2. How will I benefit from joining?

a. What kind of exposure will I get on eLocal?
b. Can I give you a bio to post on eLocal?
c. Is there a badge I can post on my website showing that I’m an eLocal Expert?

3. How much time will it take to participate?

4. How does it work? What’s the schedule?

a. When does the question go live?
b. When does the Home Expert Awards post go live?
c. When does the Follow-up article go live?

5. What’s the difference between an Ongoing Contributor and a Member of the Expert Panel?

6. How do I become an official member of the Expert Panel?

1. What is the Legal Expert Network?

Our mission is to provide consumers with advice from a multitude of legal professionals in one convenient place. To do this, we’ve created the eLocal Legal Expert Network, which unites legal professionals and related businesses across all major areas of law, from real estate and personal injury to divorce and environmental law. The ongoing Q&A series culminates in feature-rich articles distilling expert opinions from our participating professionals.

2. How will I benefit from joining?

a. What kind of exposure will I get on eLocal?

As an expert panelist, you’ll share ideas and network with other professionals that span the nation. Your contributions will be seen by followers of your website, your fellow experts, and all eLocal readers. The platform provides national exposure, helping you brand yourself as a top expert in your niche.

b. Can I give you a bio to post on eLocal?

Absolutely. Your bio will be added to our “Meet the Experts” page and will include a link to your firm or business’ website. We feature this section on the Legal Expert Network main page as well.

c. Is there a badge I can post on my website showing that I’m an eLocal Expert?

Of course! Contact us at LegalExpertNetwork@eLocal.com for the HTML code you’ll need to embed an ‘Expert’ badge on your site.

3. How much time will it take to participate?

We understand our experts are busy, so we’ve created a process that streamlines your participation. Comments on our bi-weekly questions can be as short as a few sentences or as long as a few paragraphs; how you participate is up to you! We estimate that most professionals spend less than 30 minutes per month on the Expert Network.

4. How does it work? What’s the schedule?

Our schedule is bi-weekly and each round contains 3 posts: a question, an eLocal Legal Expert Awards post, and an in-depth follow-up article.

a. When does the question go live?

When a new round begins, the initial question goes live on a Monday. The post will remain active and open to answers through comments for one week, closing on Friday at 5pm PST.

b. When does the Home Expert Awards post go live?

After the question closes on Friday, we read the contributions from all of our experts and determine the very best comments of that week. The Legal Expert Awards post announcing the best of the best, complete with a link to the bios for the featured experts or businesses, goes live on the following Tuesday.

c. When does the Follow-up article go live?

The final follow-up article wraps up the round and is posted on Thursday, following the Legal Expert Awards post (10 days after the initial question). This article will distill information from all expert comments as well as pull in information from outside sources via research conducted by our creative team.

5. What’s the difference between an Ongoing Contributor and a Member of the Expert Panel?

Both our Ongoing Contributors and Expert Panelists are experienced professionals who are active and trusted in their niche. Our Expert Panel members are those who go above and beyond normal participation and make the eLocal community great. If you’d like to discuss more how you can participate or become an official panelist, email us at LegalExpertNetwork@eLocal.com.

6. How do I become an official member of the Expert Panel?

If you would like to apply to join the Expert Panel and start participating, please send us an e-mail at LegalExpertNetwork@eLocal.com.

Legal Expert Network – Frequently Asked Questions is a post from: Legal Expert Network

Punishment for infringement can be either civil or criminal.

Civil penalties for infringement include paying back damages to the copyright, patent or trademark owner.

Criminal penalties for infringement can result in prison time and hefty monetary fines.

The three most common types of infringement are copyright infringement, patent infringement and trademark infringement.

Copyright Infringement
Copyright Infringement occurs when a copyright holder’s creative work is unjustly reproduced and/or distributed.

The eight types of creative work protected under copyright law are literary works, musical works, dramatic works, choreographic works, pictorial/graphical/sculptured works, motion picture works, sound recordings, and architectural works.

Since not all expressions are protected, it’s important to know what is included in copyright law before claiming infringement. The copyright statutes can be found in their entirety in Title 17 of the United States Code.

Copyright owners have the exclusive rights to their work and are the only persons allowed to reproduce the work, make derivative works from the original work, distribute the work, display or perform the work. Terms for copyright can vary depending on when the work was created, and when the given term expires, the work passes into the public domain where it can be used without permission from the copyright holder.

Penalties for copyright infringement include hefty fines, attorney’s fees, and possible jail time. To avoid copyright infringement, obtain work legally by means of fair use and avoid any willful infringement.

If suspected of copyright infringement, it will be necessary to hire a copyright law attorney to defend your case.

Patent Infringement
Patent infringement refers to the unauthorized making or distributing of any protected patented invention within the United States.

Patent infringement can take the form of being direct, indirect, or contributory. Penalties for patent infringement depend on the severity of the involvement.

A direct infringer is someone who makes, uses, or sells a patented invention. Indirect or contributory infringers are those that knowingly sell, supply, or encourage the use of a patented item.

While patent infringement does not result in jail time, infringers can be sued by the patent holder. Resulting penalties include paying for damages to the patent holder if they should win the case, court-ordered prohibition against using or selling the patented invention, attorney’s fees and court costs.

Trademark Infringement
Trademark infringement occurs when an infringer uses a mark that creates a likelihood-of-confusion with a mark that is protected under trademark right.

When suing for trademark infringement, the plaintiff must show that they own rights to the mark and that the defendant has used a confusingly similar mark to create a likelihood-of-confusion and deception with the consuming public. Courts look at factors for likelihood of confusion such as the similarity in the overall impression created by the two marks, the strength of the original mark, and the degree of care by the consumer.

The most common penalty for trademark infringement is injunctive relief, but monetary damages are also sometimes collected. Additionally, the defendant will need to pay possible court costs and attorney fees.

Trademark Infringement is a post from: Legal Expert Network

The disease develops once asbestos fibers are inhaled and attach to the lungs.

Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or alternative methods such as acupuncture to lessen the side effects.

Due to the rarity of the disease, current treatment options are not entirely effective and a cure is not yet known.

Treatments are often very expensive, but necessary once a diagnosis is given to prolong the life of the patient.

Once a diagnosis from a mesothelioma treatment specialist has been made, one option is to seek recompense from the patient’s employer. Filing a mesothelioma claim after the first treatment period strengthens the case and the chance that monetary relief will be given to the patient and the patient’s family.

An asbestos mesothelioma claim can either be filed by the patient who is undergoing treatment or by the family of the patient as a wrongful death case if the patient has died.

Another option for mesothelioma patients to seek compensation is through litigation. Filing claims against the company or companies responsible for asbestos exposure to employees may result in compensation for medical expenses and more.

Legal facts about mesothelioma claims can be found at mesothelioma claim centers or by contacting a lawyer specializing in these claims. Claims centers often will recommend a law practice with lawyers experienced in handling mesothelioma claims. A lawyer can argue the reasons why a mesothelioma claim can be pursued and review expenses that could be covered by the claims.

Contacting a mesothelioma lawyer helps patients and family members of those suffering from mesothelioma understand legal options.

Mesothelioma Claims is a post from: Legal Expert Network

In most cases, common sense will tell you that one driver, motorcyclist, or pedestrian acted carelessly and is therefore at fault for the accident.

However, there may be some extenuating circumstances that will affect the way an insurance company, or even a court, will view who is at fault.

After an accident occurs, it is important to carefully review what happened at the accident scene.

As the victim of an accident, you will want to look for ways to prove that the other person or party was at fault. Three general ways to determine who is at fault are: obtaining police reports, reviewing state and local traffic laws, and the nature of the accident.

Police Reports
Any officer responding to the scene of the accident will file a police report. If it’s obvious who is at fault, the police officer may state in the police report that one person violated a traffic law and is therefore at fault. The officer may cite that careless driving was involved in causing the accident, further proving who is at fault. These police reports are a valuable resource in proving fault.

State and Local Traffic Laws
By reviewing state and local traffic laws, you may be able to find additional support to prove who is at fault in the accident.

Often known as the vehicle code, and more casually as “The Rules of The Road,” these state and local laws help determine who was in the wrong in given situations. If any of these rules apply to your accident, make sure to note it for reference when dealing with your insurance agency.

Common rules involving vehicle code include speed limits, “right of way” statutes, and roadway markings. These laws can sometimes be found at a local police office, and can always be found at local libraries or law libraries.

Nature of the Accident
When involved in certain types of accidents, the other driver is almost always at fault. In these certain types of accidents, the driver causing the accident has “no-doubt” liability.” Insurance companies rarely bother arguing about the following types of accidents because of “no-doubt” liability:

Rear-End Collisions:
If you are hit from behind while driving, it is rarely ever your fault. Regardless of why you stopped, the basic rules of the road require all drivers to be able to stop safely if traffic is stopped.

The damages from the accident will prove that it was a rear-end collision because the car that struck you will have front-end damage, and you will have rear-end damage. The driver that hit you may be able to file a claim against someone who caused you to stop suddenly, or a third party car behind them that pushed their car into yours, but that still does not change the fact that they are responsible for hitting your car and any injuries or damages that occurred from the accident.

Also keep in mind that your own carelessness may reduce the amount of compensation that you get from the accident. If your taillights were out and the car behind you couldn’t clearly see that you were stopped, this can be considered “comparative negligence” and you may not get as much compensation for any injuries or damages.

Left-Turn Accidents:
In almost every incident involving one car going straight down the road and another car making a left turn, the car making the left turn is at fault if an accident occurs. The damages to the cars will be a key indicator that a left-turn accident occurred – one car will have front-end damage and the other will have front-right side damage.

Exceptions to this rule are only made if the car traveling straight was going considerably over the speed limit or violated a major traffic law, such as running a red light.

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Proving Fault After a Traffic Accident is a post from: Legal Expert Network

Asbestos can be found in many household items, as well as in insulation, plumbing, and construction materials.

Asbestos is often an ingredient in manufacturing processes.

Tradespersons, miners, and people that live near mining stations are most at risk of inhaling asbestos.

Asbestos became popular starting in the 1940’s because of its sound absorption and resistance to fire and heat. Today, homeowners are encouraged to remove any asbestos from their homes to avoid inhaling the dangerous chemicals.

Symptoms of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, most notably include breathing problems and chest pain. Asbestosis, a disease also caused by asbestos, has similar symptoms to mesothelioma cancer.

Symptoms of both diseases can lay dormant for years before developing into painful breathing and sometimes cancer. Pinpointing the cause of symptoms and getting correct treatment early on are the best ways to avoid prolonged suffering from the diseases.

To avoid the risk of mesothelioma and asbestosis, be aware of surroundings and always wear protective equipment if working in a profession where working with asbestos is necessary. These professions include ship builders and repair crews, plumbers, miners, and construction workers. Asbestos fibers can also be carried on clothes, so removing work clothes immediately after work will prevent the spreading of asbestos to family members and others.

For those diagnosed with mesothelioma, there are some legal options that the patient can consider in order to seek recompense from employers to help with the cost of treatment. Contact a mesothelioma lawyer to find out more about mesothelioma claims.

Asbestosis and Mesothelioma is a post from: Legal Expert Network

Although the worst of them (such as the man who tried to sue himself) usually don’t go anywhere, the sad truth is that the USA is the most litigious nation in the world, and we waste huge sums of money on the system that supports our lawsuit addiction. But is it really a handful of greedy people who are to blame, or does the problem go deeper?

(Click to enlarge)

Source: eLocalLawyers.com