Los Angeles Legal Advocate

Texas grad suing college because she can't find employment

2009-08-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

As Trina Thompson's mother told the Post, being unemployed is bad enough. But now her daughter's student loans are coming due.

"We're going to be homeless, and we'll still have a student loan to pay," Carol Thompson told the Post.

Jerid Dickman, who will be a junior this fall at UW-Madison majoring in biochemistry, says he can understand the stress created by a significant amount of student loans. By the time he leaves school, Dickman estimates he'll be on the hook for $25,000 to $30,000.

"So with the way the economy is, I honestly feel fortunate that I have a few more years in school," says Dickman, an Argyle native who is vice president of the Working Class Student Union, a student organization on campus. "But I still think it's silly to be suing to get your tuition back because she couldn't find a job. I mean, the economy is strapped. These are hard times."

Adds UW-Eau Claire's Wingad: "Loans and debt are a real-life concern a lot of students have. It can be especially scary for first-generation college students like myself. People have to realize that, yes, it's a big investment up front, but a college education can do so much."

Yes, despite recent unemployment trends, a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university still increases earnings in today's job market. According to figures released in April by the U.S. Census Bureau, workers with a bachelor's degree earned over $25,000 more per year than workers with only a high school diploma. Specifically, workers with a high school degree earned an average of $31,286 in 2007, while those with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $57,181, said Weinberg Law Firm, Texas Employment Lawyer.

Los Angeles women and the bottle leading to more DUI's

2009-08-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

According to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), there is some good news on the drunk driving front.

New fatality data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) indicates that drunk driving fatalities overall declined 9.7% with 11,773 in 2008 and 13,041 deaths in 2007. According to DOT, “the number of overall traffic fatalities reported in 2008 hit their lowest level since 1961 with 37,261 deaths and that fatalities in the first three months of 2009 continue to decrease, said Michael Bialys, Los Angeles DUI lawye r.

Mom Says Coach Ignored Son's Stroke-Causing Brain Injuries During Football Game

2009-08-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Three months later, during a game at Collinsville on Oct. 3, 2008, Hunt suffered a series of seizures and strokes on the sidelines of the Flyers' sidelines after blood vessel burst in his brain, according to the lawsuit file by John Q. Kelly, New York brain injury lawyer.

McLorn claims that her son was supplied a defective football helmet lined inside with head-cushioning air bellows that weren't properly inflated. Sunkett, the lawsuit claims, also had ordered her son to play even after the teenager complained of a headache and showed signs of a concussion.

Orange County hospital employee claims promotion denial due to sexual harassment complaint

2009-08-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Houser claims he worked as a supervisor for Baptist Hospitals for five years at both their Beaumont and Orange locations.

Although he received payments from Baptist Hospitals, Houser reported to managers who worked for Medi-Dyn, according to the complaint.

One of those managers, Nicole Glass, began harassing Houser and his co-workers shortly after she was hired in May 2007, the sexual harassment lawyer Orange County states.

86-Year-Old Chicago Association Files Suit Against New Partisan Organization Using Same Name

2009-08-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

The BGA-Alper Integrity Index is a survey of ethics laws in all 50 states. First published in 2002, the litigation lawyer Chicago has been cited repeatedly by editorial boards and elected officials in states around the nation as a reason to improve their laws.

Over the 86 years of its existence, BGA has attracted national attention and news coverage. Within the past year, BGA leaders and investigations have been quoted in USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, CBS Radio Network, Bloomberg News and many others.

“It is strange that of all the names it could have chosen, this new group selected one that we have been using with great distinction as a nonpartisan government watchdog for more than 86 years,” Lundy added.

Pittsburgh public works manager suspended after DUI guilty plea

2009-08-04T13:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 13, 2009
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mr. Victor said he had not yet decided whether Mr. Barley's job duties will continue to include checking colleagues' driving records.

Mr. Barley's "duties require him to do some driving on the job," which he won't be able to do following the DUI, Mr. Victor said. "There's the bigger issue obviously of discredit on the city."

Mr. Barley, 57, attended a golf outing, organized by the CityFit Wellness at Work Program, at LakeVue North Golf Course in Butler. City officials told reporters today that 58 employees paid the city treasury $55 each, and the city then paid LakeVue $3,190 for the event.

The price included meals and beer.
dwi defense lawyer pittsburgh

LA Personal Injury Lawyers Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP

2009-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles class action law firm Ringler Kearney Alavarez LLP have established themselves as a premier law firm by providing clients with consistently excellent service. They pride themselves on their intellect, creativity and tenacity.

These LA personal injury lawyers have achieved victories in over 100 trials with total verdicts in excess of $250 million.

Ringler Kearney Alvarez LLP achieves their verdicts by utilizing their substantial financial resources to obtain the best result possible for each of their clients. This LA personal injury specialist law firm fights tirelessly for their clients, no matter the cost and no matter the foe.

Supergraphics a Super Nuisance

2009-01-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

From the Los Angeles Times:

SkyTag, which says that it produces images "so large they can be seen from space," filed court documents last week saying the city should not try to remove the company's supergraphics from high-rises in West Los Angeles, Koreatown and other neighborhoods until the ban litigation is resolved.

If you've ever driven down the west side of Los Angeles you will in no doubt have seen these monstrosities, huge graphic ads on large buildings.

I for one do not like them, and find them very distracting when I am driving down the road. I would not be surprised if there haven't been any serious accidents caused by these things. I'm pretty sure there are enough people that have been injured because these things are there, that they could file a class action lawsuit against the company(ies) that put them up.

I hope the get taken down.

Read the rest.

All for One and One for All

2009-01-22T14:21:00.001-08:00

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the right of a local public employees' union to force government workers who are not union members to pay a share of legal fees.

So the court decided in this case that everyone who was going to benefit from collective bargaining must pitch in to help with the legal fees. This sounds pretty logical, but it's kinda hard to believe that this had to go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Read More.

Guitmo Legal Proceedings Halted - Class Action Lawsuit to Come?

2009-01-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the United States made history, the first African-American man to be elected President was Inaugurated. Shortly then after Barack Obama sent a notice to all prosecutors in Guantanamo Bay Prison to halt all legal proceedings for the next 120 days.

This no doubt will come with protests from those on the right that feel that the people being held there are too dangerous to be released. But as recent news reports show many of the men there are already being released because of the lack of evidence to show that they actually did something wrong or committed some violent act against the United States.

The 120-day delay is meant to give the new Obama administration some time to review the legal cases.

During the campaign, Barack Obama, said a number of times that he would close Guantanamo Bay if he became President, this is clearly the first step to that.

As many of you know the Constitution of the United States guarantees you (and anyone in the US) certain rights to a fair trial.

One of the things that I am wondering about is that because of all the people that have been released or might be released at a later date without prosecution, will these people file some sort of class action lawsuit against the government? I doubt many lawyers would want to take such a complicated case. Though there are a few class actions lawyers like LA Based Ringler, Kearney, Alvarez LLP, that might be willing and able to take the cases of those men.

Another question I have is that will some of the guards, translators and/or civilians at Gitmo be given Whitleblower status for testifying against the Military. In cases like those Whisle Blower Lawyer, Mike Khouri might come in handy.

Prominent Los Angeles Based Attorney Defends Alleged Gang Member

2008-10-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

From: Newsweek.com

The federal charges name 61 alleged F13 members in two indictments. The gang-violence charges came in a 53-count RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) indictment against 24 alleged gang leaders, charging them in a conspiracy to sell drugs, possess weapons illegally, and assault and kill black gang members and civilians. In the second indictment prosecutors charged the rest of the men on federal drug-distribution charges. More than 40 of the defendants pleaded not guilty at arraignments Tuesday, according to prosecutors. Michael Khouri, an attorney for Luis Aguilar, 35, says his client left the gang "several years ago" and served recently as a gang negotiator. "Mr. Aguilar will plead not guilty, and he is not guilty," says Khouri. Fifteen of the accused remain fugitives.

The indictments provide a telling snapshot of the changing nature of gangs in south L.A. According to federal prosecutors, F13 has grown into a tightly controlled gang of 2,000 members in 30 cliques led by convicts and parolees who are members of the prison-based Mexican mafia. It's a far cry from the '80s, when the black drug gangs, including the Crips and the Bloods, predominated, mining the crack epidemic with ruthless efficiency. Compared with looser Latino gangs that were seen as turf-conscious fighters, the black gangs were organized and disciplined. "The stereotype was that [the black gangs] were all about the [drug] business," says gang researcher Cheryl Maxson, an associate professor of criminology at University of California, Irvine. With the black gangs, "there was a millionaire in every neighborhood" perched at the top of the crack distribution pyramid, adds gang expert Alex Alonso, who edits streetgangs.com.

Read the Rest of the Article.

Personal Injury Lawyer Has History Dealing with Train Disasters

2008-09-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Metrolink worker sued Burlington Northern Santa Fe, saying his alcoholism returned after the fatal 2002 Placentia collision.

A metrolink conductor who said his drinking problems resumed after the Placentia train crash in 2002 will receive $8.5 million to settle his lawsuit against one of the nations largest railroads.

Patrick Phillips of Riverside agreed Tuesday to settle his suit against Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co. The case was set to go to trial next week in Orange County Superior Court.

Phillips, now 52, suffered minor head injuries the morning of April 23, 2002 when a Burlington Northern Freight train crashed into a Metrolink commuter train in Placentia. Three people died and more than 260 were injured in the early morning crash.

Though his injuries were slight, the conductor alleged that the trauma was serious enough to trigger a resurgence of his severe alcoholism, which he said he had controlled since rehabilitation in the early 1990's.

"I have never seen a case like this in 30 years, yet it is indeed what happened here," said Jerome L. Ringler, Phillips' attorney.

"We had extensive medical evaluations by a variety of neurological specialists. All were in accord that his injury, although minor, changed his behavior."

After the train crash, Phillips was hospitalized for evaluation but released about two hours later, Ringler said. In the months after the crash, however, Phillips allegedly resumed his alcohol abuse, resulting in at least two other hospitalizations.

Ringler said his client was finally diagnosed with alcohol-related dementia, a sever mental deficiency.

Phillips, who is now disabled after working 12 years for Metrolink, was unavailable for comment. He is living with a sister in Riverside.

Under terms of the settlement, Phillips will receive $8.5 million, including interest, paid out over 20 years. The amount is worth about $4.5 million in today's dollars.
Officials for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, one of the nations four largest railroads, confirmed the settlement but declined to discuss the case.

Phillips' lawsuit is one of more than 100 Civil cases stemming from the Placentia crash, which federal investigators said was caused by an inattentive Burlington Norther crew that missed a warning signal.

The lawsuits allege the collision could have been prevented by an automatic braking system, long sought by the federal National Transportation Safety Board.
They also contend that the freight train crew was fatigued by overwork and that the Burlington Northern conductor had a history of losing track of signals.

In December, an Orange County jury awarded Pamela Macek, 53, also of Riverside, about $9 million in damages for psychological and physical injuries suffered in the crash. Her case was the first to go to trial.

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Comments on Chatsworth Metrolink Wreck

2008-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

As a governmental agency, lawyers noted, Metrolink cannot be subjected to punitive damages in any civil action - a situation those lawyers said likely protects it from a bankruptcy situation. A spokesman for Metrolink said the agency would not be making any comments on potential legal issues.

Attorney Jerome Ringler, who served as lead counsel for victims of a Metrolink train derailment in Placentia in 2002, those in a Burbank derailment in 2003, and in the Glendale derailment in 2005, said the Chatsworth crash could expose further fault with Metrolink.

"I suspect the real reason these tragedies occurred is due to either simple inattentivenesss on the part of the engineers or a failure on the part of the railrood industry to allow these engineers adequate rest between shifts so that these kind of tragedies could be avoided," Ringler said.

"This is a horrible tragedy. They are facing hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars of exposure."

Metrolink Attorney Jerome Ringler Interviewed by FOX 11

2008-09-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Jerome Ringler and the Metrolink Train Accident

2008-09-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Special Message for Victims of Chatsworth Metrolink Disaster

On September 12, 2008, an unprecedented tragedy occurred in Chatsworth, California when Metrolink Train #111 struck a Union Pacific freight train which was traveling on the same tracks. Our hearts go out to the victims. But this tragedy should not have happened. It happened because of human error on the part of Metrolink employees. Unfortunately, as the lawyers of RKA know well, human error by railroad engineers is not at all unique as a cause of commuter rail disasters.

Jerome L. Ringler has greater experience in representing victims of commuter rail and freight train disasters than any other lawyer in the State of California, if not the country. He has served as lead counsel in every one of the largest commuter rail disasters which have occurred in Southern California in the past 10 years.

In the Placentia Commuter Rail Disaster of 2003, Mr. Ringler was appointed by the Court as lead counsel for all of the Plaintiffs. He was requested by all of the lawyers representing individuals injured or killed in that incident to try the first case. That case resulted in the largest verdict for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ever rendered by a jury in the United States. That verdict, which was for $9 million, is detailed below in the multimedia section.

In the Burbank Commuter Rail Disaster, which also occurred in 2003, Mr. Ringler was again appointed by the Court to serve as lead counsel. In that capacity he was given the responsibility to try the entire liability (i.e., fault) case for all of the victims. In other words, every one of the dozens of lawyers who represented individual victims in that disaster trusted Mr. Ringler to try the liability phase for them, knowing that their clients would only recover if Mr. Ringler was successful. He was. In fact, Mr. Ringler not only obtained a favorable verdict for all of the plaintiffs, he obtained a $12 million verdict for his own client as well. This verdict was the largest in the State of California for a person with the type of injuries Mr. Ringler's client had suffered. This verdict is detailed below in the multimedia section.

Mr. Ringler is currently lead counsel for all plaintiffs in the Glendale Metrolink Derailment Disaster of 2005. This incident was, before September 12, 2008, the largest Metrolink disaster in history. Interestingly, in that case (which involves 11 deaths and dozens of serious injuries), Mr. Ringler has, against all odds, developed testimony proving that, even though a mentally-ill person placed a jeep across the tracks that the Metrolink train was traveling upon, human error on the part of the Metrolink engineer prevented him from stopping the train before hitting the jeep, which caused the train to derail. In other words, while the jeep certainly never should have been on the tracks, the Metrolink engineer would have been able to stop the train before ever striking the jeep had he only been paying proper attention. That case is scheduled to go to trial on June 8, 2009, with Mr. Ringler as lead counsel.

The verdicts detailed on this page all relate to railroad litigation. However, Mr. Ringler has achieved enormous, record-breaking monetary awards across California in a variety of complex areas. Those accomplishments are detailed elsewhere in this website. To see them, click here.

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death as a result of the horrific Chatsworth Metrolink Disaster, we are available to discuss your rights with you confidentially and at no charge.

Please feel free to contact us at your convenience. Ask for Mr. Ringler,or any of his partners, at (213) 473-1900.

www.rkallp.com

Los Angeles Health Care Defense Attorney Defends Prominent San Diego Plastic Surgeon

2007-05-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

From: 10news.com

SAN DIEGO -- A prominent North County surgeon could be in trouble with the state medical board and learned he could lose his license, 10News reported.

Dr. Dennis Nigro is the subject of a hearing at the state building in which he is accused of having sex with a patient.

Nigro admitted to having a brief affair with a woman in 2003, but said she was no longer in his care during their relationship.

Nigro’s attorney, Michael Khouri, said, “The woman does not believe Dr. Nigro was her doctor when the sex occurred.”

Read the rest of the article.