When we go to work, we expect to be in an environment where people respect each other. With this foundation, communication, work quality, and productivity can thrive. However, there are some workplaces that don’t treat all employees the same. While discrimination is illegal, it can still happen. When it does, legal recourse may be an option.

It can be scary to think about coming forward with a discrimination allegation. People may choose not to do it because they’re afraid of backlash, such as losing their job. However, those who have filed complaints because of discrimination are legally protected from facing discrimination when they’ve filed a charge, made a complaint, or took part in an investigation or lawsuit.

McMath Woods P.A. monitors the changes in laws, regulations, and rules regarding the trucking industry. It’s important for all drivers to understand the impact that these changes could have on the safety of the public. Recently, changes were made to the rules governing 18-wheelers and commercial drivers.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Trump Administration is seeking to loosen the regulations governing the time that 18-wheeler drivers can spend on the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued the proposed changes to the “hours of services” rules. Those are the rules that dictate required breaks on and off duty. The changes will allow drivers more flexibility on when they take breaks and allow for a pause in their 14-hour workday.

We’re proud to announce that McMath Wood P.A.’s first annual scholarship campaign aimed to help first-year undergraduate and graduate students has just came to a close. We were humbled by the amount of responses and applications we received. The quality of the essays was outstanding.

We’ve chosen a winner for Fall 2019!

Congratulations to Madeline Quasebarth of Baltimore!

Madeline will be starting University of Chicago this Fall and will be obtaining her Masters in Anthropology.
This was the essay topic:

“If you could invite three people to dinner, alive or dead, who would they be and why?”

Car crashes can happen to anybody. In a crash report issued by the Arkansas State Police, they listed that there are over 60,000 car accidents a year in the state of Arkansas. Many of those accidents cause damages and injuries. Thankfully, car insurance is there to cover most damages. But what exactly happens to your insurance premium after a serious car crash?

Swimming pools are a fun way to cool off during hot Arkansas summers. Whether it’s a public pool or a private pool, kids and adults alike love to swim and splash. But if swimmers aren’t careful, pools can get dangerous very quickly. Plenty of accidents happen at pools that are debilitating or deadly.

When a person is seriously hurt at a pool, the case falls under premises liability. If a property owner did not keep their pool up to safety standards, they should be held responsible for their negligence. A premises liability lawyer in Little Rock can help you with your case. Keep reading to find out how often serious pool accidents occur.

With summer in full swing, it’s time to go out and explore everything Little Rock has to offer. This year, let us be your tour guides! There are so many festivals, events, restaurants, attractions, and summer camps to check out. We’ve compiled a list of the best the city has to offer, so you can narrow down your options and do something that you know you’ll enjoy.

To better understand how an employer or high profile individual could commit illegal crimes of abuse such as in situations involving forced labor and/or human trafficking, it’s important to note that these individuals have a skewed perception of reality. Harassing behavior of any kind is a way to establish dominance, maintain or gain power, and intimidate others. Common characteristics of the mentality in which a person may justify his or her abusive actions include:

Entitlement – the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

Narcissism – people with this personality disorder have a lack of empathy for other people and crave admiration. These people are frequently described as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may also have grandiose fantasies and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment.

Low to No Moral Principles – having little to no understanding or awareness of what is right and wrong. This is also considered lacking integrity or the honesty and truthfulness of one’s actions.

Displacement of Responsibility – unwillingness to see his or her own shortcomings and uses everything in his or her power to avoid being held accountable for them. This is also known as projection; a defense mechanism used to displace responsibility of one’s negative behavior and traits by attributing them to someone else.

Objectification – when one views others with whom they are in a working or personal relationship with as objects or possessions.

Safety Town, a fun, five-day safety awareness program designed for rising kindergartners, hosted and graduated over 310 children within the Little Rock community this month. The program expanded this year to offer an additional week and an optional location to accommodate the community’s interest for the educational experience. Pulaski Academy and Episcopal Collegiate School served as the two Safety Town locations. McMath Woods P.A. was again a proud lead sponsor of this essential community program.

“Thanks to Safety Town Mayor, Wendy Saer, Safety Town is well-oiled machine operated by a dedicated crew of volunteers, and now delivering lifelong safety lessons to even more children within our city. The program’s reputation and growth are a testament to Mayor Saer’s hard work and to the impact Safety Town has on the families of the children who attend,” says Carter Stein, McMath Woods Managing Partner.

Over the past several months, national attention has turned towards Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, who was recently charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution after paying for and receiving sexual services from the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla. Each count carries a maximum jail term of one year, along with 100-hours of community service and a $5,000 fine.  At the time Robert Kraft was arrested, the Orchids of Asia Day Spa was under police surveillance in connection with a human trafficking and prostitution investigation that ultimately led to the uncovering of a prostitution operation within 10 Central and Southern Florida day spas in direct connection to China.

Kraft was due to appear in court on March 28 to accept or decline a proposed prosecution deal extended to him by the Palm Beach County Attorney’s Office. Acceptance of the deal could have led to the prosecution dropping criminal charges against Kraft, but required Kraft to admit that prosecutors have enough evidence against him to convict him if he went to trial. In this scenario, Kraft must have also agreed to a sexually transmitted diseases screening, completed an education course on prostitution, and completed 100-hours of community service. Kraft turned down the plea deal. Since then, video evidence including the on-site surveillance tapes and video evidence used to identify Kraft during the traffic stop has been thrown out of the case.

After filing an insurance claim for property damage due to a natural disaster, like that from the recent flooding along the Arkansas River, your insurance company will assign an adjuster to your claim. The adjuster will assist you in the claims process – inspecting the damage, reviewing your list of lost or damaged property, and work with you to calculate the value of the items on your list. You and the adjuster should come to an agreement on the scope of damage. However, it’s not uncommon for disputes to arise over the extent of the damage, whether your property should be repaired or fully replaced, what the policy covers, or the amount for coverage.

At what point should you involve an attorney with your insurance claim dispute? If you have a good, working relationship with your insurance adjuster, if he or she is assertive, responsive, and polite, and your insurer is cooperating in trying to resolve your claim, continue working together. Hiring an attorney may not be necessary. If you find that you’ve come to a road block by becoming overly-frustrated or angry with your adjuster’s lack of communication, lack of a sense of urgency, or you strongly disagree with the insurer’s scope of damages and their costs, consider hiring an attorney. An attorney can help you get the attention and results you deserve.