A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of October 24-30.
Halloween Special: Must Home Sellers Disclose That A Home Is Haunted?
Kyle White | Abnormal Use Blog
In a recent Charlotte Agenda article, the author, Mary F. Gross, reports on a home that her friend recently purchased – a 1920’s “bootlegger house” which came with historical character, secret compartments for stashing booze, and . . . a ghost? The buyers were apparently notified for the first time at the closing that the home also came with a “mischievous spirit.” In the piece, the author remarks that she would have “ripped up every single document in front of me and accused the owner of breaking some sort of ghost-disclosure law.” This got us thinking. Since it is the week of Halloween, we thought it appropriate to examine what type of “ghost disclosure law” there might be.
How Much Can You Scare Children on Halloween Before You Get Sued?
Eric Mandel | MyNorthwest.com
For anyone planning to terrorize unsuspecting trick-or-treaters, you may want to ask yourself: Is it worth a potential lawsuit?
The Coming Age Of Kickstarter Class Actions
Keith Lee | Associate’s Mind
If you’ve been out of the loop the past few years, crowdfunding has become a major force in how capital is raised – outside of vcs, angels, banks, and the like. Crowdfunding is the process by which business, causes, and people raise monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the internet. It allows anyone with an idea or project to bypass the traditional financial apparatus of funding.
Bacon is the New Asbestos! Really?
Joseph J. Welter | Asbestos Case Tracker
So, this is a perfect example of the realities of this world and how state of the art can be distorted. The World Health Organization has indicated that processed foods, such as bacon, sausage and hot dogs are in the same category as smoking and asbestos in terms of their potential to cause cancer. The news reports that have come out in the last few days barely touch upon the science and medical aspects, yet here come the sound “bites” that processed food is deadly.
Hedge Funds Pump Up Mass Torts With Loans, Advertising
Daniel Fisher | Forbes
Does easy financing spur more litigation? It’s a big talking point for the people at the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform, and they may have their best example in pelvic mesh litigation, where hedge funds and specialized litigation finance firms have bankrolled a wave of television advertising and online marketing that has helped stimulate tens of thousands of lawsuits against Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson and others.
Technicality Ties Up Uber Technologies
Lauren Weber | Wall Street Journal
As Uber Technologies Inc. faces a pair of court challenges that raise big questions about the way it classifies, pays and vets the 300,000 drivers offering rides through its app, the cases may hinge on what many would call a legal technicality.
‘Footlong’ Settlement: Lawyers Feed, Consumers Fast
American Tort Reform Association
As is almost always the case with contrived consumer class actions, lawyers who served up the now infamous Subway “footlong” litigation are poised to feed on more than a half-million dollars in fees while their putative clients go hungry.
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