Law, News and Information - January 18, 2013

By: +Jeffrey Lapin

Law, legal information, news and other information for the week ending January 18, 2013 (click on the link below for the full story/ article):

Ø A Lawyer’s Amazingly Detailed Analysis of Bilbo’s Contract in The Hobbit  

(By: James Daily, via Wired)

First, it seems fairly clear (to me, anyway) that Tolkien wrote the Shire (where hobbits live) as a close analog to pastoral England, with its similar legal and political structures. For example, the Shire has a mayor and sheriffs, and there is a system of inheritance similar to the common law. The common law fundamentals of contract law have not changed significantly since the time that the Shire is meant to evoke, so it makes sense that the contract would be broadly similar to a modern contract (and likewise that we could apply modern contract law to it) . . . 

Ø Man allegedly sought to pay court fees — with counterfeit bills 

(Via: Boston.com)

While he was already facing charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license, a Watertown man got himself into even deeper trouble when he allegedly tried to pay his court fees with counterfeit bills, police said . . .

Ø NHTSA Announces More Than 17.8 Million Products Recalled in 2012 

(Via: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA))

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that manufacturers filed more than 650 safety recalls, affecting over 17.8 million vehicles, child seats and vehicle equipment, during calendar year 2012. The nation's top auto regulatory agency played a significant role by itself influencing the recall of more than 9 million vehicles and 60,000 items of vehicle equipment, including tires and child safety seats, in 2012 . . . 

Ø Five Digital Takeaways From the Manti Te'o Mess  (Via: Forbes)

1. You can delete your tweets, but they’re not going away
2. The story continues, and anyone can participate
3. Be careful with online relationships
4. Deadspin’s Triumph
5. And, of course, a meme

Ø New rules, fewer runarounds for mortgage borrowers

(Via: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB))

The CFPB's two new rules, which become effective January 10, 2014, regarding mortgages, which apply to mortgage servicers to help protect consumers:

• Periodic billing statements.
• Interest-rate adjustment notices for ARMs.
• Prompt payment crediting and payoff statements. 
• Force-placed insurance.
• Error resolution and information requests.
• General servicing policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Early intervention with delinquent borrowers. 
• Continuity of contact with delinquent borrowers.
• Loss mitigation procedures

A detailed summary of the rules: CFPB's Detailed summary of the rules

Ø Arkansas mom dies after 911 call not entered into system, son in critical condition 

(Via: Fox News)

An Arkansas 911 operator did not enter a call into a computer system that would have notified police and fire dispatchers of a mother and son trapped inside a vehicle in a pond, authorities said Wednesday. The woman died hours later, and her 5-year-old son was in critical condition Wednesday, police said. . . . 

Ø Toyota settles first wrongful death lawsuit 

(Via: USA Today)

Toyota Motor Corp. has settled what was to be the first in a group of hundreds of pending wrongful death and injury lawsuits involving sudden, unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles, a company spokesman said Thursday . . .

ABOUT LAPIN LAW OFFICES

Lapin Law Offices represents injured, abused and disabled clients throughout Nebraska. You can learn more about your rights by calling us anytime (24/7) at 402-421-8033 or submitting your case online (Contact Us). We offer a free initial consultation and do not collect a fee unless we get money for you.

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Keywords: The Hobbit, manti teo, safety recalls, social media, cfpb, mortgages, toyota, wrongful death
Hashtags: #lawyer #thehobbit #mantiteo #socialmedia #nntsa #safetyrecalls #cfpb, #mortgages #911 #toyota

Toyota Motor Corp. Will Pay Record $17.35 Million in Civil Penalties for Alleged Violations of Federal Law

By: Jeffrey Lapin

Toyota has agreed to pay record $17.35 million, the maximum fine allowable under the law, to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in response to the agency's assertion that the automaker failed to report a safety defect to the federal government in a timely manner.

Besides paying the record fee, Toyota and its subsidiaries in the U.S. have agreed to make changes to ensure this kind of thing does not happen again

Full Article: NHTSA: Toyota Motor Corp. Will Pay Record $17.35 Million in Civil Penalties for Alleged Violations of Federal Law | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

ABOUT LAPIN LAW OFFICES

Lapin Law Offices represents injured, abused and disabled clients throughout Nebraska. To learn more about us or to find out if you have a case please contact us:

• 402-421-8033 (Lincoln) or 888-525-8819 (Toll Free)
• Through our websites: lapinlawoffices or StopBadCollectors
• Submit your case or question: Contact Us 

We offer a free consultation and do not collect a fee unless we get money for you.

Safety Advisory: NHTSA Alerting Consumers to Dangers of Counterfeit Air Bags | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a consumer safety advisory to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags. NHTSA has become aware of a problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts in vehicles that have been involved in a crash. . . . 

CONSUMERS THAT SHOULD NOT BE AT RISK:§  Consumers who purchased their vehicle new and have not had their air bags replaced§  Consumers who have full knowledge of the entire history of their used vehicle (including knowing whether the vehicle had been in a crash in the last three years and being certain that the air bag was replaced at a new car dealership) 

CONSUMERS THAT MAY BE AT RISK AND SHOULD CONTACT THE CALL CENTER ESTABLISHED BY THEIR AUTO MANUFACTURER:§  Consumers who have had air bags replaced within the past three years at a repair shop that is not part of a new car dealership§  Consumers who have purchased a used car that may have sustained an air bag deployment before their purchase§  Consumers who own a car with a title branded salvage, rebuilt, or reconstructed§  Consumers who have purchased replacement air bags from eBay or other non-certified sources—especially if they were purchased at unusually low prices (i.e. less than $400)

For more information: Safety Advisory: NHTSA Alerting Consumers to Dangers of Counterfeit Air Bags | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Car distractions – USATODAY.com

Good article from USA Today, Car distractions, about an important, but overlooked driver distraction: text on car dashboards.

From the article: 

• "Some text on car dashboards distract more than others."
• "Text size and type font used in dashboard displays may be overlooked culprits in distracted driving."
• "Of the nearly 900,000 crashes involving distracted driving reported to police in 2010, 26,000 involved adjusting devices or controls in a car, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)."
• "NHTSA's proposed guidelines require all dashboard functions to be possible with one or more two-second glances away from the road."