Premises Liability Law: Who is Legally Responsible for the Balcony Collapse at Berkeley?

Berkeley Balcony Collapse

This week’s question comes from Richard H. in Berkeley who asks; “I am a Berkeley student and I was shocked and angry that those Irish students died in the balcony collapse. Much of the housing in Berkeley is old and decaying. I don’t know if that is the case with that building on Kittredge Street, it looked kind of new, who is legally responsible for a tragedy like that?”

Richard, my heart, and those of the entire Bay Area go out to the families of those who died, those who were injured, and those deeply affected by this senseless tragedy.

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Anti-Bullying Laws and Mixed Race Children

This article was written by Chris Dolan and published by The San Francisco Examiner. Click here to read more of Chris Dolan’s weekly articles at SFExaminer.com.

William B. from Diamond Heights asks writes, “My daughter is mixed race. She has been called names at school like mocha and dirty. She goes to public school. She is very hurt and ashamed and I understand that this is not the first time. She is coming home crying and not wanting to go back to school. What can I do to help her? What rights does she/I have?”

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Striking a Balance Between Religious Expression and Discrimination

Religious freedom is one of the founding principles of the United States. Over time, the practice of celebrating diversity and discouraging discrimination has become an important representation of America and its core values. But what happens when a situation occurs that pits the freedom of religious expression in direct conflict with preventing discriminatory behavior? One such scenario will soon be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Christian Legal Society v. Martinez.
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Foodborne Allergens, Harm Could Be Cause For Lawsuit

Jackie T from Forest Hills asks; “Last week you talked about someone injured by biting into food that had a piece of metal in it. What is the law if I am allergic and the restaurant serves me food without telling me that it has cooked it with something that I am allergic to? What is the rule if I get food poisoning?”
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