Los Angeles Train Crash Engineer Never Hit Brakes
by tbowen September 17, 2008
The engineer of a Metolink passenger train that collided with a freight train last Friday near Los Angeles never applied the train’s brakes before the impact, according to authorities. Tests conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the passenger train and the freight train were in each other’s view for four to five seconds before the crash. The passenger train’s engineer, Robert Sanchez, was working a 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. split shift. Sanchez slept during a 3 1/2 hour break and started working again at 2 p.m., officials said. The crash occurred a few hours later, killing …. »
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Los Angeles Train Crash Legislation
by tbowen September 16, 2008
U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein and California Sen. Barbara Boxer hope to push new legislation through Congress that would prevent crashes between freight trains and passenger trains. Congress recesses at the end of next week. The legislation comes on the heels of the Sept. 12 collision between a communter train and a freight train near Los Angeles. Twenty-five people were killed in what is being called the most deadly train crash in modern California history. The legislation would require railroad companies to install technology that would automatically apply a train’s brakes if the operator fails to stop at a signal or goes …. »
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Los Angeles Train Derailment Investigation
by tbowen September 15, 2008
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will assist the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in investigating the cause of the Sept. 12, 2008 train derailment near Los Angeles. Nine federal rail safety experts will travel to the scene. They will be accompanied by the FRA’s second-ranking official, Deputy Administrator Cliff Eby, who will oversee the FRA’s operations. At least 135 people were injured when a Ventura County Line passenger train collided head-on with a freight train. Officials for the passenger train had said that the collision was caused by the engineer’s error. However, the NTSB has characterized those statements as premature. If you or someone you …. »
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Hispanic Heritage Month
by vruggles September 12, 2008
Feliz Mes del Hispano! Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15. Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 44 million people in the United States are of Hispanic origin. In California, 35% of our residents are of Hispanic or Latino origin. Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to reflect on the issues in the workplace that disproportionately affect the Hispanic population. For example, national origin and/or ethnicity discrimination are of particular significance. Or consider that an employer may not require employees to speak only English in the workplace. Clearly there are many issues affecting the Hispanic community …. »
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Vehicle Rollover Technology
by tbowen September 5, 2008
Rollover incidents have the highest fatality rate of any type of crash. But there are some technological advances that can keep you safer in the event of a rollover. Side impact air bags can protect passengers’ heads and may even prevent passengers from being ejected. But not all side impact air bags deploy in rollover crashes. Variable Ride-Height Suspension (VRHS) can lower a vehicle’s center of gravity, making it less top-heavy and less likely to roll over. Some VRHS systems can make a vehicle several inches closer to the ground. Electronic Stability Control prevents a car from spinning out of …. »
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Sexual Harassment Still Prevalent in the Workplace
by vruggles
Despite the California legislature’s efforts in recent years to prevent sexual harassment by requiring anti-harassment training for all supervisory employees, sexual harassment continues to be a serious problem. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that in 2007, it received 12,510 charges of sexual harassment nationwide. Unfortunately, many people — supervisory employees and subordinates alike — harbor misconceptions regarding harassment. For example, some think harassment is ”sexual” only if directed at a female. To the contrary, 16% of harassment charges filed with the EEOC in 2007 were by males. Or consider that some workers think harassment by a customer or client is not the employer’s …. »
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“They can’t fire you for that!”
by vruggles August 29, 2008
Employment law is often a hot topic of conversation at parties, around the water cooler, or at the dinner table, because almost everyone can relate; we all have a story about a horrible boss or an unfair employment action. At some point in the conversation, someone usually exclaims, “But they can’t fire you for that!” Unfortunately, the truth is, in many circumstances “they” can fire you for “that”—As a general rule, your employer may terminate your employment for any reason, or no reason at all! However, the good news is that there are many exceptions to this general rule. While the …. »
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Gomez Law Firm Files Roof Crush Lawsuit for Paralyzed Border Patrol Agent
by jgomez August 24, 2008
ROOF CRUSH LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST FORD MOTOR COMPANY Border Patrol Agent Paralyzed in Rollover Accident (San Diego) — Lawyers for the family of a Border Patrol agent paralyzed in 2007 during a rollover accident announced the filing of a products liability lawsuit today against Ford Motor Co. in Pima County (Tucson, Arizona) Superior Court. United States Border Patrol Agent Luis Pena Jr. was on duty near Casa Grande, Ariz. on Oct. 18, 2007. Agent Pena was driving his Border Patrol-issued vehicle, a 2003 Ford F-250 XL Super Duty Truck, when he received a call for a narcotics …. »
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