”

Harvest Hill Farm Agrees to Settle Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Deadly Hayride Accident

August 14, 2017

A settlement has been reached between the family of Cassidy Charette and the owner of Harvest Hill Farm in Mechanic Falls, bringing an end to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family. The lawsuit itself was filed after 17-year-old Cassidy Charette “died in a hayride crash” on October 11, 2014. The tragic accident happened when the wagon on the hayride attraction “went out of control after a brake failure, killing the Oakland teenager and injuring more than 20 other people.” Additionally, investigations revealed that the 1979 Jeep used to haul the wagon also had many safety issues. So basically, the lawsuit was filed as a way to not only seek justice for their daughter’s death but to also hold the farm accountable for what happened.

UPS Settles Disability Discrimination Lawsuit for $2M

August 14, 2017

To settle a disability discrimination lawsuit, UPS has “agreed to pay a total of $2 million to nearly 90 current and former employees” across the country. The lawsuit was first filed on behalf of the employees by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) back in 2009, and alleged UPS had “violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it failed to provide employees with reasonable accommodations and maintained an ‘inflexible’ leave policy that automatically fired employees when they reached 12 months of leave, without an interactive process.”

Popular ATVs Recalled Amid Fire Hazard Concerns

August 14, 2017

A voluntary recall has been issued for Kawasaki “all-terrain vehicles due to fire hazard.” Though 18 reports of fuel leaks have been reported to Kawasaki, no one has been hurt so far.

Image of the Recalled Munching Max Chipmunk

Popular Stuffed Toys Recalled Over Laceration Concerns

August 10, 2017

When parents buy their children toys, they do so with the mindset that they’re safe to play with. Certainly, they don’t think that their child’s new toy would be hazardous or harmful to play with. Unfortunately, one popular toy has been declared dangerous and is now being recalled. TOMY’s Munching Max Chipmunk toys are being recalled because, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, parts inside the toys can “break and puncture the fabric,” posing a laceration hazard. So far only one child has been injured because of the issue.

Image of the word 'Overtime' under a microscope

$825K Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Against Restaurant

August 10, 2017

A class action lawsuit was recently settled between Water Street Brewery and many of its servers for $825,000. The lawsuit itself was filed back in November of 2016 by Angela Brandt when she claimed Water Street Brewery was in violation of “state and federal wage-and-hour laws at each of the company’s four locations.” According to Brandt, a former server, the brewery’s servers “had not been paid minimum wage because of various payroll practices, including requiring servers to share tips with certain employees and pay for discarded coasters, discarded silverware and broken dishes from their tips.” Additionally, the lawsuit also alleges “that servers did not receive overtime when they worked more than 40 hours per week.”

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