Month: September 2013

How to Leave an Inheritance without Hurt Feelings

Family - Martinson & Beason, P.C.When creating an estate plan, the notion of “fairness” can keep parents up at night. No parent wants his or her estate plan to cause feelings of bitterness—or worse, a trip to the courthouse. But what can a parent do to leave an inheritance that everyone is happy with? A recent article in AARP outlines several steps that you can take to ensure that your estate plan doesn’t result in unhappiness among your family.

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Should employers be able to hold workers accountable for social media posts?

ethics legal attorneySocial media has worked itself into nearly every facet of our lives; our relationships (personal and professional), political stances, entertainment choices, and product choices are distributed through social media for the world to see. Relative to other dissemination of “news,” social media is a breed of its own. Still in its youth, ethical guidelines remain vague. One of the main questions rising from this social media conundrum is the level of accountability a person has for what he or she posts. This point has been raised after a University of Kansas professor was placed on indefinite administrative leave for a tweet he wrote about the Navy Yard shootings.

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Driver of Fatal Huntsville Accident Denies Claims

Huntsville car accident - Martinson & Beason, P.C.In May, our community was shaken by the death of a ten-year-old in a tragic car accident. A man, later identified as Gunner Joseph Scarano, was driving a black truck and travelling north on Bailey Cove Road when he hit three vehicles and a motorcycle. No injuries were reported from this accident. Scarano then continued to drive until he caused another accident at the Weatherly Road intersection. This accident involved four vehicles, injuring eight and killing ten-year-old Jaden Coppens.

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Strange State Laws

huntsville alabamaWe all know our state governments makes laws that are, well, questionable at best. What many don’t know are the wacky, weird, and wildly whimsical laws that still exist in many states around the U.S. today. Check out some of the most outrageous laws we found from The Huffington Post:

  • In Missouri, it’s illegal to drive with an uncaged bear. (Caged bears are okay, of course.) This has to make you wonder if Yogi riding shotgun was a past problem, or if people used to pick up just any hitchhiker—even a grizzly.

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Kiss of Death: Hidden Danger in Lipsticks

Lipstick - Martinson & Beason, P.C.When you, the consumer, buy a product online or off the shelf at the store, you expect it to be safe. But unfortunately, that is not always the case: defective and dangerous products often make it into the hands of unsuspecting consumers. A recent article in the New York Times shows that even the most innocuous products may contain hidden dangers. The article explores the possible health and safety issue of lipstick, a favorite cosmetic of women and girls around the country. What could be wrong with lipstick? Researchers have found that most lipsticks—four hundred, according to a report by the FDA—contain traces of lead.

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Researchers to Study Highway Hypnosis

Alabama highway - Martinson & Beason, P.C.Have you ever pulled into your driveway after a long, familiar drive and realized you can’t remember getting there? If you have, chances are you just experienced “highway hypnosis.” But what is it? A recent article in the Detroit News defines highway hypnosis as a “mental state in which a person can drive great distances without recollection of having consciously done so.” It should be fairly clear why highway hypnosis can be a danger: when behind the wheel, all drivers should be alert and focused—not mindlessly going through the motions.

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