| Volume 66 Number 8 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Have you been bothered by a door-to-door salesman? Under the law, you have three days to change your mind whenever you sign a contract negotiated in your home by a salesperson. The best advice is don't talk to any salesperson who shows up at you door. But if you make a mistake and get talked into a bad deal, the law gives you three days to cancel. Click here for more.
Netflix: Concerns About Content Quality
Recently, Netflix has been going through some major changes. From a new pricing model to the spin-off service Qwikster, Netflix consumers may feel like they're looking at a totally different company than the one they signed up with. To a certain extent, that is true. By offering DVD-by-mail through Qwikster, Netflix essentially becomes a streaming video company. Despite the transition, Netflix is already set to lose its Starz contract at the beginning of next year and will be competing against Google, Amazon, Apple, and other companies for licensing rights to big name programs and movies. Unlike its competition, Netflix doesn't have the financial resources to start a streaming content war. Will Netflix survive the transition? Click here for more.
U.S. Attorney Charges Poker Site
The United States Attorney's Office has charged Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker with operating like a Ponzi scheme while also failing to maintain sufficient funds to repay all players. Poker celebrities Howard Lederer and Christopher Ferguson have also been charged with money laundering and profiting from the scams. According to the United States Attorney, Full Tilt "defrauded players by misrepresenting that their funds on deposit in online gambling accounts were safe, secure, and available for withdrawal at any time." Instead, prosecutors insist that board members took $440 million from consumer accounts. Have you ever used an online poker site? Click here for more.
Recall: Birth Control Packaging Error
Following a packaging error that resulted in the reversing of the weekly tablet orientation, birth control manufacturer Qualitest Pharmaceuticals has issued a nationwide recall of Cyclafem, Emoquette, Gildess FE, Orsythia, Previfem, and Tri-Previfem products. Although pharmacies have been instructed to contact prescription holders immediately, it will be impossible to reach everyone in time. Is your birth control included in the recall? What should you do? Click here for more.
Your Money
Inflation: Compare historical purchasing power. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Car manufacturer liable for passenger’s death. The Fifth Circuit held that the manufacturer of a sports utility vehicle could be liable for the death of passenger who was ejected from her reclined seat in a rollover crash. The claim was based on a design defect in the front seat. The court noted, “To succeed on their design defect claim, the [plaintiffs] must have shown that a safer alternative – limiting the seat recline to a 45 degree angle – would have prevented or significantly reduced the risk of [their daughter’s] injuries. …” “The [plaintiffs’] expert … testified that seats reclined more than a 45 degree angle lead to a significantly increased risk of ejection. He further testified that ejection increases the risk of serious injury or death by six to thirteen times. The Texas statute only requires proof of a safer alternative design that ‘in reasonable probability’ would have reduced the claimant’s injuries, which [the expert’s] testimony adequately provided.” Click here for more.