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May 10, 2017

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May
The Law Firm of Tomorrow: Going 100% Cloud
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May
TTLA Legislative Update Webinar (Sponsored by Rebekah Reedy Miller Settlement Partners)
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Medicareâ??s Evolving Role in Liability Settlements
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The Essentials of a Flood Claim: You Too Can Learn How to Handle a Flood Insurance Claim
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Maximizing the Value of M.I.S.T. Cases
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All Member Legislative Update May 12th at 10AM
TTLAâ??s next Legislative Update Webinar will be Friday, May 12th at 10AM. This briefing is available for all TTLA members. Click on the headline to register.

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The Legislative War Chest helps underwrite the extra costs associated with protecting your practice at the Capitol. War Chest contributors get access to in-depth conference call updates throughout session and special recognition on the TTLA website and at TTLA events. Click on the headline to make your contribution.

TTLA Midyear Conference Speaker Preview: Charla Aldous, Lisa Blue, Howard Nations & Todd Tracy!
Join TTLA June 7-9, 2017 at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown for the 2017 Midyear Conference and CLE Seminar. Network with fellow TTLA members, hear from a fantastic line-up of speakers, and earn up to 10 hours of MCLE credit! Click on the headline to register.

Texas Tribune Daily Brief

The Brief for May 10
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SANYA MANSOOR AND BOBBY BLANCHARD, Texas Tribune 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Texas Tribune


Issues

Safety Group Says Truck Guard Rails Could Prevent Deaths
Tractor-trailers with side guard rails mounted between their tires are less likely to be involved in fatal crashes, an auto safety group says. Federal law requires big trucks to have rear underride guards, which stop cars from traveling underneath the truck in an accident. But the government doesn't require side guards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says side guards could prevent hundreds of traffic deaths per year in the U.S. alone.
Associated Press, The New York Times 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn icon
Read Article: The New York Times

Wage Theft Study: Texas Workers Lose the Most Money
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In many low-wage industries, it's all too easy for employers to short workers on the wages they're owed â?? either because it's done in a way that employees don't notice, or they need the job too much to protest. How much this costs workers is difficult to pinpoint. But by one estimation, they lose out by more than workers in any of the 10 largest states, according to a new report from the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. On average between 2013 and 2015, in the 10 largest states, 4.1 percent of respondents report that their hourly rate is less than the minimum wage in their state, which researchers concluded must constitute a violation of the law. That's about $8 billion stolen from 2.4 million people annually.
Lydia DePillis, San Antonio Express News 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: San Antonio Express News


Laws/Cases

Lawsuit: Mom Says T-Mobile Responsible for Baby's Death
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The mother of the 6-month-old baby who was dying while a babysitter was on hold trying to reach 911 is suing T-Mobile, the carrier the city of Dallas originally blamed for an issue affecting the city's emergency call center. The suit was filed Monday in the 101st Dallas County district court on behalf of Bridget Alex's son, Brandon Alex, who died March 11. Alex argues that her son would not have died had T-Mobile implemented technology and services that would have allowed the babysitter's call to go through to the city's emergency call center.
CLAIRE Z. CARDONA, The Dallas Morning News 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: The Dallas Morning News

Family of Slain Dallas Lawyer Tobolowsky Awarded $5.5M in Defamation Suit
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The family of slain Dallas attorney Ira Tobolowsky has been awarded $5.5 million in a defamation suit that Tobolowsky filed before his death. Tobolowsky had sued Steven Aubrey and his partner, Brian Vodicka, in 2015. The case was the extension of a bitter legal battle between Aubrey -- who sued his brother and mother regarding a family trust -- and Tobolowsky, who was representing Aubrey's mother. Vodicka represented Aubrey. The defamation suit was working its way through a Dallas County court when Tobolowsky's body was found in the burning garage of his North Dallas home in May 2016. Authorities determined someone had started the fire intentionally.
Julieta Chiquilloo, The Dallas Morning News 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: The Dallas Morning News

Players Union Complains to NFL About Handling of Drugs
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A non-injury grievance filed by the NFL Players Association points to a federal lawsuit against the 32 teams that includes charges that the NFL and its clubs illegally stored, transported and dispensed medication and that players were plied with pain medication to stay on the playing field each year. The lawsuit â??raises serious issues about whether the NFL knew about potential and ongoing criminal violations regarding prescription drugs, as well as troubling questions about the legality and medical ethics of the dispensing of painkillers by NFL medical personnel to players,â?? the union said.
Rick Maese, The Washington Post 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: The Washington Post

La. Parish Reaches $45M Deal With BP Over Deepwater Spill
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Plaquemines Parish reached a $45 million settlement with BP regarding the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to an announcement. The settlement comes roughly a year after a Louisiana federal judge approved BPâ??s agreement to pay more than $20 billion to settle federal and state claims.
Suevon Lee, Law360 ($) 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Law360 ($)

Judge Denies VW Arbitration Bid In Engine Defect Suit
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Volkswagen canâ??t force a proposed class action over an alleged engine defect into arbitration, a New Jersey federal judge said Monday, finding that the automaker wasnâ??t actually a party to the arbitration agreement car owners signed with Volkswagen dealerships. In his opinion, U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares said that to force arbitration, heâ??d first have to find that there was a valid arbitration agreement, and, if so, that the dispute falls within the scope of that agreement.
John Kennedy, Law360 ($) 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Law360 ($)

GM Settles Ignition Switch Lawsuit Before California Trial
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General Motors Co has agreed to settle a lawsuit blaming a 2012 fatal car crash on a faulty ignition switch that has been linked to 124 deaths and 275 injuries. The settlement, which the automaker said was reached on Friday, resolved a lawsuit over the death of Juanita Mullin by her husband John Mullin and their daughter. The case had been set to go to trial on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Nate Raymond, Reuters 05/10/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Reuters


Class Action

Sixth Lawsuit Filed Against Fyre Festival Seeking $100M
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The failed Fyre Festival that was canceled in the Bahamas last month after attendees had already started to arrive on the fest site has been the target of multiple lawsuits. The latest is a proposed class action suit seeking $100 million in damages. The firm representing this case expects to have over 1,000 plaintiffs shortly and claims that they were "the unwitting pawns and ultimately victims" of the festival's founders and investors.
Polly Mosendz, Kim Bhasin, Bloomberg 05/09/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Bloomberg


Wrongful Death

Family's Civil Lawsuit Against Aaron Hernandez's Estate Will Proceed
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Despite the recent suicide of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez in prison, a wrongful death lawsuit against him by the family of Odin L. Lloyd is expected to continue. Hernandez was convicted of shooting Lloyd to death in 2015, but the criminal conviction was vacated by a judge this week. Now, a court will have to decide if Hernandez's estate can be held liable for any damages in this civil suit.
Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe 05/09/2017 Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn Icon
Read Article: Boston Globe



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