When businesses have disagreements or face excessive challenges with employees or customers that go beyond what the company can handle internally, commercial litigation often becomes a course of action that business owners must face. It’s a necessary and important process to take because the point of commercial litigation is to resolve business-related disputes, such as […]
The Definitive Guide to Mechanic’s Liens in California
Despite its name, a mechanic’s lien is generally utilized by any supplier, contractor, laborer, and/or subcontractor. If you worked on someone’s home, for instance, and were not paid, you can then file a mechanic’s lien. This is essentially a “hold” against the business, commercial, or homeowner’s property. Although this can result in foreclosure if […]
Your Next Steps After a Construction Accident
If you work in construction, your chances of suffering an accident are high, particularly in comparison with other industries. Of the 5,190 workers killed while on the job in 2017, 21.1% were in construction. Many more workers are hurt each day. If you are injured in a construction accident, you have options, but you will […]
Restrictions On Commercial Speech Regarding Alcoholic Beverages To Be Reconsidered Under Strict Judicial Scrutiny In Light Of First Amendment.
During the early 1900s, manufacturers and wholesalers of alcoholic beverages “tied” retailers to them by providing them with loans, reduced rents, free equipment and other means. Such “tied-house” arrangements caused a vast growth of the number of saloons and bars, resulting in various social evils.
Trial Court Erred In Refusing To Issue Domestic Violence Restraining Order.
The trial court declined to issue a domestic violence restraining order for two reasons. First, it determined that mental abuse was insufficient, and, second, that past physical abuse was insufficient. The court of Appeal reversed. With regard to mental abuse, the appellate court stated: “In this case, the testimony that the trial court did permit […]
Retrial Ordered Because Jury Instruction Improperly Shifted The Burden Of Proof.
In an action by an insured against an insurance company which denied a claim, plaintiff requested that the trial court give a standard jury instruction explaining that, when a loss is caused by a combination of covered and excluded risks, the loss is covered if the most important or predominant cause is a covered risk. (CACI No. 2306.) Defendant instead proposed a special jury instruction placing on plaintiff the burden of proving the collapse of the house was “caused only by one or more” of the perils listed in the policy, and that there was no coverage if the cause of the collapse involved any peril other than those listed.
Discovery Propounded By Judgment Creditor.
A judgment creditor of a $47 million judgment, as part of its efforts to enforce the judgment, propounded requests for production of documents pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 708.030 and later brought a motion to compel. The trial court granted the motion to compel and the judgment debtor appealed. After deciding it is […]
Bean Counter Worker’s Compensation Doctor Never Sees Patient About Whose Care He Dictates.
A worker’s compensation doctor provided a man with a psychotropic medication. Another doctor, an anesthesiologist, who had never seen the patient, determined the drug was unnecessary and decertified it for use. Typically a person gradually withdraws from the drug, but in the present case, it was suddenly stopped and the man suffered four seizures, resulting […]
Law Firm Automatically Disqualified.
One shareholder sued another shareholder and a small construction firm over a dispute in the operation of the construction firm. Defendant was represented in the suit by a law firm which had been retained by the construction company in 2006 and never discharged; nor had the law firm ever withdrawn from representing the company.
Okay For Legislature To Ask The People Of California For An Advisory Opinion.
In Citizens United v. FEC (2010) 558 U.S. 310 [130 S.Ct. 876, 175 L.Ed.2d 753, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S. 73], (Citizens United), a divided United States Supreme Court invalidated federal election law restrictions on the political speech of corporations, holding that a speaker’s identity as a corporation, as opposed to natural person, could not […]