| Volume 79 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Did you get a cheap rate by signing up for a long-term contract? If you did, be sure to check when that contract expires. Unless you renew for another long term, your rates will increase substantially. Contact the company before your rate increase and negotiate a new agreement. Click here for more.
TSA Moves Body Scanners From Airports
Over the past few weeks, TSA has been removing the controversial airport security X-ray body scanners and replacing them with millimeter wave units. The new units produce different (less specific) images and are considered to be safer by radiation experts. Despite the notable differences, TSA says they are simply moving and replacing the units at larger airports to speed up airport checkpoints. The backscatter machines are expected to be moved to smaller (still undisclosed) airports. Click here for more.
Energy Drink Cited in FDA Death Reports
On the heels of a
lawsuit alleging that Monster Energy Drink was responsible for the death of a 14 year old girl, reports out of the FDA
indicate that the popular energy drink has been cited in the deaths of five consumers. In addition, 37 adverse reports have been submitted to the FDA since 2004. One can of Monster Energy Drink contains 240 milligrams of caffeine (the equivalent of 7 cans of Coca-cola). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), energy drinks are never appropriate for adolescents due to potential harmful effects. The FDA is currently investigating but has yet to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the drinks and death.
Click here for more.
16-State Meningitis Outbreak
As of Monday, October 22, the Center for Disease Control has reported that 297 people across 16 states have been sickened with meningitis. Many of the cases are fungal meningitis, linked to steroid injections used for back, shoulder, knee, and other peripheral joint pain. Fungal meningitis can develop slowly, with symptoms sometimes taking weeks to appear. If you've recently had a steroid injection and you're experiencing symptoms, consider a follow up with your physician. Click here for more.
Your Money
How much will your CD be worth at maturity? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Debt collector must disclose his company name. The district court for Colorado held that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires a debt collector to disclose its company name in a voicemail left for the consumer. The court noted that the Act required meaningful disclosure of the caller’s identity. The only way for an identity disclosure to be meaningful to a consumer is if it disclosed the name of the collection agency, rather than the personal name of the caller. Click here for more.