| | | | | Announcements | | | Share with Your FB Friends: Guest Column - Businesses fear of U.S. jury system is irrational | | Businesses fear of U.S. jury system is irrational by TOM MELSHEIMER and CRAIG SMITH, Houston Chronicle 7-30-11. With no shortage of real threats to keep U.S. executives awake at night, it's surprising that so much time and energy is wasted trying to make sure that 12 average citizens in a jury box are not allowed to hear their business grievances. This fear of the jury system has become a pervasive phobia for many in corporate America. Click on the headline to read more. | Laws/Cases | | | Court: Michigan Not Liable in ATV Crash | | The Michigan Supreme Court ruled last week that the state is not responsible for maintaining a local trail on which a woman crashed her ATV, leaving her paralyzed. The court ruled 4-3 that the trail was not designated as a road or highway, therefore the state would not be required by law to maintain it. The woman crashed her vehicle in 2007 when her ATV hit a partially buried board on the trial. Staff and Wire Report, Detroit Free Press 08/01/2011 | Read Article: Detroit Free Press | Lawsuit Accuses Kansas City of Wage Violations | | A group of Kansas City paramedics and EMTs has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming federal violations of wage laws. According to the lawsuit, the city has a practice of failing to properly compensate its employees for overtime hours worked. The lawsuit is seeking class-action status. Tony Rizzo , Kansas City Star 07/29/2011 | Read Article: Kansas City Star | Baltimore Officer Awarded $225,000 in Lawsuit | | Baltimore County will pay $225,000 to a county police detective in an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit against the county. The plaintiff claimed in his suit that his rights were violated when "he was ordered to take neurological and fitness-for-duty tests in 2006, 10 years after he suffered what the lawsuit called a 'potential seizure' on the job." The suit said the plaintiff was pronounced healthy just three weeks after his illness, and that these recent tests were retaliatory in nature. Arthur Hirsch, Baltimore Sun 07/31/2011 | Read Article: Baltimore Sun | $320M Awarded in Punitive Damages Over Smelter | | A St. Louis jury has awarded $320 million in punitive damages in the lawsuit against the former owners of a lead smelter in the eastern Missouri town of Herculaneum. The jury awarded the punitive damages on Friday, a day after awarding $38.5 million in compensatory damages for health problems and lost lifetime income. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 16 residents of Herculaneum and named Texas-based Fluor Corp., Virginia-based A.T. Massey Coal and Doe Run Investment Holding Co. Associated Press, Kansas City Star 08/01/2011 | Read Article: Kansas City Star | | | | | | Published by TRIALSMITH, Litigation Tools for Trial Lawyers You received this email because you are subscribed to this service from your trial lawyers association. Unsubscribe Search National Litigation Bank 800-443-1757 | |