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Assumption of the Risk in California
Primary Assumption of the Risk
In California law primary assumption of the risk doctrine was first set forth in Knight v. Jewett (1992). The doctrine of primary assumption of risk is applicable to sports or sports-related recreational, activities where the conduct or conditions that otherwise can be considered dangerous, are usually the essential part of the sport itself and their elimination would change the nature of the sport. Primary assumption of risk arises where a plaintiff willingly engages in a sport or activity involving certain inherent risks. Primary assumption of risk usually absolves the defendant of a duty of care toward the plaintiff with regard to injury incurred in the course of a sporting or sports-related recreational activity covered by the doctrine. A person can be only found guilty if he intentionally injures another one or engages in conduct that is so reckless as to be totally outside the range of the ordinary activity involved in the sport.
When Can a Plaintiff Bring a Claim?
When a person is injured while playing sports or engaging in another recreational activity, he can seek financial compensation for the caused injuries against the responsible party through a California personal injury lawsuit.
According to CACI 470 if the plaintiff claims that he was harmed while participating in sport or other recreational activity, and the defendant is responsible for that harm, he must be able to prove all of the following elements to establish the claim.
- Defendant either intentionally caused injury to the plaintiff or acted so recklessly that his conduct was entirely outside the range of ordinary activity
- Plaintiff was harmed
- Defendant's conduct was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff.
Conduct, Which Is Outside the Range of Ordinary Activity
Conduct is considered entirely outside the range of ordinary activity in case it:
- Increased the risks to the plaintiff
- Can be prohibited without discouraging vigorous participation or otherwise essentially changing the sport or sports-related recreational activities.
A person can't be found responsible for injuries resulting from conduct that was merely careless, accidental, or negligent
Secondary Assumption of the Risk
Secondary assumption of the risk refers to cases when the defendant owes the plaintiff a legal duty to protect him from a particular injury or harm, but the plaintiff proceeds to encounter the risk imposed by the defendant's breach of duty. Cases, which involve secondary assumption of the risk are merged into comparative negligence, which is a legal standard dealing with conditions, where two parties to an action are partially at fault.
According to CACI 404 plaintiff's damages aren't recoverable to the extent his own negligence contributed to the caused injuries, and will be proportionately reduced to reflect the percentage of his fault. Thus, in California law, plaintiff can still recover damages after his percentage of fault has been deducted, even in case his degree of negligence was more that the defendant's. Though, it is important to mention, that comparative negligence doctrine only applies to cases where the plaintiff's conduct wasn't intentional.
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Med Pay Coverage in California
Med Pay coverage in California (also known as medical payment coverage) is a type of optional insurance which covers bodily injuries caused by an auto accident. This type of insurance does not only cover injuries of a policyholder, but also covers injuries for the passengers who were involved in the accident as well. The unique quality about Med Pay is that medical expenses related to the injuries are covered no matter who is at fault for the accident. Advantages of medical payment coverage are that the policyholder and his/her family members can claim damages in case they:- They were hit by a vehicle while they were a pedestrian
- They were injured while a passenger in another person's car
- They were injured while using public transportation
Types of Med Pay Coverage
Primary Coverage
Secondary Coverage
Med Pay Insurance vs Personal Insurance Protection
When comparing Med Pay and PIP it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. Depending on your circumstances, it is important to decide which auto insurance coverage would fit you best.Med Pay Coverage
Med Pay covers medical, recovery, and even dental expenses after an accident but it does not replace any kind of health insurance.Personal Insurance Protection Coverage
PIP coverage is a little more extensive than just covering only medical bills. With this type of insurance rehabilitation expenses, psychiatric bills and occupational therapy costs will be covered. PIP also offers insurance for lost wages.What Expenses Are Covered by Med Pay Insurance?
The insurance covers all related medical payments from when the vehicle accident took place all the way through the treatment process. The expenses can include:- Ambulance fees
- Doctor and hospital bills
- X-Rays and MRIs
- Surgeries
- Prosthesis
- Nursing care
- Dentist visits and operations
- Chiropractor or acupuncture bills
- Funeral expenses
What Expenses Are Not Covered by Med Pay Insurance?
The following expenses are not covered under California medical payments insurance:- Car repair bills
- Property damage costs
- Accidents not involving a vehicle
- Expenses which are not related to the accident
- Coverage in excess of policy limits
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Starting an eCommerce Business in Los Angeles
Key Factors to Consider for Starting an eCommerce Business in Los Angeles
Are you planning on starting an eCommerce business in Los Angeles, CA? Here are some key factors you must take into account before starting.- The existing problems of your target market
- The solutions your business can offer
- Where and how you will get the products for sale
- The process of handling the shipping
- How purchase transactions will be handled
Laws Regulating eCommerce Business in California
California Business and Professions Code Section 17538
According to California Business and Professions Code Section 17538 internet businesses are required to disclose to buyers, on screen or in writing:- Business legal name
- Business address and contact information
- Refund and return policies
California Online Privacy Protection Act
According to California Online Privacy Protection Act, companies operating commercial websites are required to include a link to a Privacy Policy on their website. The Privacy Policy must address the following:- The type of personal information collected
- The way the website users can request changes to data collected
- The way the website operator will handle a "Do Not Track" request
- Whether or not the data collected is accessible to any third party
- Effective date of the Privacy Policy
- How users will be notified of changes to the Privacy Policy
Amazon Law: California Assembly Bill No 28
Federal law states that businesses must collect sales tax for internet transactions involving the sale of most goods to customers where the business has a physical presence. However, California law requires larger ecommerce businesses to collect sales tax in California even if they don't have a presence in California. This regulation comes from the "Amazon Law," according to which an out-of-state retailer must collect sales tax from California customers in case:- The seller has an agreement with a person located in California to pay for customer referrals got via a link on the California seller's website
- The seller's total cumulative sales to purchasers in California exceed $10,000 during the previous twelve months.
- The seller has total cumulative sales to purchasers in California above $1 million.
California Automatic Renewal Law
According to California's updated Auto-Renewal Law (Business and Professions Code Section 17600) online sellers are required to make their terms even clearer in transactions that involve an auto-renewal. E-commerce sellers who are doing business in California are required to allow online cancellation of auto-renewing memberships or recurring purchases that were initiated online. Specifically, section 17602(c) provides: "A consumer who accepts an automatic renewal or continuous service offer online shall be allowed to terminate the automatic renewal or continuous service exclusively online, which may include a termination email, formatted and provided by the business that a consumer can send to the business without additional information." California Auto-Renewal Law also requires a seller who provides an automatic offer that includes a promotional, trial or a gift, to notify its consumers about how to cancel the auto-renewal before they are charged. The law also includes other requirements that online sellers must be aware of before implementing this type of program.License for Operating Commerce Business in Los Angeles
All companies operating in Los Angeles are required to obtain a California business license, no matter whether they sell online or have a physical storefront. If you decide to operate without a valid license, you could be subject to heavy fines. You can be even forced to stop operations until the paperwork is filed.What Do You Need for Obtaining an eCommerce Business License in Los Angeles?
To apply for a business license in Los Angeles, you typically need to:- Determine your company's legal structure, i.e. partnership, sole proprietorship, LLC, etc.
- Provide a complete statement on business activities
- Show your sales tax license, which can be obtained from your state agency
- Have all necessary inspections done
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Dr. George Tyndall's Case
Dr. George Tyndall, the former longtime gynecologist at the USC, was charged with sexually abusing sixteen patients at the student health center.
16 women ranging from 17 to 29 were sexually abused during their visits to the student health center for treatment.
According to the criminal complaint the sexual misconduct and harassment, which included forced touching and making "demeaning and vulgar" comments about patients' genitalia occurred from 2009 to 2016. Victims were unaware of what was happening to them, as the gynecologist led them to think it served a professional purpose.
Dr. George Tyndall used his position of authority as a gynecologist to take medically unwarranted and nonconsensual photographs of his patient genitalia under the guise of medical treatment. The doctor particularly targeted young students, who were frequently unfamiliar with the nature of gynecological treatment as a result of their inexperience cultural background or youth. Thus, many of the young women did not realize what Tyndall was doing during the examinations and didn't understand that he was sexually violating them.
Charges Against George Tyndall
George Tyndall is charged with 29 felonies, including 11 counts of sexual battery by fraud and 18 counts of sexual penetration. The charges include sexual harassment, sexual assault, gender violence, sexual abuse, sexual battery, wanton and reckless conduct relating to the gynecological medical treatment.
Dr. Tyndall, who started his work at the campus clinic in 1989, was suspended in 2016, when the expert evaluation began, and later left his post with a substantial payout.
Though the criminal case only involves 16 victims, more than 700 women have filed individual civil lawsuits in state court against University of Southern California and George Tyndall.
Class Action Settlement
USC has agreed to a $215 million class-action settlement with gynecologist's 17,000 former patients, and would create a fund to pay $2,500 to $250,000 to abused women. The victims will get compensation based on the severity of doctor's actions their readiness to provide statements. In case they only want to submit claims in writing, that will allow them a certain range of potential claim payments above the 2,500 floor. In case they want and are able to provide an interview, they can be entitled for a range up to the highest $250,000 amount.
The settlement requires University of Southern California to implement institutional changes, such as:
- Independent women's health advocate on campus
- Stringent background checks
- Training and monitoring of health center employees
- Steps for preventing and reporting potential harassment or abuse or harassment
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An Appellate Brief
An appeal brief is an appellant's or respondent's written argument that explains why the higher court acted correctly or wrongly. It's time to prepare a brief once the record has been compiled.
There Can Be 3 Briefs:
- an opening brief of the appellant,
- a brief of the respondent, and
- a brief of reply of the appellant.
- The opening brief of the appellant tells the Court of Appeal what judgments or orders the appellant appeals, why the appellant believes that the higher court acted incorrectly in making those judgments or orders, how the actions of the court hurt the appellant, and what the appellant wants the Court of Appeal to do about it if it finds that the higher court acted wrongly.
- The brief of the respondent responds to each of the appellant's questions, displaying why the arguments of the appellant are incorrect and expressing support for the decision of the trial court.
- The answering brief of the appellant addresses the respondent's claims and reveals how they do not resolve the arguments put forward in the opening brief of the appellant. In the reply summary, no new issues can be presented.
The Opening Brief of the Appellant
The opening brief of the appellant is due 40 days after the appellant has been informed by the Court of Appeal that the transcript of the record or reporter is filed. Whether the appellant prepared his/ her own appendix and did not request the transcript of a reporter, the opening brief and appendix of the appellant are due 70 days from the date on which the appellant filed in the superior court the election of rule 8.124.
In either case the Court of Appeal shall send the appellant a notice specifying when the opening brief of the appellant is due.
The Brief of the Respondent
You will need to address the facts and legal issues raised in the opening brief of the appellant if you are the respondent.
First of all, make sure
- that there is a final judgment if the appeal is from a judgment or
- that the order is appealable, that the appeal is from an order and
- that the notice of appeal has been filed on time or that the appeal has been filed on time.
If there is a problem with the appeal, you can file a motion to reject the appeal and/or argue in your respondent's brief that the appeal should be rejected.
The Brief to Reply the Appellant
Why a brief reply from an appellant?
Why is there no response to the answer?
Because the appellant has the burden of proving that the trial court erred to the Court of Appeal, the defendant has the opportunity to respond to the brief of the respondent. The brief reply from the appellant is optional.
No new issues can be raised in the reply as there would be no opportunity for the respondent to refute them. The appellant will explain how the respondent did not combat the statements of the appellant contained in the opening brief; answer the cases and points posed in the brief of the respondent; and respond to new questions raised in the brief by the respondent.
Somewhere the briefing has to stop, and that's where it stops!
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Notice of Appeal
You have to file a form called a Notice of Appeal within a certain period of time, letting the court know that you plan to appeal.How Is the Notice of Appeal Prepared by the Appellant?
In the judgment and/or order under appeal as well as the date of entry of judgment or order, the appellant fills in. The appellant, the appellant's lawyer, or the self-represented plaintiff who brought the appeal signs the appeal notice. Once the appellant has completed the Notice of Appeal, both parties will be "served on" a copy and the original must be submitted with the division of the Superior Court of Appeals. And what is the Service? Paper service means, if you choose to file electronically, email, hand delivery or electronic transmission. You let the parties know what you are doing by mailing, hand-delivering, or digitally submitting copies of the papers you want to file with the court – in this case, the Notice of Appeal. Copies of all the papers you prepare (with the exception of a fee waiver or accommodation for disabilities) should be served on all lawyers and self-represented parties and the original lodged with the court. Only someone over the age of 18 who is not a party to the lawsuit can hand-deliver and/ or mail a document. For instance, if in an appeal you are self-represented, you can not send your notice of appeal to the parties by hand or by fax. Another, an adult who isn't a party, has to do it for you.How Can One Know That the File Has Been Served?
Depending on if you're delivering by mail or in person, the service provider needs to fill out the Service Evidence properly. The originals of the Appeal Report and Service Evidence are filed with the Superior Court's Appeals Division.Is There a Charge for Filing an Appeal?
The appellant will have to include, together with the Notice of Appeal, a $775 filing fee per check, money order, cash, credit card or electronic transfer of funds unless the appellant has a waiver of fee. The check or money order must be made payable to the Executive and/ or to the Clerk Officer Court of Appeal. A second check or money order for $100 must also be included, made payable to the "Clerk of the Superior Court", and is a deposit for the transcript of the clerk.What Could Happen If You Don't Pay the Fees for Filing an Appeal?
Whether these charges are not paid or suspended, or if the appellant's check bounces, the court must inform the appellant that he or she has 15 days to either pay or waive the charge, or the appeal might be dismissed. If the case is dismissed, if there is a good reason why the payment is late, the court can reinstate the appeal on a petition. When the court grants the motion to re-establish the appeal, it will give a specific time to make payment. - Read More
Elimination of Inefficiencies and Delays in Case Processing
What Is Elimination?
According to the dictionary "Elimination" is the act of contemplating and refusing every option until only one is left She learned who he was through (the) elimination process.
Superior and local courts deal with parts of the same case in many cases. When a matter is passed between the courts because the "lower" court level is not empowered to dispose of the whole case, the inevitable result is cost and delay.
Preliminary proceedings are a prime example of criminal cases.
Most criminal defendants, particularly in Los Angeles County, send their cases for a preliminary hearing transcript decision.
A municipal court judge is currently conducting the preliminary hearing but is not allowed to sentence the accused because criminal sentences are not levied by the municipal court judge.
Therefore, in order to dispose of such a case:
- the transcript has to be prepared;
- the case has to be moved to the superior court;
- the defendant has to be brought before the superior court (he has already been arraigned once before the municipal court);
- the transcript has to be read by a Superior court judge; and/ or
- the defendant's sentence has to be handed down.
Since the judge of the municipal court has no authority to dispose of the case immediately after delivery of the transcript, the defendant is liable to delay in the final disposition of his case, a delay that is also costly for the trial.
There seems to be little countervailing public benefit in having 2 (two) judges examine the same content, unless one assumes that sentencing is better than sentencing a municipal court judge who does not see live witnesses.
Multiple other "friction costs" arise from various trial court structures getting elements of a single criminal case handled. Defendants must always be arraigned in both courts and they must be named twice as indigent lawyers. Motions can be made in both courts to set bail, to restrict pre-trial ads, and for discovery. If a defendant pleads not guilty to a crime because of insanity, that component of a municipal court case has to be prosecuted in the higher court.
There are also several points of inter-system conflict in civil cases. If a lawsuit is brought in a municipal court seeking less than 15,000$ (fifteen thousand USD) in damages, a cross-appeal for an amount over 15,000$ (fifteen thousand USD) allows the entire case to be appealed to the Superior Court.
Therefore, a cross complaint with an exaggerated claim of harm will easily deprive the defendant of his option of the Municipal Court platform. Similar problems occur when an application for declaratory relief is made, that the municipal court can't fully grant.
Any manager who sees 2 (two) separate and fairly uncoordinated service delivery systems dealing with aspects of the same problem will undoubtedly want to combine the 2 (two) systems, in the absence of extremely important countervailing considerations.
This is only the little part of the problems on elimination of inefficiencies and delays in case processing.
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Withdrawal of Deposit
What Is California Law on Eminent Domain About in General?
Article 7 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides for California's eminent domain rules.
The hegemony is of great importance, as long as government payments just reimbursement, that national, state or federal governments take private property for public use. Private property is only taken over by eminent domain pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1230.030 if public use occurs.
What Do We Call a "Withdrawal of Deposit"?
- Any defendant can apply to a court for the withdrawal of all or any portion of the deposited amount before the judgment is entered. The application shall be verified, the applicant's interest in the property shall be determined, and a stated amount shall be requested to be withdrawn. The claimant shall serve on the complainant a copy of the petition.
- Subject to requirements of Article on Withdrawal of Deposit of CCP, the court will order payment to the applicant of the amount requested in the application or of the portion of that amount that the applicant is entitled to receive.
The Law on "Withdrawal of Deposit"?
No withdrawal could be requested on the claimant of a copy of the request until 20 days after operation or until the time has elapsed for all complaints, whichever is later.
When an objection is lodged on the ground that the other parties are known or suspected to have interest in the property, the plaintiff shall serve or offer to inform such other parties that they may appear within 10 days of the service and object to the withdrawal. The notice shall inform those parties that, to the degree of the amount withdrawn, their failure to object would result in the waiver of any rights against the complainant.
Also, a plaintiff will file and serve on the applicant a document setting out ànames of the parties to whom the notice has been given and the dates of service, and ànames and last known addresses of the other parties known or suspected to have interest in the property but not served so. A plaintiff can represent parties not served by the plaintiff.
What Are the Grounds for Filing Objections to Withdrawal?
Within the 20-day period, the plaintiff can file withdrawal objections on one or more of the following grounds:
- Other parties to the case are known to have interest in the property or are suspected to have interest in it.
- The applicant must file an undertaking in compliance with Section 1255.240 and/ or 1255.250 of CCP.
- The amount of the undertaking filed or the guarantees thereon by the applicant under this chapter are insufficient.
On the Amount of Withdrawal
If any part of the money deposited under the Chapter 6 of CCP (Deposit and Withdrawal of Probable Compensation; Possession Prior to Judgment) is withdrawn, the receipt of any of these money shall constitute a waiver of all claims and defenses in favor of the individuals receiving such payment by the operation of law, except a claim for greater compensation.
Any amount withdrawn under this article by a party beyond the amount to which it is entitled as eventually decided in the eminent domain proceeding shall be paid to the parties entitled to it. The judgment will be entered by the court accordingly.
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Steps of Civil Actions
This is an overview of the elements of a Superior Court Civil Action. But every case is going to vary.
The steps in a Civil Action
- Bringing the Claim
The claimant prepares a claim report containing a clear description of the material facts on which the plaintiff relies. The court is issuing the claim statement.
The claimant serves the claim statement on all defendants and files with the court an affidavit of service.
If the defendant fails to defend the action, this service affidavit is necessary to obtain the default judgment from the claimant.
- Defending the Claim
The defendant prepares and delivers a defensive claim on the claimant, and together with evidence of delivery, files a copy with the court.
The defendant may make a counter-claim against the claimant, cross-claim against a co-defendant, or make a claim against a non-party against a third party.
Where a defendant fails to deliver a defense statement within the prescribed time, depending on the type of claim, the default judgment may be obtained by the court registrar or a judge.
- The Discovery
If the parties wish to obtain evidence through the discovery process, they must agree on a discovery plan.
The parties are expected to provide an affidavit to all other parties listing all relevant documents in the authority, possession or control of the party. At the request of a party, copies of the documents must be made available.
A party can serve on an opponent a notice of examination suggesting a time and place where the party is required to answer questions under oath. The exam is recorded and transcribed where requested.
Typically, for research, only parties can be investigated. The maximum time period for discovery to be investigated by each group is 7 hours.
- When setting the Action down for the trial
By serving and/ or filing the record of the court, each party can set the case for jury. A record of the trial includes the copy of all trial pleadings and orders.
The registrar puts the action on the trial register, or a judge in the assignment court will set trial dates at some sites.
- The pre- trial Conference
The parties have to attend the pre-trial meeting to try to settle the dispute or to clarify the issues before a judge or court officer.
The parties must arrange a pre-trial date and time with the registrar within 180 days of a case being scheduled for trial, which is appropriate to all parties. Whether the parties can not schedule a pre-trial within 180 days of the trial schedule, a pre-trial date will be scheduled by the registrar.
- The Trial
The defendant and the claimant make opening remarks. The witnesses of the claimant will be examined and cross-examined. The witnesses of the accused will be examined and cross-examined. Closing arguments are made by the claimant and defendant.
After both the sides have finished presenting the cases, a judge may give judgment in court. Though, sometimes the judge may not give the judgment immediately but will give the judgment later (this is called the judgment reserving).
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Duties and Liabilities of Third Persons After Levy
Unless otherwise provided by statute, where a levy is made by serving a copy of the execution letter and a notice of levy on a third person, the third person shall comply with Article 5 ‘ Duties and Liabilities of Third Persons Upon Levy ‘ at the time of levy or promptly afterwards.
Unless the Third Person Is Justified in Failing or Refusing to Do So:
- The third person shall, at the time of the levy, give to the levying officer any estate in the possession or control of the third person, unless the third person claims the right to own the property.
- The third person shall pay to the levying officer both of the following: to the degree that the third person does not dispute the duty levied or assert priority over the lien of the judgment creditor:
- The balance of the debt levied on that is due and payable at the time of the levy to the judgment debtor.
- The amounts due and payable to the debtor of the judgment on the liability imposed during the execution lien period.
- If, pursuant to Section 701.010 of Code of Civil Procedure of California, the third party makes a delivery or payment to the levying officer, the third party shall execute and supply any documents necessary for the transfer of the property.
If, under Section 701.020 of Code of Civil Procedure of California, a third person is required to deliver property to the levying officer or to make payments to the levying officer and the third person fails or refuses to do so without good reason, the third person shall be liable to the lender of the judgment for the lesser amount of whichever of the following:
- The value of the debtor's interest in the property or the amount of the payments.
- The amount required to comply with the judgment under which the charge is assessed.
The Responsibility of the Third Person Continues Until the Earliest of the Following Times:
- The date when the levied property is submitted to the levying officer or payments are made to the levying officer.
- The time of release of the property levied in accordance with Section 699.060.
- The time of the satisfaction or discharge of the judgment.
Also, according to the Law except otherwise ordered by a court on the decision that the lien of the judgment creditor takes precedence over the security interest, where the property levied is subject to a security interest attached prior to the levy, the property or duty shall be subject to enforcement of the security interest without regard to the levy, unless the property is in the custody of the levying officer; however, where appropriate.
If the levying officer is granted custody for an instrument levied and serves the obligor in compliance with the levy under the instrument, the obligor shall make fees to the levying officer as they become due. Fees paid to a person apart from the levying officer do not fulfill the obligor's obligation to make payments as required by this section if payments are made after notification of the levy has been received by the obligor.