Baton Rouge Legal Blog

Louisiana drivers may be concerned to learn that Fiat Chrysler has announced another recall. This time, the Detroit-based automaker is recalling over 182,000 pickup trucks due to a potential problem with the power steering system.

According to the announcement, which was made on Jan. 25, the power steering issue affects 2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. However, approximately one-third of the involved vehicles have not yet been sold and are sitting on dealership lots. Chrysler Fiat said that fasteners for batteries in the power steering electrical system were not properly secured when the vehicles were made. As a result, they could shake loose and cause the power steering to fail. However, to date, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem. No official start date was announced for the recall, but regulations mandate that it must begin within 60 days. Once the recall begins, owners will be able to bring their vehicles to a dealership for a free repair.

Entrepreneurs have to learn a tremendous amount of information when starting a business. Between the legalities of running a startup to balancing a budget, business owners have to pick up new strategies quickly and effectively.

A critical component of running a business is brand protection. Most owners learn how to protect their intellectual property (IP) through trademarks, patents or copyrights, but which one is the right protection for your company?

The prevalence of opioid addiction in Louisiana and throughout America rightly concerns people who intend to bequeath an inheritance to someone troubled by serious substance abuse. A benefactor worried that money given to an heir addicted to narcotics will encourage drug buying can explore the potential of setting up an incentive trust.

The terms of an incentive trust tackle the issue head on. This estate planning tool will deny funds to someone who has not provided evidence of reform. The trust could fund rehabilitation as long as the person demonstrates a willingness to follow a drug treatment program. Requirements imposed by a trust could include routine drug tests, employment and substance abuse counseling. Compliance would enable distributions of funds. Failure to meet requirements would prevent distributions.

Louisiana residents and others may find that a trust is an effective estate planning tool. In fact, individuals can create more than one trust to meet their needs. Unless a new trust is created specifically to nullify an existing document, both trusts can be valid at the same time. However, there may be no need to create a second trust to amend or revoke an existing one.

In many cases, making changes to the language of an existing trust may allow it to meet a person's goals. For instance, the trust could be changed to stipulate that one child gets a larger share of a parent's property than the others. Technically speaking, restating a trust is an amendment to the original document despite the fact that it could completely change what the trust does. It is also worth noting that creating a second trust means spending more money and time keeping track of multiple documents.