Legal Q&A Topics
Browse published legal information questions. Pages are sorted by recent reader activity.
Is it legal for the insurance company to subtract old dents from my repair payment?
In general, an insurance company may try to reduce a repair payment if part of the damage was pre-existing, unrelated to the current claim, or not covered by the policy. In Nevada, as in many states, the key question is...
Can a School Charge Me for a Laptop My Child Says Was Stolen?
In general, a school may try to charge a family for a laptop that was issued to a student if the school believes the device was lost, damaged, or not returned as required under school policy. But whether the school can a...
Can I sue for diminished value after my repaired car now has an accident history?
In general, possibly yes, but it depends on the facts, the insurance coverage involved, and Utah law as applied to your situation. “Diminished value” usually means the loss in a vehicle’s market value after an accident,...
What happens if I missed court for a misdemeanor charge in Alabama?
If you missed court for a misdemeanor charge in Alabama, the court may treat it as a serious problem. In many situations, failing to appear can lead to a warrant for your arrest, forfeiture of bond, and the case moving f...
What happens if I secretly recorded my boss during a closed-door meeting about my final paycheck?
In Florida, secretly recording a closed-door workplace conversation can raise serious legal issues, especially if the meeting involved an expectation of privacy. In general, Florida is a two-party consent state for oral...
What happens if I bought a mattress online and the company refuses to honor its 100-night trial?
If you bought a mattress online and the company refuses to honor a promised 100-night trial, the issue is usually about the seller’s contract terms and any consumer-protection rules that may apply in Delaware. In general...
What are my rights if the other driver left the scene but I got their license plate number?
If the other driver left the scene after a crash and you got the license plate number, that information may be very important. In general, a license plate can help law enforcement, insurers, and sometimes civil claims id...
What happens if I accidentally broke a neighbor’s window while playing basketball in the driveway?
If you accidentally broke a neighbor’s window while playing basketball in your driveway, the situation is usually handled as a property damage issue rather than a criminal one, but the exact response depends on the facts...
Do I have to split my retirement account if most of it was earned before marriage?
In Oregon, the answer is often: not necessarily, but maybe in part. Retirement accounts are commonly divided in divorce based on what portion was accumulated during the marriage versus what portion was accumulated before...
Do I have to prove who wrote the anonymous defamatory post before filing a lawsuit?
In general, you do not always need to know the anonymous poster’s real identity before starting a defamation case, but you usually do need enough information to describe the defamation claim and ask the court for help id...
Do I have to report a minor accident to my insurance if there was only a small bumper scratch?
In general, a minor accident with only a small bumper scratch may still be something you consider reporting to your insurance company, even if the damage looks cosmetic. Whether you have to report it often depends on you...
Can I copyright a children’s book if AI made the illustrations but I heavily edited them?
In general, a children’s book may include copyrightable material even if some of the illustrations were first generated by AI, but the answer depends on how much human authorship is actually present in the final work. Un...
Can police use my silence against me after I asked for a lawyer?
In general, once a person clearly asks for a lawyer during a custodial police questioning, police must usually stop questioning until counsel is present or the person reinitiates the conversation. But what happens next c...
What happens if I was rear-ended at a red light and the other driver’s insurance says I stopped too suddenly?
In Texas, a rear-end collision at a red light often raises a question about which driver may be responsible for the crash, but it does not automatically mean the rear driver is always at fault. The other driver’s insuran...
Can I use AI-generated content in merchandise without copyright ownership over the output?
In general, yes, you may be able to use AI-generated content on merchandise even if you do not own copyright in the output—but that does not mean the use is risk-free. The copyright question is only one part of the analy...