The Missouri Bar

Law in Your Life #37: Eminent Domain

How does eminent domain work - and what rights do property owners have when they face it? Today host Angela Wilson discusses the issue with St. Louis attorney Tracy Gilroy. (Internet Explorer users click twice.)

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The Missouri Bar

Real Estate Newsletter

Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 11.6 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.

Learn more online:

The Missouri Bar

Real Estate Newsletter

Bankruptcy: How Could It Impact Your Small Business Loan Application?

Business Week columnist Karen E. Klein tells a reader that bankruptcy could impact that person's need for a small business loan. The reader took out the loan to help a son, who had medical bills after an accident. (Read more)

The reader's situation embodies a few Law in Your Life podcasts. First, attorney Denise Henning talks about what you need to know if you are injured in an accident. If you are facing bankruptcy, attorney Janice Harder offers up tips you should know about the process. More information about bankruptcy is available in  The Missouri Bar's Business Law Resource Guide.

Pop Star Hogan in Car Accident

The daughter of wrestling star Hulk Hogan was in a car accident just weeks after her brother was sentences to eight months in prison for a wreck that left another man with brain damage. Brooke Hogan was wearing a seat belt. No one was seriously injured. (Read more)

What happens if you are in an auto accident? What should you do? Attorney Jim Wirkin shares information in this Law in Your Life podcast.

Telemedicine: Does it Work?

If you feel ill, or have a medical symptom that just won't go away, you can find out what it is with just the click of a button. Web sites have cropped up where people can pay for a diagnosis, but unlike research sites like WebMD.com, these sites charge by the minute or by the diagnosis. Just how effective are these methods of medical diagnosis? Find out in this GMA consumer alert.

Your Private Data on the Auction Block

Your information is out there, and it's not Big Brother collecting it. It's data brokers, who buy, sell and trade every aspect of your life for cash. Billions of personal data files will now be held under one roof if a merger between a British company and LexisNexis goes through. (The Kansas City Star has the details)

With information floating around out there at various agencies, identity theft becomes a lot easier. What should you know about protecting your data? What should you do if you find you are a victim of identity theft? Find out in this Law in Your Life podcast.

Law in Your Life #36: Bad Credit

Bad credit. No one wants to deal with it, yet it happens sometimes. And sometimes, there are things on your report that are inaccurate. This week, host Angela Wilson talks to attorney Blair Drazic about how you get get bad credit, ways to improve your credit and how to fight false claims on your credit report. (Internet Explorer users click twice.)

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You can obtain a copy of your credit report from the three main U.S. bureaus:

Equifax
To request a fraud alert call: 800-525-6285
Write to: PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
www.equifax.com

Experian:
Call: 888-397-3742
Write to: PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
www.experian.com

Transunion
Call: 800-680-7289
Write to: Fraud Victim Assistance Department, PO Box 6790, Fullerton,
CA 92834
www.transunion.com

To obtain a free copy of your credit report visit,
www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228

Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 19.1 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.

More on the Web:

You can obtain a copy of your credit report from the three main U.S. bureaus:

Equifax
To request a fraud alert call: 800-525-6285
Write to: PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
www.equifax.com

Experian:
Call: 888-397-3742
Write to: PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
www.experian.com

Transunion
Call: 800-680-7289
Write to: Fraud Victim Assistance Department, PO Box 6790, Fullerton,
CA 92834
www.transunion.com

To obtain a free copy of your credit report visit,
www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228

Do You Really Have Privacy at Work?

Think that email you sent to a friend about your tyrannical boss is private? Think again. Some Corporate America giants actually hire people to read your email. Many are trying to stop leaks of key data, but others just want to keep tabs on what you are doing and who you communicate with. (Read more in The Tech Herald)

Before you forward that joke, or decide to chat about your boss or your job dissatisfaction via email, check out this Law in Your Life podcast with attorney Bill Martucci. Bill not only discusses your privacy rights when it comes to the Internet and telephone, but also tells what employers can and can't share from your personnel file.

Victims Tells How to Prevent Dog Bites

In Jacksonville, Fla., a woman will undergo extensive reconstructive surgery after she was bitten by a friend's Boston terrier. The professional dog trainer wants others to know how to prevent dog bites during National Dog Bite Prevention Week - this week. Read more about her story in at News4Jax.com. 

The CDC offers up a comprehensive list of ways to prevent dog bites. If your family is involved in an incident, listen to this Law in Your Life podcast with Kansas City attorney Keith Cutler who discusses the issue from all perspectives.

Terror Response Remains Closed to Public

Records of plans to protect state buildings and how agencies respond to terrorism will be closed to the public for the next four years. Lawmakers decided to continue that exemption before session ended on Friday. According to this Associated Press story, the amount spent on fighting terror would be public record.

Missouri's Sunshine Law requires all state agencies to keep meetings and other items open record, with exceptions for employee issues. You can find out more about the Sunshine Law at the Missouri Attorney General's Web site.

Memorial Day Key Holiday for DWI Checkpoints

Memorial Day is fast approaching, and so are plans to beef up checkpoints along Missouri highways for drunk drivers. What do you need to know before heading out to meet with friends, or attend parties where you will likely drink? Columbia attorney Robert Murray tells you in this Law in Your Life podcast.