Daniel E. DeKoter

Personal injury law is an area of civil law that protects victims of accidents through seeking of monetary compensation to cover for damages due to the injury.  Image source: piratelaws.com There are two sides involved, with the injured person or victim being the “plaintiff,” and the individual, entity, or multiple parties responsible named as the “defendant.” In most cases, the objective of the plaintiff is to receive the monetary compensation they allege they deserve, instead of having the defendant be punished.  The defendant, on the other hand, attempts to prove that the damage was consciously or inadvertently caused by the victim.  Personal injury law applies to various situations, including the following:   Accidents: When someone acts negligently and it results in harm to another individual, the latter can file a personal injury lawsuit. Examples of this type are vehicular accidents, medical malpractice, and hazards in the work...

Letting go of any employee is difficult for management. But such a decision is often necessary to business growth and staff productivity. Management should therefore do it as gracefully as possible. Here’s how: Be direct and firm   Avoid being longwinded with your statements. Be forthright and clear.Iif you are letting an employee go, the news should be delivered at the beginning of the meeting. Then patiently answer any administrative questions, such as the issuance of the final check or payment and other insurance claims and benefits. Image source : thebalance.com Make sure that a witness is present Have someone from the Human Resources division or a trusted employee present. This will help you in any possible lawsuit or claims of illegal or unethical conduct..  Never embarrass the employee Never let go of the employee in front of everyone else in the office. Do this in private, with only a trusted witness on hand. Understand that...

There are privacy rights governing an employee’s personal information as well as activities in the workplace. Here are some of them:  Image source: Pixabay.com Use of personal information   The law protects private information held by government agencies, and not private firms. In the private sector, it is up to the employers to act in good faith in handling employee information. It is widely known, however, that employee details should only be released to those needing it for legitimate as well as legal reasons.  Electronic monitoring   Companies are allowed to monitor phone, computer, and email use among employees, and it is generally recommended that these policies be transparently defined and communicated to them. They usually state that employees have no expectation of privacy while on company property or using company resources.  Drug and alcohol testing   This is permitted within private firms, although records ...

Pre-planning lies at the heart of hassle-free estate administration. Prior estate planning can assure individuals that their survivors would not have to fight uphill legal battles to claim what is rightfully theirs.  Image source: thebalance.com The many tasks at this point include drafting a will, collecting and updating the pertinent documents, and assigning an executor. With the advent of the digital age comes the need to store passwords and other online accounts where they could be found by survivors.  In the absence of a will, state law would determine and decide how one’s estate would be divided. Because state law does not always line up to the wishes of an individual, it is recommended that a will be drafted. Wills would need to be updated at key points in a person’s life.  At times, a will would need to be administered in more than one state. Although most probate cases are held at the state where the death has occurred, individual state la...