Ann Groninger spoke Monday May 17 to Charlotte‘s Track and Triathlon club about laws affecting cyclists and how cyclists can protect themselves before and after a crash.  Ann has made similar presentations to the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance, North Carolina Alternative Transportation Alliance and other groups statewide.  This Saturday, Ann will be riding in Charlotte’s Bethlehem Center’s Ride for the Kids, and sticking around to answer questions after the ride.

Also, check out this article from the Mecklenburg times on improving safety for cyclists, which includes quotes from Ann.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Bicycle Accidents, Cyclist Safety, Personal Injuries, UATRA

In Simmons v. United Mortgage and Loan Investment, LLC, we have filed this reply brief with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in this wage and hour case.  See here for a summary of the case.   Ann Groninger, Burton Craige, and Narendra Ghosh are representing the plaintiffs, who are seeking to remedy the company’s failure to pay overtime to themselves and other Junior Asset Managers.  Here is a summary of our argument to the Court:

Read more…

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Appeals, Briefs, Burton Craige, Class Action, Collective Action, FLSA, Fourth Circuit, Labor and Employment, Narendra Ghosh, NC Wage and Hour Act, Overtime, Wage and Hour

In Simmons v. United Mortgage and Loan Investment, LLC, we have filed this opening brief with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in this wage and hour case.  The plaintiffs are Charlotte-based Junior Asset Managers for a mortgage company who were not paid overtime even though they worked more than 40 hours per week.  They brought claims under the FLSA and NC Wage and Hour law based on the failure to pay overtime.  The primary issue is whether the plaintiffs will be able to pursue their case as a collective and class action on behalf the other underpaid workers at the company.  The defendants have tried to short-circuit the collective/class action process by tendering a limited settlement offer before other workers could be notified of the case.  Ann Groninger, Burton Craige, and Narendra Ghosh are representing the plaintiffs. Read more…

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Appeals, Burton Craige, Class Action, Collective Action, FLSA, Fourth Circuit, Labor and Employment, Narendra Ghosh, North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, Overtime, Wage and Hour

Our Charlotte office has moved, just a few blocks, to 225 East Worthington Avenue, Suite 200.  The phone number for the office is still (704) 200-2009.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Charlotte

Ann Groninger spoke last night with Charlotte’s Dirt Divas, a womens’ mountain biking group whose members ride together and provide service to the community.  Many of the women also ride on the road and wanted to understand their legal rights and responsibilities as cyclists.  Ann spoke and answered questions about the rules of the road, insurance coverage and how cyclists could protect themselves in the event of an accident.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Bike law, Presentation

Ann Groninger, along with Paige Kurtz, has written a paper on piercing the corporate veil, an important topic when bringing lawsuits against businesses.  The paper is entitled Behind the Shield: Piercing the Corporate Veil.

Summary: So you finally have a great case against Big Corporation. You file your complaint and send in discovery requests. Somehow you learn that Big Corporation may not actually have the resources you thought it would – either employees are hearing rumors about shutting down or layoffs, or you receive balance sheets in discovery showing a bleak bottom line. Is it still worth pursuing the case? That remains to be seen, but there may be other places to look for money.

Although the corporate structure normally protects individual owners or related entities from liability, courts will look beyond the corporation if the corporation appears to be a farce.  In the right circumstances, the court will disregard the corporate entity or “pierce the corporate veil.”

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Articles, Case Commentary, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Personal Injuries

Ann Groninger spoke at the Torts Made Perfect seminar in Las Vegas on March 20, 2009, on the subject of representing bicyclists in personal injury cases.  She presented a paper entitled Litigating Bicycle Crash Cases.

Summary: There are many different nuances for an attorney to explore and understand in order to successfully represent an injured cyclist. First, it is most helpful for the attorney herself to have some personal knowledge of cycling. The best way to get that knowledge and to really understand the cyclist point of view is for the attorney herself to be a cyclist. This may not be possible for everyone so the attorney should at least make an effort to delve into and gain an understanding of cyclists and the cycling culture. And when I say “cycling culture,” I do not intend to limit our scope to spandex wearing recreational cyclists, but to anyone who rides a bicycle for fun, work or just to get from point A to B. Second, the attorney must understand the laws and principles that apply to cyclists – state statutes and case law as well as local ordinances – and the exceptions to those laws and principles. Finally, the attorney should understand damages components unique to injured cyclists.

Categories: News of the Firm Tags: Ann Groninger, Articles, Bicycle Accidents, Car Accident, Litigation, Personal Injuries, Presentation