Explore our legal content, spanning diverse legal topics, court decisions, legislative changes, and expert analysis, as we bring you the pulse of the legal world in a succinct and informative format.
Top-Shelf Stuff
Garrett Morgan, born in Kentucky in 1877 to freed-slave parents and who later became an Ohio citizen, is an often-overlooked inventor in American history. In 1895, Morgan became a sewing machine repairman, which guided him to an early invention: hair-straightening cream. We’ll explain. While sewing, heat was created by the friction of rapidly moving needles upon fabric, sometimes scorching it. In seeking a chemical solution, Morgan found that one of his concoctions also straightened out the fabric threads. Further experimentation...Read More
Foreseeability and Proximate Cause
Let’s take a deep dive into a couple of personal injury terms … well, maybe dip our toe in labyrinth. “Foreseeability” and “proximate cause” are two key factors in proving negligence (fault) in a personal injury case. Foreseeability refers to predictability — an act that someone of ordinary mental capacity should be able to see will lead to repercussions, meaning a plaintiff’s injury or property damage. For instance, a dog attack should be foreseeable when a dog has a history...Read More
Insurance Industry Tactics
The U.S. insurance industry is an economic dynamo. It has trillions of dollars in assets, rakes in over $30 billion in profits annually, and pays its CEOs more than any other industry. But to boost their bottom lines ever further, many insurance companies seek to pay as few claims as possible, or the smallest amounts possible. Some may say that these tactics border on the “unethical”. One of the tricks of the trade is simply denying perfectly valid claims, or...Read More
PROBATE ESTATE FIGHTS
Early-Stage Probate Fights There are a number of shenanigans that can go on with wills and estates, and the administration thereof. Prior to the death of the testator (the person who made the will), there are instances of undue influence—when someone manipulates, coerces, or intimidates the testator to craft their will a certain way to reap the financial benefits. But fraud can rear its ugly head after the passing of the testator and at the beginning stages of probate—the method...Read More
DOG BITE LIABILITY
Owner Liability for Injuries Caused by Dogs Approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year (per the CDC), over 800,000 of whom require medical attention. Dogs may be the source of other injuries as well—for instance, a dog may jump up on someone and knock them down or cause a bike rider to fall off their bike. Owners may be liable under one of the following categories: The “one-bite” law. A dog owner is liable for injuries their...Read More
CURSE OF KING TUT
‘… Cursed Be He Who Moves My Bones’ When George Herbert, a British earl, dropped dead just months after financing the excavation of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 — and was one of the first to enter it — stories quickly circulated that his demise was due to a curse unleashed by Tut for Herbert’s desecrating ways. A thrilling explanation, but not a likely one. For one thing, Herbert was already in poor health prior to the discovery of Tut’s...Read More
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILIESTO YOUR FAMILIES
PHANTOMS OF THE ROADS
A “phantom driver” is a driver who is the cause of an auto accident, but their vehicle doesn’t make contact with any other vehicle. Perhaps this phantom driver abruptly pulls onto the highway quickly and cuts across lanes of traffic and other drivers have to brake hard to avoid a collision and themselves get rearended, but the phantom just drives away. Following the chaos of a crash, the phantom driver is long gone. Some phantom drivers exit the area without...Read More
BANKRUPTCY SCAMMERS
According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), a recent scam occurred in which con artists targeted people around the country who had filed for bankruptcy or who were just getting started in the process. As part of the ruse, the scammers used software to trick Caller ID systems into displaying caller info that appeared to be that of the consumer’s bankruptcy attorney. Victims of the scam would then be instructed to immediately wire money to satisfy a...Read More
VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION – Franklin, NH
Seufert Law Firm gives their annual donation to the Franklin VNA & Hospice Ball