A $60 million settlement has been reached after a 15 year long legal battle. The settlement was reached after a handful of residents of the nearby areas of a Blue Island refinery claim that the refinery has polluted their environment with noxious dust and particles. The owner of the refinery, formally known as Clark Oil and later Premcor, is Valero Energy Corporation.

Several lawsuits were filed against this refinery after an accidental release of 15 tons of catalyst dust that send about 50 high school students to nearby hospital. In November, 2005, a Cook County jury awarded $100,000 in damages in that case, and $120 million to the Plaintiffs who were a part of a class action lawsuit. With this new settlement, people who lived in the refinery’s footprint between October 1993 and January 31, 2001, may be eligible for a portion of the money once the settlement is finalized.

The State of Washington, Department of Transportation has settled a lawsuit with a man injured at a highway intersection. It was alleged that the DOT failed to fix a dangerously designed roadway at the intersection of two highways near Shelton, Washington. The plaintiff was critically injured in a result of this accident. He was riding his motorcycle on US 101, when a car that was attempting to turn left from a road into the southbound lanes of 101 cut him off. The motorcycle crashed into the driver’s side of the car.

 There had been some serious concerns about the intersection, which was also described as “a scary intersection to deal with.” The lawsuit alleged that DOT failed to fix the intersection, despite of 55 collisions at the intersection. The cost for a fix was around $50,000.

We at M&A Law Firm deal with Motorcycle Accident victims on daily basis. Our attorneys have worked with hundreds of clients over the years to get them maximum compensation for their losses due to a motorcycle accident. Our team is here to listen to you, and guide you through every process of your case. Let us give you the best service for your motorcycle accident case. Call us (1-866-789-1664) or click here to fill out the online inquiry form, and receive the excellent service that you deserve.

The California Department of Transportation and a driver who ran her car into a girl walking across a street were ordered by a jury to pay a now comatose woman $12.2 million in damages. The San Mateo County jury found the Defendants responsible for the collision in a crosswalk in the city of Millbrae that left then 17-year-old Emily Liou with permanent brain injuries.

 It was contended that the crosswalk was placed on top of a small rise where drivers couldn’t see pedestrians. Caltrans created the problem and took no action to improve safety at the intersection. Although, the impact was at a relatively low speed, Liou was knocked to the ground and hit her head. The driver told investigators that she didn’t see the girl until just before the impact.

We are here to help – We believe that we have the answers to most of your car accident questions. Please feel free to contact us with your car accident case information, and let us give you the best legal service. You can call us at 1-866-789-1664 toll free, or click here to fill out our convenient online case evaluation form.

After a lengthy legal battle against PG&E, a San Jose mother has finally settled the wrongful death lawsuit. Lisa Bernstein lost her daughter in a fiery crash with company’s driver. Lisa Bernstein was so heartbroken that she actually hauled the twisted carcass of her daughter’s truck up to PG&E headquarters in San Francisco.

Mrs. Bernstein says her first priority was to hold PG&E accountable for the 2006 crash that killed 20-year-old Mary Bernstein. PG&E refused last month to support legislation to make companies more accountable for errant drivers. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, PG&E must enter a judgment for $5 million. This mother’s goal was to make PG&E “take safety a little more seriously”.

A wrongful death suit is a legal action (lawsuit) filed for the death of a person due to the carelessness, negligence, recklessness, malpractice, or inaction of another individual, company or entity. If someone you love has died to due to the negligence or wrongful actions of another, your family deserves answers and compensation.

Please Contact Us for a free consultation by calling at 1-866-789-1664, 972-789-1664, or email us at contact@dallasarealaw.com to discuss the specifics of your tragedy and let us inform you of your legal rights as we counsel you during this difficult time.

Massey Energy has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of a contract worker killed at one of the company’s West Virginia coalmines. Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

Massey paid the family of Steven Cain $2.1 million. Cain died in an accident at Massey’s Justice No. 1 mine in October 2008.  Federal inspectors found that Cain had “little mining experience” and “minimal training,” and criticized Massey for overloading the supply cars. Virginia-based Massey owns the Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County, where 29 men died and two were injured in an April 5 explosion. The blast is the subject of civil and criminal investigations.

“Massey Energy extends its deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones at Upper Big Branch.” This was the message posted by Massey Energy on its website. “Massey will continue its efforts to investigate the accident and update the families.”

Here is a video of an interview of Massey Energy CEO with Fox Business. (Courtesy of YouTube.com)

Many workers are injured on their job site on a daily basis. Working with cranes, forklifts, scaffolding, heavy equipment, and toxic chemicals, all pose danger to the hard working individuals who earn their living in the construction industry. Construction workers face some of the most dangerous working conditions in America. These dangers are increased when construction companies force employees to work overtime and under tight deadlines.

At M&A Law Firm, we will help relieve the stress by helping answer all of your questions for you and your family so you can focus on your recovery. Call us (1-866-789-1664) or click here to fill the online inquiry form, and receive the excellent service that you deserve.

The family of three children injured in the 2008 Air Show at the Huntsville International Airport has reached a settlement with a tent provider and the local airport authority. Its contended on behalf of the children of Wanda Cross were injured due to negligence in the installation of tents at the air show. All three children were hurt by part from collapsing tents. The settlement is between the family and All Needz Rental Inc. In the Cross case, one of the children was struck across the face by a tent support pole and suffered the most serious injury. The children have all recovered from their injuries. The confidential settlement was satisfactory to all the parties involved.

Defective Products can cause great injury and range from cars and trucks to children’s toys. If you or your loved one is seriously injured by a defective or dangerous product, please contact one of our products liability attorneys for a free consultation to discuss your rights and potential claim. Our attorneys will aggressively fight to get you the money damages you and your family are entitled to. We are the LAWYERS ON YOUR SIDE™. Call us (1-866-789-1664) or click here to fill the online inquiry form, and receive the excellent service that you deserve.

Last Thursday, hundreds of activists staged a protest in Century City outside of the JP Morgan Chase-owned Century Plaza building in support of 16 janitors who were laid off in a company cost-cutting move. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organized the demonstration, including a hunger strike – part of a series of actions that ended on Friday. Thirteen protesters were arrested after they sat down in the middle of a street intersection in an act of civil disobedience while chanting, “While banks get bailed out, workers get tossed out!” 

“We are protesting to call on JP Morgan Chase to help bring these janitors back to work,” said Mike Chavez, a spokesman for the service employees union SEIU United Service Workers West. “JP Morgan paid out billions in bonuses last year, while janitors only make $13.50 an hour are being laid off.  Many of these hardworking families have no way to put food on the table, or pay rent.  When questioned about this matter, the JP Morgan Chase bank was not worried, pointing out that they have a contract with ABM Industries who takes care of cleaning the buildings. ABM is among the largest maintenance contractors in the country, earning $855.5 million just in their second quarter this year. On ABM’s website, they explain their corporate principles which state they “respect their employees and treat everyone just and fairly.” Many of ABM’s employees feel as if the company is not living up to their corporate principles, like Rosa Mirna Cruz, who cleans the 2000 Avenue of the Stars building says, “They are leaving us and our families without food and without a way to pay for rent.”

Many feel that these 16 janitors were tossed out into the street by a major money-making company who was searching to cut its costs at all efforts.  These protests are the latest expression of outrage among the working classes across the country, who have suffered massive job losses and wage stagnation, while banks got bailed out to the tune of billions of dollars.

A jury in Vermont has awarded $380,557 to a turkey hunter hit by 52 shotgun pellets fired by another hunter. The Plaintiff suffered a collapsed lung and other injuries. At the time of the shooting, the Defendant told game wardens he thought he was shooting at a turkey. He pleaded no contest to criminal charges arising from the shooting and he was given a suspended sentence.

M&A Law Firm in Dallas, is a full-service criminal defense law firm dedicated to defending and protecting your rights. On a daily basis, we protect the civil liberties of our clients allegedly charged with felonies or misdemeanors. We provide excellent legal representation at a price that you can afford. Payment Plans are available to all of our clients. We know that when facing a criminal charge, your freedom is at stake.

We are here to fight for you. Give us a call and let us help you. We are the LAWYERS ON YOUR SIDE™. Give us a call at 972-789-1664 for a free consultation.

The Nevada Supreme Court is upholding the $32.2 million defective tire verdict against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in the tire blowout accident that killed three victims and injured seven others. Goodyear had argued that the jury award was excessive. However, the court says that the loss of life and serious injuries justify the amount. A suit was filed by the surviving relatives and guardians of the children against Goodyear, Ford Motor Company and Valley View Hitch & Truck Rental. Both Ford and Valley View settled their claim. The judge found that Goodyear “has taken the approach of stalling, obstructing and objecting” in its pre-trial behavior. As, a sanction the court ruled that Goodyear could not present a defense of liability , but could only argue to the jury the amount of compensatory damages and if it was subject to punitive damages. The jury came back with the $32.2 million verdict but didn’t return punitive damages.

Defective Products can cause great injury and range from cars and trucks to children’s toys. If you or your loved one is seriously injured by a defective or dangerous product, please contact one of our products liability attorneys for a free consultation to discuss your rights and potential claim. Our attorneys will aggressively fight to get you the money damages you and your family are entitled to. We are the LAWYERS ON YOUR SIDE™. Call us (1-866-789-1664) or click here to fill the online inquiry form, and receive the excellent service that you deserve.

A lawsuit filed by 152 technical writers of Sun Microsystems (company that developed the leading programming language, Java, and managing numerous other database and programming tools including Oracle), finally got a preliminary approval for $5 million. According to the lawsuit, writers were not paid by Sun, for working overtime or during mean breaks.

The lawsuit challenged the computer company’s policy of classifying the writers who produce technical documents and information manuals as professionals exempt from State of California overtime laws.

The writers often worked around 60 hours a week during the launch of new products, and should have been paid time and half for every hour over 40. Employees who disagree with the settlement can present their objections to the court.

Working overtime during busy days of the year is pretty common in large companies. There are always deadlines to meet, and most of the times deadlines are passed by days or months. So, there is urgency from the management and managers, but most companies are extremely comfortable with overtimes. Some companies have a CUT-OFF number (above 40 hours) each week, and above which employees are clearly told not to work.

If you ever come across a situation where you are not paid for the overtime work you completed at your job, you need to contact an experienced attorney for that. Our team of attorneys at M&A Law Firm is experienced in dealing with cases like these. So feel free to contact us at 1-866-789-1664, or 972-789-1664, or email us at contact@dallasarealaw.com