Articles Posted in Lawsuits Arising From Criminal Conduct

At this time of year, across college campuses, fraternity hazing is well underway.  The pinnacle of fraternity hazing is “Hell Week”, which is typically the last step before formal initiation into a fraternity.  Hell Week and the rest of the pledge process are often characterized by physically demanding activities, sleep, drink and food deprivation, forced consumption of alcohol and nicotine (vapes, Zyn pouches, etc.), paddling or other forms of physical abuse, humiliation, exposure to extreme cold or heat, etc.  The pledges’ eagerness to join a fraternity makes them easy targets for mental and physical abuse that can often result in injury or death.  Is hazing illegal? Who can be held responsible? Continue reading

In the first quarter of 2025, the number of recalled products in our country rose 25%.  Primarily, the increase was a result of more recalls related to food, drink and pharmaceuticals, although consumer products had their highest number of recalls in 14 years. Interestingly, these increases come against a backdrop of an understaffed agency.  The Government Accounting Office has reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  has been understaffed for inspections since 2018, during the Biden administration. However, with the cuts by DOGE that were approved by the Trump administration, the FDA’s budget and staffing has been reduced even further.  The unfortunate but obvious prediction is that there will be more recalls and more injuries to the American public. Continue reading