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Tennis Pro Files Lawsuit Over Accident at U.S. Open

Posted by Evelyn Beene on Oct 24, 2015 in Lawsuit over Accident, Social Media & Law Firm |

Professional tennis player Eugenie Bouchard has filed a lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association after she slipped and fell whilst in a locker room during the U.S. Open.

Claims of Negligence

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, Bouchard claims that her fall was the result of a slippery, dangerous foreign substance which was on the floor. Bouchard says that due to the fall she has suffered a severe head injury, causing her to have no choice other than to withdraw from the tournament. As a result of this injury she has also withdrawn from a separate tournament that she was due to compete in in China.

The suit alleges that:

Eugenie Bouchard was in the physiotherapy area in the female locker room when a slippery and dangerous foreign substance on the floor caused her to slip and fall.

According to the suit, the defendants have caused or created this dangerous substance, or knew or should have been aware that it was present on the floor. They also failed to provide Bouchard with any clear warnings or make her aware of potential hazards caused by this substance.

According to the lawsuit filed by Bouchard, the USTA, tennis’ national governing body, has been allegedly negligent. The suit seeks damages which are yet to be specified, however Bouchard’s lawyer Benedict Morelli told the New York Times that

We could be talking about millions of dollars.

Devastating Effects

Since the accident, Bouchard has only played one match, in which she retired against Andrea Petkovic at the China Open. Roberta Vinci, whom Bouchard was due to face in the fourth round at the U.S. Open went on to upset Serena Williams during the semifinals, before losing the final to Flavia Penetta.

Although Vinci beat Bouchard around two weeks earlier at the Connecticut Open, based on ranking the Canadian player was favored to win.

2015 China Open First Round | Andrea Petkovic vs Genie Bouchard |

The accident could not have come at a worse time for Bouchard, as the tennis player had begun the year in a complete contrast to 2014, where she became the first Canadian player to make a grand slam singles final at Wimbledon. This year her performance had stuttered, starting off well with a solid quarterfinal showing at the Australian Open but then seeing her results dip, losing 14 of her 18 matches due to being hampered by injuries and an unstable coaching set up.

Named the world’s most marketable athlete this year, last year’s Wimbledon finalist is seeking actual, compensatory, and statutory damages as well as punitive damages, and has requested a jury trial.

No Comment

Widmaier,-Chris1 When asked to comment on the lawsuit, Chris Widmaier, spokesman for the USTA, said that the governing body has a longstanding policy not to discuss any ongoing litigation. The WTA did not immediately comment on the lawsuit, and a request made through Bouchard’s agent to speak with her was not immediately acknowledged.

Since the incident, Bouchard says that her world ranking has already decreased by thirteen spots, and she believes that it will most likely continue to drop.

Kim Davis Marriage License Lawsuit ‘Forlorn’

Posted by Evelyn Beene on Oct 24, 2015 in Marriage License Lawsuit |

Obtuse. Forlorn. Absurd.

These are just some of the words that have been used to describe a lawsuit brought against Kentucky lawyer Steve Beshear by county clerk Kim Davis. Fighting to avoid issuing licenses to single sex couples, Davis alleges that Beshear has violated her religious beliefs by asking her to comply with the nationwide legalization of gay marriage.Beshear’s lawyers have simply stated that Davis’ role is not moral or religious, but rather legal, and they have asked the judge to throw out the suit.

Simply Following the Law

Steve-Beshear-e1305839328269 The issues started in late June of this year, when the Supreme Court issued a ruling that gay marriage was to be legalized throughout the United States. In response to this ruling, Beshear issued a letter to the 120 Kentucky county clerks which explained how the state reacted to the ruling. He stated that whilst the oath the clerks took nor the Supreme Court can tell them what to believe, they can tell them how to act. And from then on it was prudent to work within the constraints of the law and to remove the words ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ from the marriage template.

Davis Refused to Comply

Instead of complying with the law, Davis stated that issuing marriage licenses to gay couples violated her religious freedom, and as such she refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Four couples went on to sue Davis, yet she ignored a number of federal court orders which ultimately saw her spending five nights in jail. Davis has blamed Beshear’s letter for her legal problems. His lawyers are trying to throw this out stating that Beshear is following the law, and as a county clerk she has an obligation to do the same.

Kim Davis Has No Authority

Beshear’s is claiming that Davis has no authority to avoid issuing marriage licenses no matter what her religious beliefs are. The office that she works for, Rowan County Clerk, has no right to exercise free religion, and those that work at the office are expected to comply with the law.

Anti-Gay Marriage Clerk Kim Davis Goes To Jail

David Bunning, a US District Judge is expected to make a ruling soon on whether the lawsuit against Beshear can continue. However, as Bunning was the judge who initially made the court order requiring Davis to file the marriage licenses, it looks like he will rule in Beshear’s favor.

Changed Documents

Although Davis was originally jailed for refusing to comply with the law, she was released after five days because her deputies had been granting the marriage licenses in her absence. When she returned to her office, however, she replaced her name and office on the granted documents to ‘pursuant to federal court order’.

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In a court filing made on the 18^th September, a lawyer for one of the deputies under Davis said that Davis has made changes to documents which could weaken their validity in the future. He claimed that the clerk had further violated Bunning’s order. The lawsuit continues.

Law Firms Need Social Media and Here’s Why!

Posted by Evelyn Beene on Oct 24, 2015 in Social Media & Law Firm |

In the recent years we have been witnesses of the expansion of social media. Social media is literally everywhere taking hold of our physical and digital lives. Even though, some people might argue whether this is good or not, this is a mere fact which must be accepted. Nowadays, more often than not, our lives are governed by social media. Your desires, interests, personal preferences, are governed and influenced by social media.

Senior Partners and Social Media

People who own law firms are usually not familiar with social media, mainly due to the generation gap. This is entirely understandable. Senior partners at law firms, are usually older than their associates who are in their twenties or in their thirties. Younger people are more familiar with social media than the older generation (this is a mere fact, and if that doesn’t aim to offend anyone). That being said, it is completely understandable why law firms do not to use social media as much as they could.

Social Media And Expansion

Still, there is a very good reason why law firms should use social media, this goes further than just pr for law firms. Namely, law firms should use social media because it can contribute to their business success. There are many advantages to using social media as a way to expand your business and work on your public relations, especially if you all are running a law firm.

Social Expansion Business Expansion Package

Nonetheless, people choose not to use social media, even though it can contribute many of advantages to their business. This opposition to new things must be overcome, because social media is not going anywhere. It has been around for a while, and each will probably stay here in any future form for an unpredictable amount of time. This is precisely why even senior partners should be involved in social media and interested in social media when it comes to portraying your law firm in the social media.

Here’s Are Two Main Reasons Why You Should Use Social Media To Promote Your Business

If you’ll want to work on your public relations, make sure and that you open a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account. Perhaps, it will take a while for you to master the skills, but in the end it will be worth it. The social media provides you with numerous advantages when it comes to managing your public relations.

Firstly, social media is almost inexpensive when compared to traditional methods of advertising your business which is always an advantage. This means, you will be able to spend less money on your public relations and on advertising your company.

Secondly, you will be able to manage your public relations yourself. In other words, you won’t need a public relations expert (unless you really want to hire one, which is of course an option) you will be able to do everything yourself. And who is more adequate to send a message of your business than you yourself? Therefore, you should not be afraid of using the social media to your advantage.

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