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Ban the Box

Recently, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act. Commonly referred to as “ban the box” legislation, it prohibits Illinois employment agencies and private employers, with 15 or more employees, from prescreening applicants over a criminal record or history. Under the new law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, […]

Snowy crosswalk

Laws aim to prevent injuries from accumulated ice on trucks

Ice that accumulates on commercial vehicles such as trucks can prevent a dangerous hazard to other motorists on the road. In fact, last year, an Illinois man suffered severe facial injuries when ice blew off of a passing truck and crashed into his windshield, shattering it into pieces. A similar situation occurred in Massachusetts earlier […]

Shoveling sidwalk

Massachusetts Supreme Court Holds Homeowners Responsible for Snow Accumulation

In July, as explained in this Business Week article, Massachusetts highest court overturned a long standing rule that absolved property owner’s from liability for failing to remove snow accumulation on their property. As explained in Papadopoulos v. Target, SJC-10529, the overruled holding was referred to as the “Massachusetts rule”, and stood for the proposition that […]