Articles by Shelia Byrd

Gaylord Hotels Suing Government Over 2010 Nashville Floods

Gaylord Entertainment Co. has filed a lawsuit accusing the National Weather Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of negligence that heavily damaged its luxury hotel in Nashville and the famous Grand Ole Opry House during flooding in 2010. …

Is Paternity Fraud a Grounds for Lawsuit?

The Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could decide whether a man has legal grounds to sue for being duped into supporting a child that turns out to be fathered by someone else. Legal experts believe …

Father’s Day: Tennessee Court Considers Paternity Fraud, Damages

The Tennessee Supreme court has agreed to hear a case that could decide whether a man has legal grounds to sue for being duped into supporting a child that turns out to be fathered by someone else. Legal experts believe …

Flooded River Taking Aim at Mississippi Delta

The Mississippi River took aim at one of the most poverty-stricken parts of the U.S. Wednesday, leaving some low-lying Memphis neighborhoods inundated, but the city’s high levees protected much of the rest. In Vicksburg, a historic Mississippi city and the …

Mississippi Jury Awards $322 Million in Asbestos Suit

A jury has awarded $322 million to a Mississippi man who claimed he inhaled asbestos dust while mixing drilling mud sold and manufactured by Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. and Union Carbide Corp. Allen Hossley, a Dallas attorney who represented Thomas …

Mississippi Debates ATV Helmet Law for Kids

Mickey Hale, the manager of a store that sells all-terrain vehicles, says manufacturers encourage consumers to get training before taking ATVs for a spin. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with safety. Getting consumers to do it is another story,” …

Mississippi Senate Passes Auto Insurance Verification Bill

A bill designed to force compliance with Mississippi mandatory insurance laws passed this week in the Senate, and was among several proposals facing a legislative deadline. The bill would allow the state Department of Public Safety, the Department of Revenue …

Enforcement Issues Complicate Mississippi’s Efforts on Texting Drivers

Undoubtedly bills will be filed to strengthen Mississippi’s texting-while-driving ban during the 2011 legislative session, and questions about enforcement are sure to be raised. A law enacted in 2009 banned beginning teenage drivers from sending text messages from behind the …

Mississippi School District Pays Lesbian $35K for Canceled Prom

A rural school district that canceled its prom rather than allow a lesbian student to attend with her girlfriend has agreed to pay $35,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit the ACLU filed on her behalf. The district also agreed to …

Mississippi Weighs Stripped-Down School Bus Safety Bill

What began as a comprehensive school bus safety bill is still alive at the Capitol, but in a weakened form. The House Judiciary A Committee approved the bill on Monday, a day before a legislative deadline for committees to act …