Disputed arbitration contract heading back to circuit court 
Continuing to work for a company does not by itself prove an employee has agreed to be bound by an arbitration agreement, a state appellate court said.
Look up juror histories before trial, Supreme Court says
Attorneys, warm up your laptops.
The Missouri Supreme Court said Tuesday that lawyers must use “reasonable efforts” to research the litigation histories of potential jurors before trial, not after.
Pain management clinics settle over false claims
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reached an $820,000 settlement with owners of pain management clinics and the owner of a billing company for falsely submitting Medicare and Missouri Medicaid claims.
Employer - Employee: Wrongful Termination - Arbitration Agreement - Continued Employment
Kunzie v. Jack-In-The-Box, Inc. (Case No. ED92974 - 17 pages)
Where a trial court found that an employee’s continued employment, after being presented with his employer’s arbitration agreement, constituted acceptance of the arbitration policy as a condition of employment, the judgment is reversed and remanded for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the employee signed the [...]
U.S. Supreme Court decides local speedy trial case
A St. Louis criminal defense lawyer says the U.S. Supreme Court decision interpreting the Speedy Trial Act is a victory not only for his client but for the rights of criminal defendants throughout the country.
“The Supreme Court made it clear that the Speedy Trial Act means what it says and that the judges are going [...]
Judge sides with renter in counterclaim
A judge awarded a woman over $1 million in her slip-and-fall counterclaim against her apartment complex.
Donna Downing filed a counterclaim against WLA Quail Run in Platte County after the apartment complex filed a rent-and-possession action against her.
“We were researching the claim at the time when she lost her job due to her injuries,” said Downing’s [...]
Jury not convinced woman was injured at Wal-Mart
A St. Louis County jury cleared Wal-Mart of all wrongdoing in a lawsuit that alleged one of its greeters assaulted a customer.
Helen Burnett accused Wal-Mart greeter Ronald Shelly of ramming her motorized shopping cart into a wall, injuring her right leg.
On Jan. 27, 2007, Burnett went into the Wal-Mart store in St. Ann to pick [...]
Jury awards $11M over hog farm
Jackson County Judge Jay Daugherty repeated 13 times the figure “$825,000″ Thursday afternoon as tearful farmers from Berlin, Mo., sat on the edges of the seat cushions they’d warmed for four weeks.
A jury awarded $825,000 each to 13 plaintiffs, farmers and their family members, with lesser amounts going to two other plaintiffs for a total [...]
Plaintiff can’t collect judgment from insurer
Extended mutual insurance companies can file forms and endorsements with the Missouri Department of Insurance through ratings organizations, Judge Michael Mullen determined in a recent St. Louis bench trial. The ruling supported the defense in an equitable garnishment case.
Tamara Woodfork filed the suit against Barton Mutual Insurance Co. to satisfy a $1 million judgment against [...]
Jury finds for contractor in dispute over leakage
A heating and air conditioning contractor was awarded $137,000 in its negligent inspection claim against a distributor, but a jury found the contractor was 75 percent at fault.
Rock Hill Mechanical’s lawsuit primarily made product liability claims against manufacturer Liebert Corp. and its distributor Electronic Support Systems, alleging that the Mini-Mate 2, a dehumidifier, was defective.
But [...]