Negligence

Oakland-San Francisco Attorney Comments on Unsafe Working Conditions

November 11, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

According to unitehere.org, housekeepers at Hyatt hotels in eight cities filed complaints with a federal agency today alleging a variety of injuries suffered as a result of the company’s policies. The workers are almost all female and are represented by the union Unite Here. They filed the complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, stating they are overworked and not given proper materials to clean hotel rooms. The union’s Housekeepers Rising initiative claims that the repetition of lifting the corners of hundreds of heavy mattresses to make beds and bending on hands and knees to clean bathrooms are among the causes of numerous repetitive injuries among employees. They also claim that many of the injuries are the result of the housekeepers having to clean up to 30 rooms a day, which is apparently almost double the industrial standard. One worker described how she injured her arm while making a bed at the hotel and stated how much it changed the quality of her life -she required surgery due to the severity of it. What is more, she is not the only housekeeper who suffers these injuries, many other housekeepers suffer the same injuries.

The complaints ask OSHA to investigate the cause of the injuries. The workers also want the hotels to lower the current 30 rooms a day that housekeepers have to clean, switch from flat sheets to fitted sheets that are easier to make beds with, and provide long-handled tools that make cleaning easier. The union and hotel management have been in contract negotiations since August 2009. The union’s local chapter has held multiple strikes and protests outside Hyatt hotels in San Francisco and around the Bay Area. Of the Hyatt properties cited in the complaints, eight are located in the following cities: San Antonio, Texas, Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Clara, California, Los Angeles, Long Beach, California, Honolulu, and Indianapolis. A study last year in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, cited by the union, that showed high rates of injuries to female housekeepers, particularly at Hyatt, was denied by Robert Webb, Hyatt’s Chief human resources officer.

Here at the Brod Law Firm, we believe everyone deserves as safe place to work. If you have a questions about workplace injury law, or if you would like to a free consultation regarding injuries you received on the job, please contact us today. We have over 10 years experience fighting and winning personal injury lawsuits, and can help you receive the compensation you deserve.

San Francisco-Oakland Attorney Comments on San Bruno Class Action Lawsuit and New Pipline Safety Legislation

October 7, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

According to the

San Francisco-Oakland Injury Attorney Comments on High Risk Pipelines in the Bay Area

September 20, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

According to the Oakland Tribune, PG&E plans to release a list of 100 high-risk natural gas pipelines and has already stated that two of those lines are in the northern part of San Jose. One pipeline is located near the intersection of the Tasman Drive and North First Street and another near the city’s border with Milpitas. PG&E does plan to upgrade the street section at Tasman and First, but it is still unclear to what degree the cities should be concerned regarding locations of the high-risk pipelines. PG&E released the information about the pipelines to San Jose and Milpitas before releasing the it to the California Public Utility Commission, but both cities are still uncertain as to what needs to be done about the matter. However, they are planning a meeting with Milpitas concerning what action needs to be taken. PG&E had previously publicly disclosed a list of pipelines that were deemed a problem, but, like the San Jose and Milpitas situation, it is unclear which area of pipe should be considered a maintenance priority, and which should not. Here at the Brod Law Firm, all this new information inspires little confidence, especially considering the fact that San Bruno was not on that previous list. We do hope, however, that the disaster will save lives by forcing government to create new regulations about pipeline safety.

If you have been injured, have sustained the loss of a family member, your home, your possessions or were injured in the San Bruno PG&E gas line explosion, our firm and fire are here to help. The Brod Law Firm has successfully prosecuted explosion and fires claims under similar circumstances in the past and has represented individuals and families injured in fires for more than 10 years. The Brod Law Firm will represent individuals and families in claims or injury and property loss resulting from the PG&E gas line explosion. If you have questions about any fire burn injury lawsuit or property claim, please call us.

San Francisco-Oakland Injury Attorney Comments on San Bruno Fire

September 14, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is setting up a $100 million compensation fund for victims of the catastrophic fire that devastated part of San Bruno. According to The Wall Street Journal, PG&E says the relief fund will be used to cover any expenses not covered by insurance of residents whose property was damaged by the fires. The funds will also pay for the rebuilding or replacing of public property damaged or destroyed in the accident and for certain costs incurred by emergency responders and government services. The company said it will provide payments of $15,000, $25,000, or $50,000 per household depending on the extent of damage incurred, and that residents that accept such payments won’t be asked to waive any potential claims against the company.

The relief fund, however, is not intended to pay for personal injury or wrongful death claims–those will be dealt with separately. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, PG&E is suggesting customers pay the bill of any future disaster. Regulators, are considering a proposal backed by PG&E that would require customers to pay all costs of future catastrophic fires which exceed a utility company’s insurance policy. PG&E said it expects to have most of the costs’ related to the recent explosion in san Bruno covered, but if the new proposal is passed, customers are likely to see a hike in rates further down the line. Under current rules, utilities in California can seek a rate increase if the costs of a disaster exceed their insurance coverage; yet, the Public Utility Commission can veto the request and force utility shareholders to pay the bill.

In order to protect their rights, residents of San Bruno and those affected by this PG&E gas line explosion should seek representation from lawyers who specialize in representing victims of fire damage. The Brod Law Firm has successfully prosecuted explosion and fires claims against PG&E under similar circumstances in the past and has represented individuals and families injured in fires for more than 10 years. Brod Law Firm will represent individuals and families in claims or injury and property loss resulting from the PG&E gas line explosion. Whether you have been injured, have sustained the loss of a family member, your home, your possessions or were injured in the San Bruno PG&E gas line explosion, our firm is here to help. If you have questions about any fire burn injury lawsuit or property claim, please call us.

San Francisco Burn Injury Attorney Comments on San Bruno Fire

September 13, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

According to newsinferno.com, a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) spokesman said last Friday that the company’s gas transmission line ruptured, leading to the blast. It is not known what caused the rupture. CNN reported that the ruptured line was installed in 1948 and obtained a document form PG&E that stated the gas line had a relatively high risk and likelihood of failure. The document recommended the line be replaced because of its proximity to a populated area. In addition, the Wall Street Journal reported the gas line had an unusual construction, as it contained a longitudinal seam and numerous welds indicating it had been made from many small segments of steel pipe. And it is not known if the numerous welds could have weakened the pipe. A 28-foot section of the pipe has been excavated and will be sent to the national Transpotation Safety Board’s (NTSB) metallurgy labs in Washington for study.

According to Bloomberg news, a PG&E spokesman said the company inspected the pipeline in November and performed an annual gas-leak assessment in March. However the official would not discuss the results of the inspection. The blast and fire injured 52 people and killed four. Additional remains have been discovered and are being tested to determine their origin and identity. Investigators are looking into reports that residents in the area had made complaints to PG&E in the weeks prior to the blast about gas leaks in the neighborhood. PG&E has not been able to confirm those reports and says it has searched about two thirds of its phone reports from the neighborhood from September 1st thru September 9th.

In a statement PG&E said: “if it is ultimately determined that we were responsible for the cause of the incident, we will take accountability.” Here at the Brod Law firm we haven’t a doubt that PG&E is responsible for the injuries and property damage caused by this explosion, as they have admitted that they own and operated the gas line (the company has $992 million in liability insurance for damages caused by fire, according to a public filing on Sept. 10). It appears from various reports that the injuries and deaths which resulted were preventable. In order to protect their rights, residents of San Bruno and those impacted by this PG&E gas line explosion should seek representation from a law firm that specializes in representing victims of fire damage.

Bay Area Personal Injury Attorney Comments on San Bruno Explosion

September 10, 2010 | Gregory J. Brod

Last night a horrifying fire, due to an explosion, swept through the Crestmoor neighborhood in San Bruno. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, fire has been contained and the search continues for possible victims. Officials said the fire was caused by a gas pipeline explosion. Searchers have combed through 75% of the homes destroyed by the blast and there are no residents unaccounted for. But they won’t know for certain about additional victims until they search the remaining homes, which are now too hot to enter. At least four people were killed and 52 injured in the explosion and fire.Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, serving as acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Asia, declared a state of emergency in the neighborhood. A total of 52 people have been hospitalized, including three with third-degree burns. The most seriously injured were being treated at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco. Three victims there have burns over 50 percent of their body, and a fourth has burns over 40 percent.

The site of the explosion is marked by a 30-foot-diameter crater filled with water, while chunks of asphalt and melted cars cover the road. The natural gas pipe that ruptured was laid down 60 years ago. A metallurgist, Ravi Chhatre, with the National Transportation Safety Board will be helping locals investigate what caused the pipeline to explode. Although the safety board is known primarily for investigating plane crashes, it also dispatches teams after major pipeline incidents. According to reports, some residents said they had smelled gas in the neighborhood in the days preceding the explosion and that PG&E trucks had been in the area. Here at the Brod Law Firm, we wonder how the victims of the fire will cope as they try and put their lives back together. More than likely, when the cause of the explosion is confirmed, the lawsuits will begin to be filed. The good news is the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help rebuild the community. If you or your family have been the victim of a fire or have question regarding lawsuits due to fires, please call the Brod Law Firm.