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.

Settlement Reached Between Harassed Female Workers and the Federal Bureau of Prisons

February 16, 2017

A settlement has been reached between the Federal Bureau of Prisons and female workers who claim they were “sexually harassed by prisoners” at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex near Orlando, Florida. Last Friday, an administrative judge signed off on the settlement that could amount to $20 million to compensate the female workers for “emotional distress and physical harm as well as reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses resulting from harassment from male inmates.” So what exactly happened?

New Bills Would End “Surprise Billing” In Georgia

February 14, 2017

Urgent cares and hospitals are busy this time of the year. Between the flu, colds, and rare cases of pneumonia, people across the country tend to catch more infections during the winter months than any other time of the year. Unfortunately, this means an increased number of patients experiencing a situation known as “surprise billing.” This is when “a patient goes to a hospital that is covered by her insurance but ends up receiving a bill for out-of-network services.” Not only is this unfair to patients, but it can have lasting impacts on their finances. Fortunately, legislators in Georgia are preparing new bills designed to put an end to surprise billing. That comes as a relief for many, especially for Dan Harrison, a recent victim of surprise billing.

Do Apology Laws Reduce Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?

February 14, 2017

Apology laws. We’ve all seen them in action on the various doctor shows out there, or maybe you’ve experienced them in person. They’re laws that allow “physicians to express sympathy to patients and families without it being used against them.” One of the reasons why they were implemented in the first place was to reduce the number of medical malpractice suits being filed. However, a new study conducted by a team from Vanderbilt University has revealed that apology laws do not reduce “the number of medical malpractice suits filed, or the amounts paid out.” In fact, the opposite has occurred. Enacted in 32 states across the country, the apology laws, or “I’m sorry” laws have actually “increased the number of suits against non-surgeons.”

New Missouri Bills Attack Consumer Protection Laws

February 13, 2017

New bills are being introduced in Missouri by Republicans to rein in “an out-of-control civil litigation system that hurts the state’s business landscape.” One bill, sponsored by Sen. Gary Romine, would make it more difficult for people to “sue businesses for racial discrimination,” effectively improving “Missouri’s legal climate.” Another piece of legislation would “put new limits on malpractice suits against veterinarians.”

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.

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