Jeff's Blog » Legal Briefs

Can You Sue Anyone for Anything?

Jeff Rasansky — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 19:17:11 +0000

While it is certainly true that people can file a lawsuit for almost anything, you must understand that this means almost nothing. Filing a lawsuit simply means that an individual (or his/her lawyer) sent the court what amounts to a formalized letter of intent. There is a process involved in bringing a lawsuit, and there […]

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A Lesson in Worker Misclassification: Employees vs. Contractors

Jeff Rasansky — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 20:15:05 +0000

It is estimated that close to 20 percent of all American employers misclassify their employees as “independent contractors,” often for a host of reasons that would only benefit the company. Worker misclassification usually results in workers being labeled as ‘independent contractors’ instead of ‘employees,’ even though they’re treated as employees for all intents and purposes. […]

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Understanding Punitive Damages

Jeff Rasansky — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 22:59:24 +0000

There are two different types of damage awards the court can award the injured party: compensatory and punitive. While compensatory damages cover actual costs such as lost wages, repairs to a vehicle, and other things that have an actual monetary value attached to them, punitive damages are intended to monetarily punish those whose conduct was […]

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New Laws Proposed For Texas in 2015

Jeff Rasansky — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 20:17:06 +0000

The 84th Texas Legislative Session is set to start in less than 2 months. As it stands, lawmakers are ready and poised to introduce more than 350 bills touching on things that Texans care about such as guns, education, transportation, health and lots more. Here’s a breakdown of just some of the bills that will […]

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Crack Down on Barratry – Ambulance Chasers On the Run

Jeff Rasansky — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:51:56 +0000

Barratry, also known as ambulance chasing, is an immoral and illegal way for an attorney to get a new client. The Texas legislature (after a scandal involving Representative Ron Reynolds) is cracking down on ambulance chasers by prosecuting more suspects. Fines, prison time and disbarment are consequences.

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Flying-Car Wreck Attorney: Did Your Parachute Deploy?

Jeff Rasansky — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:51:19 +0000

The summer is a time when many of us pause while on vacation or at a slow day in the office and wonder about our future. What will our business be like this time next year? This time ten years from now? What are the big-picture changes facing us? As the economy shifts and elections […]

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Texas Juries Disappearing – What Keeps Civil Cases Out of the Jury Box

Jeff Rasansky — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:29:05 +0000

Early this month The Dallas Morning News ran a story called, “Civil Jury Trials Plummet in Texas” that mentions some staggering statistics on the decline of civil juries. While the average person might still think most lawsuits end with compelling arguments before a group of twelve of your fellow citizens, the reality is that juries […]

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An Email Chain of Lies – Shedding Light on the Stella Awards

Jeff Rasansky — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:01:08 +0000

Around this time, every year, thousands of Americans begin receiving an email for the “Stella Awards.” Like many of these chain emails, it’s full of sensational and completely bogus information. And like other email chains of this nature, most people will take it at face value (since it is usually forwarded from a friend) including […]

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Not a Shocker – Texas’ Tort Reform Laws Hurt Consumers

Jeff Rasansky — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:09:09 +0000

A recent report conducted by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, has found what many of already knew – damage caps only serve to hurt the consumer and protect insurance and big business.

The report, “A Failed Experiment”, discovered that the 2003 Texas law that placed limits on settlement amounts in malpractice cases has done the opposite of what it is said to do.

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Hot Coffee – Burning Through the Lies Surrounding Tort Reform

Jeff Rasansky — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:55:05 +0000

The McDonald’s Case. Everyone’s familiar with it. A woman spills coffee on herself while driving and sues McDonald’s for tens of millions of dollars because the coffee was hot. Just another example of an out of control litigious society and a person looking for quick money. Right?

What would you say if you discovered you were wrong? That the “facts” of the case were not only distorted but were used in a concerted effort by big business and their cronies to restrict your access to justice?

An eye-opening film does just that - and much much more.

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