Since the introduction of the R-44 more than a decade ago, Robinson Helicopter Co. was allegedly aware of the vibrations present in the main rotor mast. According to a statement made by counsel Wednesday, those same vibrations contributed to the 2006 helicopter crash in Riverside County that left an experienced pilot and his brother-in-law dead.
During the opening statements of the Los Angeles Superior Court civil suit filed against the helicopter manufacturer in April 2008, attorney Kevin Boyle claimed, “They had 13 years to fix it and they never did. They masked the problem instead of solving it.”
Boyle is representing the widow and family of Leo Straatman, a passenger in the Robinson R-44 Raven II that crashed at approximately 2:30pm near Desert Center on May 1, 2006 when the tail boom shook off, causing the main rotor to hit the cabin and slice off one of pilot Frank Verellen’s legs. Attorney Brian Panish, representing the Verellen family, stated that the helicopter was roughly 85 minutes into its maiden voyage out of Zamperini Field on its way to southern Ontario, Canada, where it was to be ferried by the pilot to Zimmer Air Services Inc, an authorized Robinson dealer. According to Panish, 63-year-old Verellen was Zimmer’s chief pilot and he and 64-year-old Straatman owned a portion of the company.
According to Robinson Helicopter’s Raymond Hane, the crash was likely caused by pilot error. He stated that the craft was inspected by a Robinson test pilot prior to the flight and that the test pilot found nothing wrong. But Boyle stated that Robinson’s chief engineer admitted during a deposition that the vibration in the main rotor mast could result in the gearbox violently shaking. The engineer said that the company referred to this shaking as “chugging”, and that the company did not know the source of the issue.
“They continued to sell these things every day, and they didn’t know the cause,” Boyle stated. The attorney continued by saying that the company made minor adjustments to the rubber mounts in an effort to quell the shaking, but nothing more.
The Crown Victoria is the vehicle of choice for 85% of law enforcement departments across the country. But does that mean that it’s safe?
The Center for Auto Safety reckons not. The Washington D.C. based group is leading a crusade to get the Crown Victoria recalled.
Their issue has mainly to do with the placement of the gas tank, which is right behind the rear axle of the vehicle, making it a potential fire hazard. Ford says there’s a kit which fixes the problem, but the Center disagrees. A spokesman stated plainly that even with the kit being offered to help mitigate disaster, ten crashes have occurred in which an officer lost their life due to a fire.
The Crown Victoria has been involved in 135 law enforcement-related fatal collisions across the country between 1994 and 2009. The latest attempt to have the Crown Vic recalled came about because of a fire which claimed the life of a Honolulu police officer over the weekend.
The country has gotten used to associating Crown Vics with officers of the law, but as a Bakersfield car accident lawyer, I think it’s important to continue to investigate the safety record of any and all vehicles. No matter what kind of car a person drives, he or she should feel safe, especially if that person’s an officer of the law. But that’s just my humble opinion as a car accident lawyer in Bakersfield.
According to news sources, a new study at the Dartmouth Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center shines the spotlight on dangerous levels of arsenic concentrated in rice by analyzing the arsenic in urine of about 200 pregnant woman. The study suggests a causal link between rice consumption and increased arsenic in urine.
There are reportedly no statutory limits for arsenic levels in foods sold in the U.S, as well as the European Union.
The situation represents a risk especially to pregnant mothers since exposure to arsenic during pregnancy can be of significant public health concern. Among the reasons why rice has such elevated levels of arsenic is because rice plants tend to be particularly efficient in gathering arsenic from the soil.
Exposure to high levels of arsenic can be especially harmful in early childhood.
As a personal injury lawyer Los Angeles, I’m glad to see that research is continually being conducted to provide more answers about the safety of the products we use and consume. I hope consumers find the conclusions of this research useful. If you or someone you care about has been injured or suffered from the use of an unsafe product, I recommend you contact a product liability lawyer Los Angeles as soon as possible.
According to news sources, a collaborative effort between prosecutors, social workers and police in Salt Lake City is aiming at reducing the rising number of elderly abuse cases. Two men have been recently charged in connection with aggravated abuse cases.
In the first case a 48-year-old man was arrested after allegedly depriving his father of food and medicine while leaving him in a bed filled with human waste. The man reportedly sold his fathers prescription pain medication while allegedly taking his retirement fund.
The second case involves a 51-year-old man who reportedly left his 74-year-old mother in a chair filled with human waste for weeks.
A promising newly created community response team will hopefully lower the amount of cases of elderly abuse such as these by collaboratively pooling the work of the Salt Lake County Aging Services with local police and prosecutors to identify suspected cases of elderly abuse and fraud.
As a Los Angeles wrongful death attorney, I hope that awareness may be brought to all so elder abuse will in fact become a thing of the past. Personal injury lawyers are familiar with terrible cases related to injuries inflicted in facilities that exist to care for their patients, not mistreat them. When you or a loved one is a victim of a similar case, contact a personal injury lawyer Los Angeles right away.
Many news outlets across the country are reporting a recent case of elder abuse related to financial fraud.
The case everybody has been talking about involved an elder who was the victim of Credit Card theft. The alleged thief happened to be the one caregiver who reportedly watched over the senior after she found herself recovering from surgery.
According to the authorities, the thief allegedly used a card that was furnished under the elder woman’s name but that was never used by her before. Authorities say the thief spent over $8,000.
The representative from the Adult Protective Services has stated that financial fraud related to elders is very common and that a few precautionary steps should be taken so this problem won’t continue to happen.
Being in constant contact with the bank is a good way to have credit cards closely monitored. In the case of a senior citizen who has the same types of expenses every month, the bank should always detect an alarming and unexpected number of large purchases registered under their cards.
As a wrongful death attorney in Los Angeles, I understand that elder abuse goes beyond financial fraud. Physical abandonment, assault and neglect are the most common forms of abuse against the elder community and they’re constantly being reported.
Los Angeles personal injury lawyers urge you to always contact the authorities if you know of any case of elder abuse, don’t hesitate.
According to the news articles released around the time of Dr. Murray’s conviction, the Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor allegedly delivered a severe discourse targeted at the physician. The judge claimed Dr. Murray had committed a “horrific violation of trust” while handling his patient, Michael Jackson.
The judge went on to state that the mindless dosage of popofol administered by Dr. Murray could only mean he was practicing “medicine madness” and that his behavior showed his hunger for prestige, fame or anything else other than what his sworn obligation truly is as a physician.
According to the news reporting the case, there was a disturbing recording found in Dr. Murray’s phone. The recording itself was perceived as a dishonest act since it depicted his famous patient Michael Jackson during his most vulnerable moment.
After the alleged harsh words, Dr. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter after an extensive trial that exhibited detailed accounts of the pop singer’s final hours.
The wrongful death attorneys in Los Angeles have their hearts and thoughts with the Jackson family at all times.
The Los Angeles personal injury attorney representing Michael Jackson’s family knows the family’s dedication to turn this terribly tragic and sad case into an example to all physicians nationwide is nothing short of a stoic act.
Several news sources have announced that Brian Panish, the Jackson family’s Los Angeles personal injury lawyer and friend, delivered a statement that asked a judge to impose a sentence for Dr. Conrad Murray reminding all doctors to stay true to their Hippocratic oath to do no harm to their patients.
According to the news statement, the letter reminded all physicians “that they cannot sell their services to the highest bidder” and that the pop singer’s premature death is “simply against the natural order of things”.
The statement, which didn’t stipulate the specific sentence the Jackson family had in mind for Dr. Murray, was fully read by the attorney of Panish, Shea & Boyle. The words written by the plaintiff resonated into the audience’s hearts as a glimpse of the distress all members of the Jackson family face daily without the notable presence of their beloved son, brother and father.
Dr. Murray is being held in jail since he was convicted for involuntary manslaughter last November 7th. During the four-week case, Dr. Murray’s careless behavior during the fatidic day of Michael Jackson’s unfortunate death was exposed, as well as his incompetent medical judgment and lack of dedication to the Hippocratic oath the Jackson Family mentioned in their letter to the judge.
The wrongful death lawyers in Los Angeles of Panish, Shea & Boyle are dedicated to this case and will continue to pursue justice in the Michael Jackson Tragedy.
My name is Brian Panish. I am the attorney and friend of the Jackson family. They have asked me to read this statement on their behalf.
There is no way to adequately describe the loss of our beloved father, son, brother, and friend. We still look at each other in disbelief – is it really possible that he is gone? As Michael’s parents, we could never have imagined that we would live to witness his passing; it is simply against the natural order of things. As his brothers and sisters, we will never be able to hold, laugh or perform with our brother again. And as his children, we will grow up without a father: our best friend, our playmate, our dad.
We are not here to seek revenge. There is nothing you can do today that will bring Michael back. But we will keep the love in our hearts that Michael embodied throughout his life – his passion was for unifying the world through the gift of his artistry.
We respectfully request that you impose a sentence that reminds physicians that they cannot sell their services to the highest bidder and cast aside their Hippocratic oath to do no harm. As we all know from this tragedy, doing so can have devastating results.
The Bible reminds us that men cannot really do justice, they can only seek justice. That is all that we, as a family, can ask for here.
According to many news sources, there are many of us who face a growing concern related to loved ones or parents in a delicate or fragile health state. The holiday season is usually that time of the year when many of us have to deal with this problem but the worst part is our incapacity to do so carefully.
To assure the safety of the elders who need special attention, we must understand their needs and do the right research before committing to a facility that might have had cases of elder abuse in the past.
There are many elder agencies that can help you and your family to make the right decision regarding institutions and their history. Some of these services can even help you to clarify the situation to the elders themselves and all family members who will make the decision with you.
In many cases a neutral mediator will make the difference when it comes to identifying the best options for your family and the elders who need to be watched over.
Any personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles will assure you that many cases of elder abuse could have been prevented if only the family had taken a special time to dedicate themselves in finding the best facility to take care of their elder relatives.
As a Los Angeles wrongful death attorney, I hope that no case of elder abuse will go unnoticed. I urge all readers to report any case of abuse to the authorities as soon as possible.
The recent recall of Ginger Beef from the Calgary’s Ginger Beef Corp. has triggered an extensive investigation since this product may or may not have allegedly made its way into the U.S. market.
According to recent news from various sources, federal inspectors are trying to come to a conclusion regarding the root of the contamination that resulted in this product’s recall.
Food Safety specialists and inspectors from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have stated that monocytogenes were spotted in a recent sampling from the manufacturer’s facility.
The reason behind the extensive investigation lies in the fact that a contaminated product may have come to be infected due to bacteria that originated from a third party. Determining the root of the issue will subsequently save countless lives by keeping the contamination restrained.
The company claims that the safety of their consumers is a priority. Regardless of the fact there was only one alleged item that was found to be contaminated, the company is not willing to take any chances. Since the recall was issued, there haven’t been any reports of illnesses related to the possible contaminated product.
As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer I believe that having a cautious approach to all food products and their origin is the best way to go about staying healthy and keeping your loved ones healthy as well.
Wrongful death attorneys in Los Angeles are always ready to help you by reviewing your case and assessing the possible outcomes of a potential suit.
