LA Driver Dies Shortly After Carmageddon

Staying away from the "Carmageddon" site seems not enough to avoid an accident.

Hours after the closure of 405 Freeway or the so called "Carmageddon", a male driver has died in a collision with a Porsche Carrera.

The 28-year-old motorist was taking an alternate route on Sepulveda Boulevard when he veered off the lane and hit another car on Saturday morning. Paramedics rushed him to a local hospital, but he did not survive his injuries, according to reports.

Reports said the other driver sustained non-life threatening injuries.

"You have been warned", but the words were not enough to prevent collision on the alternate highway. Sepulveda Boulevard served as the primary option on reaching the west side of Los Angeles. It received the heavy flow of traffic starting Friday evening and lasted on Sunday noon to give way for the I-405 re-widening project.

The closure on the I-405 ramps between the 10 and 101 freeways compelled motorists to re-route on north-south canyon roads such as Beverly Glen Boulevard, Cahuenga Boulevard, and the Sepulveda Boulevard. Local transportation officials have promised to finish the construction before Monday.

On Sunday noon, the local government boasted reaching the goal ahead of time, but cannot deny a life that has been sacrificed on Saturday morning. Perhaps, instead of giving bonuses among laborers, the money can be given to the family of the deceased driver. It may not be enough to cover the emotional loss, but it can help starting anew.

The family of the victim may file a premises liability lawsuit against the government to recover damages. Nevertheless, they will have to present documents that will prove that the accident is related to the I-405 construction project.

For more information on car accident lawsuit, you may consult with a Personal Injury lawyer in Los Angeles. You may dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Police Officer Killed in Alhambra Two-Patrol Car Collision

Police officers are the ones more exposed to road hazard, especially if it is near dawn. When patrol men are responding to a robbery, they are compelled to drive at high speeds or enter narrow streets. Because of these on-duty activities, patrol car crashes occur at least once in four police operations.

Take this instance last Sunday when a police officer has died after his patrol car slammed into another car in Alhambra.

According to reports, Police Officer Ryan Stringer was responding to a robbery when he was involved in a two patrol-car collision in Main Street and Garfield Avenue.

Stringer died instantly after the crash. The other police officer sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Huntington Hospital, reports said.

The patrol officers were heading to a parking lot at 100 North First Street to respond to a robbery when the accident occurred.

When police officers are fatally or seriously injured in an accident, the state police department offers some assistance to their family members. A representative from the family can file a Workers’ Compensation claim in behalf of the injured officer.

If the result of the investigation shows that another party is liable for the car accident, the injured officer can file a personal injury lawsuit to receive compensation for losses.
Meanwhile, the decedent’s surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit to receive damages.

For more information on car accident lawsuits, you may consult with an attorney in Los Angeles. Dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889 or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

27 California Residents Rescued from Mexico Boating Accident

If crossing the US-Mexico border is prohibited, try cruising in the Sea of Cortez.

This time, almost two dozens Californians ventured on Mexico waters for a vacation trip. The difference is that these North American travelers carry legal tourist documents.

Sadly, the cruising adventure ended up in a boating accident, which fatally injured one passenger and left seven others missing. The group consisted of 27 US citizens, mostly from California, and 16 Mexican staff.

According to reports, a storm hit the charter vessel Erick at south of the Baja California port of San Felipe on Monday at 2:30 a.m. It hurled the passengers into the seas near the San Luis Island.

At least one passenger was pronounced dead and seven others were missing. The US Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy have helped in pulling the victims from the waters. The survivors, who were wearing life jackets, were transported to local hospital for medical treatment, reports said.

Reports said that the first survivor had managed to swim toward the shore of a nearby island and alert Mexico local officers regarding the incident.

The officers are still searching for the seven missing passengers.

If the authorities find that the boat operator has failed to provide sufficient safety equipment, he or she may face liability for the accident. Moreover, if the vessel owner failed to instruct his or her crew on implementing standard safety measures, then the court may give stringent penalties to him or her.

The family members can also seek damages for the losses resulting from the boating accident.

Cruising together on US-Mexico seas can be an adventure, but it involves legal responsibilities. The next time you visit the other country, make sure you have complied with the regulations to ensure a safer travel.

For more information on boating accident lawsuits, you may consult with a personal injury attorney in California. Dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for a free case analysis.

Religious Discrimination and Disparate Impact Discrimination in Employment

People practice their religious beliefs in various ways and actions such as in the manner of dressing, prayers, and observing certain traditions, among others. But sometimes, these practices conflict with employment rules and certain policies that result in employment disputes such as discrimination lawsuits.

Discriminating against an employee in the practice of his/her religious belief is prohibited by both state and federal laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits all forms of discrimination in employment including in the practice of these religious beliefs.

Recently, a former employee has decided to sue Abercrombie & Fitch for religious discrimination after she was terminated for wearing hijab, a Muslim headscarf, at the workplace.

The employer’s action surely constitutes disparate impact discrimination which is a subtle form of discrimination. Under this condition, an employer has no express policy for treating one or more religious groups unequally; instead a policy exists which makes no mention of a particular religion but affects certain religious groups as well.

Another form of religious discrimination is disparate treatment which is an overt form, where an employer refuses to hire or promote employees who belong to a particular religion.

The third form is hostile environment which arises when the employer or co-worker harass an employee on the basis of his/her religious belief or faith. The action must be so pervasive to be considered discriminatory.

If you believe you have been treated unfairly at work because of your religious beliefs, you can consult with our expert Los Angeles employment discrimination attorneys. Call us at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for free case analysis.

Can DUI Checkpoints Help Reduce Car Accidents during Memorial Day Weekend

Are DUI checkpoints effective?

We cannot say so but as expected, the number of car accidents and fatalities has risen during the Memorial Day weekend as in other holiday weekends.

Although this year’s statistics showed that the number of drunk-driving arrests has dramatically declined compared to past years, more than 1,233 DUI arrests were reported throughout California throughout the weekend, the California Highway Patrol reports revealed.

In fact, in San Diego alone, the arrests rose by about 10 percent compared to last year or 75 DUI arrests.

Over the years, the number of people injured in drunk-driving incidents during holiday weekends has increased. Unfortunately, many of these violators were found to be teenage drivers who have been out drinking and were allowed to take wheels.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some of the common causes of teenage death in car accidents are the following:

• Overspeeding
• Drunk driving
• Flagrant violation of traffic laws

What is welcome news is that there were no recorded fatalities nationwide during the holiday weekend, a far cry from the way some holiday weekends are remembered – with crashes and collisions.

This year’s commemoration will bring change to those weekends marred by DUI accidents and senseless loss of lives. Instead we celebrate this day with a new sense of value to the countless men and women who died in the service of our country.

To pursue your claims in DUI-related car accidents and other accident-related issues, you can consult with our experienced California personal injury attorneys. You may dial our toll free number at 1-866-772-2889, or email us at info@mesriani.com for free case analysis.

OSHA Fines Employer with More than $1M for Exposing Workers to Asbestos

What’s the price of safety?

For the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), safety is a priceless possession and must be a major concern in the workplace. That is why the agency immediately issued penalties amounting to about $1, 247,400 to Illinois-based AMD Industries Inc. after it was found that the company had exposed five workers to cancer-causing asbestos in December 2010.
OSHA also issued 19 willful and eight serious health citations to the company after an inspection at its facilities, as recommended by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

According to a statement released in its website, OSHA investigators found that the company had an asbestos removal project using unprotected and untrained workers. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency informed the Illinois Attorney General’s Office of the illegal removal and an action was enforced.
It was found later that the workers were exposed to materials containing about 20 to 50 percent asbestos.

OSHA investigators said the company failed to protect the health and safety of the workers when they sent them out to work without protective respirators or warned them of the risks to their health.

Under the law, a willful violation exists when there is either “an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee health and safety”.

Similarly, a serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability of death or serious physical harm that could result from a hazard that the employer knew or should have known.

If you have issues involving workplace safety or work-related injuries, you can consult with our experienced Los Angeles employment and labor attorneys. Call us at 866-325-4529 and avail of our free case analysis

Cal/ OSHA and Work Safety Violations: Employer Sentenced to 1 Year for Employee’s Death

To know the importance of safety in the workplace, look at what happened to a California roofing contractor and his foreman, who was recently sentenced to one year in county jail for the death of an employee in January 2008.

“Safety first” is a common reminder posted in many workplaces. But despite this, serious accidents continue to occur, involving workers in various places of work.
The state Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has again reminded California employers to provide necessary protections for their workers to prevent similar accidents.

What really happened?

According to a statement by the DIR, Antonio Martinez, 39, was one of the workers working at a roofing project at a four-story apartment building located at 646 Corbett Avenue in the Twin Peaks area of San Francisco, when he fell 38 feet to the sidewalk below.

After investigations, it was found that there were no safety measures in place at the worksite, which is a clear violation of Cal/OSHA regulations. It was also revealed that although the foreman was present to oversee the work, no workers were wearing a harness or any type of protection. Moreover, there were no railings, scaffolds or other barriers to prevent a fall nor written safety policies or training conducted as required by the agency.

As a result, the violations lead to the tragic loss of life for a worker.
If you are injured in an accident caused by workplace violations of safety regulations, you can consult with our experienced California employment and labor law attorneys. Call us at 866.325.4529 and avail of our free case analysis.