A fitness shoe company has agreed to a multimillion dollar settlement with the Federal Trade Commission after charges that the company misled consumers.

Skechers agreed to pay $40 million when questions arose over its claim that its toning sneakers would help consumers lose weight and tone their bodies without ever going to the gym. The settlement will be used to provide refunds to buyers of Shape-ups and other toning sneakers.

According to David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, the settlement is believed to be the largest ever involving consumer refunds. (more…)

Self-driving cars are a great advance in car safety technology. However, it will be sometime before they are widely available and the auto accident lawyers of Elk & Elk want drivers to be safe on the roads at all times.

Once upon a time, self-driving cars seemed like nothing more than the science fiction dreams of novelists and screenwriters. However, science fiction dreams have a way of becoming stone-cold reality.

Earlier this month, Google’s self-driving car stormed out of the garage as the state of Nevada became the first in the nation to license the company’s vehicles. Nevada issued the license after determining the car is safe for testing on public streets. However, two people must be in the vehicle at all times: one in the driver’s seat and one monitoring a computer screen that shows the car’s planned route as well as traffic lights and other potential hazards on the road. (more…)

Fatal accidents are on the rise in Ohio after reaching a record low in 2011.The automobile accident lawyers of Elk & Elk urge all drivers to make smart choices behind the wheel.

After a record low number of Ohio traffic deaths in 2011, fatal automobile crashes are up significantly in the first four months of 2012.

Statewide, statistics from the Ohio State Highway Patrol show there have been 312 fatalities from 275 fatal crashes from January through April. In 2011, that number was 268. Last year ended as the lowest auto-related fatality year in Ohio history with 1,020 deaths from 947 accidents.

One national highway safety advocate cites Ohio’s weak laws as one possible reason for the increase in traffic deaths. Jackie Gillian, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said, “Ohio is at the bottom of the barrel because they are lacking so many critical laws like primary enforcement of seat belt, all-rider motorcycle (more…)

Texting and walking can pose a grave danger for frequent texters. The Ohio accident attorneys at Elk & Elk want you to be aware of the risks.

We’ve all heard about the dangers of texting and driving. But have you ever thought about the dangers of texting and walking. If you are an avid texter, you’ve probably had your own close encounters with a lamp post or a sign. And YouTube and other websites are full of videos showing distracted walkers having an unfortunate meeting with a fountain or unexpectedly stepping off a curb and falling. But, the dangers of texting and walking are nothing to laugh about, as one New Jersey city has found out this year, and they’re not taking the issue lightly.

In Fort Lee, N.J., police have started issuing $85 jaywalking tickets to any pedestrians caught texting while walking. According to Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department, the borough has suffered three fatal pedestrian-involved accidents and a total of 20 pedestrians have been hit by vehicles already this year. (more…)

Beginning this summer, nursing homes in Ohio will be required to meet a standard level of care to maintain their funding levels. The Ohio nursing home abuse attorneys of Elk & Elk believe these new standards are a positive step in reducing cases of nursing home abuse and neglect.

While most nursing homes provide excellent care for their residents, there are some long-term care facilities that mistreat and neglect their patients. Now, there is some good news in the fight against nursing home neglect and abuse. Effective July 1, nursing homes in Ohio will have to show they are providing quality and comfortable care for all their residents or risk losing a huge chunk of their funding.

Under the new system, nursing homes must meet any five out of 20 standards or risk losing nearly 10 percent – $16 per patient per day – of their Medicaid payments. Some of these standards include staffing levels, facilities and resident satisfaction. Nursing homes that fall short will be penalized based on how many standards were not met. (more…)