Ramey Law PC

When #Section230 was passed in 1996 to protect interactive computer services from being sued for content posted on their sites, the reasoning was that the sites were merely transmission vehicles and, with limited exceptions, shouldn’t be held accountable for what third parties chose to post. The 2020 election and today’s #impeachment showed the fallacy of that reasoning, but the problems go back well before the election. The issues are more significant than political bias. T...hey also involve viral #tearooms or #shaderooms where #teenagers post disparaging comments and photos of their peers with reckless abandon. Platforms like @Instagram or @Tiktok let kids engage in online #gossip and #bullying with almost complete anonymity, and the subjects of their posts are hounded, haunted and sometimes driven to suicide by mean-spirited disregard for their privacy or feelings. Drug dealers now target minors, with devastating consequences. - Christa Ramey #SaferInternetDay #sid2021 #instagram #tiktok #cyberbullying #legaladvice #onlinespeech #facebook #twitter #socialmedia

Today on #SaferInternetDay, we're sad to say the Internet is not safer than in 2013 when ConnectSafely began to warn us about the perils the Internet can pose to children, victims of crimes and other vulnerable people at the mercy of ruthless opportunists who because of a now antiquated federal law have little protection. Today is also the day former President #Trump faces a Senate trial for using the Internet to incite an insurrection. It’s time to update #Section230 of the Communications Decency Act. #bullying #Cyberbullying #trolls #onlineharassment #onlinespeech #onlinesafety

At one time, the idea of an autonomous self-driving car would have seemed technologically impossible. However, within the next several years consumers may be able to purchase a completely automated vehicle that operates without any human intervention. In the meantime, many cars are currently built with safety features that can help assist drivers on the road.... Even as automotive #technology evolves, it cannot prevent all collisions on Los Angeles roads. It is helpful for drivers to know what information they are required to provide after an #accident. Our latest blog post "Safety features do not prevent all collisions" https://www.rameylawpc.com//safety-features-do-not-preven/ #AI #selfdriving #collision #personalinjury #attorney #crash #selfdrivingcars

Los Angeles County had more pedestrian fatalities than any other county in the United States. That is obviously an unenviable distinction, and one that demands a strong spotlight on the problem and recommended fixes to mitigate adverse outcomes. Bad drivers in LA County display a sheer universe of deficient behaviors. That overview spotlights the truly scary road reality of #drunkdrivers. And it additionally notes aggressive behind-the-wheel maneuvers and the broad carnage li...nked to distracted drivers who are seemingly oblivious to what surrounds them. All other persons sharing road space with careless motorists are at imminent risk of injury. That is true of every conceivable demographic, ranging from drivers/occupants in other passenger vehicles and motorcyclists to individuals on motor scooters and bicycles. And especially #pedestrians. #Accident victims often and understandably have pressing post-crash medical, financial and other needs. A proven and compassionate #personalinjury legal team can help them pursue a meaningful remedy that secures both accountability and maximum compensation that can be broadly applied toward multiple concerns. From our blog - Pedestrians: no group is more vulnerable on LA streets and roadways: https://www.rameylawpc.com//pedestrians-no-group-is-more-/

In the whirlwind that's been 2021 so far, which has basically just been a carryover from 2020, regulating online speech remains front and center following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. CNN reports a very fitting rebuttal by Amazon.com to far-right social media app #Parler in what will build into an antitrust court battle that puts Section 230 to the test. Parler, which grew in popularity in 2020 in the lead up to the election mainly by #farright supporters o...f #DonaldTrump, continued ballooning after he lost, with users posting despicable, criminal #hatespeech centering on the 2021 inauguration. Once Trump's Twitter account was finally shut down indefinitely following the U.S. Capitol riots, users moved to Parler to post their hate and plans for civil war and violence against lawmakers and U.S. citizens. Google and Apple quickly removed Parler from their app marketplaces. Then came Amazon's decision to remove Parler from its cloud hosting services, hampering Parler's ability to keep afloat on a server. "This case is about Parler's demonstrated unwillingness and inability to remove from the servers of Amazon Web Services ('AWS') content that threatens the public safety," Amazon wrote, "such as by inciting and planning the rape, torture, and assassination of named public officials and private citizens." We agree that Amazon did not engage in a conspiracy to eliminate a competitor from the marketplace, or interfere with its users. Parler let this happen, letting content stay that was harassing and violent. Parler's antitrust allegations do not meet the basic threshold required for a Sherman Act claim. While #Section230 worked in this situation, my recent posts and LA Daily Journal column highlight the potential for bipartisan reform under the #Biden Administration, and the decision in this case set precedent in how the law is reformed. And we all know how I'd like to see this as it pertains to #bullying. https://www.cnn.com///amazon-parler-section-230/index.html #freespeech #bigtech #Facebook

The #gigeconomy is big in Los Angeles, especially in the entertainment industry. Many of these professional artists enter business contracts, but the reality is that sometimes one party to a contract does not fulfill the terms of the agreement leading to a contract dispute and litigation. The following is a brief overview of the types of monetary damages that, depending on the circumstances, may be sought through a breach of #contract claim, via FindLaw. The most common type ...of monetary damages sought in breach of contract claims is compensatory damages. The court will order the breaching party to pay the non-breaching party enough to pay for what it will reasonably cost them to obtain the goods or services they were promised elsewhere. Readers can visit our website to learn more about civil litigation in Los Angeles. https://www.rameylawpc.com//what-monetary-damages-can-be-/ #gigworker #breachofcontract #entertainmentindustry

The back is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body. If it gets #injured, then it can leave a victim permanently #disabled or, at best, struggling with chronic pain or other medical problems. At a #construction site, there is always a chance that a worker will suffer a back injury, especially when worker is working from heights, alongside one of the area’s famous roads of highways or around heavy vehicles or machinery. Thankfully, not every back injury involves damage to... the spinal cord. However, other types of back injuries can also cause severe pain and other complications. Los Angeles workers who suffer back injuries while on the job may have legal options available to them above and beyond workers’ compensation benefits. Full blog post: https://www.rameylawpc.com//construction-workers-with-bac/ #injury #backinjury #spinalcord #slipandfall #personalinjury #attorney #constructionworkers

Let us know if you’re interested in attending this meeting with Consumer Attorneys of California.

A shocking, appalling school bus #bullying case out of the West York School District in Pennsylvania received much-needed air time thanks to some dogged journalism by local TV affiliate WPMT FOX43. The station uncovered the school district’s attempt to prevent the public from viewing school bus surveillance video of a violent bullying act by two students against another. When they finally released the video, instead of just blurring the student’s faces, the entire video is b...lurred. Here’s the backstory: Two years ago, Rhonda Lucky’s 10-year-old son, Ted, was bullied on the bus and punched in the face. She says Ted was asked to wait on the bus with a bloody face while the school principal talked to other students about the attack. At the time she shared pictures on social media of her son’s bruised face. On the day the incident happened, Lucky was shown the surveillance video in the superintendent’s office. When the school board asked to view the video, however, they were stonewalled by the district administration, just like FOX43 was. In all, the district spent more than $10,000 hiding the video from taxpayers, even appealing local media’s right-to-know requests. I think it’s kinda hard to address bullying if you’re hiding things and not being transparent about it. They pretty much hid it. They didn’t bring it out, Lucky said. They didn’t want it to be out. No one was punished. Not the two kids who did it. Not my son. I even offered to punish my child in with them. The Superintendent, Mr. Davies, he flat out told me it was not a bullying incident. In my opinion, I was bullied by him. It took the State Supreme Court to order the video’s released. We agree with Ms. Lucky. Shame on West York School District. I wouldn’t be surprised if it sees more litigation down the road for its inaction to address bullying.

From Christa Ramey's latest column in the Los Angeles Daily Journal: About the only thing we can seem to collectively agree on when it comes to #Section230 of the Communications Decency Act is that it is deeply flawed. Ask someone why, though, and they will offer a different answer nearly every time. No case better exemplifies this contrast than the recently filed #Parler v. Amazon.com Web Services. Parler, a social media platform that marketed itself as a free speech altern...ative to Facebook and Twitter, had its web-hosting services yanked by Amazon on Jan. 10. Amazon justified the revocation by assigning Parler the preferred soapbox of the far right in recent months blame for the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Thanks in no small part to the renewed attention to Section 230 brought by Parler’s lawsuit, Congress will soon turn its attention to once again addressing the controversial protections. And despite fears of a chilling effect on #freespeech and well-funded opposition from tech giants like Amazon, I think most would agree that it can’t happen soon enough. Social media provider lawsuits against each other about free speech constraints and accusations of antitrust violations is the fox guarding the henhouse. Full article on the next photo slides and through our bio link. #onlinespeech #cyberbullying #freespeech #lawsuit #uscapitol #uscaptiolriots

We are encouraged to read that the #BidenHarris administration will convene a task force to combat #onlineharassment and that schools have a seat at the table, reports CNBC. According to the president-elect’s website, The Biden Administration will shine a light on the online harassment, stalking, and abuse that now is a too-frequent reality for Americans, particularly for young people and women. We agree with others’ concern, however, that with the inclusion of big tech co...mpanies and think tanks in the task force may hamper progress. Companies such as Youtube and Facebook have already demonstrated evasiveness and lack of transparency when confronting online harassment. Hopefully, this task force can come up with new ways to hold big tech companies accountable when they allow #bullying and harassment to go on their platforms.

The mother of a Black student with Haitian roots is suing her son’s school district for the taunts he received in school, according to the The Sacramento Bee. According to her #lawsuit, school officials did nothing to stop the racist and homophobic comments hurled his way in the majority white school he attends. #Bullying and #abuse should be taken seriously and reported according to the school procedure. When abuse continues unchecked, it can have a detrimental effect on the victim and have an impact on the rest of their life. If a victim’s reporting has gone unheeded, it can be beneficial to consult an experienced attorney to understand what steps they should be taking next. Our latest blog post: https://www.rameylawpc.com//bullied-boys-mother-files-sui/

Distracted driving is a problem throughout the entire country. It occurs when drivers allow distractions to take their focus off the roads. Distractions can be physical, such as typing a text message; visual, such as watching someone on a sidewalk; or mental, such as allowing work commitments to cloud one’s ability to focus. Victims can seek legal counsel to learn about their options for seeking the recovery of their damages. This post does not offer legal advice. All victims can discuss the factual details of their unique distracted driving cases with motor vehicle accident attorneys in their communities. Our latest blog post "Sobering statistics on #distracteddriving " https://www.rameylawpc.com/moto/what-is-distracted-driving/

On COURT TV Christa discusses the trial of #ErinRobinson, the Florida man who is accused of killing another man who made unwanted comments to his girlfriend. #murder #trial #jury #misconduct #courttv

Talk about #victimblaming. From the The Press-Enterprise, in the continuing legal positioning surrounding the bullying-related death of #MorenoValley Unified School District student #DiegoStolz, the district’s school board fired its legal team last week. Superintendent Martinrez Kedziora said the emergency meeting to replace the district’s legal counsel was the direct result of the public outcry from the Press-Enterprise article earlier in the week. In that report, the distr...ict’s legal counsel of Los Angeles-based Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith claimed that Stolz’s family failed to take proper care and/or reduce or mitigate any damages caused by how the district handled bullying. That legal defense runs completely counter to Moreno Valley Unified School District’s own policy and reforms on bullying, Kedziora emphasized. We were clear and have been clear, that we would never blame the victim and would not blame the family, because we’re not that kind of community and not that kind of district, Kedziora said. Stolz was an eighth grader at Landmark Middle School and on Sept. 13, 2019, he and an older cousin reported a #bullying incident to the school. The assistant principal told the family the two boys bullying Stolz would be suspended and would not be on campus that next day. Unfortunately, they were, and they sucker-punched Stolz in an attack captured on video. His head struck a pillar and fell, unconscious. The two bullies kept hitting him and Stolz never regained consciousness. He died eight days later. Since then the two bullies have admitted their guilt. The school district did the right thing letting it’s community know it will not engage in scorched-earth litigation to win at any cost. Lewis Brisbois, like many law firms defending such cases, take the distasteful position of victim blaming as a tactic to dehumanize the victim. I’m only surprised the district was unaware that standard approach was being used. I’m glad to know the district’s new legal team will not be taking that legal direction. https://www.pe.com//moreno-valley-unified-fires-law-firm-/

On COURT TV Christa Ramey discusses the evidence and verdict of #JustinHarris, the man whose son died after he left him in a #hotcar. #trial #law #attorney #lawyer #murder

Although we cannot be in trial just yet, we can be prepared to hit the ground running when we do start back up again! Register here for this important trial skills session with Christa tomorrow! https://www.caala.org/ #triallawyer #webinar #trialskills #ladylawyers

Dogs are wonderful companions. They are loyal, friendly, and helpful. Some dogs can be trained to provide service to their owners, others, and their communities. While many dogs are faithful friends who give their people love and support, others experience challenges and trauma that may cause them to lash out and inflict harm. Dog bites and attacks can result in serious injuries to victims. When a dog bites someone, a victim may not know who to turn to for help. A personal injury attorney can be a great resource for an individual in this difficult situation; this post, while informational, should not be read as legal advice. #dogbite #dogattack #liability

From the Arizona Daily Sun: A retired judge in Flagstaff just completed his second book, "Cyberbullying Law," which takes a deep look at cyberbullying cases in family court. It is 814 pages and examines 230 case studies from around the country. Judge Tom Jacobs' first book, "Teen Cyberbullying Investigated," was published in 2010 and examines 16 case studies, topping out at 193 pages. Quite a difference in just a decade, and bolsters my assessment that cyberbullying is a dev...astating and harmful growing problem that requires the cooperation of parents, educators and the court system to curb and tame. Jacobs' work (of ASKTHEJUDGE.info) mainly focuses on the legal consequences of #cyberbullying, leaving the parenting tips and sociological statements for others. He documents cases that pop up in family court seeking restraining orders from online harassment, and criminal cases in which harassment has led to physical harm, including so-called #bullycide, in which people who goad others into committing suicide are criminally charged. In addition to family and criminal court, I believe lawsuits in civil court have the power not only to hold cyberbullies and their enablers responsible for their cruel and demeaning conduct, but also set precedents that alert would-be bullies they can no longer escape the consequences of their viciousness. Protect your child's rights in school bullying with legal tips on our firm's website.

Knowledge of the elements of a #contract can help avoid contract disputes down the road, as well as help business owners and parties to a contract when a contract dispute has come up. Contract disputes can be time-consuming and costly for business owners which is why familiarity contract law can help. Full blog link: https://www.rameylawpc.com//what-are-the-elements-of-a-co/ #contracts #contractdispute #breachofcontract

Distractions of any kind could pose problems.

Getting compensation after a commercial vehicle accident will require a lot of persistence and skill. Having the right legal counsel can help a family get the compensation they need and deserve. In our latest blog post we examine a recent fatal accident on the I-5 in Los Angeles between several vehicles that resulted in one death and two people with moderate injuries, and the complicated legal scenario of these types of vehicle collisions: https://www.rameylawpc.com//accid...ent-on-interstate-5-leav/ #personalinjury #accident #traffic #caraccident #collision #injury #legal #Attorney

Fans of Chris Watts continue to defame, terrorize, and bullying Shannan Watt’s family. This cyber bullying has taken a toll. #cyberbullying #libel #defamation

Thinking right now on this night girls rule the world. #womenempowerment #womenincharge #bossmom #girlbosshustle

People reported on a survey that shows 76% of parents are worried about the online safety of their children being educated remotely. The survey found that 72% of respondents reported their concern about increases in #cyberbullying, and 67% are worried their children are accessing inappropriate content. Six in 10 parents surveyed worry they don’t have enough time to monitor their children’s online activity during #remotelearning. Lightspeed Systems, an #onlinesafety and analy...tics solutions company, commissioned the survey. Parents’ cyberbullying concerns are valid, but they require a proactive approach to monitoring all their children’s online activity. Your best bet to know what’s going on with your child’s online activity? Simply ask them to show you what they’re doing on their school-issued device as well as any other devices they use or you provide. https://people.com//distance-learning-parents-worried-chi/

A super #commute requires drivers to spend at least three hours in the car getting to and from work each day. Is it any wonder that drivers don’t attempt to fill that time with other tasks such as phone calls, email, personal grooming and meals? Unfortunately, visual, manual and cognitive distractions can increase your chances of being in a vehicle collision. Visit our website link in the bio for the blog post "Dining and driving: A deadly distraction" https://www.rameylawpc....com//dining-and-driving-a-deadly-d/ #driving #eating #distracteddriving #accident #accidents #personalinjury #attorney #collision #behindthewheel

During this #pandemic, #cyberbullying is getting worse. A news report from KENS 5 & Kens5.com in San Antonio cites a 40% increase in toxicity in online gaming platforms, a 70% increase in cyberbullying and a 200% increase in web traffic to hate sites. One expert highlights smartphone apps #TikTok and #Snapchat, with their augmented reality technology that can change the appearance of someone, adds a new layer for cyberbullies. Bullying is a pattern of behavior. If a parent re...ports the #bullying to the school, and the situation continues to escalate after that conversation has taken place, that school has failed to disrupt the cycle that enables and feeds the behavior. Schools must have and follow an action plan, which might include counseling and instituting anonymous reporting policies. Communication is key among parents, their children and the schools they attend, whether in-person or remote. #COVID19 #covid #coronavirus #bullying #schoolreopening Full article: https://www.kens5.com//273-e1e3929e-5486-44d0-a16f-1fc1782 Protect your child's rights in school bullying: https://www.rameylawpc.com/bullying-and-abuse/

#Repost Justice HQ MEMBER HIGHLIGHT Christa Ramey was driven to #personalinjury law after experiencing hardship and tragedy firsthand. She discovered early on that helping others was her calling especially finding justice for #bullied children. A graduate of Southwestern Law School, Christa started Ramey Law with her husband, John, and looks forward to other power alliances she is making at Justice HQ.

Roxie Forbes’ day camp #drowning death last summer led to her parents suing the camp over #negligent hiring, retention, supervision and training that they say caused their daughter’s wrongful death. In addition, the couple is working with a local state senator to introduce legislation that would require licenses for summer camps so incidents such as the one that claimed Roxie’s life don’t happen again. The drowning was an easily avoided tragedy. Roxie’s parents had just dropp...ed her off minutes earlier for what would have been her final day at #Summerkids. Even with four lifeguards on duty, not one realized Roxie was in trouble until too late, according to NBC LA. Pasadena Weekly reported the camp’s operator was disruptive to the family’s needs during the initial hours of the death investigation, and blamed Roxie’s health condition as the cause of her death, even while the coroner’s office confirmed the drowning. The Department of Social Services later found the camp operated illegally. The camp was clearly negligent. I’m glad to see that Roxie’s death is leading to overdue changes in state law regarding #summercamps. #roxieforbes #negligence #lawsuit NBCLA: https://www.nbclosangeles.com//wish-we-had-one-mo/2392393/ Pasadena Weekly: https://pasadenaweekly.com/roxie-forbes-parents-stand-up-f/