| Volume 77 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Texas has a lemon law. It applies to new cars, and gives you substantial legal rights against the manufacturer. A car is a lemon if it has been in the shop four or more times for the same problems, or two or more times if the problem is a safety defect. Click here for more.
Netflix Settles Privacy Class Action
You may be getting an email from "Online DVD Class Action" in the near future. It may look like junk mail, but it isn't. Rather, the email was sent to current and past Netflix subscribers to inform them of their legal rights following a recent settlement with Netflix.
According to the lawsuit, Netflix violated the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988 by maintaining and using private consumer records for too long. Although Netflix has admitted no wrongdoing, the company has agreed to settle the class action lawsuit for $9 million.
How much will you get?
Click here for more.
USPS On Verge of Default
The United States Postal Service is in trouble again. Today, the USPS must pay $5.5 billion to to the federal government to prepay health care benefits for retirees. On September 30, the USPS will need to make another $5.6 billion payment. Unfortunately, the Postal Service doesn't have the money. The USPS has been struggling financially for years. Although there have been many suggestions made to streamline operations to reduce losses, nothing has stuck. Will the USPS default on its obligations? With years of multi-billion-dollar losses, how much longer can the Postal Service survive without more significant government intervention? Click here for more.
Your Money
Have you considered CD laddering? Using this strategy, an investor makes deposits over a period of several years. The goal is having all of one's money deposited at the longest term (and therefore the higher rate). Using the laddering technique, part of your investment matures annually. CD laddering is a great way to have both available cash, and investor income. Use this calculator to determine how "laddering" can help you invest Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Arbitraion clause doesn’t cover job applicant. The First Circuit held that a mandatory arbitration clause in an employment application was unenforceable against a pregnant woman who brought suit after being denied a job. The employer argued that the arbitration clause unambiguously covered all disputes with job applicants. The court disagreed, holding that because the clause was ambiguous, and because the party that drafted it had all the bargaining power, it should be construed against the employer. “[N]othing in the arbitration clause refers to ‘applicants.’” “Instead every reference is to ‘your employment,’ ‘the employment process,’ or ‘pre-employment disputes.’ Accordingly, there is a reasonable basis for [the applicant’s] belief that she would only be bound by the arbitration clause if ultimately hired.” Click here for more.