| Volume 60 Number 3 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
As a general rule an employer may not require an employee to take a lie detector test. The employee may be required to submit to a test, however, if the employer is investigating a theft and has a reasonable suspicion that the employee may have been involved. Click here for more.
Target to Pay $25 Million in Waste Case
Target must pay $22.5 million to settle claims, brought by a former Attorney General and numerous district attorneys, that the company illegally dumped hazardous waste in California. According to the court order, Target will be held "accountable for any failures to follow the letter of the law down the road, even after the civil penalties and costs are paid." Target must properly dispose of bleach, paints, pesticides, and other hazardous customer returns. To read more about California v. Target, Click here for more.
Credit Scores: An Education
Credit scores are complex creatures with variable meanings. For instance, FICO uses a range of 300 to 850, while VantageScore’s range is 501 to 990. Accordingly, depending on the scoring system, a 700 credit score could be "good" or "fair." So, what are credit scores? What do they mean? What constitutes a "good" score? What is the financial cost of a "bad" score? They're probably more complex than you think! Click here for more.
Government Continues Budget Battle
With less than two weeks to go before the short-term fix expires, federal lawmakers are still battling it out over a deal to keep the government running. The White House has presented $6.5 billion in spending cutes. Republicans, however, want cuts ten times larger than the current White House proposal. How could spending cuts hurt the economy? Click here for more.
Your Money
How long will it take to reach your savings goal? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Personal injury suits against automakers based on rear seat lap belts not preempted. The United States Supreme Court opened the door to state personal injury suits against automakers in a decision involving vehicle lap belts. The justices, in a unanimous decision by Justice Stephen Breyer, held that a federal motor vehicle safety regulation did not preempt state tort suits claiming that manufacturers should have installed lap-and-shoulder belts instead of lap belts on rear inner seats. Click here for more.