Lawsuits Arising From Criminal Conduct

September 22, 2015

Jail Time for Executive A Good Start

Yesterday, Stewart Parnell was sentenced to 28 years in prison for conspiracy, fraud and other federal charges that related to knowingly shipping out salmonella-tainted peanut butter that sickened and killed people. And all I can say is: it is about time. It is about time that corporate executives who make reckless or knowing decisions that ultimately kill people receive jail time.

“Just ship it.” That was Mr. Parnell’s response when notified of the problem by a plant manager. To be clear, this was not a case in which a company was unaware of a problem with their product. To the contrary, Parnell and Peanut Corp. of America knew the peanut butter was contaminated with salmonella. In fact, they covered up positive lab tests and shipped it out anyway. The result: 9 people were killed and 714 were sickened. Perhaps, Parnell’s sentence will send a message to corporate executives across the country that public safety comes before profits. Continue reading

September 9, 2015

Players’ Attack on Referee Offers Lesson on Civil Claim for Assault and Battery in Tennessee

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

You have probably seen it: the video of the two defensive backs targeting and intentionally hitting a referee. While an investigation is underway and criminal charges may be brought, let’s look at the incident from a tort perspective under Tennessee law. A tort is a legal claim for personal injury or wrongful death in which money damages are sought.

While many news outlets are indicating the local District Attorney is considering assault charges, the referee probably does NOT have a civil claim for assault, but he clearly does have a claim for battery. Let me explain why I say that. Under Tennessee law, a battery is an intentional act that causes an unpermitted, harmful or offensive bodily contact. In the video, the referee has his back to the two players and immediately after the play starts the players attack him. The hits are clearly a battery upon the referee. On the other hand, an assault is better explained as the threat and apprehension of a battery. In other words, a person is not guilty of assault unless the victim has a reasonable fear of imminent physical harm. Continue reading

August 3, 2015

The Blood Test You Need If You Have A Suspected Brain Injury

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Each year, more than 1.4 million people will suffer a brain injury from a car accident, fall, assault or some other cause. The brain is incredibly complex and so is the treatment of brain injuries. Primarily, physicians have relied upon CAT scans and physical symptoms such as loss of consciousness, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech, confusion and the like to determine the severity of the brain injury.

But both of those methods have their limitations. For instance, CAT scans can only detect if there is cranial bleeding. They are unable to detect damaged brain cells that are not bleeding. As for the physical symptoms, they may not always be detected or reported. For instance, in a car accident, a person may lose consciousness for a short period of time and regain it before any emergency medical personnel reach the scene. Or with a young infant who has not yet learned to talk, it would be difficult to know if the child was slurring its speech or was dizzy, etc. Continue reading

June 25, 2015

A Man Walks Into A Bar . . .

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

And stabs and kills his mother’s boyfriend. The parents of the murder victim sue the restaurant and win $40 million dollars. Probably not the punchline you were expecting and you might be wondering how the restaurant is to blame. Well, let me give you a few more facts. Continue reading

June 8, 2015

New Technology To Prevent Drunk Driving

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) will prevent a car from moving if the driver has a blood alcohol concentration at or in excess of .08, which is the legal limit in all 50 states. The technology is available in two forms: breath analysis and touch analysis. With breath analysis, the driver simply exhales normally into the device for an instantaneous measurement. And for those with a germ phobia, you do not have to actually touch your mouth to anything. The system is contact- free. The touch system measures BAC under the skin’s surface via the use of an infrared light at the fingertip. So when will it be available and where? Continue reading

April 8, 2015

Sexual Assault and Child Abuse: Things You Can Do To Help

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The statistics from Wednesday were pretty sobering. And frankly, they are depressing. And, if you are like me, you want to help prevent these crimes and help take care of those that have been victimized. So, here are a few tips to help you get started: Continue reading

April 6, 2015

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Let’s start with some statistics that will both sadden and anger you:

Child Abuse

Each year, 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States. The abuse can consist of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect.
Every ten seconds a report of child abuse is made.
Child abuse is an underreported crime.
Amongst industrialized nations, the United States’ record on child abuse is one of the worst.

Sexual Assault

Every 107 seconds, another person in the United States is a victim of sexual assault.
Sexual assault is an underreported crime with 68% not reported.
Roughly 2/3 of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim.
One in four college women will be the victim of rape or attempted rape

September 7, 2014

Peanut Plant Faked Lab Results? That’s Just Nuts – and Criminal (If True)

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The 2008-2009 salmonella outbreak prompted one of the biggest food recalls in this country’s history. 714 people were sickened and 9 people died as a result of tainted food. This month, federal prosecutors are seeking criminal penalties against the corporate management of a peanut company that faked lab results and failed to recall products they knew were contaminated with salmonella.

Peanut Corp. of America supplied peanut paste to companies like Kellogg’s to be used in peanut butter crackers etc., but often had trouble meeting demand. So rather than wait two days for salmonella and other contaminant testing, the company would ship the peanut paste on the same day it was made and use old lab results to attach to the product. Just as bad if not worse, the company failed to recall their product if testing revealed it was tainted.

As evidenced by this case, the effects of food poisoning can go way beyond diarrhea and general malaise. It can cause serious injuries and even death. Individuals and corporations who recklessly expose the consuming public to such injuries should be held accountable for compensatory damages and punitive damages. And, when appropriate, they should face criminal penalties.

April 6, 2014

Sexual Abuse and the Roman Catholic Church: The Crisis Continues

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently released its 2013 audit of 127 dioceses/eparchies and the numbers are staggering. Despite increased awareness and a pledge by Pope Francis for greater accountability and vigilance for sexual abuse, there were still 935 allegations of sexual abuse last year alone. Notably, the report indicates 136 of those claims have been substantiated, which is a large number given that sexual abuse is often a swearing contest between victim and perpetrator. In fact, 472 of the claims were unable to be proven either way. 223 claims are still under investigation, 78 were found to be unsubstantiated and there were 27 "other".

As for the accused, 538 priests and 11 deacons were accused of sexual abuse. 175 others were also accused but their clerical status was unknown. With respect to the victims, 80% were male and only 20% were female. The most victimized were children between the ages of 10 and 14.

According to the report, in the past 11 years, the Catholic Church has spent almost $3 billion on allegations of sexual abuse. The figure includes settlements, therapy for victims, support for offenders, attorneys’ fees and other costs. To review a full copy of the audit, click here.

February 20, 2014

More Sex Abuse Settlements By The Roman Catholic Church

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The Diocese of San Bernardino has announced a $3.8 million settlement in two lawsuits which alleged a former Catholic priest sexually abused two children. The priest at the center of the scandal is now 60 years old and defrocked. He pled guilty to lewd and lascivious acts with a 12 year old boy. He served a mere eight months in jail for his crimes.

This was a criminal act by a sick man. The fact that he was a priest is not a mitigating factor but instead an aggravating one as church should be the safest place a child can be outside the care of his or her own family. At The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., we are passionate about the rights of victims of sexual abuse. We have successfully made new law in the Tennessee Supreme Court in a sexual abuse case against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, and John Day has been asked to speak at a seminar hosted by The National Center for Crime Victims to help educate crime victim advocates about protecting victims’ rights through the civil court system.

If you would like to confidentially discuss a sexual abuse case, simply fill out this form to schedule an appointment or call us anytime at 615-742-4880 or toll-free at 866-812-8787 for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our award-winning lawyers. You can meet with either a male or female lawyer, whichever makes you feel most comfortable to discuss your case.