Over the past few years, Texas has adopted path-breaking new data privacy and AI laws with potentially broad impacts for businesses—including those in the Midwest—that have Texas customers, and its attorney general is actively enforcing these laws in the marketplace. As the second-largest economy in the U.S., it’s time for businesses to pay more attention to what is happening in the Lone Star State or face potentially stiff fines and/or legal action.   

The use of AI in commercial cabs is not solely to prevent accidents: it also optimizes delivery routes and personalizes customer relationships. However, these uses invoke varying risks. Specifically, claims for improper data handling or retention practices are on the rise. Concerns also exist over AI-enhanced equipment malfunction or breakdown. As far as lawsuits are concerned, as more commercial vehicles are outfitted with these advanced features, apportionment of liability will take center stage.

A recent decision from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals tackled the question of when an employer is obligated to provide leave as a disability accommodation when the leave request is for an indefinite length of time. In Coffman v. Nexstar Media Inc., the Fourth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a former employee’s claims under the West Virginia Human Rights Act  and the Family and Medical Leave Act, finding that her request for additional leave after a six-month absence and no definite return date was not a reasonable accommodation. The Fourth Circuit’s ruling highlights that while employers must provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, they are not required to grant open-ended or indefinite leave to satisfy their obligations.