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General Motors Seeks to Avoid Products Liability

products liability litigation

GM Asks for Immunity From Liability General Motors has asked the Bankruptcy Court to confirm that it has immunity from products liability claims brought in a class-action lawsuit in California Federal Court. General Motors (GM) went through a taxpayer-financed bankruptcy reorganization in 2009. The new GM that emerged from that process was offered immunity from […]

Michael Jackson’s Estate, Lloyd’s of London Settle Insurance Dispute Out of Court

Settlement Reached Over Michael Jackson’s $17.5 Million Insurance Policy After three years of litigation between Lloyd’s of London, the insurers of Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, and Jackson’s estate, attorneys for the estate advised the court on January 15th  that they have settled with the insurer over a $17.5 million insurance policy. The case was […]

The Developing Law on No Contest Clauses in Estate Litigation

Changes in California’s Estate Laws Effective January 1, 2010 and applicable to all cases where the will or trust was executed after January 1, 2001, the California statutes governing No Contest Clauses have been repealed and re-written. For anyone considering challenging a will or trust that contains a No Contest Clause, it is of the […]

Will Seeking to Remove a Fiduciary Violate a No Contest Clause?

fiduciary duties

Be Careful When Modifying Trust Terms When a beneficiary of a trust is concerned that the trustee, or “fiduciary,” is breaching his or her fiduciary duty by failing to act in the beneficiary’s best interests or is otherwise abusing his position, the beneficiary can seek to have the fiduciary removed. However, the beneficiary may be […]

Duty to Disclose Dangerous Condition of Property Runs to Real Estate Agents

Real Estate Agent Responsibility In Hall v. Aurora Loan Services, LLC (2013) 215 Cal.App 4th 1134, the California court of appeals recently held that real estate agents who are showing a property to prospective buyers, or their agents, have a duty to disclose dangerous conditions of which the seller’s agent has actual or constructive knowledge. […]

What Artist and Talent Managers Should Know About California’s Talent Agency Act: Avoiding Disputes & Handling Disputes

talent agency act

Part 1: Avoiding Disputes California law makes a significant distinction between talent managers and talent agents, oftentimes with dire consequences for those who, wittingly or unwittingly, blur the line between the two roles. California’s Talent Agency Act requires anyone who solicits or procures artistic employment or engagements for artists to obtain a talent agency license. […]

Firefighter Injured in Multi-Vehicle Collision in Northern California

car accident

Careless California Driving Consequences Unfortunately, it is something we see all too often in California. A speedy motorist in a flashy car thinks that the traffic laws – and the rules of common decency – do not apply, and turns the freeway into his personal racetrack, cutting off other vehicles and swerving in and out […]

Los Angeles Ranked in Top Five Cities with Most Pedestrian Fatalities

Wet, Fall Weather Means Dangerous Conditions According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), California, Florida and Texas have more pedestrian deaths than any other states, and Los Angeles ranks in the top five cities with the most pedestrian deaths as a proportion of total pedestrian fatalities. The NHTSA reports that the most deadly […]

Wrongful Death Versus Survival Action: Why You Should Know the Difference

When a loved one dies because of the negligence of another, California law provides for two different types of lawsuits that can be brought against the wrongdoer. One type of lawsuit is known as a wrongful death lawsuit and is brought under California Code of Civil Procedure §377.60. The other is known as a “survival action” […]

Wrongful Death of a Jogger by Pack of Dogs

wrongful death litigation

Wrongful Death Cases Come in Many Forms A sixty-three year old jogger was violently mauled to death by a pack of pit bulls in the Palmdale area of Los Angeles County on Thursday, May 9, 2013. The victim was dragged fifty yards and her arm was ripped off in the attack. She died of her […]