Category: Premises Liability

Call centers. Loud heavy equipment. Sound systems. All of them contribute to hearing loss on the job.

Did you know hearing loss is the most common workplace injury, according to the Center for Disease Control? It can happen to anyone in any industry, but it is most prevalent among manufacturing and industrial workers. In fact, among those industries, hearing loss accounts for one in every nine recordable workplace injuries.

Causes of Hearing Loss at Work

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, hearing loss at work is caused by prolonged exposure to vibration or sound. Some occupations at risk for hearing loss include airline maintenance, farming, construction, sheet metal and assembly line work. Occupations that involve loud machinery – like a jackhammer – also have high risk of exposure.

Treatment for Occupational Hearing Loss

Occupational hearing loss is usually permanent. Treatment includes the use of hearing aids, and using protection like earplugs to prevent further hearing loss and damage.

There are a dozen very common small business lawsuits in which an employee files a legal claim against an employer. Among them is workplace injury.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 3.2 million work-related injuries and illnesses were reported in 2009. Employers purchase liability and worker’s compensation insurance to pay expenses of a employee injured on the job. Employers are usually sued if they challenge a worker’s compensation claim or if the employer’s negligence or intentional action led to the worker’s injury.

What to do After a Work Injury?

Time is of the essence if you suffer an injury on the job. You should seek medical attention immediately and begin preparing for a massive amount of expenses.

Swimming pool accidents and drownings are extremely frightening and, unfortunately, all too common in the San Diego area. Our warm year-round weather lends itself to many “pool” days… and many times those relaxing days by the pool can turn into tragedy very quickly.

Losing a family member to a swimming pool accident is a nightmare in itself, but dealing with the after-effects – both emotionally and legally – can be even worse. It’s imperative that you contact an experience personal injury attorney who can help with a swimming pool drowning case.

The question of liability in a swimming pool drowning depends upon the nature of the accident itself. One potential liability is the premises where the drowning occurred.

Dram shop laws – statutes that hold businesses liable for selling alcoholic beverages to a person who is obviously intoxicated – are firmly in place in most U.S. states. In California, however, dram shop laws are fairly limited.

The purpose of any kind of dram shop law is to increase the responsibility of those who make profits by selling alcoholic drinks to guests. The word “dram” refers to a British unit of measurement for serving alcohol.

California Dram Shop Laws

Here in California, new legislation has removed the strict liability for businesses who serve alcohol to patrons. Basically, liquor stores or bars may NOT be held civilly liable for selling alcohol to people who have had obviously too much to drink. BUT, these establishments may still be held liable for serving alcohol to MINORS who are visibly intoxicated.

Here’s the tricky part. In California, liquor stores and bars may still be subject to criminal misdemeanor charges in severe drunken sales cases. In these matters, the owner of the bar or liquor store may be liable for damages to the injured person.