Miscellaneous

• Wiretapping Act Lapses As House Democrats Continue Debate Against Retroactive Immunity for Compliant Telecommunications Companies

  Shehnaz Bhujwala | February 27, 2008 10:42 AM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  The recent lapse in a temporary US wiretapping law has brought much uncertainty to private telecommunications companies and, according to the White House, threatens to disrupt future surveillance operations. Fueling this uncertainty is the raging debate in Congress over whether phone providers that helped in the National Security Agency's post 9/11 program of wiretapping without warrants should...

• Man Awarded $18 Million for Fall into Manhole

  Lance Rubin | February 26, 2008 5:28 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  For years, the company that operates the steam system under Philadelphia streets has had a problem with homeless men removing manhole covers. Even though the company knew about this problem, it did nothing to stop it. In 2004, this failure spelled disaster for 30 year old medical student Marcus Gustafsson, who fell into an uncovered manhole and plunged 18 feet, breaking his back. Because of...

• First Three Trials are Scheduled Against Salesian Order in Los Angeles

  Cheryl Buchanan | February 23, 2008 6:24 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Despite the fact that all of the other Defendants have settled a total of more than 500 cases that were pending in the coordinated litigation known as "Clergy I" in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the Salesian Order of priests and brothers remains on a dangerous course of denial. At this time, Kiesel, Boucher & Larson is preparing for not only its first trial (scheduled to begin April 14, 2008)...

• Talking On a Cell Phone While Driving Is Not Only Dangerous, But A Driver Who Uses a Company Cell Phone Can Cost The Company Millions

  Miriam Schimmel | February 13, 2008 2:49 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Cases across the country have held employers liable for employees who drive and cause accidents and injuries while talking on company cell phones.International Paper Co. just agreed to pay $5.2 million to settle a personal injury claim for damages resulting from an automobile accident that occurred while its employee was talking on a cell phone provided by the company. The plaintiff alleged...

• Cerebral Palsy Victim Awarded $37.5 million

  Lance Rubin | February 12, 2008 2:20 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Five year old Spencer Oram has cerebral palsy today because the obstetrician who delivered him failed to heed warning signs and perform a Caesarean section. Instead, the obstetrician waited. By the time the baby was born, he had been deprived of oxygen for too long and developed cerebral palsy, a life-long, debilitating condition. His twin sister, born half an hour earlier, is fine.Spencer's...

• HOME BUILDER AND COUNTRYWIDE ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD CONSUMERS

  Michael Eyerly | February 08, 2008 5:49 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  As if the news about the housing industry wasn't bad enough already. What with stagnant home sales, plummeting home prices and the so called "sub-prime mortgage meltdown" there are plenty of things about which to worry. Now comes news of an alleged scheme carried out by KB Home and Countrywide Financial to defraud consumers. Here is what a newly filed class action lawsuit alleges - KB Homes...

• Brain Injured Teen Gets $7.5 Million

  Lance Rubin | February 06, 2008 7:53 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  A West Virginia teen struck by a truck driven by a City employee recovers $7.5 million for his brain injury, even though the City claimed they weren't liable.Seventeen year old Travis Dalton was on his way to a job interview, when he was struck by a truck driven by an employee of the City of Norfolk, West Virginia. Now Travis will never work due to the brain injury he suffered in the accident. ...

• UC Regents Ordered to Pay Refunds to Professional Students for Improper Tuition Hikes

  Shehnaz Bhujwala | January 29, 2008 1:26 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  California's Supreme Court has denied the University of California's appeal in Kashmiri v. Regents of University of California, awarding thousands of professional students $40 million enrolled in UC programs whose tuition fees were increased during the 2002-2003 school year, despite the Regents' promise to hold fees steady.The class action lawsuit was filed in San Francisco July of 2003, when...

• Salesian Order of Priests are the Last Standing in Los Angeles

  Cheryl Buchanan | January 26, 2008 4:15 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say that they are the last lying? But, I've always had trouble with the whole question over when to use "lying" or "laying" in a sentence. If one means not telling the truth and the other means hiding out in the weeds and avoiding responsibility and continuing to hope it will all just go away... well then I guess they both work. Its just a matter...

• Budget Cuts Will Hurt Those Who Need The Most Help

  Michael Eyerly | January 18, 2008 7:10 PM | 0 CommentsLos Angeles, CA

  Proposed budget cuts in California will adversely affect the elderly, children, environment and workers. California has a $14.5 billion budget gap. That's a fair amount of money. To close that gap the state could raise taxes or cut its spending. Because the Governor does not want to raise taxes, he has proposed across the board spending cuts. To cut that much from the state's budget,...