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VENICE, LA – An explosion has occurred on Transocean’s oil rig, “Deepwater Horizon”, in The Gulf of Mexico about 52 miles south of Venice, LA. The explosion, which happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, forced all personnel to abandon ship. The USCG is on the scene, along with several other vessels, conducting search patterns for the missing.

Photo taken 10 miles out from the explosion in The Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Venice, LA

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser in an interview with WDSU.com, said there were 15 people still not accounted for. He said that earlier the Coast Guard located and had a visual contact with one of the rescue capsules off the rig but didn’t know if all of the missing people were on there now… ... Read Full Story

PHOENIX, AZ – On Monday, April 19, 2010, lawmakers in Arizona passed a controversial immigration bill, a measure which critics say is open to racial profiling. The law requires that the police in the state that borders Mexico determine if people are in the United States illegally. Lawmakers in the AZ  Senate voted 17 to 11 to approve the bill, widely regarded as the toughest measure yet taken by any U.S. state to curb illegal immigration. Read Full Story

Virginia State Capitol

RICHMOND, VA – Virginia state law makers passed laws earlier this month that are intended to nullify proposed health-care legislation that carries with it mandates for individuals to purchase health insurance.

Virginia is the first state to pass a law that would allow its residents to opt out of the proposed federal requirement for individuals to purchase health insurance, which is one of the elements of the proposed health care bill currently pending in Congress. State legislatures in Idaho and Utah also approved similar measures this month that would limit the scope of the proposed legislation. Several other state legislatures also are considering similar laws and are promoting constitutional amendments that would limit federal requirements. Most are following Virginia’s lead in nullifying the mandate on health insurance… ... Read Full Story

WASHINGTON, DC – The Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) is is the first-ever national study to attempt to determine the critical events and associated factors that contribute to serious large truck crashes. It has been conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which are agencies under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

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Gordon & Elias, truck accident attorneys. Todd Elias on the left; Steve Gordon on the rt

Truck accident lawyers, Gordon & Elias, agree with Deborah A.P. Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that driver fatigue “is one of the most insidious issues in the transportation industry,” and more needs to be done to address this problem.

Truck accidents caused by driver fatigue have become a national problem and it is getting worse. The country’s health practitioners have been aware of an increase in persons suffering from sleep deprivation for many years. Medical problems such as sleep apnea and acid reflux, which causes constant sleep interruption, are the number one causes of driver fatigue. In addition, even drivers that are not suffering from these health problems but simply are driving more than the permissible amount of hours due to economic necessity also is a cause of driver fatigue…. ... Read Full Story

SEATTLE, Nov. 2 – After a six-day trial, a federal jury dismissed Blue Niles $60.1 million claim against  Yehuda Diamond Company. The Jury ruled against Blue Nile, acknowledging Yehuda Diamond’s right to compare the prices of its clarity enhanced diamonds to the untreated diamonds sold by online retailer Blue Nile.

Blue Nile loses 60.1 Million Claim against Yehuda Diamond Company

Yehuda Diamond, based in New York, has earned widespread industry and consumer loyalty for its successful competition with Blue Nile and other online jewelers, favoring consumers not only with lower prices but also with unsurpassed expert face-to-face service and full Federal Trade Commission-compliant disclosure… ... Read Full Story

A default judgment award of 1.26 Billion was handed down on Sept. 30 by a Wisconsin state court in a case alleging that PepsiCo stole the idea to bottle and sell purified water from two Wisconsin men. PepsiCo filed motions to vacate the order and dismiss the claims on Oct. 13, saying it wasn’t even aware of the lawsuit until Oct. 6.

Administrator mistake costs PepsiCo $1.26 Billion in default judgment

Charles Joyce and James Voigt sued PepsiCo in April plus two of its distributors, alleging they had misappropriated trade secrets from confidential discussions the plaintiffs had with the distributors in 1981 about selling purified water. The information was illicitly passed to PepsiCo, which used it to develop and sell Aquafina bottled water, the plaintiffs allege in the case filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County before Judge Jacqueline Erwin.
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Maritime lawyer, Steve Gordon

Maritime injuries and accidents can occur in a myriad of situations. Depending upon the location of injury and the nature of the situation, e.g., whether it was a commercial accident or a non-commercial situation, governs whether you need a maritime lawyer or just a regular personal injury lawyer.  Clearly, injuries on a jet ski, or a party pontoon boat can be very injurious, but they do not require a maritime lawyer. A maritime injury lawyer is a specialized lawyer versed in the legal principals of General Maritime Law and the Jones Act.

General Maritime Law is a body of law developed by the federal courts through jurisprudence. The federal courts have an Admiralty “side” bestowed upon them from the United States Constitution. This Admiralty side is a court of equity as well as court of law.
The Jones Act was enacted by Congress in and around 1916. It actually is a culmination of a series of three laws passes between 1916 and 1920. The Jones act was named after its principle proponent, Senator Wesley Jones (1863-1932) from the state of Washington, urged passage of a law that would support the growing merchant marine industry of the United States. In light of this, The Jones Act became law at 46 U.S.C. §688 et seq. (re-codified in 2006 at 46 U.S.C. §30104 et seq.). The Jones Act covers maritime employees that sustain an injury while in the course and scope of employment.
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According to a legal action filed yesterday in New York, Bernie Madoff’s  prison associates are quite cast of characters. Right now Madoff shares a jail cell with a 21-year-old drug dealer and hangs out with a former crime boss and an Israeli spy.

Complaint lodged against Bernie Madoff in New York Supreme Court by California Law Firm

Attorneys who interviewed Madoff in jail in July used information obtained from him to file a series of claims against major banks and accountancy firms, in an action that also throws light on Madoff’s life behind bars… ... Read Full Story

Steve Gordon of the Law Firm of Gordon & Elias, has launched an educational video explaining how driver fatigue kills.

“Driver fatigue is a pet issue of mine because I believe a truck driver is caught between a rock and a hard place”, says Steve Gordon,  a well respected authority and renowned nationwide truck accident lawyer.

“He has got to make his route and make his deliveries on time. He’s got to get from point A to point B.”

Steve goes on to say in the video that the company expects the truck driver to do it in a certain amount of time. There are federal regulations that govern how much time a trucker can drive. A long haul trucker has a cab in the back and they’re suppose to after so many hours get off duty and sleep.

More times than you can imagine, the trucker has driven more than he should and that it’s fatigue that has caused his responses to be slow. When that happens there are people who get injured and worse yet killed… ... Read Full Story