| Volume 141 Number 21 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
With the summer travel season in high gear, the FTC is warning drivers about skimming scams at the pump. Click here for more.
Congress considering new requirements for airlines
A five-year reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently making its way through Congress, and as boring as that sounds it holds major implications for air travelers. In recent years the FAA has deflected consumer requests for airline reforms by saying it's up to Congress to make those decisions. So the legislation passed by the House, and now pending in the Senate, addresses some of those issues. The House-passed measure instructs the FAA to set rules for airlines when configuring cabins. It requires a minimum for the width of a seat and the length and distance between rows. This has long been a major source of air traveler complaints who find it difficult to squeeze into ever-shrinking seats with little to no leg room. Click here for more.
Your Money
How Large Of A 401(k) Balance Do You Really Need? Financial planning is about balancing multiple goals and needs such as your children’s education, mitigating the financial risk to your family because of premature death, retirement planning, emergency funds, etc. while you determine what balance is right for you. You may determine that one of these withdrawal strategies emerges as the one that best suits you. How might this work? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Fees awarded to objector in a class action. The Seventh Circuit ordered a district court judge to award fees to an objector in a class action against Southwest Airlines over canceled drink vouchers, saying the fees are warranted because the objector improved the class’ recovery. “Objectors who add value to a class settlement may be compensated for their efforts,” said Circuit Judge David Hamilton, writing for the unanimous panel. “Unless the parties expressly agree otherwise, settlement agreements should not be read to bar attorney fees for objectors who have added genuine value.” Southwest Airlines Voucher Litigation, case number 17-3541, ___ F.3d ___ (7th Cir. 2018) Click here for more.