| Volume 63 Number 8 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Writing a post-dated check is a good idea when you don't have the money in the bank but will soon, right? Wrong! As a general rule a post-dated check may be paid by your bank at anytime. My advice: do not write a post-dated check if you don't have the money in the bank. Click here for more.
Safety & Online Banking
Recently, there have been several high-profile online security breaches. In the past few months, users of the Sony, Lockheed Martin, and iTunes communities have all fallen victim to sophisticated internet hackers. Last week, a security breach at Citibank left consumers especially concerned. Is it safe to bank online? If you follow a few basic recommendations to protect your information, the answer is "yes." What can you do to make sure your information in safe? Click here for more.
Government Gets Injunction Against H&P
This week, the federal government sought and received a permanent injunction again H&P Industries, preventing the company from distributing medical products potentially tainted with life-threatening bacteria. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Protection Litigation, Triad Group and H&P Industries failed to heed warnings from FDA officials about potential contaminations. The contaminated products, including alcohol pads, have been blamed in lawsuits for serious infections and deaths. According to the decree, H&P can no longer "manufacture or distribute drugs or any medical devices until they have established acceptable quality assurance." Prominent Houston attorney Jim Perdue Jr. is representing the family of a toddler who contracted bacterial meningitis after using the company's wipes. H&P products are sold by several major grocery store chains, including Walmart, Safeway, and CVS. Do you have H&P products in your home? Click here for more.
Your Money
Planning to buy a home? What will your closing costs be? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Political “robocalls” may violate TCPA. A U.S. District Court in Maryland held that a defendant may be liable for failing to comply with the identification requirements of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The defendants allegedly arranged to have 112,000 anonymous prerecorded telephone calls made to Maryland residents on Election Day in Nov. 2010. The defendants argued that political robocalls are exempt from the Act’s identification requirements. The court disagreed, explaining that the provisions at issue apply to all calls made using an “automatic telephone dialing system,” not just calls made for a commercial purpose. Click here for more.