Patriarch was willful as to the account, but his liability for unassessed tax and penalties died with him.

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That's even before taking into account Merck's legal liability for the withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, once its second-best seller after Zocor.

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Banks usually refund money stolen from a victim's account by fraudsters, but there is a question of liability if customers have given away their pin number.

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For example, the LLC needs its own bank account, and if you accept a rent check written out to you instead of the LLC, the liability protection can be destroyed.

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