Most of us know a narcissist or three. And we have all had run-ins with @$$holes.
But did you marry or have a child with one?
And why am I writing about this in the context of a divorce blog?
Because the divorce process is stressful and sometimes this causes people to act in ways they eventually regret.
It is often said that divorce lawyers see good people behaving badly. The divorce process can trigger greed and selfishness. Spouses may become violent. Still other spouses focus on retribution at virtually any cost.
Point 1: Do not be that person. Avoid these antics or your case will be compromised. The judge will dislike you. Your lawyer (if you still have one) will find it difficult to effectively represent you. You may even (consciously or not) take it out on your children.
Point 2: Good news. It seems that the real “maladaptive” (crazy $h!t) stops after the first couple years post divorce. By then, the drama is over and emotions are under control. Folks are simply worn out or have otherwise moved on.
So, if you are still scrapping with your ex years after you have been divorced, is he or she a narcissist or just an @$$hole?
Take a listen on how to handle a “difficult” ex here:
Audio: Is Your Ex a Narcissist or Just an Asshole? @ SpokenWord.org
According to students who were on a school bus that crashed in Vernon, Connecticut, the school bus driver appeared sleepy and may have fallen asleep right before the accident.
The school bus driver drove off the road and into a utility pole on Thursday, injuring more than a dozen students. There are conflicting stories about what caused the bus accident – the driver’s husband states that the driver swerved to avoid another vehicle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 1,550 people die from drowsy driving each year and drowsy driving is to blame for at least 100,000 crashes. Of course, these numbers do not reflect the full extent of drowsy driving since there are no tests to determine whether someone was sleepy when he or she caused an accident.
Drowsy driving impairs reaction time, vision, judgment, short-term memory and performance. It can also lead to aggressive driving and distracted driving, since sleepiness can cause moodiness and reduce attention spans. As may have happened in the drowsy driving accident, it can also cause someone to fall asleep behind the wheel.
Drowsy driving is a form of negligent driving. Like driving drunk, when someone decides to drive tired, he or she puts others’ lives at risk. In fact, an Australian study shows that driving after being awake for 24 hours is like driving with a .10 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) – higher than the legal limit for drunk drivers!
The government has worked to reduce the amount of time truckers and bus drivers are on the road by creating hours-of-service regulations, but that does not address other vehicles and it is nearly impossible to detect how much sleep a driver had prior to a car accident.
That is one of the many reasons it is important to hold drowsy drivers accountable when their actions cause someone else’s injury or death. This can be done through a personal injury lawsuit.
A couple from Texas was recently awarded $13.78 in an online libel case.
There were over 25,000 libelous posts!
The defendants unsuccessfully fought a subpoena to have their identities revealed.
The ruling shows that people who defame others online cannot assume their identity will be protected by internet service providers or hosting companies.
Read about the case and why the jury awarded such a large verdict here:
Couple smeared online win lawsuit | Fort Worth | News from Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington…#storylink=cpy
The Department of Children and Families has changed the way they respond to allegations of abuse or neglect.
Previously, all accepted referrals to the DCF Hotline triggered an active DCF Investigation. These Investigations are often intrusive. In addition, the Investigations can last as long as 45 days resulting in uneasiness for the family.
Under the new initiative, DCF will classify reports into one of three categories based on the perceived risk. In cases involving low or medium risk, DCF will refer the family to community-based resources in an effort to address the presenting issue. For those “high risk” cases, a full Investigation will be required.
Some allegations are so serious it will be obvious that the case will deemed “high risk.” Examples would include physical abuse, severe neglect and sexual abuse. However, the cases in the middle (i.e. medium risk) will present DCF with some discretion. I bet two considerations will be whether the family has history with DCF and the volume of open Investigations in a given DCF office at that time.
Click here: State DCF Revises Response to Child Abuse Reports – Milford, CT Patch
Last week, a Connecticut trooper was injured in a car accident caused by a wrong-way driver. The driver was going northbound in the southbound lane of I-95. He hit a police cruiser and another car, injuring himself as well as causing head injuries and arm injuries to the trooper. According to state police, the trooper had been asked to block the highway after someone reported the wrong-way driver.
Every day, troopers put their lives at risk to protect the rest of us from harm. This trooper was taking steps to ensure that the wrong-way driver did not injure anyone else by causing a Connecticut auto crash.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, wrong-way drivers kill approximately 350 people every year. A driver may accidentally go the wrong way down a highway due to inattentive driving, or may simply not read highway directions correctly. However, wrong-way driving can also be the result of drunk driving. Either way, it is considered negligent and reckless driving.
Wrong-way drivers can face criminal liability for their actions, whether that means a DUI or a reckless driving charge. They may also face personal injury lawsuits filed by the individuals they hurt.
Generally, those injured in a wrong-way car accident may be able to recover compensation for their economic damages (such as medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, potential funeral expenses) and their noneconomic damages (such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium). They may also be able to hold the wrong-way driver accountable by requesting punitive damages. Punitive damages are frequently awarded in drunk driving accident cases and serve to punish the driver for his or her poor decision.
Source: Associated Press, “Connecticut trooper injured in wrong-way crash,” Apr. 13, 2012.
In a defamation case, a plaintiff has to prove the following:
1. The defendant published a defamatory statement;
2. The statement identified the plaintiff to a third person;
3. The statement was published to a third person; and
4. The plaintiff’s reputation was injured.
The last of these requirements is where the majority of potential defamation cases fail. Damages must quantifiable and not speculative. It is not an automatic that a defamatory statement caused injury.
A recent case illustrates the type of harm judges require in a defamation case.
The defendant alleged made two false reports to police concerning the plaintiff. He was arrested both times. A business associate saw the plaintiff being arrested. The plaintiff was fired. The plaintiff also lost his driver’s license which prevented him from driving a truck or limo. As a result, he was unemployed for 19 months.
The judge awarded the plaintiff $600 per night he spent in jail, $1,000 for his criminal bonds, $1,450 for a security deposit and $23,000 for emotional distress and loss of reputation.
So when considering whether you have a defamation case think about how you were harmed and how you can prove it in court.