Reviewing 2017’s Biggest Car Recalls
As we move into a new year with a new round of car models hitting the market, let’s look back on the past year and some of 2017’s significant auto recalls. It’s worth noting that the number of recalls in 2017 dropped sharply from 2016—from 52,985,779 down to 28,146,661—although that difference was likely affected by…
Read MoreUber Halts Testing of Self-Driving Cars after a Woman is Struck and Killed in Tempe
A fatal car crash involving an autonomous vehicle occurred yesterday in Tempe, when 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was struck and killed in Tempe, AZ. The investigation is still underway, but this is what the news is currently reporting: The car was traveling at a speed of 38 to 40 mph on a 35 mph stretch of…
Read MoreSupreme Court Unanimously Rules to Limit Dodd-Frank Protections for Whistleblower Actions
A whistleblower is a person who exposes fraud, or illicit or illegal behavior in an organization. When that information is reported to the government, and the government is able to recover funds from the company or organization engaged in such behavior, that is called a qui tam action. (So, all qui tam actions are acts…
Read MoreGrand Canyon Helicopter Crash Claims a Fifth Life
On February 10, 2018, a group of friends took a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. They were visiting our country from Britain, to celebrate Stuart Hill’s 30th birthday. Just shy of 5:30 pm, the EC-130 helicopter, operated by tour company Papillon Airways, crashed near Quartermaster Canyon on the Hualapai Nation. Three…
Read MoreIllinois Court of Appeals Ruled that Motorola Must Face Birth Defect Claims in Court
When a worker is harmed by toxic chemical exposure, he or she can only make a claim for workers’ compensation. But what happens when the worker’s baby suffers a birth defect of injury that could be linked to those same chemicals? Can you make a claim in court for negligence? The First District Court of…
Read MoreAutonomous Trucks Are Coming to Arizona
In early 2018, the Chinese startup TuSimple will formally open a research and testing facility here in Arizona, testing and developing its autonomous trucks. The company already completed a successful test run in July 2017, with a 170-mile public road trial of an autonomous truck from San Diego, CA to Yuma, Arizona. They kick off…
Read MoreExploding E-Cigarette Leaves Man with First- and Second-Degree Burn Injuries
For the last few years, e-cigarettes have become the go-to product for people trying to quit smoking. While no one debates the dangers associated with traditional tobacco products (lung cancer, COPD, mouth and throat cancer, heart disease – the list goes on and on), there is a fierce debate over whether or not “vaping” is…
Read MoreQui Tam Whistleblowers Were Paid $392 Million by the Federal Government in FY 2017
You can be rewarded if you help uncover fraud perpetrated by a business against the federal government. That is what a qui tam action is. The latest numbers are out for fiscal year 2017, and this was a big year for the False Claims Act. The National Law Review reports that the Department of Justice…
Read MoreDistracted Driving is Downright Dangerous
Many people find driving to be a relaxing activity. Not that grinding day-to-day commute, but perhaps a leisurely weekend drive out to admire the local scenery. However, your pleasure drive can turn dangerous if confronted with road hazards or distracted drivers, which is why you need to always remain vigilant behind the wheel. Did you…
Read MoreSomeone Crashed a Car into My House. What Do I Do Now?
On November 29th, a car crashed into an LA Fitness in Mesa. The details are still coming in, but ABC 15 reports that “a man rammed his vehicle into another occupied vehicle in the parking lot of LA Fitness at Stapley and University drives. According to police, the suspect hit the vehicle twice and, in…
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