Los Angeles Legal Blog

How can a claim of false advertising be proven?

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Fraud on Friday, March 15, 2019.

Businesses in California use advertising to tell consumers about their goods, and buyers rely on those statements when purchasing the item. False or misleading advertising is illegal because it is important to protect consumers, and ensure that they can rely on the information given to them in advertisements.

Under state and federal laws, advertising must be truthful and where appropriate, backed by scientific evidence. Truth-in-advertising laws are applicable regardless of where the advertisement appears. The Federal Trade Commission looks extra closely at items that would affect consumer's health or finances. Therefore, claims about food, dietary supplements, tobacco and alcohol are monitored closely.

Google will no longer bar employees from suing

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Friday, March 1, 2019.

If an employer discriminates against or wrongfully terminates an employee, it would seem simple that the employee would have the right to file a lawsuit. However, some companies have policies that make it more difficult for employees to pursue legal action.

Such was the case at Google, where the company policy forced employees to litigate disputes in arbitration. This process is a closed hearing paid for by a company and keep employees from joining together in class-action lawsuits.

High speed may be a factor in fatal car accident

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

Though it is one of the most common behaviors that people across the country engage in on a daily basis, driving is also incredibly dangerous. While many people go out and about and spend their lives without ever becoming involved in a car accident, thousands of others become injured or lose their lives in crashes on a daily basis. Their lives have become irrevocably altered by the actions of a single, often irresponsible, driver.

The dangers associated with driving were illustrated once again when a man was killed on California roadways recently. According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal accident took place in the early afternoon, when a vehicle being driven by a 21-year-old struck a utility truck stopped on the side of the freeway to repair a flat tire. According to reports, the 21-year-old was driving southbound at 80-90 miles an hour when the collision took place. He struck the disabled truck after swerving. The accident victim died at the scene of the crash due to injuries sustained in the crash.

Beware of dog-sitting apps

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

Your dog is not your child, but it sure doesn't feel that way. For dog owners everywhere, that beloved pet is just like part of the family, and it is tragic for dog-owners when something happens to their dogs.

Dog-sitter found on app loses dog

Recently, as reported by NBC Los Angeles, a popular dog-sitting service lost a customer's dog, and didn't inform the dog-owners until hours after the dog was lost. Then, the dog-sitting service actually charged the customer with the ensuing veterinarian bill. What can you as a customer do if your dog gets lost by a dog-sitting service?

Fighting back against annoying robocalls

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Rights on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

There are certain challenges and inconveniences of life in the modern world that would have been inconceivable 100 years ago, things that would be nearly impossible to even explain to our great-grandparents. Pre-recorded "robo-calls" are perhaps on the top of that list of eccentricities unique to our times. Unsolicited calls - especially pre-recorded calls - are annoying and distracting, but attorney Todd M. Friedman is fighting back.

How bad is the problem of telemarketing and robo-calling?

The problem of unsolicited calls from collections agents and companies has grown to become an epidemic in our society. Telemarketers go through astonishing lengths to contact people. One of the most recent innovations is the use of "spoof numbers" so that the caller's identity looks like the identity of someone you actually know.

When shopping online, read the privacy policy

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Friday, February 15, 2019.

Too often when we’re shopping online, we don’t even think about the seller’s privacy policy. It looks like gobbledygook to most of us and it doesn’t seem particularly important.

However, the privacy policy can have a tremendous impact on your life. If your information is shared illegally, you could be vulnerable to everything from advertising harassment to identity theft and compromised banking information.

Online shopping scams lead to consumer fraud

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Consumer Fraud on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

As people switch to online shopping because of its convenience, it's easy to forget that not every website visited is legitimate. Unfortunately, scammers commonly use fake images and low prices to get consumers to visit their website and also give fake ads on genuine websites. Once a consumer makes a payment, either the consumer does not receive the product or gets a fake imitation instead. As a result, hard-working individuals are scammed out of their money.

The California Department of Justice provides some tips for individuals to follow to avoid becoming victims of online shopping scams. First, keep in mind that if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Second, it is important to read the description of the product closely, as fine print can often claim that the product will not be what is advertised. It's good to ask questions about warranties and returns and who pays for shipping and handling. Using a credit card is often a good idea as well, as laws allow a purchaser to dispute credit card charges if something goes wrong. Making sure one has a secure connection also ensures that private information cannot be stolen.

Cellphone use still common on California roadways

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Though it has been illegal to use a hand-held phone in California for the last 10 years, the percentage of drivers using their phones while driving increased in 2018. According to people present at intersections around California, at any one moment, 4.5 percent of drivers were using their cellphones in 2018. This demonstrated an increase from 3.6 percent last year.

Understandably, this has raised some concern with safety officials. Though social norms and beliefs surrounding phone usage while driving have caused the number of people texting-and driving to go down from 2016, when 7.6 percent were seen using their phone, the number even now is unacceptable, given the dangers of distracted driving.

Hidden injuries caused by car accidents

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Southern California is experiencing a slew of high-profile car accidents between rapper Soulja Boy in a severe crash and several other car-related fatalities since the beginning of 2019.

With so many California drivers involved in accidents, it’s important to know what to look for after an incident and what injuries may be hidden from the naked eye.

Do you know if they are recording the call?

On behalf of Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

You receive a call from a company – a creditor or collections agent, perhaps. In most of these calls, they will ask you some questions, and some of these questions will involve very personal information about your finances. But what if that call is being recorded without your knowing it? And what if something happened to compromise the safety of that information?

While most people simply assume that their calls are not being recorded. But the truth is, companies know that the practice of recording calls is illegal, but they do it anyway. This practice puts your financial security in jeopardy. In fact, a recent class action suit tells this familiar story.