Antilock braking systems (ABS) on motorcycles reduce fatal crashes by 38%, according to a study published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Studies in 1988 and 2004 found that braking was a major factor contributing to motorcycle accidents. 

ABS is a relatively new development on motorcycles.  In 1988, BMW was the first manufacturer to make the technology available on motorcycles.  Only 18% of vehicles in the most recent study were equipped with the ABS option. 

The study did not examine the difference in riding habits among those buyers who purchased ABS and those who did not.

Annual motorcyclist deaths in the United States more than doubled between 1997 and 2006 from 2,077 to 4,697. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently reported that employees’ retaliation claims were up by 18 percent in 2007 from the year before and had doubled since 1992. These cases can be very costly for employers, as a recent Ohio case illustrates: An Ohio jury awarded $46.6 million to a man who claimed he was retaliated against for refusing to fire three elderly employees. The plaintiff alleged Republic Services Inc., a waste management company, forged documents that criticized his job performance, wrongfully terminated his employment, and interfered with his ability to obtain new employment. The verdict is being appealed. Luri v. Republic Services Inc., No. CV 07 633043 (Cuyahoga, Co., Ohio, Ct. C.P.).

 If you feel you are a victim of unlawful retaliation, discrimination, harassment, or other illegal employment practices, you must contact an employment law attorney immediately. The experienced attorneys at The Gomez Law Firm will evaluate your potential case at no charge.

President Bush and Congress have passed the most comprehensive railroad safety legislation in three decades, according to published reports. 

President Bush signed the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 on Thursday. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is praising the move.  The law requires passenger railroads to install the Positive Train Control System (PTC) by 2015.  The PTC would control the train if the engineer failed to act.

The deadly September Metrolink train collision in Chatsworth that killed 25 people and injured 135 others could have been prevented by the PTC system, the NTSB said.  The engineer in that crash failed to stop at a red signal on the track and collided with a freight train, investigators said.

Under the new law, railroads would have to limit shifts to 12 hours and give workers at least 10 consecutive hours off in a 24-hour period.  In addition, conductors would have to pass certification and meet minimum training standards.

If you or someone you know was injured in the Chatsworth train collision, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.

The San Diego Union Tribune reported that “California’s jobless rate surged to 7.7 percent last month, the highest level since 1996, as the economic spasms from the housing bust continued. More than 1.4 million workers were unemployed – up 61,000 from July and 413,000 from a year ago, the state Employment Development Department reported yesterday. Led by losses in construction and real estate, payrolls were down 72,700 jobs from a year earlier. San Diego County performed better than the state. August unemployment locally dipped slightly to 6.4 percent, but the rate was significantly higher than last August’s 4.8 percent.” (Entire story here.)

If you have lost your job and feel you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination, you must contact an employment law attorney immediately. The experienced attorneys at The Gomez Law Firm will evaluate your potential case at no charge.

There are various deadlines and statutes of limitations that apply to the filing of lawsuits in California.  Failure to comply with those deadlines may forever bar you from pursuing your claim. 

Many government entities have posted helpful statistics, facts, statutes, and guides online. Here are some of the most helpful:

For wage and hour questions, e.g., whether you are properly classified as an exempt employee, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has useful information posted here.

For information on discrimination, accomodation, and harassment, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has useful information posted here.

For federal regulations regarding employment discrimination issues, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has useful information posted here.

Of course, if you feel you are a victim of unlawful discrimination, harassment, or illegal wage practices, you must contact an employment law attorney immediately. The experienced attorneys at The Gomez Law Firm will evaluate your potential case at no charge.

There are various deadlines and statutes of limitations that apply to the filing of lawsuits in California.  Failure to comply with those deadlines may forever bar you from pursuing your claim. 

Ten people were killed and approximately 35 more were injured when a charter bus drifted off a rural California road, swerved back onto the road and then rolled into a ditch, according to published reports.

The bus departed Sacramento Sunday and was headed for the Colusa Casino Resort.  The crash occurred in Williams, Calif. at 6:10 p.m., officials said.  The bus was approximately 10 miles from it destination. 

Some passengers were thrown from the bus as it rolled, and others were crushed under the vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol.

None of the victims had been identified Monday. 

The bus had an invalid Texas license plate and a “Greyhound” logo on its side.  However, a Greyhound official said the bus was sold two years ago.

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love was a victim of the Williams bus crash, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today. 

If you feel you’re being harassed at work, you must act. Report the harassment to your Human Resources department, or to any manager. Ideally, your report should be in writing. Keep a copy of your complaint! Also, you should make notes of conversations including who you talked to, when, and what was said.

Employees are expected to use any available reporting mechanism to attempt to internally resolve their employment issues. However, if your complaints are ignored, conditions worsen, or you are otherwise unsatisfied with your employer’s reaction, you need to contact an attorney. The experienced attorneys at The Gomez Law Firm will evaluate your potential case at no charge.

There are various deadlines and statutes of limitations that apply to the filing of lawsuits in California.  Failure to comply with those deadlines may forever bar you from pursuing your claim. 

At the Gomez Law Firm, we have extensive experience representing the victims of auto defects, including roof crush, tire defects and rollovers.  If you or someone you love has been the victim of any defective product, call or write a personal injury attorney  at the Gomez Law Firm today. 

The engineer of a commuter train that collided with a freight train near Los Angeles last month sent a text message 22 seconds before the crash, according to federal investigators. 

Twenty-five people were killed and 135 others were injured in the September 12 crash in Chatsworth.  Metrolink engineer Robert Sanchez sent the message after receiving a message one minute and 20 seconds before the crash, according to federal investigators who reviewed his cell phone records.  

Those records showed that Sanchez sent 24 messages and received 21 messages over a two-hour period during his morning shift.  He sent five messages and received seven messages during his afternoon shift, according to investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has determined that Sanchez failed to stop at a red signal before colliding with the Union Pacific freight train.

If you or someone you know was injured in the Los Angeles train collision, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.

More than a dozen car booster seats may not do a good enough job protecting children in crashes, according to one safety organization. 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety identified 13 booster seats Wednesday that do not position children well enough to fit into adult seat belts.  The booster seats receiving low marks from the Institute are: the Compass B505, Compass B510, Cosco/Dorel Traveler, Evenflo Big Kid Confidence, Safety Angel Ride Ryte, Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega, Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit, Cosco Highback Booster, Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect, Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch, Evenflo Generations, Graco CarGo Zephyr and Safety 1st/Dorel Intera.  At least two of these products have been discontinued, the Institute said.

The Instutite named 10 seats “best bets.”  Those seats were most likely to properly position an adult seat belt on a child.  The 10 “best bets” are Combi Kobuk, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage (with plastic clip), Graco TurboBooster, Britax Monarch, Britax Parkway, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage (highback), LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear, Recaro Young Style, Volvo booster cushion and Safeguard Go, when it’s used as a backless booster.

Five “good bet” seats that provide an acceptable belt fit are highbacks Combi Kobuk, Graco TurboBooster and Safety Angel Ride Ryte and combinations Recaro Young Sport and Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65, when used as highbacks.

The test results reflect how well the booster seats position adult seat belts on a dummy representing the average 6-year-old.  Some booster seats may work better for smaller or larger children, the Institute said.  The Instutite encourages parents to choose a booster seat based on how well it positions the seat belt on their children.

Child booster seats reduce the risk of injury by 59 percent when compared with seat belts alone, according to a 2003 study by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Booster seats reduce the risk of fatalities among booster-age children by approximately 28 percent when compared with belts alone, according to another study by the same authors.

If your child has been injured in a car accident, call or write an experienced personal injury attorney at The Gomez Law Firm today.