| Next in the Harvey Insurance Series: Windstorm Insurance Claims on Oct 31st. |
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Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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| How Renting Furniture in Texas Can Land You in Jail |
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Rental companies can avail themselves of a little-known law written decades ago by the rental industry lobby â?? in Texas and in many other states â?? that can turn a dispute over a love seat or big screen TV into a criminal offense report, a trip to jail and even felony theft charges. In some cases, the customers have already paid thousands of dollars by the time they default, court records show. But if they donâ??t pay the remaining balance, they can face theft of service charges â?? even if they return the goods.
JAY ROOT AND SHANNON NAJMABADI, Texas Tribune 10/27/2017    |
| Read Article: Texas Tribune |
| Investigation: TXTAG Troubles |
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This year, more than 2.2 million Texas toll accounts had a bill sent to Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott (a Houston-based collections agency), who added nearly $1 billion in fees to driversâ?? accounts, according to information obtained by KXAN through an open records request. And, the number of Texans affected could be even higher since the Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees TxTag, said each account could have more than one vehicle tied to it. ssues with TxTag customer service and billing have been ongoing for years and even resulted in TxDOT fining contractor Xerox in February 2015 for not meeting the terms of their agreement.
SARAH RAFIQUE, BRITTANY GLAS, JOSH HINKLE & BEN FRIBERG , KXAN Austin News 10/27/2017 |
| Read Article: KXAN Austin News |
| Investigation: Timberlawn Had History of Sexual Assault Reports |
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As Dallas police investigate a 13-year-old girlâ??s report that she was raped at Timberlawn, the hospital is fighting a lawsuit from a woman who said she was sexually assaulted there under similar circumstances in 2015. In addition, at least three other female patients have complained to police or Timberlawn staff about unwanted sexual contact since 2014, The Dallas Morning News has found. The allegations raise new questions about a hospital already under scrutiny. After a Timberlawn patient who warned she felt suicidal hanged herself with a torn bedsheet in 2014, inspectors uncovered multiple safety violations. The next year, federal officials cut off the hospitalâ??s funding and the state moved to shut it down.
Sarah Mervosh and Sue Ambrose, The Dallas Morning News 10/27/2017 |
| Read Article: The Dallas Morning News |
| Medical Errors Cost the Country Billions |
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More than 400,000 Americans die annually in part because of avoidable medical errors, according to a 2013 estimate published in the Journal of Patient Safety. In 2008, the most recent year studied, medical errors cost the country $19.5 billion, most of which was spent on extra care and medication, according to another report. If a problem such as Thompson's stemmed from negligence, a malpractice lawsuit may be an option. But lawyers who collect only when there's a settlement or a victory may not take on a case unless it's exceptionally clear that the doctor or hospital was at fault. That creates a Catch-22, said John Goldberg, a professor at Harvard Law School and an expert in tort law. "We'll never know if something has happened because of malpractice," he said, "because it's not financially viable to bring a lawsuit." That leaves the patient responsible for extra costs.
Shefali Luthra, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune 10/27/2017 |
| Read Article: Chicago Tribune |
| Probe of Ford Fusion Steering Wheels that May Loosen, Detach |
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U.S. regulators are investigating complaints that steering wheels can come loose or fall off in the Ford Fusion, a midsize sedan. A person in Georgia told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a steering wheel fell into their lap in a 2015 Fusion when turning into a gas station on Sept. 23. The agency opened the probe after receiving three complaints about loose steering wheels. The probe revealed in documents posted Friday covers about 841,000 midsize sedans from the 2014 through 2016 model years.
Associated Press, USA Today 10/27/2017 |
| Read Article: USA Today |
| Hit by Complaints About Fumes, Ford to Begin Providing Free Fixes for Explorers |
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mid complaints by consumers about fumes and carbon monoxide seeping into the cabins of Ford Explorers, the nationâ??s No. 2 automaker next week will launch a free servicing program. Ford continues to insist that the vehicles are safe, despite complaints from more than 2,000 motorists who say they have been inhaling exhaust in their Explorers. The car giant says its dealers will provide the free fixes on 2011 through 2017 models starting Wednesday to reduce â??the potentialâ?? for problems and to satisfy â??customersâ?? peace of mind.â??
Paul Feldman , Fair Warning 10/27/2017 |
| Read Article: Fair Warning |
| Family Files Suit After Man's Fatal Fall at Mile High Stadium |
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A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of a man who fell to his death at a Denver Broncos game last year. The man fell over a guardrail at Mile High Stadium during a game on Oct. 24, 2016. He died from injuries sustained during the 60-foot fall and his family has filed suit against several parties alleging that they "breached their duty of care" by "failing to take reasonable affirmative action or measures" to make the fire escape where the man fell safe. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Metropolitan Football Stadium District, PDB Enterprises, PDB Sports, Bowlen Sports and Stadium Management Company.
Krystyna Biassou and Marshall Zelinger, 9NEWS - Colorado 10/26/2017 |
| Read Article: 9NEWS - Colorado |
| Natural Gas Explosion at Minnesota Facility Subject of Lawsuit |
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The family of a woman who was killed in a natural gas explosion in Minnesota has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The woman died in August when a natural gas explosion occurred at the Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her family has filed suit against several defendants alleging that they are to blame for her death. The woman, one of two people killed in the explosion, was a longtime employee of Minnehaha Academy. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are CenterPoint Energy Inc., CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp., CenterPoint Energy Services, Inc., and Master Mechanical Inc., a Minnesota mechanical contracting corporation.
Staff Report, Business Wire 10/25/2017 |
| Read Article: Business Wire |
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