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Month: November 2021

How to Avoid a Thanksgiving Lawsuit

Written by Brandon Herrera on November 18, 2021. Posted in Personal Injury Case. No Comments on How to Avoid a Thanksgiving Lawsuit

Turkey? Check! Stuffing? Check! Pumpkin pie? Check! Lawsuit? Say what, now? That is not on the menu.

No one ever thinks about getting sued when they are busy preparing a tasty turkey feast for their friends and family. Yet, the risk is very real for hosts when they invite other people into their homes. From drunken driving accidents to choking on turkey bones, there is a host of things that can go wrong at holiday celebrations. Not to rain on your Thanksgiving-day parade, but hosts must consider the following steps to protect themselves against personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits during the holiday.

Preparing food for others

Whether you prepare the food yourself or order your holiday feast from a restaurant or caterer, there always is a risk for food poisoning claims from guests. Make sure all food you plan to serve is neither contaminated nor spoiled. Turkey should be heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before it is safe to consume. If you prepare your turkey the day before, make sure you refrigerate it as soon as it cools to prevent spoiling. Follow proper food handling and storage protocol for all prepared foods. When in doubt about the safety of something, it is better to toss it out than risk making your guests ill.

Spoiled food is not the only mishap that can occur on Turkey Day. Choking always is a risk any time your guests consume foods, especially those like turkey that have bones. Be sure you or someone else in your home know how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver just in case.

Avoiding cuts, scrapes, and burns

Speaking of the kitchen, Thanksgiving gatherings center around preparing and enjoying food together. Keeping your guests out of the kitchen is the best way to avoid the kinds of cuts, scrapes, and burns that come with preparing food. If it is not possible to do so, then here are a few things you can do to protect them from injury and you from the liability:

Avoid wearing long-sleeved or loose-fitting clothing while cooking to avoid getting caught on appliances and other meal-preparation tools.
Limit the number of people allowed in the kitchen at the same time.
Keep flammable items away from hot surfaces.
Never fry a turkey indoors. Only use a turkey fryer outside to avoid fires and burns.
Turn pot and pan handles inward on the stovetop when in use.

Make sure you have a first aid kit on hand and well stocked in case any of your guests get injured. Band aids, gauze, medical tape, and tourniquets are some of the items to include in the kit.

Alcohol-related accidents and incidents

Some holiday hosts avoid serving alcohol in their homes because they do not want to assume the responsibility that comes with making sure their guests do not drink and drive. According to one report, New Mexico has the third-highest number of alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Driving while under the influence is not the only risk when serving alcohol at your Thanksgiving dinner. Guests who become drunk and belligerent may cause injury to others in your home. It is best to either limit the amount of alcohol served or forgo it entirely.

Slip-and-fall injuries

Slip-and-fall injuries are a concern for property owners any time of the year, but especially during the holidays, when more people may be visiting. Before your guests arrive, make sure to repair any uneven flooring or sidewalk surfaces and ensure there is adequate lighting for all spaces where guests might move about. Keep floors, sidewalks, and stairways dry and clear of debris to reduce slips and falls. Uncluttering is another excellent way to avoid someone getting injured while on your property. Make sure there is ample room to move in any spaces where guests will gather.

Know what to do if you suffer injuries

Thanksgiving hosts, it pays to know what you can be held liable for before you agree to bring guests into your home this holiday season. If you are a guest in someone’s home during the Thanksgiving holiday and you suffer a serious injury because of the host or another guest’s careless behavior, you have rights. Contact an attorney skilled in personal injury law to schedule a free consultation to review your case.

Stay safe, everyone, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

How to Protect Against Worker Retaliation

Written by Brandon Herrera on November 11, 2021. Posted in Civil Law. No Comments on How to Protect Against Worker Retaliation

Worker retaliation can happen any time an employee files a legal claim against their employer. Maybe they were injured on the job and have made a worker’s compensation claim. Perhaps they were the victim of discrimination due to their race or religion. Whatever the reasoning, workers have rights when they pursue legal action or other claims against their employers. Most employers know the law and do not engage in behavior that can land them in hot water. Others may carefully skirt the law and push their luck, hoping workers do not know their rights. Workers who have dared to assert themselves on the job and end up on the receiving end of retaliatory behavior should contact an attorney immediately.

What is worker retaliation?

Punishing employees for asserting their rights in the workplace is called worker retaliation. Some of the common actions that can lead to an employer trying to get back at an employee include:

Complaints about workplace discrimination or harassment.
Filing for workers’ compensation benefits.
Refusing to participate in illegal acts at the direction of an employer.
Requesting or taking a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Serving as a witness in an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation or any other legal inquiry against an employer.
Whistleblowing against an employer to prevent fraudulent or illegal practices.

Employees who face undue consequences after engaging in any of these behaviors have legal grounds for a retaliation claim against their employers.

What is protected activity?

Protected activity is the legal term describing the activities that workers can engage in without fear of retribution from their employers. Most employers understand what constitutes protected activity, but that does not mean they cannot be tempted to retaliate if they think they will not get caught. Here are some examples of things that fall within the legal definition of protected activity:

Filing a discrimination complaintagainst a supervisor or other person in a position of authority in the workplace.
Organizing a union or other collective bargaining unit to improve employment terms and workplace conditions.
Providing information in an investigation against an employer for discrimination or harassment.

These are just a few of the most common examples of protected activity in the workplace. As a rule, any discriminatory behavior as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a protected activity. This includes punitive behavior for any discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, or sexual identity/orientation.

Recognizing the signs of worker retaliation

Sometimes the signs of worker retaliation are clear while other times than can be more subtle. Termination is one of the most obvious signs that an employer is striking out against an employee who dared to engaged in a protected activity. Here are some other ways places of employment can take castigatory actions against employees.

Demotion. Employees that previously were on the fast-track for advancement within an organization that suddenly lose status, responsibilities or seniority privileges likely are victims of worker retaliation.
Exclusion. Being disinvited to staff meetings, trainings, or other official workplace activities can be a form of workplace punishment from superiors.
Negative performance reviews. When a previous star employee suddenly is on the receiving end of poor performance reviews and disciplinary action placed in their employment files, it can be a surefire sign an employer is engaging in vengeful behavior.
Reassignment. Reassigning duties and work schedules in a way that causes the employee undue hardship is a form of worker punishment.
Salary reductions. Sometimes employers fail to give raises to employees who have angered them by engaging in protected behaviors. Other times they go so far as to reduce their salaries or scheduled hours to punish them financially.

Employment-at-will status worker retaliation

Some employers erroneously think they have protection when they engage in worker retaliation because New Mexico is an “employment-at-will” state. While employment-at-will states can fire employees at any time for any reason, there are limitations. Firing a worker who engaged in a protected activity is one of them. Taking this kind of retaliatory action is a violation of federal employment law. Not only can employers who do this end up with a lawsuit filed against them by the employee, but they also can face fines and other penal actions from the federal government.

How to prove worker retaliation in New Mexico

The burden of proof falls on the employee in worker retaliation cases in New Mexico. There must be clear-cut evidence that an employer engaged in this illegal behavior to win a worker retaliation civil lawsuit. Working with attorneys who understand worker rights in New Mexico is the best move employees can make if they suspect they are victims of worker retaliation. Reach out to Cameron and Russell to schedule your complimentary case review today.

Can I Sue for ADA Compliance?

Written by Brandon Herrera on November 7, 2021. Posted in Personal Injury Case. No Comments on Can I Sue for ADA Compliance?

One in every four adults in the United States lives with a disability. Individuals with physical disabilities can sometimes encounter challenges maneuvering safely in public spaces. The Americans with Disability Act mandates that public spaces provide accommodations to disabled guests. However, loopholes exist that can allow some businesses and other public spaces to sidestep the law. ADA violations may not be enough to prove negligence on their own.

What recourse do disabled persons have when they suffer injuries because businesses and other public spaces do not meet ADA compliance? A premises liability lawsuit may be the answer in most cases.

What is premises liability?

Premises liability laws protect individuals from unsafe or defective conditions on someone else’s property. For instance, if a person trips and falls on a cracked sidewalk in front of a business and breaks their leg, the business owners can be liable for their injuries. Property owners have a legal obligation to fix or provide notice of dangers or hazards that can lead to injury. Failure to do so opens them up to personal injury lawsuits from injured parties.

Premises liability cases require the injured party to prove the property owner was negligent in their duty of care to maintain their property. The only time premise liability laws do not apply in New Mexico is when someone is trespassing on another person’s property.

ADA lawsuit vs. premises liability lawsuit

ADA lawsuits and premises liability lawsuits provide different outcomes. Disabled persons who do not suffer injuries but wish to force a business to become ADA compliant should file an ADA lawsuit. Most ADA lawsuits do not include settlements or rulings that provide the complainant with financial compensation. The usual outcome involves the business or public space ordered to become ADA compliant.

Premises liability lawsuits work best for individuals injured by a business’s lack of ADA compliance who seek fair compensation for their injuries. ADA compliance issues like damaged flooring, lack of handrails in the bathroom, and entrances without ramps all can lead to serious injuries of disabled patrons. However, victims who file premises liability claims should not consider their cases a slam dunk. Business owners must be aware of the hazard the ADA violation posed to be liable for injuries. Hiring an attorney skilled in premises liability law can help improve your chances of success.

Photo courtesy ADA Accessibility Standards Guidelines.

Ramps and curbs: the source of most ADA violations

Failing to install and maintain ADA compliant sidewalks and curbs gets a lot of businesses in legal hot water. Broken sidewalks, crumbling stairs, and steep curbs can cause injuries to mobile persons. They also can spell disaster for disabled individuals trying to access a business or other public accommodation.

ADA Accessibility Standards spell out where ramps and curbs must be installed to meet ADA compliance. The standards include measurements for each component of the curb or ramp.

Ramps and Curb Ramps

Ramps and curb ramps are required along accessible routes with changes in level greater than half an inch. The ADA permits platform lifts and elevators to be used alternatively. Accessible routes with slopes steeper than 5 percent must follow the same guidelines for ramps.

Slope and Cross Slope

Providing the least possible slope offers the best usability for both disabled and non-disabled users, according to the U.S. Access Board. Slope is the proportion of vertical rise to horizontal length. The recommended ratio is 1:12, or 8.33 percent.

Clear Width

There must be a clear width of 36 inches minimum between the handrails on a ramp. Width requirements accommodate the average size of a wheelchair, which is between 30 and 32 inches. Individual health and safety codes may dictate clear width that extends beyond the minimum.

Rise

Run height is limited to 30 inches maximum, but ramps may have as many runs as needed. Longer ramps with numerous runs can be difficult for people using manual wheelchairs and should be avoided if possible.

Landings

Every run must have level landings at the bottom and top. The ADA does not permit changes in level greater than 1:48 for landings. They also must be designed in such a way that water does not accumulate there, which can pose significant hazards to people using wheelchairs.

Other Specifications

The standards also cover required specifications for:

Doorways at landings.
Handrails.
Edge protection.
Wet conditions.

Property owners should review and ensure compliance to avoid becoming liable for serious injuries by disabled visitors.

Using premises liability to pursue ADA violations

When property owners fail to meet required obligations for equal access, disabled persons can and do end up with serious injuries. Cameron & Russell recently recovered $600,000 as part of a premises liability lawsuit. Our client in the case suffered horrific injuries when he fell out of his wheelchair because a walkway was blocked by a tractor-trailer. This is just one example of how we can help recover damages for disabled persons injured because of a property owner’s negligence. Call 505-218-7844 or request an appointment online to schedule your free case consultation.