Social media has made it easier than ever to reach a wide audience. However, not all communication is worthwhile and such communication may be particularly damaging in a lawsuit. Attorneys often advise their client to limit their communications about a case solely to the attorney and their staff. Not every client listens to this sage advice though and there are many high profile defendants today who seem obsessed with discussing their cases with the entire world.    The average client though is not wealthy or famous. As such, the average client should keep their opinions about t ..read more

Western movies are famous for depicting shootouts at high noon to settle disputes. However, the consequences for a fatal shooting involving Alec Baldwin and his crew are all too real as the first criminal trial in the incident comes to a close.   Alec Baldwin was filming “Rust” in New Mexico in October 2021. During filming, Baldwin pointed a gun at Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer on set. The gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. The company Rust Movie Productions has since paid a $100,000 fine to state workplace safety regulators.   “Rust” armo ..read more

Is it safe to travel the friendly skies these days? For the last several weeks, United Airlines flights have suffered from mechanical difficulties that involve random airplane parts dropping off mid-flight.   United Airlines Flight 433 traveled from San Francisco to Oregon and landed on March 15, 2024, with a missing external panel. The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport confirmed that the plane landed safely without incident. However, this incident was one of several United Airline flight issues this year:   United Flight 35 – Tire fell off a Boeing 777 during take ..read more

On February 11, 2024, Angela Chao was pronounced dead after she drove her Model X SUV Telsa into a pond. Earlier that day, she had invited seven friends to spend the weekend at a ranch near Johnson City. The ranch was 900 acres. The party had attended a concert by rapper Pitbull in Austin, TX the night before. After dinner, Chao headed back home to the main house. During a three-point turn though, she accidentally reversed her car into the pond. She was unable to open her door or to break the glass as the car filled with water.   Chao called a friend, Amber Keinan, to say goodbye as the w ..read more

The cargo ship, The Dali, lost power and hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. The ship was moving at 8 knots, roughly 9 mph, and carrying a full cargo load. Thirty seconds later, the bridge immediately bulked and collapsed. The crash occurred around 4am, long before the morning commute traffic. Authorities were able to stop cars from coming over the bridge. The Francis Scott Key Bridge was opened in 1977 and stretches across the Patapsco River at the entrance to the harbor, which leads to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.  Two people were pulled out of the water ..read more

In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lauded a plan by his administration to transport foreign nationals from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The purported goal was to draw attention to the issues on America’s southern border. However, some of the migrants who were drawn into the scheme have since filed suit against Governor DeSantis, Florida, and Vetrol, the air transport company that dropped them off in Massachusetts.   The lawsuit alleges that in the summer of 2021, Gov. DeSantis sent members of his team to Texas to assess how he might get involved in immigration issues. Florida ..read more

On September 27, 2022, the San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies Office was searching for Savannah Graziano, who had been allegedly abducted by her father Anthony Graziano. Anthony had allegedly shot Tracy Martinez, Savannah’s mother, the day before.   Deputies cornered Anthony’s vehicle on a freeway 80 miles east of Los Angeles. As Savannah exited the vehicle, deputies opened fire. Savannah was killed. Sheriff’s officials claimed after the shooting that it was unclear whether Savannah was shot by deputies or her father and claimed they didn’t realize it was Savannah when she exited ..read more

Annaleine Reynolds purchased an empty lot for about $22,500 at a Hawaiian tax auction in 2018. Reynolds had intended to leave the lot empty to use as a meditative healing woman’s retreat. The lot was still empty when Reynolds flew back to California. Reynolds stayed in California when the pandemic struck. Reynolds was rather surprised when she received a call from a real estate broker in 2023 claiming that he had just sold the house on her property.   Keaau Development Partnership hired PJ’s Construction to build multiple homes on the properties that Keaau had purchased. PJ’s Constru ..read more

In public relations, the customer is always right in tastes especially if the taste could kill them. On October 5, 2023, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a New York State doctor, and her husband, Jeffrey J. Piccolo, stopped at the Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at the Downtown Disney Center at Disneyworld for dinner. The couple allegedly chose to eat there to accommodate Dr. Tangsuan’s food allergy to nuts. Dr. Tangsuan allegedly told their server about her allergies and the server responded that their food could be made without specific food items if so ordered. The couple ordered “Sure I’m Frit ..read more

John Cheeks thought his entire life was about to change in January 2023 when he saw that the Powerball winning numbers matched his ticket. He was right, though not in the way he expected. When Mr. Cheeks presented his ticket to the Office of Lottery and Gaming, his claim was denied. The office claimed that he did not have the winning ticket and instructed him to throw his ticket in the trash can instead. Instead, Mr. Cheeks filed a lawsuit for the $340million jackpot, plus interest he would have earned on it per day. Powerball and a lottery contractor, the DC-based Taoti Enterprises, claim the ..read more