Posts tagged Rants and Raves

• 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and Hewlett Packard are:preparing to push for data-privacy legislation next year to replace what they consider an outdated patchwork of state and federal laws...

• Airbags Save Lives

  Staff Writer | October 16, 2006 10:51 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Automobile Accidents
  

  A recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirms that airbag use saves lives. An airbag deployment in a side impact automobile accident is thirty-seven percent more likely to save the life of the driver than in a non-deployment impact. This figure rises to fifty-two percent if the accident involves a sport utility vehicle. This means that in automobile accidents, airbag...

• Marine Computer Containing Confidential Data Missing

  Staff Writer | October 10, 2006 10:03 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  This past week, I have been posting messages which show that the risks of identity theft can be minimized by simply prioritizing data security. Problems at the United States Department of Energy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the United States Department of Homeland Security demonstrate that our government has not yet prioritized data protection. Simple encryption tools, password...

• Does Your Insurance Company Treat You Fairly?

  Staff Writer | June 07, 2006 5:07 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Today I came across an article from the Los Angeles Times discussing record insurance company profits for 2005. In this article, I learned that profits from homeowner and automobile industry business lines totaled a record 44.8 billion dollars last year. Wow! I found these figures amazing in light of natural disasters which occurred last year such as Hurricane Katrina. Profits increased by...

• Example of a Frivolous Lawsuit

  Staff Writer | May 15, 2006 10:42 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  In order to be fair and balanced with my entries on this site, I just found an example of what I would consider a frivolous lawsuit at least as reported by the media. Before explaining the details, I wanted to say that I still firmly believe that this example reflects but a small portion of the outstanding litigation in our country. In fact, more than anything, I believe that media reports...

• Civil Remedies for Crime Victims

  Staff Writer | April 28, 2006 9:29 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Have you ever been a victim of a crime in Arizona? If you have been a crime victim and the police arrested the criminal, have you asserted your victim's rights protected under the Arizona Constitution? Beyond what happens in the criminal proceedings, are you familiar with what civil remedies may be available to you? Each of these questions raise important issues. Fortunately, several...

• The Tort Reform Debate

  Staff Writer | June 20, 2007 12:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  I received a few responses to my recent posting about the California Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) which present different perspectives on an emotionally charged tort reform debate. Thank you to those who commented. Although we do not necessarily share the same opinions, I appreciate your willingness to post your thoughts and believe that we can respectfully disagree on some...

• Frivolous $65,000,000 Lawsuit Receiving Plenty of Attention

  Staff Writer | May 05, 2007 7:20 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  I read a story today about a Judge in Washington DC who has taken it upon himself to sue a dry cleaning business for a total of $65 million dollars because the business lost a pair of his trousers. This lawsuit presents a perfect example of what appears to be frivolous litigation which should be dismissed. We hear numerous stories and media attention often focuses on frivolous litigation. We...

• 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...

• United States Supreme Court Strikes Down Punitive Damage Award Against Phillip Morris

  Staff Writer | February 21, 2007 6:46 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court dealt a blow to consumers and businesses who present punitive damage claims to deter future harmful conduct. In a sharply divided opinion, the Supreme Court held that a Plaintiff cannot seek punitive damages to punish a corporation by suggesting actions against non-parties to a lawsuit should play a role in the size of the punitive damage award. A...