Title: State not hiring because of mental illness and broken toe

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You actually can be denied work for a mental or physical issue. If no reasonable accommodation exists, or the accommodation places undue burden on the employer, employment can be denied. This is perfectly legal under the ADA.

If a medical professional has deemed your father unfit to work in that environment, that is likely the end of it. You could try to get a lawyer, but you are probably just throwing money away.

Answer #2: >The doctor at the hospital told him he won't be giving him a recommendation to the state because his toe is broken and he is on medication for depression. As far as I know, this is super illegal.

Why would you think this is "super illegal"?Answer #3: I'm not sure about the depression, but in my non-mechanical mind having use of your big toe would be important wen working on vehicles. It is legal to deny someone employment for a medical issue as long as no reasonable accommodation exists.


Title: Is it possible to get back money my mum refuses to give back?

Question: It sounds childish, but my mum currently owes me $4700aud, and clearly doesn't intend to give it back. The reason I've lent her so much money, is because she regularly puts me in a position where I have no other option but to give her the money. E.g. She'll spend $80 on alcohol that was needed for rent, then demand I give her the $80 needed, because we'll get evicted if I don't. She lives on a pension with not too much of an income, however it is more than enough to cover all her bills and give me some money back at the end of each week. Recently, I've been getting my 100 hours needed to get my 'P's', however I accidentally crashed while driving. The damages would've cost no more than $1000, however she's now trying to use it as an excuse for not paying back $4000. I'm in a difficult situation right now reddit, and need to know if there is any way to get my money back. I live in Queensland, Australia.

Answer:
 You can sue her for re-payment if you can prove there was a loan, and that she owes you.

If you don't have written proof, next time she asks for a loan, give her a loan document for her to sign, indicating the total she owes, and the date she needs to pay you back.

When that date is reached, sue her.


Title: Expected to be at work at least 15 minutes before scheduled without pay.

Question:
My girlfriend works for a large clothing retail chain and has been told that she is expected to be at work at least 15 minutes before she is scheduled to start without being paid. She usually manages to do this but she takes unreliable public transportation to work and sometimes she arrives only 5 minutes early or on time. They have made it clear that they are not pleased with this and my girlfriend is worried they will fire her or else discipline her somehow. My question is, can they legally expect her to do anything without pay outside of the time she is scheduled?

Edit: We live in Vermont.

Edit2: Thank you for your replies.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: If she's expected to be at work 15 minutes before her shift starts, then she gets paid for those 15 minutes.  She can report this to the department of labor for your state, if one exists.


Title: I hate Junk mail and for the last month I've left all junk mail in my mailbox...my postman isn't happy

Question:
So I live in the southeast and I hate junk mail. I really hate it.

About 6 weeks ago I left a letter for my post man explaining that I no longer want any junk mail, he told me I didn't have a choice, I explained that I did have a choice, and I won't be accepting any more junk mail.

Well my mail box is getting full...because I refusue to take out my junk mail.

I've been told I could be facing consqueses if I refuse to maintain my mail box

Any truth to this? Personally I'm thinking about just taking my mail box down.

Answer:
 Well, they could stop delivering mail to your box, and begin holding it at the post office. If you miss a bill or an important letter/notification because of this, it would be entirely your fault.

 Answer #2: Have you already done [all of this](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0262-stopping-unsolicited-mail-phone-calls-and-email) before you threw a temper tantrum at your letter carrier?

They'll just hold all your mail eventually and you'll have to go to the post office to pick it up.Answer #3: >Personally I'm thinking about just taking my mail box down.

Then you will have other issues. For a start, you do not legally have to have a mail box. So you've got that going for you. But there is stuff that you probably want to get since not getting it will cause you problems: jury notifications for example. Some companies use mail notification (or returned to sender if you don't have  a mail box) to include or exclude you.

You can't simply tell your mailman not to deliver junk mail: it's not his call and he **has** to deliver paid for mail (which junk mail is).


Title: [PA] Uncle's property sold to city of Philadelphia under Eminent Domain over a year ago and he has not been paid.

Question: My uncle had to sell his private property to the city of Philadelphia under eminent domain. After they've agreed on a fixed price, the city removed him from the property title (he was also not notified nor informed regarding the change by either the officials or his attorney who is lacking at her professional behavior) and the tenants won't pay rent and have changed their locks. The government has yet to pay him because the tenants won't leave and he cannot evict them anymore since he doesn't own the title anymore. This has been a long case since last year. The current attorney who's been working on the case wrote a letter to the tenants regarding the sale of the property where my uncle is no longer the landlord anymore they refuse to leave and basically are living for free. We need professional advice. Should we file a lawsuit for both the attorney and the city? What are the possible outcomes?

Answer:
 This is far beyond internet legal advice.

It’s not exactly clear where this went wrong or who’s fault that was. Your uncle should undoubtedly both have a serious discussion with his current attorney and a consultation for a second opinion.


Title: My sister got kicked out of her grandma's house (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Question:
My sister is 13 and her grandma has guardianship of her. The plan was for me to get guardianship of her because her and her grandma don't get along. So yesterday she suddenly gets kicked out and is roaming the streets with her friend and they ended up at another friend's house where she is currently at.

Her grandma is telling me I need to get her today because she is done. She is withdrawing her from school today, I'm just so lost. How am I supposed to enroll her in school?

They live in Franklin and I live in Greenwood. I feel wary about taking her to my house because her grandma called the cops on her last night, i told her to go back and she said she can't because her grandma called the police on her last night and said she was a runaway and they said will go to juvie. I have the message her grandma sent me where she said she told her to leave. I don't know if I will get in trouble for having her here.

Can anybody give me advice on what to do from here?

Answer: Call cps


Title: I am a 17 year old working at a nursing home in minnesota amid this coronavirus outbreak. I'm trying to get a leave of absence from work because my mom is immunodeficienet and wants to self-quartine the whole family. What laws or regulations help me in my situation?

Question: I've talked to my HR and they won't grant a leave of absence for this reason but said I could take a personal leave of absence, but it's unlikely that it would be approved because I am a relatively new employee.

Answer: None.  You can refuse to come in.  They can fire you.  There is no protection for this.


Title: New York, what is the legally correct way of challenging a cashier who short changed you?

Question:
I don't think the state matters, but I was in a situation earlier this evening where I handed $20 to a cashier at a fast food restaurant.  The bill was $6.70, and he handed me back $3.30 and bolted for the back of the kitchen.  He didn't respond to repeated "Hello... Excuse me."

The only other employee in the place got him for me, and he claimed I handed him a $10. Since I just came from the ATM, all I had was $20s in my wallet, so I knew that wasn't possible.

What's the legally correct action to take in this circumstance?

Answer:
 Ask to speak to the manager. Answer #2: I wouldn't have left until I'd spoken to a manager. Most places will do an on the spot drawer count for you (the register will be off $10), and pretty much every fast food chain keeps cameras on their cashiers.

For now, start calling up the management chain.


Title: [NV] Just received a package that was supposed to have a ring it but the corner was cut

Question:
So my mom lost her wedding ring at a hotel in New York and when she realized she called the hotel after we got back from the trip. The hotel managed to find the ring and sent it back in just a normal business envelope. Well the package arrives and one of the corners is cut and no ring is inside.

Is there anything we can possibly do? She is incredibly upset over it especially since my dad passed away last year and this is just another thing that seems to have gone wrong since it happened. I realize it may be a stretch to be able to do anything at all but I just wanted to try.

Answer:
 File a claim with the postal service, this won't get  your ring back because it wasn't insured but it will help with the process

File a claim with the local police department and where the hotel is located.

Call the hotel and explain the situation to a manager.Answer #2: Escalate your claim to the corporate level.  You'll never get anywhere with the local chain.

If you had any renters or vacation insurance covering the trip, that may also be an alternative.

If worse comes to worst, you would probably have to sue the hotel for some form of negligence in handling the ring.


Title: Work place drug testing policy

Question:
Hi All,

&#x200B;

Long time stalker, first time poster here.

&#x200B;

To make a long story short, our company is now making us sign a paper stating we will submit to random drug tests. We are a sub-contractor to a Fed agency.   While I am not against drug testing,  the language in the document seems to be  discriminatory at best.  The company appears to be targeting a certain group of workers (mostly technicians), in only a very specific work site.  Do we have an recourse here?    In my eyes for this to be fair,  all employee at all sites on the project need to be subjected to this policy.       Any thoughts or advice?

Answer:
 >In my eyes for this to be fair, all employee at all sites on the project need to be subjected to this policy.

That would be an incorrect assumption.  Work location is not a protected class and would not be unlawful discrimination.

Is there any type of unlawful discrimination you're worried about?


Title: [IL & MO] My special needs child was hurt by another student and possibly staff.

Question:
Edit to add: My child is 10 years old, fourth grade.

I'm not sure if I need a lawyer or even what type of lawyer to contact.

1) Local school district in IL decided they could not provide services to my child on Autism spectrum (with ODD and a few other things), after about two years of ups and downs in their special education class.

2) IL School district pays to send my child to a special private school across river in MO that specializes in these issues.

3) First day of school my child had to be restrained because he had extreme difficulties integrating, and was scared, started ripping posters off the walls, etc.

4) Child comes home and says his chest is hurting. Says he was slammed on the ground by staff (picked up by his arms and slammed on his back, which hurt his chest) before being restrained. **I waited two weeks to get an official response from the school, still haven't received an incident report. School says he was not slammed on the ground, but refuse to let me see security video showing the restraint "because HIPAA."**

5) Pediatrician calls in X-rays and EKG tests. X-rays good, EKG abnormal (don't know if it has to do with incident, but cardiologist appointment forthcoming). Chest keeps hurting late into the evening, says it's getting worse, go to ER and doc says my child has a chest cavity contusion.

6) Yesterday, my child was pushed backwards by another student when staff weren't close by, cracks his head open and has to be taken to ER and get six stitches for about a 3.5" gash. **I consider this to have been a potentially life threatening situation. A few inches lower and he could have been dead, from what I've read regarding back of head injuries.**

A) Should I get an attorney to at least have them cover the aforementioned hospital bills? With insurance, I'm guessing that will be less than $800 out of pocket.

B) Need an attorney to see the security video to prove staff didn't mishandle my child? Or take their word on it that they reviewed the footage and everything was okay?

C) Should litigation happen since I should have a reasonable assumption of my kid's safety when going to a special needs school?  Something to ensure other kids might be better supervised and not hurt by other students in the future?

Edit: I've never thought I would need a lawyer before, but I'm scared and angry, and I just don't know what to do. My child will most likely not be going back to that school since I don't know if he can be guaranteed to be safe. Probably heading to r/homeschool soon.

**Edit 2: You guys and gals are awesome. I just found out about this sub today, happened to post my issues, and I've had so many quality responses. Definitely one of the best subs I've seen. Thanks, everyone. I'm still reading and contemplating all responses.**

Answer:
 Have you contacted CPS? If adults are abusing or neglecting children, that should be your first stop. Answer #2: Schools are not covered by HIPPA. Never have been. They're lying, tell them you want to see the tape or you're going to go to your lawyer and legally acquire it. Answer #3: Schools are not generally a covered entity under HIPAA

You need an attorney. Answer #4: They are probably stonewalling on the video until they can find some excuse for having lost it or written over it. You need to get that stuff addressed immediately.Answer #5: IANAL. Are you sure they cited HIPAA and not FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)? I had this situation arise earlier in the school year, where my son was hurt by another student on the playground and the school refused to release an incident report citing that it would violate the other student's right to privacy under FERPA. I still think that its a BS interpretation of FERPA to cover their asses, but decided to drop it in my case.

Sorry that you and your child are dealing with this.


Title: I read somewhere that using a *@gmail.com email address for business use is illegal, but can't find it in their EULA. Is it illegal?

Question: I guess whatever rule they have applies globally.

Answer: Their EULA only states that by using them for a business purposes you relieve them of any liability associated with your business.


Title: [Illinois] Should I get a lawyer for traffic court?

Question:
I was ticketed Saturday for driving without insurance and speeding.
I have never gotten traffic tickets before. I am not sure what to do. The court day is October 5.  I have  talked to one lawyer who says the fees will be $750 for the retainer.  I dont have a lot of money. I am not sure what the best option for me is.

Answer:
 Talk to more attorneys in order to get a better sense of the market rate in your area.  Also, don't be afraid to ask the attorneys what you're getting for the money.  More specifically, what do they see as the "best case" outcome, the most likely outcome, and the "worst case" outcome.  There's lots of possible ways this could go (supervision, driving school, dropped charges, reduced charges, fines, points, etc.).  In order to decide whether you want or need an attorney, you should have a sense of what they intend to accomplish for you.

Also, be sure you understand the cost structure.  A retainer implies a hourly-rate based retention.  Others might work on a fixed fee.  Every lawyer is free to charge what and how they like, so you need to ask.  Too many prospective clients are too shy or too shellshocked to ask about the costs.

Armed with that information, then you should be able to make an informed decision about how to proceed in a manner best for you.

*Disclaimer: I am a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer.*


Title: 17 year old step daughter is being taken advantage of. Her father passed and her siblings are changing the will. TN

Question: My stepdaughter turns 18 in October. Her father died and detailed how the estate would get divided. We have a copy of the will that is 4 or 5 years old. No one is sure that it is the final version. It was never submitted to probate court. It is notarized with 2 witnesses. We found the attorney who propared the will and notarized it. We also found one of the witnesses, as she works for the attorney. But no one knows the other witness. They said without finding that other witness, it's void. So they are just going to split everything up evenly and distribute everything that way with an attorney as soon as she turns 18. How can we fight this, to get the will paid out as written? How can she protect herself?

Answer:
 > **They** said without finding that other witness, it's void.

*Who* said that?  Usually wills are presumed valid, and finding and subpoenaing witnesses is generally only required when someone *contests* the validity of the will.Answer #2: > They said without finding that other witness, it's void.

Bullshit.

> How can we fight this, to get the will paid out as written?

File it in probate court.

> How can she protect herself?

Hire an attorney.
Answer #3: Y'all can consult with an estate attorney.Answer #4: I'll add a little /r/relationships and /r/parenting in here if you don't mind.

If you're not already doing it, I'd suggest verifying with your step daughter that she's comfortable with whatever road you decide to follow.  It's her brothers & sisters that she's going to be fighting with.  Whether the money or the relationships are more important is really her decision, with your guidance, of course.
Answer #5: I'm going to step out on a limb (not knowing TN estate law) and say that it's highly unlikely that a will would only be valid if you can currently find the witness to a will.([http://www.tresslerassociates.com/blog\_direct\_link.cfm?blog\_id=64275](http://www.tresslerassociates.com/blog_direct_link.cfm?blog_id=64275) \- This is just about witness requirements for TN wills). I witnessed plenty of wills years ago and no one has ever hunted me down to prove the validity of a will.


Title: Promise of easy money

Question: So this happened on my way to work the other day . I guy approached me after getting off the train. He proceeded to offer me a deal. In exchange for cashing a check( posing as an employee for a business) i would in return receive compensation from said check . The only catch he stated was that I must have a BofA or Wells Fargo account that has been active for several years. I'm not to sure what to do I mean all I'm doing is cashing a check at the teller but idk if there could be any legal reproductions to this or if what he tells me is even legitimate, any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer:
 Well, props to the dude for doing the scam in person rather than via craigslist.Answer #2: you might want to cross post this over at r/scams.

First let me start with saying there is no such thing as easy money and second if it seems to good to be true it most often is.

In this case I would say it is the good old classic fake check scam. The bank would cash the check but after a couple (maybe 4) weeks they figure out the check was a fake. After which they come back to you to get their money back.


Title: seems like im being chased out of a national park in order to not bring down a company i was working for [Alberta, CA]

Question:
hello!

so quick rundown of my situation. i worked for a large gasoline company inside of a national park in Alberta. i was on contract from July 1st to October 30th 2016. upon becoming employed i was instructed to sign the various "training" books we had in store, but was not taken through them. i became the night closer and was consistently there from 4-midnight.

on September 5th there was a petrol spill that was about 10-20 litres. a man had taken his gas cap and wedged it into the handle of the pump so it didnt shut off when full. this is illegal in all of Canada, we do not have clips on our pumps anymore. the only place that still does is Costco and they pay a heavy fee to keep the clips. at the time of the spill i called the assistant manager as the store owner/manager was on vacation, she sent my supervisor over to assist in cleaning the spill as i said i didnt know how to handle one this large. two other attendants were on that evening but they were brand new to the station. i took the absorbent and put it on top of the spill and when my supervisor arrived she instructed me to take a plastic shovel and put all the absorbent (now petrol-covered) into garbage bags and put them in the dumpster out back. the dumpster says "no toxic waste" but as my supervisor had told me to do this, i did. a man from Quebec came up and was pretty mad at us, he asked my supervisor to speak to the manager but he was on vacation. she took the man inside of the store and instructed me to continue cleaning.

on September 20th Parks Canada came into the store looking for me specifically. they were investigating me as i had been identified as the person cleaning the spill (ive got bright blue hair so i was easy to pin down unfortunately) and what i did was a federal offence and broke many national park bylaws. i made a statement to the Parks officer (unaware that i legally could have just shut up, but i was scared.) and told her this is simply what i was trained to do and my supervisor was there during the spill. i gave Parks the name of the person who spilled the gas, my supervisors name, my managers name and when he would be back. they came in twice since then for me. i was told i should "look into a lawyer" by Parks as this is somehow my fault?

September 24th my owner arrives back and is made aware of the situation. sits me down and asks me what i told Parks. i say that i gave them the person who spilled the gas's information, he tells me "that was a bad idea" and advises myself and all other staff not to speak to Parks.

on September 25th i am not put on the new schedule, my boss takes me outside with a 10L jug of water and throws it onto the ground in front of the pumps and asks me if that looks like the spill. i say yes, pretty similar, but it was also raining the night of the incident so i can't be certain. we discuss for a bit longer before he explains why im not being put onto the schedule, "all things considered its probably best you disappear right now. i'll get you your last pay on Wednesday"

September 28th i get my last pay. today, October 1st, i am told to leave my staff accommodation immediately even though there are 3 other vacant rooms, he claims he needs mine for other employees.

is there a case here? it seems like i was let go as to not rat out the owner for not training his employees properly and now im both homeless and jobless. i have applied places but i have nowhere to live until i get a callback. what can i do? if it helps im also a pretty young female so i think he assumes ill run scared right now.

Answer: You need to find a lawyer. I believe you would be covered by federal employment standards, but you need to make sure this is the case. The fact that training was not properly provided and there was an accident is probably beyond the scope of advice that this sub can give you.


Title: Do advice-givers hold any legal responsibility?

Question: I was just wondering if any lawyers on here are worried that they will be held accountable for any legal advice they give.  Can an OP sue a commenter for advice that leads to a poor outcome?

Answer:
 From the sidebar:

> Any advice found here IS NOT legal advice. Reddit is not a substitute for a real lawyer.

> Please only use responses as guidelines to better prepare yourself for when you meet with a lawyer. Answer #2: /r/legaladvice told me to pound sand.  Injured myself while pounding sand. Can I press charges?


Title: Company changing locations and drastically changing schedules. What's allowed and what's not?

Question:
The company I work for is moving locations to a large metropolitan area that will add 30-90 minutes onto almost all of the current employee's commute. I have been with the company for 3.5 years and most of the current employees have been here for over 2 years or less than 6 months. They are compensating those of us who weren't hired to start at the new location, which is great, but the problem is the new schedules.

We're scheduled to start in the new location on Monday with normal business hours as they currently are. They still have not told us what our hours are going to be. One department starts at 5 AM and they were hired on with the knowledge that they'd start at 5. My department has regular business hours and we were given our new hours 2 weeks ago. However, they have now gone back on those hours and have not yet notified us what our new schedules will be or when they will start. But, they are planning on having a few shifts, one of which includes starting at 5 AM with the other department. The other has us leaving at 7 PM.

My question for you all is what are our rights as employees who were not hired on for the new location and were not hired on for the new schedules? Are they allowed to change our schedules so drastically without proper notice? We have less than a week until we move and still no information. Well, a few people have been told today, but only a few.

This company has been shady in other ways and believe me, if I had any other option I wouldn't be staying, so I just want to know if there are any options for us employees besides leaving and filing for unemployment. Because of the move, we've lost half of the employees in my department over the last month and a half and have not even begun to replace them. No matter the answer I receive, I'd like to have a piece of mind knowing I asked.

tl;dr - Company is moving locations and drastically changing our schedules with less than a week's warning. What is allowed and not and what are our options?

Answer: It's ironic that your question asks about location but you ignored the instructions to provide it.


Title: Removing arrest from Google

Question:
IL resident. I was arrested in 2014, pled guilty and got my case dismissed then expunged in 2016, but Google still has my arrest news on the front page when you search my name. Really worried this may come up in job or grad school interviews.

What's the best way to get rid of these results or at least push them a few pages down?? Much appreciate any help...

Answer: You can hire a SEO company to push the results down. There's no legal way to force Google to remove or lower the visibility on the article


Title: Adopted a dog and the original owner is... interesting

Question: I work at a doggy daycare and one of our clients was R owned by S. R is a large working breed and still very much in the puppy phase, so he’s very hyper active and rebellious. S constantly complained about him, wanted to re-home him, and even went so far as to say they wish they could have him put down because no one wanted to deal with him. I stepped in and offered to take him. Long story short I have him now and we’re bonding and I’m working on his politeness training. S was sort of treating me as a glorified dog sitter and wanted to continue seeing him. On our last visit I had S sign a contract that transfers ownership of the dog over to me. I also was given his vet records, licensing/registration, the original contract from when he was purchased, and his microchip info. I no longer wish to continue these visits because it’s only confusing R and S continuously critiques how I’m handling him. My only concern is her getting upset and then trying to take me to court for him or even suing me. With the contract and all the other paperwork I have for him, am I legally his owner now?

Answer: You are legally the dogs owner with proof to back you up and a contract signed by his previous owner transferring ownership. None of that precludes him from suing you. It just means he won't win.


Title: Canceled interview after recruiter viewed my linkedin profile pic.

Question:
Two weeks ago a had a program manager call me regarding an interview for a job I had applied for and an interview was set up. A day before the interview I get a call from the program manager saying the interview was canceled due to a hold on the contract (which I HIGHLY suspect to be a lie). I go on my linkedin account later that day a see an anonymous user had viewed my account earlier that day (I get a profile hit approximately once per month). I am a minority and my linkedin account has my picture on it. I suspect the cancelation was due to me being a minority since ALL the info on my account was copied directly from my resume which this person already had. So my linkedin page is essentially my resume with my picture on it.

Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 > I suspect the cancelation was due to me being a minority since ALL the info on my account was copied directly from my resume which this person already had.

Don't jump to conclusions, that's just stupid.

It's very possible and even likely that the reason they told you is legit.


Title: The Place I Work is Being Robbed Almost Daily by a Shoplifter, We Know Who it is but our Company has a Policy of Non-Intervention and no Police, What can I do?

Question:
I work for a national company, it's a business inside a mall that is being robbed by a shoplifter almost daily. We all know who it is and we are sick of them, we're furious that they are robbing us daily. What's more frustrating is this person knows we know, and is practically mocking us by saying hello and chatting with us while they're robbing us. They know we cannot do anything about it and is growing more and more bold, starting to come in several times a day.

As I said, my business has a non-intervention policy, we're not allowed to call the cops or anything. All we can do is hover around them, let them know we're only aware of their presence, but can't accuse them of anything and can't stop them. I'm only a part-time employee with a general position, no authority, and I've asked my managers if there's anything at all that can be done, if we can have cops or mall security simply walk around the store \*coincidentally\* at the same time as the shoplifter, but they insist it can't be done.

The only idea I have is going to my local police department and explaining my situation and asking for help, or even making an anonymous tip (not to be over-dramatic). This is my only job and I absolutely depend on it, and I'm afraid I'll get fired if they every found out for liability issues or whatever. If any of you have any ideas on what I can do please let me know. You can DM for a little bit more details, but no more than what state I'm in and general information without getting into specifics.

Thanks for the help!

Answer: It’s not your money or your merchandise, let it go. If they decide to do something about it that’s their choice, likewise if they don’t. Don’t jeopardize your job if you need to keep it.


Title: If I safely retrieved the Voyager 1 from space (with, say, a big lasso), and set it gently in my backyard, what could I be charged with?

Question: Is there anything about doing that, as long as I don't damage the probe or my surroundings, that would be illegal?

Answer: Grand larceny, for one. It's not your property and is certainly worth millions, and since it's federal government property it's going to go federal. Might be some national security related stuff and EPA stuff for interfering with the property of NASA and introducing unquarantined material into the US. No telling what kind of residue is on it! If you're not a US citizen then you're also going to run afoul of international treaties regarding objects out in space. You would definitely be in violation of the statutes regarding interfering with government operations, which is usually just a misdemeanor, but you could be open to civil liability as well.


Title: [Houston, Texas] my girlfriend and I are having a baby so we recently got our TDAP vaccinations but in separate locations. They informed us there would be pain for a day but my entire shoulder is still hurting 5 weeks later and it's affecting my work. Can I sue the pharmacy? Would should I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Go see a doctor. Some people have side effects (not that you can sue for) or it could be something else. Come on, you're about to be a dad. You need to have some more critical thinking here.


Title: Legal Action against DoorDash for adding our Restaurants on their app without permission.

Question:
So DoorDash began serving our area, we are a small pizza shop, 4 franchises under our ownership umbrella. We employee delivery drivers as well. On Saturday we had calls for DoorDash, nobody had told DoorDash to add us on and when we checked the menu, it had incorrect items, and prices.

The errors were basically if someone took a menu from 2006 and copied it on. Items that haven’t been available for 7 or 8yr are on there, it had us serving Pepsi products we haven’t served any in the last 5yrs. Pastas that we’ve never even carried were on the menu as well.

On top of all of this the delivery charge was set at $1 when we charge $2 and being a small community I had spoke with three other small restaurants a Chinese food store in the same strip, and two other pizza chains and they had experienced the same issues.

We have removed ourselves from DoorDash but I was curious to see if there is any legal action to be taken?

It’s not a massive deal but just annoying that we had to deal with DoorDash calling and arguing about pricing instead of handling our current clientele on a busy Saturday night.

Thanks for anything you guys have to offer

Answer: A minor annoyance over one evening is not really grounds for a lawsuit, especially if you can't point to specific monetary damages.


Title: Caught red handed with a controlled substance. What am I up against?

Question: Last week I was stopped by an Irvine police officer on private property because my tags were out of date. I gave them permission to search my car because I figured if I didn't, they would wait around until they got a warrant. Anyways, they found a tiny bit of heroin, some paraphernalia (foil, straw) , and a quarter of a Xanax bar. I was arrested, booked, held for about an hour, and released. My court date is coming up in a little over a month. I understand prop 47 brings this down to a misdemeanor, but what I would like to know is what sort of punishment I can expect. I can't do any jail time as I have many bills to pay and a sober life to live. Should I even bother with a lawyer? Or just go public defender? Any advice/anecdotes would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Answer:
 >I gave them permission to search my car because I figured if I didn't, they would wait around until they got a warrant.

Sigh.


Title: Organization stole my logo without credit-what can I do?

Question:
Hi! Throwaway account here.

So a bit back I designed a logo for an organization I was working with (read: not for) for an event we were working on together. As the organization at the time did not have a logo, the logo I designed was to be used purely for the event, after which a new logo would be created (with or without me designing it) or a formal contract would be drawn up for them to continue to use it. I have this in writing. The event fell through, and that was the last I heard of it. Earlier this week, I discovered that the organization had been operating with my logo and using it on merchandise, social media, and other platforms to grow their brand. I was not notified of this use by the organization, and was not given credit or compensation.  I have screenshots and emails proving that I designed logo, that they agreed not to use it after the event without a contract or compensation, and the organization acknowledging they used it without my consent. What can I do to ensure I am given proper credit, and is it possible for me to get compensated for my work?

Answer: NAL. I'd start by sending them an invoice. If you're not a graphic design professional, get some estimates for what design firms usually charge, and use the top end of the range.


Title: Forced to "teach" students at a school and I'm not a certified teacher.

Question:
I work for a school districts Technology Department in the state of Wisconsin. The district has recently created a student run help center for volunteer students who wish to learn basic tech repair. This is a credited course. From my understanding on paper they are registered in an actual class with an actual certified teaching staff member and receive credit towards their class requirements.

All of us in the tech dept. are considered classified staff (basically not a certified teacher). They want someone from our dept. to watch these kids and teach them during this time period.

My question is "is this even legal?" I didn't sign up to be a teacher and do not want to be responsible for this program. Can a non-certified staff member be required to function as a certified teaching staff member?

**Update:** Thank you for the responses. I also spoke with a friend in high places here. Apparently the way they did it is that the whole program is run as an internship for our department. So I'm not a "teacher", but rather their boss.

Answer:
 The relevant law is here: http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/118/19

>  Except as provided in s. 118.40 (8) (b) 2., any person seeking to teach in a public school, including a charter school, or in a school or institution operated by a county or the state shall first procure a license or permit from the department. -- 118.19(1)

The law has some exceptions:
>  If a pupil attends a virtual charter school, any person providing educational services to the pupil in the pupil's home, other than instructional staff of the virtual charter school, is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department.  -- 118.40(8)(b)2.

> 5) A person is not required to be licensed as an alternative education program teacher under s. 115.28 (7) (e) 2. to teach in an alternative education program, as defined in s. 115.28 (7) (e) 1

(And there might be other exceptions that I'm not seeing)

You need to ask them which exception you fall under. If they can't find any, then you need to explain that what they're asking you to do is illegal. If they fire you for refusing, you probably have a good wrong termination lawsuit (because firing someone for refusing to commit a crime is illegal). Answer #2: Are you assisting the certified teacher or teaching the class by yourself?Answer #3: Is there a teacher's union in your district? I'd have a talk with them.


Title: Boss isn't taking a gas smell seriously.

Question:
Maybe, this isn't the right place to be posting this, if it is, I apologize!

&#x200B;

I work at an office in NYC that provides after school activities for children. Starting two weeks ago, parents have been complaining about a gas smell and my boss (initially until a few days ago) never smelled anything and said they were overreacting. She (boss) has since called the super (she, for some reason, refuses to call the gas company), who had the usual repair man come over (last tuesday) and said nothing was wrong with the heating unit and the gas smell was **probably just from some dust that collected on the pipes..**

I had my wisdom teeth removed so I haven't been in the office since last monday (before the repairman was scheduled to come in -- I assumed the issue was going to be fixed then). I was surprised when my coworker told me it still smells in the office, after I asked for an update (she works the earlier shift for today).

Personally, as an employee who sits at the front desk for a bunch of hours, I don't feel comfortable even going into work. I usually work independently for my shift at the front desk (very small company), so if I don't go in to open up, classes can't go on so it's not like I can't NOT show up, if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to put anyone else in potential danger, just trying to explain the situation.

&#x200B;

It's been a total of two weeks now with the smell and apparently nothing's changed. My coworker thought of trying to 'anonymously' call the gas company and see if she can get someone to come in that way.

&#x200B;

Is there something I can say to my boss if I go in and the gas smell is still as strong as my coworker mentioned? I also wonder if I there is employee right as a more-than-valid-excuse to escalate the situation? Because the smell itself isn't escalating enough or reason to get up in arms about it, apparently. Or is the anonymous call a better way to go about this?

&#x200B;

TL;DR

&#x200B;

Boss doesn't want to call gas company despite a gas smell coming from turning on the heat. Don't feel comfortable going into work but I basically open and manage the front (and only) desk.

Answer: If you think it's gas, call 911


Title: I was denied gap insurance last December unknowingly on a brand new car. Now I’m left under

Question:
Ok. As a first time car buyer, I was excited. I got a new car. 0 miles. First owner. Yay me. When I signed the contract, I felt I was not explained everything well enough. Anyways. Fast forward 11 months, and my now 12,000 mile car is rear ended by someone with no insurance. My insurance company places all fault on the other party and nothing goes on my record. Although my insurance declared my car a total loss. They paid 13,000 on a 17,000+ amount. Now I am stuck owing 4000+ to my leinholder. I went over my contract and “gap insurance” is marked “NA”. Even though at the dealer ship, no one ever mentioned it to me. It was denied without my permission or knowledge. I message the dealer and they respond with this message( “Unfortunately the bank would not finance the 'Gap" insurance on your contract due to your credit profile.” )but keep in mind. This car has two names in it. Mine and a co-signer. So how or why would they assume we can’t afford gap insurance on a car that didn’t even cost 20,000 sticker price? Any thing I could do to have the 4K forgiven or at least a deal worked out? Now I’m left paying insanely high interest and 500 a month. Probably for a few years with no car. Merry Christmas right?
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: No, the bank isn't going to forgive 4k because you werent paying attention in your excitement of buying a new car. You should read any legal documents you sign very very carefully. Sorry


Title: [Nova Scotia] Employer not letting us use vacation days to cover sick time, and etc.

Question:
I have a few questions.

I am a salaried employee with 5 sick days and 15 vacation days. My company just announced (On March 31st) a policy that we're not allowed to use vacation days to cover sick time and they want us to get away and have proper vacations with our vacation time.

I was very sick in February and took a week off. I told my manager I wanted to use vacation time for that, but yesterday the director (different person) told me that he put it under sick leave and I'm out of sick leave.

I'm also pregnant at the moment and have been having appointments. He told me I owe them 3.5 days between February and going to appointments. He told me I can't use my vacation time to cover this and that I have to make it up.

My last day is the end of April before I start maternity leave. I had planned on doing about 10 hours a week of work from home once things calmed down enough. He told me I would have to work for free during that time to make up the time (which I don't mind too much, this is otherwise a sweet gig).

Also, my director told me that I am not going to get my 15 days of vacation and they're going to pro-rate them because I am finished at the end of April until I come back in January (I'm taking a short maternity leave, my husband is taking the other part). I'll probably get 5 days.

So my questions are:

Can my employer not let me use vacation days to cover sick days?

Can my employer pro-rate my vacation days? (Not that I am intending to take 3 weeks of vacation in the next month, I was just wondering for the future)

Thanks for any help!

Answer: You still accumulate vacation days while you are on mat leave, FYI, so they shouldn't be taking them away from you. (also Nova Scotian, also pregnant)


Title: Can a Non US residents get a copyright from the US government?

Question: For example can a British Man in UK apply for a copyright from the Federal US government?

Answer:
 Sure. JK Rowling is British and has a US copyright over her short stories she posts online. Although her publisher probably holds the copyright to the actual Harry Potter series...

Anyway - nationality doesn't really matter, especially if both countries are party to the Hauge convention.

It depends on what you're trying to copyright though. You can't copyright a name, for instance.


Title: Is this slander

Question:
It's on a Google review for a big company. A lot of people can see it, so it is published and injurious. But it's an opinion, so I don't believe it's "false". Is this slander, or is this not slander?

Review:

(Rated the company 4 stars.)

"Great company.

Just pray to god you don't get Mike [last name] as your team leader. He takes charge of HVAC-8/9. I see him as disloyal, not recognizing of your hard work. I see that he's even let good temps go, because they weren't "Yes Men".

If you go through a temp agency and see that your column is "P-9", ask them to switch you to a different location. Very important."

Answer:
 It's probably not slander the way it's phrased, but it supremely stupid.

Exactly nobody wants to read a review of you airing your sour grapes on a review. You're being very immature and petty, so just type it out to make yourself feel better, then delete instead of post. Just don't do it.


Title: My mugshot is on a website

Question: So a few month ago I got arrested on a frankly bs charge, after i made bail the jail took me off their records but I'm still on a site called busted I've messaged them and told them i want myslef take  off this instant. If they dont comply is there anything I can do I'm supposed to be innocent until proven guilty but I had to stop going to school because I was getting bullied because of their damn website and I cant get a job because it's the first thing that pops up when you search my name.

Answer:
 No there is nothing you can do to get the image removed. While you are innocent until proven guilty, your mugshot is a matter of public record.

There are companies that actively push such things down the search results,. If this really is an issue for you, you might want to look into something like that.


Title: Possible wrongful termination?

Question:
Hello!

My boyfriend and I both work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma. I’ve been employed here for 6+ Months, my boyfriend on the other hand was only employed there for a little over two months. Today, at 4:00 PM while he was going to take his last break, he was instead pulled into an office with our supervisor. He was told he is being terminated due to the fact they were unable to verify one employer. They contacted him about it once before he was hired, notifying him that the information was not verified and needed to be done. He made a call to the employer and was told they left a VM to verify his employment there. I’m not sure if they were ever contacted back, because he never heard anything about it again and was then offered the job afterwards. He has been coming to work every single day since September 7th, 2018 and it was never communicated to him that information still needed to be verified and could eventually effect his employment status with the company. When he was called back in the meeting they were told it was a decision made by higher ups and nothing could be done and received a letter saying he was terminated as of 11/20/2018. I know the law in Oklahoma is awful when it comes to employers being able to let their employees go for whatever reason basically, but is this really something that is considered a justified termination? It’s just not sitting well with me or anyone else I’ve talked to about it, but I’d love some input on the issue. Please and thank you!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: He should file for unemployment and look for a new job. Answer #2: This is not a wrongful termination. They don't need a reason to fire him.


Question:
What if I worked for a pharmacy and gave information about which doctors tend to prescribe which drugs?

That information could be used for legit or not ends, I presume.

I guess there are some variables.

If the information would be used to obtain drugs for abuse, would I be in trouble? (If I knew about it? If not?)

Are there problems with giving up that information at all?

Are there problems with selling the information?

What if I didn't work for the pharmacy?

Answer:
 Gave the information to WHOM?

You could absolutely be fired and lose whatever license you have to be a pharm tech for that.  That's the easy end.

If you are involved in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain controlled substances, you can wind up in federal prison.


Title: I got a ticket for listening to my GPS?

Question:
Canada, Quebec

Basically, this morning, I thought I would use my GPS on my phone to get to somewhere (Google maps).

It picks the fastest route, so I followed every instruction the voice said.

I had to get across a bridge.

At one point, a little before the bridge, at some lights, the GPS tells me to turn left and directly right. I guess this was so I could cut traffic in a way or another?

I do that. I enter a residential zone.

I get stopped by the officer. He states I am in a "Local transit only" zone. I explain I was just listening to the GPS on my phone, and that was an honest mistake. He says: "Oh, you're looking at your phone too?"

-Obviously not.

He comes back with a 154$ ticket.

I go back the way I came from to see that sign that says local transit only (which can honestly be easily missed; I'm used to those signs mostly when there is construction around, not just a random one on the side of the road).

I expected that my GPS would not take turns that are not too be taken, so I just listened to the directions it told me.

Am I aloud to contest this ticket anyhow as it was not my fault?
If I can't contest the ticket and I have to pay, can I ask Google to pay somehow? Times are rough.

Thanks for reading.

Answer:
 It is your fault. You have a duty to obey all road signs. Google has nothing to do with you not watching where you are going.

If we could post youtube links, right here is where i would post the clip of Michael Scott driving his car into a pond because his gps told him to.


Title: AL - Husband was approved time off to get trmt for alcholism - when he came back 2 wks later he was let go - is unemployment an option?

Question:
Hello!

Husband was granted leave from work to get trtmnt for alcoholism.  He left the state for 2 weeks went to his moms and AA meetings and got sober (still sober)!  Before he left his job (cook) was very supportive.  Once he returned they texted him that he would need a doctor note to return.  When he asked for clarification on what they wanted he was texted "we just cant take the chance" on him returning and he was let go.  He was never in trouble at work for drinking.  Is he eligible to file an unemployment claim?  He is doing 90 meetings in 90 days and its hard to find a job until he completes these meetings plus we want to move back to Florida in 6 weeks.

Thanks for your help and have a SUPER day!!!

Answer:
 It's legal for an employer to require a note that an employee is medically fit to return to work after taking medical leave. It doesn't have to contain specific detail only that they are fit to work. Was there a problem providing this? Normally the health care provider that completed the FMLA certification will provide this.Answer #2: Totally not legal advice here, but my wife worked as a chef for many years.  Alcoholism band other substance abuse was and probably still is rampant in professional kitchens.

If he sought treatment, and its working, he may not want to go back to working in a kitchen for a while. Being in that kind of environment may be detrimental to his recovery.Answer #3: He should absolutely file for unemployment based of your narrative. Answer #4: Your husband might seek a consultation with an employment attorney.  In many cases substance abuse is treated as a disability.

He should certainly file for unemployment.


Title: Sitting at the bar, I was told to sell everything I own on the stock market and I'd be lucky if I wasn't drafted into the upcoming war(26M)

Question:
My question is, do I have to register(if there was a war).

I'm not interested in fighting for this country(I live in the U.S, and because this country has never fought for me), but what options could I take that don't end up with me being imprisoned if it came down to this ? Would there be an alternate way out ?

I'm also the only son from my parents

United States/Florida

Answer:
 You should stop believing drunk idiots.

As others have pointed out, you should already be registered.

But reality is that there is absolutely no chance we'll have a war that requires a draft, except if the US mainland is attacked.  The odds of that happening are somewhere between slim & none.

So take a deep breath, and stop listening to drunk idiots.


Title: Is it legal to rent a room without giving the keys to the front door?

Question:
Just signed my tenancy agreement and transfered rent, when the main tenant told me the main door was always unlocked. I am honestly having a mild panic attack.

There is a lock but I don't have keys. I feel really upset about that situation, what are my options

Can I force them to give me a key/ install a new lock?
Can I breach the agreement?

The only key I have is that of my room.

Thanks

Answer:
 As a practical matter - what sort of lock is on your room? And what sort of housing arrangement is this? Because this almost sounds more like a lodging house or even hotel.

As a Landlord I wouldn't be happy with my property being open to all and sundry honestly.


Title: Moviepass is stealing from me. What can I do?

Question:
I ordered 2 cards on 8-18-2017. Here it is 11-11-2017 and I still have no cards. I was getting an email just about everyday saying they were going to activate my card if I didn't click the link. I have inquired several times about my cards to no avail. I wake up this morning to find this: https://imgur.com/a/SlkI5
Basically they claim that I have received my cards, which I have not, and that I activated them and they will now start charging me monthly. How can I get them to refund all my money and stop billing my account?

EDIT: I would just like to clarify to everyone that I have emailed them numerous times about my missing card. They have no customer support number. Obviously /legaladvice/ is my last resort or else I wouldn't have created this thread.

Answer:
 Then dispute the charge on your credit card on the basis you never received what you paid for.

You have some ....... interesting bookmarks.Answer #2: [Call them](https://www.google.ca/search?q=moviepass+customer+service+phone+number), explain that you have not received the cards, and that you haven't activated them. Explain that you're worried that the cards may have been stolen, as you received an email saying that they've been activated, and ask if they can cancel and re-send the cards.

If that doesn't get you anywhere, call your credit card issuer and start the chargeback process. Expect Moviepass to refuse your card afterwards, so assume that this will be the end of your relationship with them. They may send the debt to collections, in which case you should dispute the resulting credit history hits, and they may sue you, in which case you should appear and defend the suit.


Title: GA, USA - Grandmother sold her property to an investor a few years ago with an agreement in the contract allowing her to continue living on the property for the remainder of her life. Investor has since gone bankrupt and now my grandmother is afraid she is going to lose her house.

Question: Are there any laws proteting the elderly in these kinds of circumstances, or any legal action we can take to help her?

Answer: depends on the agreement Grandma had. if it was a life estate recorded on the deed, she's fine. if it was an unwritten agreement to lease the property back to her for the rest of her life, she's probably in trouble.


Title: Registered sex offender realtor working for my apartment complex.

Question:
So the real estate company in charge of my apartment complex (renting only, a separate management company not affiliated with them manages everything else) is owned by a man that I just found out is a registered sex offender. I only found out when he started borderline harassing me one day over how I parked in my two assigned parking spots. I didn't know who he was, asked him if he worked for the property management company, and he got visibly upset that I had the audacity to ask who he was. He told me his name and walked away. He watched which unit I went into from down the hall. He took a bunch of pictures of my car, I found out later through my property manager. He sent pictures of my car to my property manager and they reinformered me of the parking rules...fine, no biggie.

I decided to google his name and the first thing that comes up is the sex offender registry where he was convicted of assaulting a 10 year old girl a few years back, classified as a level 1 offender (highest level). I'm worried that he's taken out a personal vendetta against me as he seems keen to know as much about me and report me to my property manager. It all just seems so petty and his behavior honestly worries me, especially now knowing his past. What should I do? I'm worried about my family and I'm not in a position to move immediately. I haven't seen him recently, but I'm out all day for the most part. Thanks!

Location = Guam, USA

Answer: This isn't really a legal issue.  He committed no crime against you, and you can't take legal action because someone makes you uncomfortable.


Title: Custody visitation

Question: I have 100% full custody of my daughter and my ex gets supervised visits, I feel that my ex is sleeping with the court appointed supervisor and he’s making it  really uncomfortable for me he is biased, bullies and harasses me what can I do, I don’t want him as a supervisor

Answer: Discuss this with your lawyer. Do you have any evidence for your allegation?


Title: Night cleaning crew tampered with my drink while on the job (NY)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You have no damages, and therefore no legal claim.  Your supervisor gave you solid advice.


Title: Please help! I may get evicted from my apartment for canabis and I live in Washington state.

Question: I recently moved into a apartment building with my best friend. In the contract, it says federally marijuana is still illegal and any use possession of sale will result in immediate termination. Since I sighed the contract is there anything I can do if they catch us?

Answer:
 You can do whatever the contract allows. But yeah, willingly and knowingly violating you're lease will likely get you an eviction and make is really hard to rent in the future. Answer #2: >In the contract, it says federally marijuana is still illegal and any use possession of sale will result in immediate termination

Termination of the lease, right? They're not suggesting killing you for befouling the apartment?

>Since I sighed the contract is there anything I can do if they catch us?

Start putting your stuff in boxes.


Question:
how is being “on call” legal? i sit around not being able to go out of town or get drunk because of the possibility of getting called in. it’s like i’m a prisoner.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: Both federal and Arizona laws allow for unpaid on-call time if the employee's time is effectively their own. That description can be a little misleading, because the employer can place reasonable restrictions. If you are able to hang out at your house, it's probably fair on-call time. Answer #2: What is your job?


Title: Neighbor installed road over my property. [Update.]

Question:
[Original post.](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5rcjap/neighbor_installed_road_over_my_property/)

Short update.

The neighbor had an accident on his property and will no longer be an issue.

His heir and I settled out of court.

The county is still figuring out how much the fines will be, but they will be quite sizable, and part of the settlement was the agreement that the neighbors estate will cover all fines due to the work.

EDIT: Thought all updates were locked ... but guess not true anymore?

EDIT 2: Wrong sub ... let me konw if I should delete this.

Answer:
 > The neighbor had an accident on his property and will no longer be an issue.

Nebraska's legal system is _metal_.Answer #2: "The neighbor had an accident and will no longer be a problem.

His heir and I settled out of court."

The fuck did you do to him ^^/sAnswer #3: An accident, or an “accident”?Answer #4: Wow! Well, I'm glad everything worked out for you. Kinda sad that the guy had to die but you do what you gotta do I guess.Answer #5: Be very very glad the accident was on his property and not while he was going through your property.Answer #6: Oh my god. Answer #7: Do you need legal advice as to how to handle the subsequent accident?  Because that might require a real lawyer.Answer #8: It's in legal advice off topic, updates don't get locked hereAnswer #9: Wait...were you fined and the neighbors agreed to pay for them? Why wouldn't the fines have been levied at the people who caused the damage to begin with??Answer #10: The reason comments are allowed is because you posted it on the legal advice off-topic sub Reddit rather than the main legal advice sub. Answer #11: Did you agree to allow use of the road?  Did you remove or block it to prevent use? Were you compensated for the damage or just the fines?


Title: At Fault Accident Hour After Purchasing Vehicle

Question:
This occurred in Kansas:

Was finalizing paper work around 930am to buy a 2016 vehicle from a dealership for 18k.  During this signing period I logged into my Geico app and changed the insurance from old vehicle to the new vehicle I was buying.  I chose to have comprehensive and collision on this vehicle but did not have comprehensive and collision on my last vehicle since it was older. I have time stamped emails when this was requested.

&#x200B;

Around 1030am I was turning left at a T intersection.  I could not see traffic going left to right very well since there was a construction dump truck blocking my view. After thinking I had an opening I pulled out and I got hit on the front fender/front bumper.  First accident of my life, no tickets in last 5 years.

&#x200B;

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the dump truck where it was parked because they moved it right after the accident but the other driver would confirm it's location and i got the name of the paving company

&#x200B;

Anyway, right now the insurance company is saying that this car that I just purchased did not have collision coverage since on the insurance document it said coverage was not effective until today. The adjuster is talking to her supervisor about getting that collision put on but if she is unsuccessful am I screwed?  Do I have any grounds to go after the paving company who was obstructing the view of traffic?

Answer:
 > this car that I just purchased did not have collision coverage since on the insurance document it said coverage was not effective until today

The details of what you agreed to by using the GEICO app are going to matter.    The effective dates and time of insurance policies are VERY specific and important, and are usually the result of a "binder" agreement that specifies the coverage to the minute, not just the date value in a form on an insurance card.

It might be that your GEICO App simply submitted a request to be processed by GEICO and confirmed to you, and that the coverage would not be bound until they processed it and sent a confirmation.

You might have suffered an uninsured loss, here.    You are generally required to proceed with due caution when your vision is obscured, even by a vehicle that is improperly parked or stopped.   Sometimes "due caution" means not proceeding at all because you can't see oncoming traffic well enough to determine if it's clear.Answer #2: I think it is doubtful that you could recover from the paving company given Kansas’ comparative fault statute.  The court would have to find that you are less than 49% at fault.  Given that you admittedly pulled out blind, that’s a hard sell.Answer #3: Requesting an insurance coverage is not the same as the insurance company sending you a confirmation the new changes are active.


Title: [Pennsylvania] Mcdonalds is taking breaks out of my check, I don't take breaks. What can I do?

Question:
As the title says, the manager take 35 minutes as a break out of my hours worked everyday even though I don't get a break. I work nightshift at mcdonalds with a manager and a maintenance guy so it's understandable that I don't get a break. In fact, I told the manager when I wanted to work nightshift that I would be fine not getting a break (They warned me there'd be no time). Recently though, after checking my hours, I found out they're taking out ''breaks'' because they're legally suppose to give us breaks if we work longer than 5 hours (that's what my co-workers have told me anyways).  After confronting them, they've stated that it's policy that they take breaks out of my paycheck, even if I don't get them.
Is this legal?
Is there anything I can about this?

Answer: Contact McDonalds Corporate.  I'm sure they don't appreciate this kind of liability being created by low-level managers who don't know what they're doing.


Title: I [17M] got into a fight with my mother yesterday. This resulted in her transferring 1200$ from my account to her own as “punishment”. HELP!

Question:
So, basically title. But first, a little background.

I live in Sweden with my mother (I’m an only child) and attend my last year of our version of High-School. I’m 17. In Sweden we students receive 105$ from the government every month for attending school, and since I’m under 18 that money is sent to my mother’s bank account, and then immediately transferred to mine. I had managed to save about 700$ of my CSN up until now. Moreover, this summer I had worked for almost a month and earned 700$ there as well - this means my bank account contained around 1400$ until yesterday.

My mother is abusive. I recently started opening up to people about the shit she has put me through, and I’ve also started standing up to her. Yesterday... well, I forgot what we were fighting about from the start. Anyhow, she chased me around the house with a knife/a pair of scissors. She said “even if I kill you I won’t go to jail, it’s your fault I’m doing this anyway”. I’m going to be honest, I was afraid for my life.

Afterwards, she called me basically every name on this earth. She said that I owe her my life, basically. For example, I said I’d contribute money for our trip to Croatia that we took in August, but she promptly refused then. Now she says I owe her money for said trip. She said I owe her money for my phone, my video games, my clothes, my headphones etc. Then she said she’s find some rich men so she could sell me to them, so that I’d earn her money back quicker. “All in all, you owe me a few million bucks. Get working now. Actually, I think being a prostitute would suit you well, if you weren’t such a fatso, of course”, were her last words to me yesterday.

In the end, she took all my money and transferred it to her own account. Since I’m under 18 my mother does indeed control everything on my bank-account; she can check what my expenses are, when I spent money, and she can also freely transfer money to and from it. I told her she can’t take money that’s rightfully mine, that I worked for and that the government gave me. Her response? “Sue me, bitch”.

So, here I am now. With only 120$ in savings my escape-plan for when I turn 18 was sent down the drain. I’m wondering, is this legal? Should I call the police? Should I call social services? The optimal situation would be for her to lose custody of me and give me back all my money. I’m tired of living in this hellhole. Any help would be appreciated.

Update: The police told me what she did was illegal. I relayed this information to her and received my money back. I’ve decided to speak to her on sunday (going to friends’ place this weekend) and explain that if this (or anything similar) ever happens again, I’m calling social services. I shall now also start documenting any forms of abuse. Thanks for the help, everyone! I’ll update you if anything happens. Baii~

Edit: Once again, thank you. All of you. The responses and support keeps pouring in and I’m sorry I haven’t responded to everyone but the amount of comments has overwhelmed me a little. I want you to know I’ve read all of them and taken the feedback to heart.

xoxo
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I glad you have the money back and a plan for getting out! The first thing you should do is on a bank account in your name only and deposit it there.

If there is any way you can get your payments to come to you instead of through your mom, do that also.

I am so sorry your parent has failed you like this. What an awful thing to go through! Answer #2: Wow,what a wellspoken and intelligent 17year old you are. Im from Sweden and work within goverment. You can absolutely report her and gain assistance from the social services with documented evidence. You could possibly get help with an own apartment and financial aid if its considered bad enough by a socialsekreterare.
Your mother is a psychopath. Best of luck to you in removing yourself from her orbit and making a life for yourself.Answer #3: Hejsan, jag är inte en advokat och jag bor inte i Sverige längre, men jag ville låta dig veta att när jag var yngre och hade det svårt i skolan pga psykologisk och fysisk mobbning så ringde jag BRIS. Jag vet inte hur de är nu, men de hjälpte mig när jag behövde det. Jag ringde dem bara för att prata med någon, och det underlättade sakerna som jag gick igenom. Jag vet inte om deras organisation har förändrats sen dess dock. Lycka till, och om inget annat, så vet du ju nu att du alltid kommer att hitta stöd på reddit! =)

TL;DR, informed OP of a Swedish child advocacy organization that I turned to for simple emotional support when I was young and went through severe bullying.


Title: [FL] A daycare worker was fired from my son's school; do I have a right to know why?

Question:
LOCATION: Florida

A daycare worker was fired from my son's school. My son was in her class until two weeks ago. We were told that she was fired because "the safety of the children is their first concern." But when I asked if there were any incidents involving my son, they only said, "The details of her being removed from the facility are confidential."

My son was under this woman's direct care for 8 hours a day. Do I have any right to know if my son was affected by any of this worker's actions?

EDIT: I'm not asking to know why she was fired. I just want to know if I have a right to know if my son was affected. If he was, THEN I'd like to know what happened to him.

Answer: No you don't. That is likely privileged information (between the daycare and their former employee).


Title: Found the person responsible for putting MY phone number down for scam calls.

Question:
This is my first post here so I hope this works. I have been getting calls for months now from auto insurance and health insurance companies that will call asking for a Tammy. This happens about 4 or 5 times a day, and I am not Tammy. The most recent call I got today, I went through the automated call and got someone on the line. I was able to confirm that she put my number on file to call and I had him confirm the email address. Now I have Tammy's email, and I emailed her telling her to remove my number from everything and that if this continues to happen, I will seek legal action for identity theft. This is a threat that I know nothing about, and I have no lawyer, but I am hoping to scare her to action to rectify this. Any help on what i could/should do next would be greatly appreciated.

&#x200B;

Thank you Reddit.

Answer:
 How do you know that “Tammy” exists, that the email address the scamming telemarketers gave you is legitimate, and / or if the email address is good, that “Tammy” isn’t a victim also?

You’re putting a lot of trust into info given to you by a company with known questionable business practices.


Title: Overheard my neighbor’s talking about how they felt of footage that no doubt came from my bathroom

Question:
Overheard my neighbors talking about how they felt of footage that no doubt came from my bathroom

Location: spring, Texas
 Question: what to do legally to respond to neighbors recording me in my house. Have heard them several Times talking about something I was doing inside the house.  All windows are covered.....

Heard them talking about my girlfriend going number two.  Heard them talking about me sitting down to pee.  Sure that sounds funny but sometimes you have a sit down wee.  Tell you what you shouldn’t have though is someone that’s recording you inside your own house.  They mentioned several things that confirmed it for me.  I’ve never felt so angered or uncomfortable in any living situation.  I’ve tried noticing weird issues that stood out in and around the house and I have indeed found some.  For example, the soffits in my back yard, a portion of it has been replaced by a cheaper material that is the same color, it’s a portion that’s perfect size for a person to crawl through.          And I don’t remember it being there when I moved in.  Also there’s been times when I heard unexplained movement in the attic. I would hear noises near the vents as I was in the bathroom and even a guest or two have mentioned weird noises       It’s begin to bug the shit out of me and I am ready for the next step.  It is absolutely inexcusable to watch some one in their own home.  Neighbor behind me has nice on their house and also another neighbor when we moved in was particularly pushy about getting in our house and seeing it which was so damn weird and I caught him moving funny when I came around a corner a couple times. And ever since that he hasn’t been that way.  It was as if he was trying to put something in the house you know..... and he has cameras too. so I don’t know if I live near a band of over the top mosey asses or what. But I know I heard them talking about footage of us using our bathroom.
    What should I do?

Answer: You should see a mental health professional.


Title: Might get reported for raping a girl, but I didn't. Any advice? (NH, USA)

Question:
So first and foremost, I DID NOT RAPE ANYONE and I had no intentions of hooking-up with her that night.

I met a girl on tinder about a week ago, I don't know why I'm on tinder but I don't use it for hook-ups and neither does she. We talked for a few days and we were actually genuinely interested in each other and decided to go on a date.

Pretty much the whole time leading up to the date we talked about how neither of us just hook-up with someone.

So the day of the date comes (this past Wednesday - so two days ago) and we meet-up at a local coffee shop in her town. This is around 2:30pm.

Around 3:00 we decide to go bowling for a couple hours and then hit a sushi place for dinner.

After dinner we go back to the coffee shop so we can hang-out with her friends and jam out on guitar together. We leave the shop around 8:00pm and go to her apartment (which going to her apartment was always in the plan to begin with).

Her and I start drinking and we make-out here and there and every time it got a little intense, she apologized and asked to stop - which I happily obliged with because I had no intentions of hooking up with her that night and I understand that continuing to make-out more could lead to that and of course I respect her desire to stop.

We both continue to drink and then make-out more and then going back to guitar or doing whatever.

At this point I'm not the one initiating a lot of our "make-out sessions" and she is. She was the one who ended up pushing me onto the floor and grinding on me and then ask to stop. This cat and mouse thing goes on for a while until eventually she starts to grab me more and gets more into it.

Mind you I didn't think I even brought a condom with me because I wasn't looking for hooking up with her, I genuinely liked her and I don't ever just hook-up with someone.

I bring her to an orgasm buy rubbing her and then we stopped for a bit again because she wanted to catch her breath.

After that we started making out again and this time clothing was coming off and I started to finger her and she exclaimed loudly about four or five times that she WANTED ME (talking about sex). I was surprised by this but after I had a few drinks I was more into hooking up with her because it was heat of the moment. I take my pants off and she asks me to grab a condom (which again I didn't think I had - but I checked my bag and I actually did have one).

I looked at her to make sure she wanted it and she basically nodded at me so we proceed to have some good sex.

I ended up staying at her place and sleeping in her bed with her and she would cuddle up to me and kiss me on my forehead or my arm and such (the cute romantic things that couples do).

The morning after (yesterday - Thursday) she told me she didn't regret it and that she was okay with it all. While she was getting ready for work she would come over and kiss me and then go back to getting ready - multiple times. I drove her to work (so she didn't have to walk) and we kissed a few more times and she even came back after leaving my truck for another kiss.

So basically through out this whole process it seems like she's happy with all of it and wants to continue seeing me.

Well she didn't really talk to me much yesterday (after we made plans for another date on Saturday) and when I asked her about it today she said that she felt like I pressured her into sex and she felt uncomfortable about it all and would not like to see me anymore.

I know there are a lot of cases where women later regret their actions and then claim they may have been raped and I'm unsure if this is going to happen here but I DID NOT RAPE HER!

She was the one who asked for it, she was intoxicated like I was and she was no where near black-out drunk or uncooperative. She was fully conscious and aware and so was I.

I would never try to be an aggressor like this, I would never rape someone and if I felt like she didn't know what she was doing at all then I never would have tried anything with her.

I guess the point of this is what would I do legally if she (for some reason) claimed that I raped her to the police and also for maybe some friendly people on here to tell me I'm not a piece of shit because that's what she's making me feel like right now..

Answer:
 You would not answer any police questions and get an attorney. Maybe you should not get drunk with people you just met.Answer #2: I would suggest cutting off contact with her.  She is just trying to manipulate you.  Just as a precaution, save all conversations on your phone.

It's highly unlikely that she will accuse you of anything, but if she does, then she doesn't have much of a case and a good lawyer should be able to take care of it with little difficulty.


Title: I was wondering if this door to door scam is illegal or just a shady tactic. (Ohio)

Question:
Someone came to my door claiming to be from Duke, which is our energy provider. He said we were given notices about a change but we never responded. He needed to see a copy of our bill to confirm we knew about the changes. Sensing a scam I told him I would call Duke to confirm the changes and I would not show him my bill. After protesting for a bit he left.

Once he was gone I called Duke to ask if they were going around asking to look at their customer's bill. I was told Duke did not send anyone to our house and they would never come to our door asking to see our bill.

I heard of scams where a person will come to your door saying they can give you a lower rate if you switch to their company. They will ask to see your bill to find how much money you can save. When you give them your bill they take down your account information and switch you to their service without your consent. I was told this wasn't exactly illegal.

Because the guy who came to my door was impersonating a Duke employee would this tactic be illegal or still just a scam? While running I have seen him in surrounding neighborhoods and want to know if I should contact the police.

Answer: It does sound like that's what he's doing: getting the info to switch your service without your consent. It's an illegal scam even if it's the first scenario, but they get away with it because it's hard to prove. You say it was without your consent, he says you okayed it verbally and gave him the info; you say he claimed to be from Duke checking on your existing service, he says he clearly stated he was from XYZ and was offering a new service; you eventually decide it's easier to just switch back and lose the $150 fee than pursue it, or maybe you raise a stink and they reimburse you; the scam continues.


Title: Am I screwed???

Question:
I purchased a package from Amazon on Thursday it was same day delivery, that package was guaranteed to be delivered by Friday 9pm. The package never arrived and I called Amazon on Saturday as to ask the whereabouts of my package, they stated there was a slight delay it would be there this afternoon (Saturday) by 9pm. The Package never arrived I called Amazon again on Sunday and was told the package was most likely lost and they will issue a same day replacement  I should get it (Sunday) by 9pm. Again, package never arrived.
Being dumb, I decided this had to be a fluke and decided to purchase 6 more items that were  same day delivery as gifts. They were guaranteed to arrive Monday by 9pm. So I decided to wait for all my packages to arrive till 9pm Monday. To my surprise nothing arrived.
I called Amazon, and was guaranteed by the Amazon Logistics Supervisor that I would have all my packages by Tuesday 9pm. I was pissed, but agreed to wait. Well, Tuesday comes and I still have not received my packages. Again, I call Amazon Logistics and spoke with another Supervisor who says she's sorry I haven't received my packages, shes can issue a refund or I can wait for it, she says it shows it arrived at Amazon for delivery and it just gets lost.
I was hopeful and decided to wait one more day. Now it is Wednesday and I just got the phone with a 4:30 hr phone call with corporate and was passed around so many times all to receive the same answers I've been getting. You package arrived and its just missing. You can get a refund or we can issue you a replacement.
Now at this point Amazon has lost the package from Friday, has lost the replacement issued on Sunday, and has lost the additional 6 items I purchased on Sunday. All had guaranteed next day by 9pm.
I still have not received any of the packages and received a refund for the 6 items, Amazon will yet again attempt to same day deliver the original item.
I was able to get $70 it promo value to use on any item sold by Amazon, but I will more than likely not be buying from Amazon again.
But that's all they could do, never could find out what happened to all my packages once they arrived at the Amazon center. How can Amazon guarantee a delivery date and mess up this bad with no sort of explanation on what happened.
A guarantee should be at least next day, not telling me a week later that my packages are just not coming.
Is there anything I can do in this situation, I know they gave me a credit, but they have wasted my time both being on the phone with them hours dealing with these issues but also waiting for the packages to arrive when I could have received a refund and went anywhere, but multiple technicians guaranteed me they would arrive same day or next.

Answer:
 If I'm reading this right:  No, you are not screwed.  You received a refund, plus $70.

That's actually $70 more than you were entitled to.Answer #2: I don't understand what you mean by asking if you are screwed.

I also find it odd that the first item got lost or was late and then you immediately ordered 6 more of the same item.


Title: Sold a fence twice

Question:
About a year and a half ago, i put my backyard fence up on Facebook market place. I asked for $800 for it and had one person come look at it. They decided to buy it and gave me a total of $600 over the course of about a month. The last I heard from them was March 2018 and despite several calls, texts, and messages, they never paid the remainder or picked up the lumber.  After 5 months of no contact, i put the lumber up on market place again. The new buyer paid my new asking price over a few weeks and quickly removed the lumber. That was in August.  On April 1, 2019 i received a text from unknown number saying they would come drop off $200 for the fence. I informed them that its been over a year since i last heard from them and that after 6 months of no contact i sold the fence. They asked for $300( half of the $600) back and i just blocked them and haven't responded.
1. Should i hold an item for over a year?
2. Do i have any legal obligation to pay them?
They sent me a text message a few days ago that was in my blocked messages saying they would pursue legal action

Answer:
 >2. Do i have any legal obligation to pay them? They sent me a text message a few days ago that was in my blocked messages saying they would pursue legal action

Yes. And if they really do pursue it, you'll end up paying back the $600.Answer #2: >1. Should i hold an item for over a year?

That's a question of what you're willing to do. You don't have to do anything.

>2. Do i have any legal obligation to pay them?

They paid for something they didn't receive. You were enriched and they conferred no benefit from the exchange. Equity would say you owe them something back.


Title: Minnesota - Landlord hasn't fixed radiator heating, known about it for nearly four months

Question:
I'll be short, sweet, and to the point here.

On, or around, June 10th of this year, my landlord had a HVAC technician out to the property to inspect the heating system. It was found that only 1/5 radiators were actually functional, essentially rendering our unit heat-less. This wasn't a problem in summer, but now the temperature dips into the high 30's-low 40's overnight, and the unit itself is sitting at 61 right now.

We've been sending the landlord a text about once a month ever since the tech inspected it, and he said he would get it fixed, but he owns something like 35 properties and works full time on top of all that, so he doesn't really "have time" to deal with it.

What are my options here? I know MN has a "Cold Weather Rule" that's in effect from October 15-April 15, basically saying heating cannot be shut off by the utility company during that time. Are we able to break the lease if we don't have heat by then? Is there a certain temperature that the government deems unliveable?

Thanks for your help. I live within the St Paul city limits, if that makes a difference

Answer:
 The St. Paul Property Maintenance Code requires that an apartment heating system be in good enough repair to keep the apartment at 68 degrees, during exterior temperatures as low as -20 degrees, during the period of October 15th to to April 15th.

Upon notification that this is not the case, the landlord has 48 hours to remedy the situation.  Otherwise, the tenant may pay for repairs themselves and deduct the costs from rent (up to 3 months worth of rent).

The codes describing this are here: https://www.municode.com/library/mn/st._paul/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIILECO_TITVIBUHO_CH49UTHEFAREMAREREPR_S49.03EMCOLOHEWAEL

This letter gives contact to report your landlord if they do not meet their obligations.  http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/3470


Title: Taco Bell is giving away PS4's but people getting their entries through purchases get 39% more entries than the "no purchase necessary" method.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 I think your first option is to find a more constructive hobby.Answer #2: > My first issue is that they tell you to write your name, address, birth date, phone number, and email address on a 3x5 index card and mail it without an envelope. They say that if you put it in an envelope it will be discarded. I feel like this is enough to discourage many people from using the method just by itself.

So?  People send post cards all the time.  I fail to see the difference here.  Drop it at the post office if you're so concerned with privacy.

> My question is, have they violated any laws here?

No.  You must be able to enter these contests without purchase.  You don't have the right to unlimited free entries.

> What are my options?

Make 28 stops at Taco Bell this month.  Get over it.  Pick one.

Answer #3: https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/3mc8kk/a_great_way_to_start_the_morning/

Hah, this could've been you, OP.Answer #4: You actually can't mail a 3x5 card without an envelope. [The USPS minimum size](https://www.usps.com/ship/preparing-domestic-shipments.htm) is 3.5 x 5.5


Title: Barking dog in apartment building, grounds for breaking lease?

Question:
I moved into a first floor apartment back in early May.  The people in the 2nd floor apartment above me have a little dog that when left alone, barks for hours on end-guessing it has severe separation anxiety and any little thing sets it off and it just doesn't stop.  This has been happening every weekend since I moved in with the exception of two weekends when they went away and took their dog with them.

&#x200B;

I usually work from home on the weekends so it's not like I can leave to get away from it, and playing music or the tv won't work because I need to concentrate on my work in silence.  After about the first two weeks, I left a note on the neighbor's door advising them of the situation and kindly asking that they please take measures to keep the dog quiet.  Nothing changed.  After another two weeks I left another note on their door, more to the point by saying "Your dog will not stop barking".  Two weeks after that, I went to the management office and let them know what was going on.  The woman I spoke to was very understanding and advised that she would be sending the tenants an email that they are in violation of the lease.  She told me if it doesn't get better to let her know.  It didn't get better.  After another 2-3 weeks I called the office again and this time was able to speak to the property manager who took the situation very seriously and said she would be calling them directly to deal with the issue.  And again, to let her know if the problem persisted.

&#x200B;

It's been another 2-3 weeks since that conversation with the manager and nothing has changed.  I'm at my wits end, I cannot handle listening to a dog barking for four to six hours each weekend day, it's affecting my work and I dread being home on the weekends.  I don't know what options I have.  I was reading over my lease and it states that all tenants are entitled to a reasonable expectation of peace and quiet (aside from the normal quiet times of 10pm-8am).  I've had anything but that since I've moved in.  The only light at the end of the tunnel is that I only signed a 5 month lease so it's up in October (as opposed to being stuck here for a full year), although October seems like ages away and I'm not sure I can make it.

&#x200B;

Just wondering from a LA standpoint if I have grounds to "break" the lease.  I feel like the property management is in violation of the peace and quiet portion of the lease, they aren't honoring the lease from that aspect so just wondering if that's enough to tell them I want out of the lease with no financial repercussions to me?  Location is New York state if that matters.  Thank you.

Answer: Check to see if your city has any codes for dogs barking. My city it’s something like 15-20 minutes of continuous barking.


Title: My parents lied and stole from me, is there any legal action I can take?

Question:
Let me give you the gist of it:

I got a small chunk of change, enough to let me coast for a little while I recover from three back to back major surgeries.

My parents asked for half. I told them no.

Then my mother suggested that I pay off their extra car for them, they'd have someone fix it up, and they'd drive it cross-country to me along the rest of my stuff.  (Still didn't get all my stuff back.)

That I agreed to. She told me she needed $4,800 to pay it off (this is after over a year of making car payments). That number was a lie, I don't even know how much they actually purchased the car for but it's make and model aren't worth $3,500 on today's market.

I went back through my transaction history to count up exactly how much I had sent them and realized, because I trusted my mom when she kept saying "oh, just a little bit more!" that I gave them $5,600.

They didn't even take it to get fixed. There's a fuse blown for my headlights, the automatic locks don't work, and who knows what else is wrong, but I can't afford to have a mechanic look at it.

I'm not even asking for the total money back, even though they promised (via text) that they would pay me back all of it. I just want the money they didn't need for the car. My family has blocked me on Facebook and the only way I can contact my mother is via email.

Is there ANYTHING I can do about this? Would this stand in small-claims court?

Answer: Yes you can, she made a agreement of it via text which is your evidence, she also scammed you.Answer #2: The problem is that if they don't have anything, a judgement won't do you much good. You won't be able to collect. I have family like this. I also moved cross country. My advice is to keep them at an arm's length and never, ever send money unless you intend it to be a gift that they can use for whatever they please.


Title: What do I do? Father is sexually abusing my youngest sister (13)

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7mhmq6/what_do_i_do_father_is_sexually_abusing_my/

Is there a particular reason you are posting again instead of taking the advice already given to you?


Title: Ran over a curb a week ago and the backseat passenger is going to the ER today and wants me to pay

Question:
Last Saturday I took a day trip with my mom and a family friend who sat in the backseat. On the way back I had to find a bathroom ASAP and while I was turning into a fast food restaurant parking lot, I accidentally ran over a curb. There was no damage to the car and everyone in the car said they were okay. The backseat passenger said she hoped the this wouldn’t hurt her back and started talking about a bad accident she had years ago where she was “paralyzed” from the waist up. After talking with her for several minutes found out she wasn’t paralyzed, but had horrible whiplash and said needed help for months. She did say she would need a couple of days to see if she was hurt or not.

To be honest, the trip was awful and I was going to cut ties with her. So was the rest of my family.

Today my mother I got a message from her that her back is really bad because I hit the curb and she is going to the ER tomorrow to get checked out. My mom spoke to her for a little bit and she was talking about all the money she lost (the family friend is a craftsman and had a show this weekend where she rented a booth) and how she didn’t have money for the ER. I called my car insurance and made a claim for Personal Injury Protection for the family friend.

My family advised me not to contact her because it would cause drama and I might say the wrong thing, but this feels so wrong. I do feel horrible that she’s in pain and want to express that. I know this family friend likes to exaggerate things and I wonder if my silence is making things worse.

Any advice on what would be okay to say without making things worse? Or should I just keep my silence with her?

I also live three hours away from her so I can’t easily go over and see her.

Answer:
 Who plans a trip to the ER? That is not what the ER is for...

There is nothing you can do but let your insurance deal with it. It does sound pretty shady though. Answer #2: IMO, the fact she planned a trip to the ER is a good indicator she is trying to pull a fast one. Trips to the ER are not planned days in advance... That's like saying "Oh, I'm going to schedule a good ol' heart attack next Tuesday and goto the ER." Sounds idiotic, right?

Best solution is to let insurance deal with it. Do not contact her in any way. If she calls you and you are in a one-party state make a recording. Otherwise keep detailed notes with dates/times.  If she txts or emails you, save them. Tell your family to no longer respond to her until everything is signed and dotted.

If she threatens to sue, let insurance know - their entire existence is to be a buffer.