| Volume 143 Number 81 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
When it comes to the fight against the Coronavirus, knowing the facts will help. Here are tips to follow and share with others: Click here for more.
Gas prices stay steady as summer winds down
Gas prices are about two cents a gallon less than they were four weeks ago. Most people are still working from home, and when they’ve taken car trips this summer, they’ve stayed fairly close to home.
Prices could fall even more as we get into the Autumn months. Jeanette Casselano, a AAA spokesperson, says there’s nothing on the horizon, other than the possibility of a Gulf hurricane, which could push prices higher. Click here for more.
Your Money
More than 30 million unemployed Americans were receiving an additional $600 in unemployment benefits until they expired on July 25. If you are one of them, you were probably somewhat relieved to have heard that last weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive measure that promises $400 a week on top of your state's regular unemployment benefits. Of course, $400 isn't $600, but it isn't zero dollars either. Naturally, you likely have questions. Read on for detailed answers to some of the more common concerns surrounding this benefit. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Consumer bound by arbitration clause against acquired company. The Fourth Circuit held that a West Virginia woman must arbitrate claims that DirecTV violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act because she is bound by a contract she signed with AT&T before it acquired the satellite TV provider. A split three-judge panel ruled that Diana Mey signed an arbitration agreement with AT&T Inc. upon opening a new line of service in 2012 and that arbitration clause was extended to potential TCPA claims against DirecTV LLC when the telecommunications company acquired the satellite service provider in 2015. The 2012 agreement mandated that disputes against AT&T and its "affiliates" go to arbitration, and DirecTV is considered an "affiliate" of AT&T due to the 2015 acquisition, the majority said the agreement extended its protections against litigation to DirecTV. Diana Mey v. DirecTV LLC, case number 18-1534, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Click here for more.