Posts tagged Consumer Law

• Arizona Supreme Court Asked to Review Libel Lawsuits Against Public Officials

  Staff Writer | May 19, 2007 9:26 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  If you believe that you have been defamed by a public official, should you have the right to file a defamation lawsuit? The Arizona Attorney General's office has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to decide this issue. In January, 2007, the Arizona Court of Appeals allowed a developer to sue Attorney General Terry Goddard for defamation when he informed the media that the developer:committed...

• Has Your Health Insurance Company Treated You Fairly?

  Staff Writer | May 07, 2007 5:00 PM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Today in the Los Angeles Times, I read about the health insurance company Blue Shield of California which has been sued by a policyholder alleging bad faith for refusing to pay medical bills totalling $450,000 arising out of a serious car accident. According the the article, the insureds applied for health insurance, paid premiums and received an individual policy through Blue Shield of...

• Arizona Supreme Court Rules on Case Involving Public Records Law and E-Mail

  Staff Writer | April 27, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  The Arizona Public Records Act requires that records maintained by all state and local government agencies be open and available for inspection in a manner: reasonably necessary or appropriate to maintain an accurate knowledge of their official activities and of any of their activities which are supported by monies from the state or any political subdivision of the state.A.R.S. section...

• Jury Verdict Against Allstate for Hurricane Katrina Damage

  Staff Writer | April 16, 2007 11:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Today a federal jury in Louisiana awarded a family whose home suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina, a judgment against Allstate Insurance Company for the sum of $2.8 million in damages and penalties. The case involved allegations by Allstate that Hurricane Katrina's winds did not exceed 100 miles per hour and as a result could not possibly have caused structural damage to a home...

• Protecting Access to Public Records

  Staff Writer | March 18, 2007 1:14 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Defective & Dangerous Products
  

  An opinion article in today's edition of the Arizona Republic caught my attention when it discussed access to public records. Various public records maintained by local, state and federal governments can affect corporate and individual acountability for the safety of products and services offered to consumers. Our local, state and national governments collect lots of information about many...

• Subprime Lending Woes and Mortgage Fraud

  Staff Writer | March 14, 2007 12:58 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Today, the stock market dropped considerably over continuing concerns about the stability of the so-called sub-prime mortgage lending market. Discussing consumer sub-prime mortgage market woes, the Associated Press described recent lender problems as follows:Investors, bracing for a wilting economy, fled the already deflated subprime mortgage sector on more news that lenders New Century...

• Mortgage Fraud Problems in Valley Lead to Indictments

  Staff Writer | March 09, 2007 8:53 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Today, the Arizona Republic reported on a series of indictments alleging real estate fraud against five people who work in the real estate industry. These criminal charges may signal some fallout from the once high-flying real estate boom experienced in Arizona these past few years. The Arizona Republic recently reported on several fraudulent schemes which have been used to inflate real estate...

• Civil Justice Remedies for Crime Victims

  Staff Writer | February 11, 2007 6:02 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)
  

  We have heard plenty of stories about crime in Arizona. Unfortunately and sadly, crime occurs everyday on our streets, in our offices and in our homes. If you have victimized by criminal conduct, what happens next? Who will provide support and explain what you can expect from our criminal justice system? What resources are available? What remedies are available in the criminal and civil...

• New Proposal to Limit Public Access to Vehicle Safety Data Bad for Consumers

  Staff Writer | January 12, 2007 12:15 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Defective & Dangerous Products
  

  Shopping for a new car and want to compare details about past vehicle warranty-related problems before making your final buying decision? Do you want to look at available accident-related safety reports and determine which make and model of vehicle performed safest? Well according to a recent article in the San Fransisco Chronicle, a new proposal from the National Highway Safety Administration...

• Proposed Congressional Data Privacy Laws Could be Bad for Consumers

  Staff Writer | December 10, 2006 2:40 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Apparently, several major internet-related businesses are going to make a major push to pass consumer privacy legislation in Congress this next year. According to a recent news account from Associated Press, companies such as Microsoft and Hewlett Packard are:preparing to push for data-privacy legislation next year to replace what they consider an outdated patchwork of state and federal laws...