Traveling a Slippery Slope

Dangerous terrain

A school committed to providing an education on avalanche safety is now the topic of a recent lawsuit. The family of Peter Marshall is suing Silverton Avalanche School, among other defendants, for wrongful death.  According to the lawsuit, on January 5, 2019, there was a misjudgment of how steep the slope was, as well as the potential to cause an avalanche.  Two avalanches were triggered, which led to Marshall getting trapped under several feet of snow. The guide, Zachary Lovell, and the remaining students searched for Marshall but were unable to find him until 50 minutes after the second avalanche. Continue reading →

Crack Down on Animal Neglect

Cattle trouble

A Colorado-based ranch is taking legal action against a Nebraska-run grazing business for breach of contract.  In April 2020, the two parties agreed that Cornerstone Grazing, operated by owners, Derek and Lesa Schwanebeck, and their sole employee, John C. Odom, would graze 603 bred cows and 22 bulls throughout the course of the summer.  The contract would end on November 12 when Three Forks Ranch would sell the bred cows.  Following a September 2 report that several cows had died due to an apparent outbreak of disease, Three Forks Ranch employees traveled to Cornerstone Grazing to find twenty dead cattle.  The Colorado ranch is now suing the Nebraska ranch for $500,000 in damages. Continue reading →

Handcuff Lawsuit Secures a Settlement

Cuffs are costly

Following an October 2015 incident concerning a seven-year-old child being placed in handcuffs at school, the parties involved have recently agreed to settle for $40,000. Half will be paid by the city of Flint, Michigan, and the other will be paid by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce.  The mother of the young boy, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, filed the lawsuit in 2018.  The police were called after the child kicked an object and ran on bleachers while participating in an after-school activity.  In order to calm the child, a resource officer handcuffed his hands behind his back for almost an hour.  The apparent reason for the prolonged detainment was that the officer was not able to locate a key to unlock the handcuffs. Continue reading →

Fly with Chick-fil-A

Airport dispute

A Texas law was passed last September 2019 that prohibits government agencies from taking retaliatory or adverse action against individuals or companies that are associated with religious groups.  Chick-fil-A is not only known for its high-quality fast food and long drive-through lines but is also known for closing down on Sundays.  The late founder of Chick-fil-A, A. Truett Cathy, was a Southern Baptist, and the company maintains a culture of religious foundation.  For this reason, a team of conservative activists accused the city of San Antonio of discriminating against Chick-fil-A on the grounds of religion and filed a lawsuit. Continue reading →

Home Improvement Mishap

Renovation dispute

When renovating your home, it is imperative to hire competent contractors that will do the job right the first time.  A Springfield couple performed their due diligence in hiring Home Depot to completely reconstruct their new home.  The renovation would include a new kitchen and bathroom, and new flooring and windows. Home Depot subcontracted the job to B. Lombardi & Sons of Cedar Grove, Verona and Roseland.  The couple is now suing both parties for incomplete work and violations of the Consumer Fraud Act and the Home Improvement Practices Act.  In addition, the couple claims the contractors used poor quality building materials and breached their contracts. Continue reading →