Imagine spending eleven years in prison for a heinous crime you didn’t commit—eleven years away from family, not completing your college degree or advancing your career, and putting your life on hold. Then imagine the state exonerates you but refuses to compensate you for wrongful conviction. This was the reality Mary Jenny Wilcox (now Reach) …
Unfortunately, hazing is far too common and often excused as “tradition.” It impacts victims and their families in many ways. When it results in injury or death, seeking trustworthy legal advice and conducting a full investigation is critical. Every time a perpetrator is held accountable, we take a step towards changing society’s perception of hazing. …
Amidst the chaos of 2020, COVID-19 immunity legislation quietly proceeds through the Ohio legislature. If Sub. H.B. 606 passes and is signed into law, it will provide broad immunity to healthcare workers who committed malpractice from March 9, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Sub. H.B. 606 Sub. H.B. 606 would give immunity to doctors and …
A child enrolls in Boy Scouts of America and proudly moves through the ranks. Each craft, each outing builds his character, and he’s so pleased with his progress—until the unimaginable happens. Whether overnight or perhaps over time, the abuse or molestation committed by a scout leader comes to light, as it did in this recent …
Legal malpractice not only damages your trust in an attorney but can also cause harm in many long-lasting ways. As confusing and disheartening as it is, those who have been victims of legal malpractice can take action to protect themselves in a court of law. Types of Harm Caused by Legal Malpractice Legal malpractice occurs …
Due to statewide closures, many Ohio businesses have faced devastating losses of revenue. Non-essential businesses have suffered greatly, and even essential businesses are seeing far less traffic than normal. What matters in all of this is that as a business owner and policyholder, your insurance company has a duty to try and fulfill your …
For many people, a day at the fair means eating deep-fried foods, looking at prizewinning animals, and enjoying entertainment along the fairway. Unfortunately, the day doesn’t always go that way for everyone. In July 2017, a young couple boarded the KMG Fireball ride at the Ohio State Fair. Within minutes after it started, the ride …
We’ve talked before about the doctrine of qualified immunity: what it is, the scope and boundaries of its application, and how, at times, it can serve as an impediment to genuine justice. It’s important for us as civil rights attorneys to keep up on cases where qualified immunity plays a major role in legal decisions. …
The law is intended to protect the rights of all citizens equally. But what happens to equal protection when the laws are inconsistent from one jurisdiction to the next? In that case, the promise of protection waivers, and the rights of certain individuals and groups become unclear. That’s what is going on right now in …
As civil rights attorneys, we pay close attention to important cases and rulings that highlight flaws in the legal system. We also pay attention when courts set precedent that shows promise of improvement. We’ve addressed the potential dangers posed by the Qualified Immunity Doctrine. It’s just one facet of the legal system that government actors …
The decision to sue after personal injury sometimes involves a complex internal struggle. Even when the damage is obvious, and the negligence and responsibility are reasonably clear, victims may still face questions about whether civil litigation is the right path to take. What should one do when negligence leads to a life-long debilitation? and how …
Each victim’s case comes with a unique set of circumstances. Those circumstances dictate which method of resolution is best suited to achieve the desired results for both parties. In some personal injury and wrongful death cases for example, the dynamics are such that a settlement can achieve a better outcome for victims than a jury …
