May 2018

Fair living wages have been at the forefront of news coverage in recent years. Controversy over a $15 dollar minimum wage dominated many 2017 news cycles, and for good reason. In places with high costs of living, such as California, higher minimum wages are not just a privilege: they’re essential for living. A recent report, funded by a coalition of Disneyland employee unions, found that 10% of them earned so little that they experienced homelessness. They also found that 66% could not afford to eat three meals a day. The report, compiled by Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable on behalf of the union, had other disturbing findings, such as: 74% of employees reported they could not pay for basic...

Medical malpractice claims seek to provide victims of a healthcare professional’s negligence with compensation for their injuries, pain, and suffering. Due to the nature of medical care in the United States, these costs can be quite high. Medical bills can easily bankrupt a family, as they can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. California, like many other states, has a law on the books that limits the amount of money someone can receive, even if a jury finds that his or her provider committed medical malpractice. The Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), passed in 1975, caps damages at $250,000 for non-economic damages. What Are Non-Economic Damages? Non-economic damages seek to compensate a victim of negligence for intangible losses...

We’re all familiar with the dangers of distracted driving. California has been one of the most progressive states in the nation to combat the practice – it has a statewide texting and handheld device ban. In an attempt to control the number of distracted driving-related injuries and deaths, California adopted stringent policies that enhance public safety. Now, one San Francisco lawmaker wants to extend these rules to distracted pedestrians. But just how distracted are pedestrians? Do they contribute to accidents? How will a new proposal affect public safety? Here’s everything you need to know. A Distracted Walking Law? The San Mateo County Supervisor, David Canepa, is adamant about his proposal about distracted walking. He aims to grant police officers the...

Shocking news rocked many would-be parents in the Bay Area, as a San Francisco fertility clinic found that thousands of frozen eggs may have sustained damage due to a system failure. Pacific Fertility Clinic reported that a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank was the source of the failure, affecting 400 patients. The director of the facility told the press that the company thawed a few eggs and tested their viability. A few tested eggs were viable, but some of the embryos sustained damage in the process. Now, a San Francisco couple wants to seek damages for negligence and the emotional distress of losing their chance at parenthood. Will they have a case? Can the Pacific Fertility Clinic be...