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.

Are Smart TVs Spying On Us?

February 8, 2017

Smart appliances and gear is all the rage today. From smartphones and tablets to smart TVs, we’re surrounding by these nifty gadgets that supposedly make our lives easier and more enjoyable. However, some people are skeptical about their security when using smart devices. Afterall, how many times have we heard the story of someone hacking into a baby monitor to spy on a sleeping infant? It’s every parent’s nightmare. But did you know it’s not only crazy hackers the use smart devices to their advantage? In fact, some companies have been caught using their smart devices to spy on their consumers? Enter Vizio, a company that, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “used 11 million televisions to spy on its customers.”

Settlement Reached Between College Athletes and NCAA

February 8, 2017

Part of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA has been settled, and according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs of the case, “thousands of current and former college athletes could receive $5,000 or more” as a result. The $208.7 million settlement was reached last Friday between the NCAA and 11 conferences in a class-action lawsuit “brought by players over the value of an athletic scholarship.”

New Bill Leaves Missouri Consumers Vulnerable

February 7, 2017

Consumers should feel comfortable when shopping, plain and simple. Deceptive and unfair business practices shouldn’t even be a thought when purchasing things like cars and other items. After all, there are laws like the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act that protect consumers from “deceptive and unfair practices in business.” Unfortunately for consumers in Missouri, a new bill is being proposed that will exempt a lot of different types of companies from the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, including “auto dealers, payday and title lenders, finance companies, cable, and phone companies.” Essentially, the new bill would exempt “any company regulated by any government agency” from being sued for violating the act.

Former NFL Cheerleaders Sue League Over Unfair Wages

February 7, 2017

The topic of women’s rights has been in the news a lot lately, especially with the recent Women’s March on Washington that took place late last month. Now it’s in the news again, but this time it’s in relation to unfair wages. A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against the NFL by a group of former cheerleaders. Why? Well, according to the lawsuit, the NFL and all 26 of its member teams that “employ cheerleaders actively conspired to underpay them and keep them from negotiating better salaries.”

Salvation Army and Others Found Liable In Deadly Building Collapse

February 6, 2017

Accidents happen all the time, but they’re even worse when they result in loss of life. Unfortunately, this is what happened when a Philadelphia Salvation Army building collapsed and claimed the lives of six people on June 5, 2013. Thirteen others who were buried in the debris and rubble survived, though some will have to live with permanent injuries they sustained when “a towering wall from an adjacent demolition project collapsed onto” the small thrift store.

Atlanta Falcons Concerned About Excessive Reliance On Painkillers

February 3, 2017

A heavy dependence on painkillers is never a good thing, especially if word gets out that your professional NFL players have an “excessive” reliance on them. This is what happened to the Atlanta Falcons. Recently, emails dating from 2010 were “entered into court last week as part of a proposed class-action lawsuit by more than

Jury Rules In Favor Of Ohio Couple In Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

February 2, 2017

For many, the birth of a child is a joyous occasion filled with excitement. Sure, the thought of something going wrong is often in the back of expectant parent’s minds, but they’re easily shoved aside at the prospect of holding their new little bundle of joy. However, sometimes things do go wrong in the labor and delivery process, and while sometimes it’s just bad luck, other times the doctor or hospital makes a bad call, with devastating consequences for new parents. This was the case for one Ohio couple, Nicole Welker and Justin Brinkley, who gave birth to their child back in 2012 at Clearfield Hospital.

Trump’s Newest Executive Order Has Consumer Groups Furious

February 2, 2017

On Monday President Trump added to his growing list of executive orders by issuing a new one on regulations. Not only does the new order require that “for every federal regulation put in place, two other regulations must be eliminated,” but is also “requires that the cost of all new regulations this year be zero.” Despite Trump claiming the new order will be great for small businesses because they will supposedly be able to expand more quickly, many consumer groups aren’t happy with it.

Age Discrimination Suit Rules In Favor Of Ex-Lockheed Martin Engineer

February 1, 2017

It’s not uncommon for people to work well into their sixties, and even longer, especially if they’re doing something they love. It certainly wouldn’t be right to get rid of people as they age. After all, over the years employees build and acquire particular sets of skills that can benefit companies they work for. So naturally, ageism isn’t a thing in today’s day an age, not in America. Wrong. Age discrimination is alive and well, and all too often employees are let go because they’re deemed too old or unfit to carry out a job that they are more than capable of doing. This was true for Robert Braden, a former engineer at Lockheed Martin who was 66 years old when he was fired back in 2012 due to age discrimination. In a lawsuit, he accused Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor, of laying him off because of his age. Fortunately for Braden, a federal jury unanimously sided with him and awarded him “$50 million in punitive damages, $520,000 for economic loss, and $520,000 for pain and suffering.”

Burdensome Fees Limit Patient Access To Medical Records

January 31, 2017

New findings suggest that copy fees can greatly limit patient access to their medical records. Patients in the US are supposed to be able to easily obtain electronic copies of their medical records, but steep fees make that difficult for many across the nation. So why are there fees in the first place if patients are supposed to be allowed easy access to their records? Well, according to Dr. Harlan Krumholz of the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, last year new federal guidelines were issued allowing healthcare providers to “charge fees for labor, costs of creating electronic or paper copies of records and postage.”

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