2011 April | Los Angeles Top Attorneys Blog: (310) 826-6300

Elderly Driver Accidents: A Threat to Older Drivers and Passengers

Apr 25

Los Angeles LawyerCar Accident, Personal Injury, Vehicle Accident car accident, legal liability No Comments

Elderly drivers may not be as reckless as teen drivers nor are they more likely to drink and drive than other age groups but they still have a high risk of getting killed in a car accident. In 2009, as many as 3,981 people aged 70 years and older died in motor vehicle crashes. So what are the factors involved in elderly car crashes?

Several studies show that older and elderly drivers are extremely vulnerable to motor vehicle accidents because of their age. Their declining reflexes, flexibility, visual acuity, and motor skills make it either difficult for them to see the road hazards or even if they do see another vehicle, they may misjudge the distance or fail to react in a timely manner to it. What’s more, when they do get involved in a crash, they are more likely to get severely hurt, or even killed because of their physical fragility.

Sam’s Club in Fresno to Pay $440,000 for National Origin Discrimination & Harassment

Apr 17

Los Angeles LawyerDiscrimination, Employment Law, national origin discrimination national origin discrimination No Comments

In Fresno, a wholesale chain store owned and operated by Walmart has agreed to pay $440,000 in order to settle a national origin harassment lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in behalf of at least 9 Hispanic employees.

According to the EEOC, nine Sam’s Club employees of Mexican descent along with another worker who was married to a Mexican were subjected to ethnic slurs and derogatory remarks by a co-worker who is Mexican-American. The victims and the harasser were all working in the demonstration department and the harassment began as far back as 2005 wherein the victims were insulted, called derogatory names, and were told that they were only good for cleaning homes. The female harasser also threatened to report 3 of the victims to immigration authorities despite their legal status.

Family of Fatal Elevator Accident Victim to Receive $1 Million in Settlement

Apr 13

Los Angeles LawyerElevator Accident Injury, Personal Injury, Premises Liability Claims elevator accident injuries, personal injury cases No Comments

Sure, we see all sorts of horrible elevator accidents that kill people in movies but in real life, the worst that can happen is get stuck in one for a long time.

In Ohio however, the family of Andrew Polakowski, lost their son in a fatal elevator accident last October 20, 2006. After more than 4 years, the Ohio State University has agreed to settle the case for $1 million and is calling for other companies involved in the manufacture and maintenance of elevators to contribute to the payment.

When the lawsuit was filed, the University denied liability for Polakowski’s death and argued that the freshman died because of his own negligence. At the time the accident occurred, the elevator was carrying 24 people, 1,100 pounds more than its weight capacity. According to Ohio State, Polakowski helped overcrowd the elevator which caused it to get stuck between floors and that he contributed to his own injuries when he was pinned and subsequently crushed after trying to leave.

Teen Farm Worker to be Paid $20,000 after Sexual Harassment and Retaliation

Apr 11

Los Angeles LawyerDiscrimination, Employment Law, Sexual Harrassment Discrimination, employment law violation, retaliation, sexual harassment No Comments

Sexual harassment is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and under the same law, it is considered as illegal to retaliate against an employee because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Some of the most vulnerable employees to sexual harassment and retaliation are young workers, especially those who are working in the agricultural industry.

In Los Angeles, a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the Adams Brothers Farming, Inc. was recently settled. A teen Latina, who worked as a vegetable packer for the farm in Santa Maria, California, will be paid $20,000 in monetary relief, after she was sexually harassed by her supervisor and fired within 2 weeks after her complaint.

California Elderly Driver Safety Programs: The First Step to Avoid Accidents

Apr 04

Los Angeles LawyerCar Accident, Personal Injury car accidents, car crashes, intersection accidents No Comments

According to the Federal Highway Administration, as of 2008, there are as many as 21.6 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older and this number is expected to triple in the next 20 years.

While elderly drivers are less likely to speed, drink, or drive recklessly compared to other high-risk drivers such as teens, they are extremely vulnerable to intersection accidents, angle crashes, or overtaking/merging collisions. The primary reason for this is their age – their declining reflexes, flexibility, visual acuity, and motor skills make it either difficult for them to see the other vehicle (or object) or even if they do see another vehicle, they may misjudge the distance or fail to react in a timely manner to it.

If you live in California, with an elderly parent or grandparent, or if you have relatives or people you care about who are still driving despite their age, you may want to consider enrolling the elderly driver in driving programs even before a car accident can happen.