The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "legal liability" ...
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After dust settles, workers pay with their lives
The reporters investigated genuine concerns over the effect of asbestos exposure at a now defunct factory that produced asbestos cement pipe. Of the fewer than 300 workers that worked there over the factory's existence, 11 died of mesothelioma, five of lung cancer, and eight more died after suffering with severe asbestosis. Most died in their 50's or early 60's. At least 4 more are fighting for their lives and dozens more are suffering with asbestosis. Alabama state laws require workers seeking compensation to file their claims within two years of exposure,although asbestosis usually takes several years to show up. Reporters also examined the problems of workers at other companies that protected themselves by declaring bankruptcy or moving out of state, leaving the victims with little hope of legal redress.
Tags: asbestos; legal liability; acute respiratory illness; Capco; cement-asbestos pipe; mesothelioma; libel; FOIA; industrial safety; health
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Tread Secrets
In this story, KNXV created a database of lawsuits against Cooper Tires relating to accidents caused by tire tread separation by obtaining internal documents from an inside source at Cooper. The documents reveal that Cooper knew of the tire defects but chose not to remedy them in order to save money. The story led to legal action by Cooper against KNXV to prevent rebroadcast and uncover the inside source of documents.
Tags: computer assisted reporting; automobiles; accidents; tread separation; Cooper Tires; product liability; wrongful death; tires
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A Twist in Torts
Car companies are digging in against frivolous lawsuits regarding air bags. Since the government requires that the bags inflate in a fraction of a second, they can possibly injure people as well as save lives. The percentage of deaths or serious injury due to air bags is small compared to the number currently in use. Instead of settling quickly in lawsuits, the car companies are saying that, "cost is no object in these cases."
Tags: torts; tort reform; lawsuits; air bags; autos; cars; automobiles; vehicles; Chrysler; dodge; juries; General Motors; Ford; liability; law; legal
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Workers for rent
The story looks at the booming staff-leasing industry that is "outsourcing liability for American companies - and leaving workers in the lurch." Leased employees can be hired and fired at will, and often get unfair benefits and pensions, the report finds. Legal ambiguities, including uncertainty about who the actual employer is, permit companies to additionally erode the rights of the employees. The statistics quoted in the story show that today more than 1,700 firms lease 2 million to 3 million workers.
Tags: National association of Professional Employer Organization; OSHA; workers' compensation; unions; retirement; Kelly; Manpower; Department of Labor; Bureau of Labor Statistics; National Association of Temporary Staffing Services
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Money Trouble
The Legal Times reports on proposed changes to financial disclosure in the executive branch. "The tiny agency that serves as the financial disclouse gatekeeper for many senior officials is asking Congress to 'streamline' the process," the Times reported. "The ethics law proposal likely to draw the most attention would reduce the amount of detail that appointees need to disclose about their income and various assests and liabilities," the Times reported.
Tags: 1978 Disclouse Law; Office of Government Ethics; Ethics In Government Act
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Perjury and Obstruction of Justice?
CBS News 60 Minutes reported "about the important legal battles between General Motors and plaintiffs in post-collision, fuel-fed fire cases. Through the case of McGee vs. General Motors, we explored the issues of attorney-client privilege, perjury and obstruction of justice."
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Lost Empire: The Fall of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
The Winston-Salem Journal tells the history of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and its fall from grace "from a legal, financial and scientific standpoint. It was written as a narrative and serialized in chapter form."
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No title (id: 13287)
Nearly a decade after the lawsuit began, Sam Fowler Jr., et al. v. Union Carbide Corp. has become the largest mass products-liability lawsuit in the United States, a maddening morass of litigation that has ensnared hundreds of lawyers and generated untold millions of dollars in legal fees. Texas Monthly investigates how an endless East Texas courtroom battle over "chemical AIDS" has become a case study in what is wrong with our legal system. (June 1996)
Tags: Hollandsworth The Lawsuit from Hell Courts Judges Lawyers Frivolous lawsuits 15 pgs.
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The Superfund Saga
The National Journal reports that in 1980, Congress passed the Superfund law to clean up hazardous waste sites from coast to coast. However, it has spawned a tangled mess of legal complications and bureaucratic red tape. The question now is: should the Superfund be repaired, completely overhauled or scrapped?
Tags: toxic nuclear waste Arrowhead Oil Refinery EPA Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Environmental Response; Compensation and Liability Act PAC lobbyists Superfund Reform '95
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Unlimited Liability
The National Law Journal reports that "Accountants' legal exposure is fuzzy, but the bottom line is clear: Damages are exploding..... Less clear is whether the meganumbers add up to a new dimension in exposure for the profession.