Class action lawyers specialize in lawsuits related to either defective products or other dangerous situations that have caused many people the same or similar injuries.  A class action is filed like any other lawsuit, but a judge must specifically approve the case for class action status.  The class action lawyer then speaks with each potential plaintiff to make sure he or she can participate in the class based on the facts and the way the class is defined. If the class action lawsuit is successful, or a settlement is reached, usually all the people in the class receive a damage award.  While some classes can consist of a large number of members, they usually start with just a handle of complaints…. And as time goes one, additional injured parties are discovered. 

If you have questions about whether or not you could be a part of a class action lawsuit, contact an attorney in your area today!

Learn more by visiting LawInfo’s Class Actions/Hot Topics web center. You can also visit LawInfo’s Free Legal Resource Center to find information on variety of legal topics.

With several big companies heading into bankruptcy lately, many investors and stockholders are left wondering what will happen to their investments.   Does the law protect their interests?  Does the stock retain any value? 

The federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a short guidebook to help investors (Bankruptcy: What Happens When Public Companies Go Bankrupt).  The guidebook explains in plain English what happens when companies file for bankruptcy (whether under Chapter 7 liquidation or Chapter 11 reorganization), what happens to investors’ stocks or bonds in bankruptcy, how the bankruptcy process works, and what investors can do to find out about their shares. 

Ultimately, if you’ve invested in a now-bankrupt company, you would be wise to consult with an experienced attorney about how best to protect your legal rights, especially if you suspect you may have been defrauded.  In many cases, there may be pending SEC and/or state regulator investigations pending against the company as well.   In the bankruptcy proceedings, investors may have the ability to vote on certain company reorganization options. 

If you have questions about your investments, contact a qualified attorney in your area today.

On January 1st, 2009, laws mandating stores sell only cigarettes that are slow-burning and comprised of fire-safe paper went into effect in Delaware, Iowa, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. Fifteen other states have laws that will take effect this year or next, according to the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes.

The paper on these cigarettes is thicker in two separate areas so they will extinguish (if not puffed) when they burn to these spots. This was designed to prevent fires caused by unattended cigarettes. It is estimated that about 800 Americans die each year in fires caused by careless smoking.

“There has been a rash of smoking materials deaths,” Oklahoma Fire Marshal Robert Doke said Monday. “A cigarette will fall into overstuffed furniture or mattresses when people fall asleep, or it rolls off an ashtray and on to the carpet, then the possibility for ignition happens. This cigarette is supposed to snuff out before it can cause enough heat to start a flame.”

States that have already implemented fire-safe cigarette laws are New York, Vermont, California, Oregon, New Hampshire, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Utah, Alaska, Rhode Island and Minnesota, as well as the District of Columbia. Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Louisiana, Hawaii and Wisconsin have laws that take effect this year. Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina have laws that will take effect in 2010.

A New Year brings new laws across the United States. Some laws will have a small impact; others will be felt by thousands, if not millions of people. Some of these laws include the no-texting while driving law in California, no trans-fat in fast food restaurants law for Oregon, and a referendum that bans non-married, cohabitating couples from fostering or adopting a child in Arkansas. To find out more about the new laws in your state, simply visit your state’s home page (e.g. www.ca.gov for California, etc.)

On Friday, October 31, the State Department warned nearly 400 passport applicants of a security breach in its records system that may have left applications unsecured and personal information, such as Social Security numbers, may have been illegally accessed and used to open fraudulent credit card accounts, spokesman Sean McCormack said. So far 383 people have been notified, most of them in the Washington, D.C. area. More may be notified as the investigation continues.

The department notified the passport applicants of their potential vulnerability in August and earlier this month while working with Washington police investigating a credit card and identity theft ring. The ring was exposed after the March arrest of a man found with 19 credit cards in different names and eight completed passport applications. The names of four of those applicants matched those on four of the credit cards, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

McCormack declined to comment on how the man obtained the applications, but said at least one State Department worker had been reassigned and might face further disciplinary action pending completion of the investigation.

Following the passport compromising incidents, the department increased security for its passport records management, restricting the number of employees with access and implementing mandatory audits and monitoring of files.

Identity theft is a serious crime with equally serious consequences. If you’ve become a victim of identity theft, take these steps immediately.

• Place a Fraud Alert on your Credit Reports by contacting any of the three bureaus – Experian, TransUnion or Equifax
• Call your Bank and Creditors to close unauthorized accounts
• File a Police Report for the Identity Theft with local law enforcement
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission

For further information about identity theft and your litigation options if you have become a victim, contact an experienced criminal law attorney in your area to discuss the specifics of your case.

Deciding to file for bankruptcy is a difficult decision. Although some bankruptcy claimants are deemed as credit abusers and/or considered financially irresponsible, many individuals and businesses can succumb to financial difficulty and face irreparable economic crisis. Bankruptcy is designed as a legal option to help resolve such a crisis, and act as a financial life preserver for those drowning in debt. The most common reasons for filing for bankruptcy are unemployment, large medical expenses, overextended credit and other large unexpected expenses.

LawInfo has expanded its free online national directory to include experienced and qualified bankruptcy attorneys. These attorneys are a part of LawInfo’s signature service, the Lead Counsel Program, which provides pre-screened bankruptcy lawyers through a simple, 2-click accessible attorney directory. The Lead Counsel Program has resulted in the enhanced screening of attorneys’ credentials and has become a symbol of quality assurance for consumers searching for legal representation.

In addition to providing access to qualified, Lead Counsel bankruptcy and foreclosure attorneys throughout the nation, LawInfo’s legal resource center (LRC) can also help the public locate qualified legal experts nationwide– including bail bondsmen, expert witnesses, private investigators, court reporters, process servers, paralegals and litigation funders. Further, LawInfo has created the largest interactive legal forum with over 1200 message boards as a resource for the Internet community. The boards provide an opportunity to research information and share commentary on a multitude of legal topics.

LawInfo has also expanded its free online legal resource center to include a comprehensive legal blog–incorporating interactive polls, providing access to volumes of legal archives and keeping a live feed on breaking legal news that is updated around the clock. LawInfo has produced online videos that take the mystery out of the legal process by breaking down complex legal problems into clear, easy-to-understand solutions. These “How-to” videos provide information on a variety of legal topics in all major areas of law, including bankruptcy, foreclosure, family law, estate planning, criminal law, business, and labor and employment.

For over a decade, LawInfo’s mission has been to assist the public in locating qualified attorneys and legal services. LawInfo provides marketing packages for attorneys and legal professionals crafted by a team of specialists that integrates web design, content development and internet marketing with targeted traffic-generation tactics. LawInfo is staffed by experienced legal industry professionals and their corporate offices are located in San Marcos, California, just thirty minutes north of San Diego.

International computer spying and theft of personal information is on the rise, costing tens of millions of dollars and threatening U.S. security, the FBI’s cyber division reports.

FBI Assistant Director Shawn Henry claims that as many as two dozen countries have taken an “aggressive interest” in penetrating the networks of U.S. companies and government agencies. U.S. intelligence agencies have voiced recent concern over China and Russia’s abilities to electronically spy on the United States and disrupt homeland computer networks.

“U.S. federal agents are stepping up efforts to fight computer crime, and working with foreign counterparts where the rising wave of computer attacks has awakened international interest,” Henry said. “Over the past year the malicious activity has become much more prevalent, and the threat continues to increase.”

Henry confirms computer crime has invaded Wall Street, but that it has nothing to do with the current financial system crises. Individual investment companies, however, have lost millions of dollars through “pump and dump” schemes, in which criminals infiltrate multiple client accounts, run up the price of low-liquidity stocks and then dump them from their own accounts. Sneaky, sneaky.

Internet Crime Complaint Center, which the FBI helps run, has recorded more than 1 million complaints since its founding in 2000 and numbers are now running about 18,000 to 20,000 per month, Henry said.

Internet crime is defined as any illegal activity involving one or more components of the Internet such as websites, chat rooms and/or email. Internet crime involves the use of the Internet to communicate false or fraudulent representations to consumers. These crimes may include, but are not limited to, advance-fee schemes, non-delivery of goods or services, computer hacking, phishing, pharming, programming worms, viruses or employment/business opportunity schemes.

Internet crime is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. If you feel you have been victimized by Internet crime, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in your area today, who can help to protect your legal rights and discuss the litigation options available to you.

Are you facing a legal issue?  Have you been sued, or are you wondering about foreclosure?  Did you just have a medical procedure that didn’t turn out as you expected?  Is bankruptcy looming?  What about your family life – are you and your spouse considering divorce?  Do you need to update your will?  Has someone you love been arrested for a DUI? 

These are examples of only some of the most common legal issues.  The fact is we actually deal with the law more than most people think.  More importantly, when we face a legal issue, many of us might not know where to turn for answers.  The legal system can certainly be overwhelming – especially because the consequences are often so grave. 

Since 1994, LawInfo has been providing the public with quality legal resources they can count on.  The idea for the company even came out of the founder’s own legal needs!  How do you find the right attorney?  How do you know the attorneys you contact are in good standing with the state bar association?  What if you want to learn about a legal issue before you talk to a lawyer?  Well, these are the reasons LawInfo was established!  LawInfo has a whole library of information about the most common legal issues including answers to frequently asked questions, articles, legal guides, legal forms, and other information – ALL FREE TO THE PUBLIC!  The really great thing is this – you can also easily find an attorney who will understand your legal needs.  It’s all designed to help the public – help someone find answers they need and find an attorney who can help them. 

Learn more about LawInfo’s Free Legal Resource Center and Find the Right Attorney in your area today!

Today the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held hearings with a number of oil and gas company executives.  The topic: “probe the causes and solutions to America’s oil dependence.” Congress by its nature is a mixture of law and politics; laws are written and passed of course because of political reasons.  But today’s hearing was all politics with no legal action forthcoming.

A government can act to affect a product’s price through taxes and other indirect legislation and can forbid monopolies and price gouging in emergencies such as hurricanes but Congress cannot pass laws ordering companies to lower their prices.  What would Congress like Exxon Mobil, Shell and Chevron to lower their prices too; $3 a gallon, $2 a gallon?  What economic factors does Congress want the companies to take into account when deciding how much to charge?  The only real reason to hold today’s hearing was an attempt to shame the oil companies to lower their prices.

Congress does not need to hold a hearing to determine how and why we are addicted to oil.  If the Members watch the news during the morning and evening rush hours they will see why.  The US is not alone in having traffic choked highways and China and India, with their billion plus populations, are now awakening to the idea of one car per person.

The laws of the United States do not control the rise in oil prices, the law of supply and demand does.  This is not news though, oil prices have risen sharply over the past decade, and Congress has held hearing after hearing to probe the issue.  Oil prices will keep going up because car production and car driving will keep going up.  No Omnibus Spending Bill will stop it but more hearings may give Americans the false assumption Congress holds the solution.

THE ALLEGATIONS: Federal and state regulators accused American International Group Inc. of using deceptive accounting practices to mislead investors and regulators.

THE MOTIVATION: According to New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, ”This is a company that didn’t have to cheat. But once they began, they found it hard to stop.”

THE COST TO SETTLE: $1.64 billion, divided among the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Justice Department and New York State agencies.

To date, there have been 30 documented cases of people who most likely acquired WNV from a blood transfusion, including nine who died.

“This approval is the result of a tremendous cooperative effort among FDA, other public health agencies, the test kit manufacturers and the blood industry,” said Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH, director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “To develop an investigational test to screen blood, tissue and organ donors, and to get this test in blood banks throughout the country, and then licensed this quickly is a remarkable achievement for public health and patient safety.”

West Nile Virus is typically transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. It was first detected in the United States in 1999, and has reoccurred each year for seven consecutive years, causing close to 20,000 human cases of disease and at least 762 deaths since 2002. It is estimated that between 1 and 2 million people have been infected with WNV.

In 2002, it was discovered that WNV could be transmitted in blood and an urgent effort to develop a blood test began. With support from FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, manufacturers developed investigational WNV tests that were rapidly put in place both to evaluate their effectiveness and as an interim measure to protect the blood supply.

Blood banks across the United States participated in these efforts, resulting in the detection and removal of approximately 1,600 infected donations, safeguarding the blood supply and providing the needed data for today’s approval.