SAV Law Firm Blog
The world has changed so much since our last birthday. In firm news, we finally did open up our patent law branch. We are so thrilled to begin working with inventors to help them realize their vision and share their wonderous ideas with the world. I remember watching Shark Tank back in high school and being amazed by all the fantastic inventions and always hearing “but do you have a patent?” I’m beyond excited to help inventors answer “yes” to that question. Utility, design, and plant patents are our newest venture and we hope you’ll think of us when you’re ready to protect your ingenuity!
With news of a vaccine on the horizon, many workplaces are wondering whether they can make their employees get vaccinated. Of course, vaccines are fantastic so it makes sense that employers want to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We put together a quick post explaining how requiring employees to get vaccinated may not be as easy as you think.
I want to discuss an issue that plagued a colleague of mine. Two parents had an interim order where the mother had primary custody and the dad had visitation every other weekend. The dad told the mom that he was diagnosed with COVID-19, but still wants visitation. As absurd as this may (and should) sound to all of you, this ACTUALLY happened. To go even further, the dad threatened to file contempt if the mom didn’t comply. Dad is still COVID positive. So, what is the mom to do?!
Lots of COVID-19 blog posts focusing on staying home and how contractors can get through this pandemic, but there is another unrelated law that has recently gone into effect that businesses need to be paying attention to as well when they start rehiring after COVID-19 is long behind us: The “Ban the Box” Act. “Ban the Box” was enacted to prevent employers, with 15 or more full-time employees, from asking job applicants about their criminal history until the applicant’s first in-person interview. This applies to any work for pay and any form of vocational or educational training, with or without pay. This includes, among others, contractual, temporary, seasonal, or contingent work as well as vocational or educational training with or without pay.
Okay, contractors! Yesterday, I made sure to call out the construction industry as a prime example of an industry vulnerable to COVID-19 lawsuits. Today, let’s see how we can combat this issue.
In this time of need where we should all be coming together, there are still circumstances that arise where a person needs to be made whole due to the careless and reckless behavior of another. Typically, suing someone for getting you sick requires proving that specifically that person was the cause of your illness AND that they were negligent or intentional in their actions in getting you sick.
