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In July 2013, the U.S. Senate designated September as Spinal Cord Injury Awareness month. This new annual month focus brings awareness for individuals that suffer from the effects of spinal cord injuries and allows for further education, injury prevention and an understanding of the importance of medical treatment and spinal cord research.

More than two years have passed since the launch of a new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program established by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act – a program that offers a bounty of 10 to 30 percent of recovered sanctions to whistleblowers that significantly assist an SEC investigation, along with increased protections from employer retaliation. Since that time, the SEC has issued only two awards to whistleblowers.

As American citizens spent yesterday honoring the memory of the brave souls who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it was very disheartening and outright offensive that BP sought to use Sept. 11th to again attack our judicial system.

It is vitally important that everyone help to spread the word about the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund deadline to insure maximum participation by first responders and other volunteers that are eligible.

The easiest answer to that question is also the simplest: If you haven’t heard of the airline you are about to book, perhaps it’s better to step back and search for an airline you HAVE heard of. However, there are some places where you simply can’t get on a main-line carrier from a developed nation.

In a year of mixed court rulings in the field of human rights and anti-terrorism law, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia delivered a well-earned bright spot recently. The Court upheld the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Final Rule enforcing Dodd-Frank Section 1502.

The victims of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash were probably stunned to learn that, unlike U.S. pilots, foreign airline pilots who crash a plane on U.S. soil do not have to be drug or alcohol tested.

In the course of 30 years of practicing law I have never seen a corporate defendant backpedal on an agreed-to settlement to the extent BP is attempting to do in the Deepwater Horizon Economic and Property Damages Class Action Settlement. BP still doesn’t understand the law or the facts of this case.

Victims of air disasters must be very mindful of statutes of limitations (SOL) – deadlines by which they must act or some of their claims or rights may be lost. An often overlooked deadline is the deadline by which notice must be given to a city, county or state in which you have a claim. Some deadlines allow only a few months to give notice of a claim.

The rights of victims of an air disaster can be complicated and overwhelming due to many factors, including when international aviation disasters occur. These are some reminders to keep in mind regarding victims’ rights.