#Bankruptcy & Medical Bills Riverside

[empirebankruptcylawyer]

Navigating Credit Card Debt Relief In Riverside, CA: What You Need To Know?

Navigating credit card debt can be overwhelming, especially when you're dealing with increasing interest rates, missed payments, and constant creditor calls. For individuals holding plastic cards, the situation can become even more stressful if not addressed on time. However, there are effective ways to manage this burden, and one of the most helpful solutions is seeking assistance from a professional bankruptcy attorney. These experts can help you understand the options available to you and guide you through the process of finding relief.

When considering Credit Card Debt Relief in Riverside, CA, it’s crucial to know what possible options you may have at your disposal. Attorneys specializing in this area often explore various alternatives before recommending a course of action. Depending on your specific circumstances, they may suggest negotiating with creditors, consolidating debt, or working on a repayment plan that better suits your financial situation. An experienced attorney will also ensure you’re aware of your rights and protections throughout the process, which can relieve much of the emotional and financial pressure.

For those dealing with significant credit card debt, hiring a professional bankruptcy attorney can be a wise investment. Not only do these legal professionals have the knowledge and experience to navigate complex legal procedures, but they can also save you time and money by negotiating more favorable terms or even getting some debts discharged altogether. By choosing a local attorney, you can rest assured they will be well-versed in state-specific regulations and court systems, which can greatly enhance your chances of a successful outcome.

In conclusion, navigating Credit Card Debt Relief in Riverside doesn’t have to be a battle you face alone. A qualified bankruptcy attorney can help you evaluate your financial situation, advise on the best course of action, and offer guidance every step of the way. Whether through debt consolidation, negotiation, or bankruptcy, professional legal assistance is often the key to securing long-term financial relief.

[shirlleycoyle]

FTC Sues Major ISP for Lying About Broadband Speeds

The FTC and a coalition of law enforcement agencies from six states have filed suit against Frontier Communications, accusing the broadband provider of advertising broadband speeds the company repeatedly failed to deliver, while charging consumers higher prices for broadband speeds they never actually received. 

According to the full complaint, Frontier violated the FTC Act and various state laws by misrepresenting the speeds of the digital subscriber line (DSL) service the company provides 1.3 million customers across 25 states. Unlike fiber, dated DSL technology provides even slower speeds depending on distance and the quality of the copper lines used.

The FTC stated these limitations consistently weren't made clear to consumers, and Frontier repeatedly billed consumers for higher speeds they weren’t able to obtain. The suit was filed in cooperation with attorneys general from Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, and the district attorneys’ offices of LA County and Riverside County, California. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for Frontier stated the FTC lawsuit was “without merit.”

“Frontier’s DSL Internet speeds have been clearly and accurately articulated, defined and described in the company’s marketing materials and disclosures,” the company said.

But the FTC’s latest complaint is far from the first of its kind.

U.S. telcos have been accused repeatedly of failing to adequately upgrade or repair their aging DSL lines. But because many of these companies enjoy a regional monopoly over broadband access, they face little pressure to upgrade these networks, provide quality customer service, or charge affordable rates. The FTC says it has been inundated with such complaints for years.

In 2019, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson released a report based on over a thousand complaints and half a dozen public hearings, accusing Frontier of neglecting its deteriorating phone and broadband networks. Filled with photographic evidence of disrepair, the AG stated Frontier’s negligence not only harmed consumers, it posed a public health risk. 

“Frontier customers with these outages include those with family members with urgent medical needs, such as pacemakers monitored by their medical teams via the customer’s landline,” the AG said.

  The company last year struck a $900,000 settlement with Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, after the state accused Frontier of advertising speeds it couldn’t deliver, and using sneaky fees to drive up the cost of consumer bills post sale. 

Frontier has also been accused of misusing federal taxpayer subsidies in states like West Virginia, intended to improve the condition of the company’s network. At the same time, Frontier executives and lobbyists have hindered and impeded local community efforts to bring better broadband service to many of these long-neglected areas.

In 2015, Frontier Communications announced it would be buying Verizon's unwanted broadband and phone customers in Florida, Texas, and California for $10.5 billion. Those customers also consistently complained of slow service, lengthy outages, spotty repairs, and high prices.

Swamped by the debt from those deals, Frontier filed for bankruptcy protection in April 2020, allowing the company to shed $11 billion in debt and emerge with a relatively clean slate this year. But the company’s latest earnings report shows the company continues to bleed phone and broadband subscribers frustrated by slow speeds and high prices.

At the telecom lobby’s behest, the Trump FCC voted in 2017 to not only eliminate net neutrality rules, but to neuter the agency’s consumer protection authority. That left policing big telecom in the lap of the FTC, an agency that has limited authority and can only take action if it’s very clear an ISP has engaged in "unfair or deceptive” behavior under the FTC Act. 

“As important as this case is, it also shows why the FTC can never fully fill the regulatory gap left in the wake of the repeal of Net Neutrality at the FCC, the expert agency on telecommunications services,” Acting Chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said of the lawsuit. 

“The FTC will do what we can to hold broadband providers accountable,” she added. “But the pandemic has underscored the essential nature of internet access; just like the country’s water, electricity, and phone services, ISPs require direct and on-going oversight. That active oversight by the proper regulator may have prevented these violations.”

The FCC is limited in its ability to police the telecom sector until it restores net neutrality rules and its Title II authority over broadband providers. But that can’t happen until the Biden administration fully staffs the FCC and appoints a permanent agency boss.

FTC Sues Major ISP for Lying About Broadband Speeds syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[mcnicholaslaw]

Lawsuit Filed Against Los Angeles Department of Water & Power For Victims of Creek Fires

– Lawsuit alleges LADWP failed to maintain and inspect power lines, as well as heed severe weather warnings of potential dangers associated with drought and high winds –

LOS ANGELES – Trial law firms McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, Frantz Law Group, APLC,  Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian and Becker Law Group have filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) and the City of Los Angeles on behalf of victims of the “Creek Fires,” after the utility company’s electrical long-distance transmission lines ignited 15 miles of widespread fires. The lawsuit alleges that LADWP negligently installed and maintained its electrical equipment for the area with disregard to the known wildfire risks, as well as failed to heed high wind weather warnings from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“CalFire”) and the National Weather Service to safeguard the impact to the overhead power lines. The plaintiffs involved have suffered economic and non-economic damages, including extreme property damage and loss, personal injury, emotional distress and more.

During the days leading up to the fire impact, one of the many weather and wildfire experts, including Bill Gabbert of Wild Fire Today, primitively warned, “If fire ignition occurs, there will be the potential for rapid spread of wildfire with extreme fire behavior that could lead to a threat of life and property.”

“The National Weather Service issued a multitude of ‘Red Flag’ warnings and ‘Fire Weather Watches’ across Southern California due to the low humidity, record-high temperatures, and anticipated 50-mph wind gusts in the region. Such warnings should have created significant concern and preventative action from LADWP,” said Patrick McNicholas, Partner at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP. “They failed to take reasonable precautions to protect residents from a clearly foreseeable risk, and their conscious disregard for safety caused devastation throughout nine communities.”

Background Information

Beginning on December 5, 2017, a 10-day-long blaze destroyed 15,619 acres of land across nine communities within Los Angeles County, including Santa Clarita, Olive View, Lake View Terrace, Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Sylmar, Pacoima, Lopez Canyon and Kagel Canyon. The “Creek Fires” destroyed or damaged 204 homes and non-residential structures, and threatened thousands more.

The fires became ignited and spread wildly as a result of the intensity of the annual Santa Ana winds that whipped the high-voltage power lines, which contained an excessive amount of slack caused by heat stress and LADWP’s failure to inspect and maintain proper tension of the lines. In turn, the aluminum and steel lines snapped in the extreme weather conditions, creating a perfect fire starter to dry ground vegetation coupled with the high temperature and low humidity of the season.

As the largest municipal electric utility in the nation and supplier of over 24 million megawatt hours of electricity a year for 1.4 million LA customers, LADWP has a duty to consistently maintain a high standard of safety for the communities that it serves, at all times. Had LADWP followed the necessary standard of care in inspecting, maintaining and repairing its ultra-high-powered transmission lines, the “Creek Fires” catastrophe could have been mitigated. Instead, it has left residents struggling to secure basic living necessities and return to their regular way of life.

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McNicholas & McNicholas, a Los Angeles-based plaintiff’s trial law firm, represents clients in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, employment law, class actions, sexual abuse and other consumer-oriented matters such as civil rights, aviation disasters and product liability. Founded by a family of attorneys spanning three generations, McNicholas & McNicholas has been trying cases to jury verdict on behalf of their clients for more than five decades.

McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP

10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Phone: 310-474-1582

Fax: 310-475-7871

3558 Round Barn Blvd., Suite 215

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Phone: 707-236-6316

Fax: 619-525-7672

www.mcnicholaslaw.com

Frantz Law Group, a California-based law firm with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and Riverside, represents plaintiffs in personal injury litigation cases throughout California and nationwide.

Frantz Law Group

402 West Broadway, Suite 860

San Diego, CA 92101

Phone: 855-930-2626

3558 Round Barn Blvd., Suite 215

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Phone: 707-236-6316

Fax: 619-525-7672

www.frantzlawgroup.com

Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian is a Los Angeles-based trial law firm, specializing in business, insurance, employment, trust and estate, real estate, personal injury, wrongful death and construction defect.

Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian

26 Corporate Plaza, Suite 250

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Phone: 949-831-6611

Fax: 949-831-6622

3558 Round Barn Blvd., Suite 215

Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Phone: 707-236-6316

Fax: 619-525-7672

www.bridgfordlaw.com

The Becker Law Group is a California-based law firm, specializing in personal injury, wrongful death, bankruptcy, immigration, IP law, international trade law, medical malpractice, business law, employment law and fire property damage.

Becker Law Group

117 E. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 500

Pasadena, CA 91105

Phone: 626-777-7700

Fax: 626-714-7603

www.beckerlawgroup.com

The post Lawsuit Filed Against Los Angeles Department of Water & Power For Victims of Creek Fires appeared first on McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP.

[empirebankruptcylawyer]

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney: Protect Your Valuable Assets

When you have to file for bankruptcy, it is a challenging experience, especially, when not sure what will happen to your assets. Many people worry that they will lose their valuable essentials such as homes or cars, while filing for the process. However, it is essential to understand that certain laws provide relief and you are not left empty-handed, giving long-term relief. Connecting with a reliable attorney who understands the complexities will protect your assets for longer.

The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney in Riverside, CA is essential to safeguard those things that matter the most to an individual. Chapter 7, also refers to the liquidation bankruptcy, and majorly involves selling non-exempt assets to creditors. Since many items are liable to be kept under the law, so, you can have those assets. Lawyers will assess your case thoroughly and explain essentials that can be protected while dealing with insolvency. That is why their role is necessary to save homes, cars, and personal belongings in such challenging situations.

One of the major advantages of connecting with a bankruptcy attorney is the protection of exempted assets. Since each state has its limitations, an expert thoroughly understands laws which ensures you will get the maximum advantage. It will be easier to protect your vehicle and other household items after being insolvent under their guidance. Along with this, they can easily handle the complex settlement process and negotiations with creditors for a smooth experience, minimizing the risk of losing essential items.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney in Riverside, CA will be supporting you as a professional throughout the journey for the best outcomes. They know how to file the necessary documents with court, and can deal with the creditors on your behalf. Additionally, they remove a great amount of stress and there will be fewer chances of errors. By working with an expert, you remain confident as everything is managed per the law.