Apple, Google, Intel and Others Admit Secret Pact That Potentially Harmed Employees

Six Silicon Valley corporate giants, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Pixar and Adobe Systems admit they had a secret agreement not to hire employees away from the other companies using “cold call” tactics. In violation of federal anti-trust law, the companies agreed to the “no cold call” pact in 1996. According to documents from the U.S.…

Short Sale Real Estate Fraud on Rise in California

The state of California issued several formal accusations of fraud and a “desist and refrain” order in August against San Ramon-based IQ Smarter Investments Inc. The company is exploiting Short Sale Real Estate deals in California and ripping off people who are desperate to sell their houses. A short sale occurs when a mortgage holder…

One Dead, Four Hospitalized in Tour Bus Crash

A Wolf’s Bus Line tour bus crashed through a guardrail and slid down a 45 foot tree-covered embankment on Interstate 270 near Bethesda, Maryland recently. The bus driver, Joseph A. Clabaugh Jr. was found dead at the scene. All eleven passengers, including five children, were injured in the crash and treated at local hospitals. Four…

PG&E Found Negligent in Electrocution Death of California Worker

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been ordered to pay a $176,000 fine for the electrocution of employee Maximiliano Martinez in Benicia, California earlier this year. Martinez, a PG&E utility worker, was killed while upgrading an underground transformer with 12,000 volt power lines feeding into the vault that held the transformer. Martinez, age…

Ohio Security Guard Killed at Work by Forklift

Ohio security guard Pedro Alvarez was killed by a forklift at the Charles Jones Produce plant where he worked. Alvarez, the night security guard at the tomato processing plant, walked in front of the forklift and was hit when the driver did not see him. Alvarez was pronounced dead at the scene. The forklift driver…

Employees Winning More Judgments against Employers over Wage Issues During Recession

The current recession has apparently caused numerous employers to cut corners and squeeze wage earners – sometimes illegally. Much to the chagrin of businesses, employees are fighting back and winning big judgments for unpaid wages. Wage and hour lawsuits are on the rise and it is costing employers millions of dollars in California and across…

UC Davis Olive Center Study Found Imported Olive Oil’s Label Claims of “Extra Virgin” Misleading

A recent study published by the UC Davis Olive Center discovered that 69% of imported olive oils tested were not “extra virgin” as their labels claimed.  Before this study, despite widespread rumors and media reports, there was no concrete evidence that extra virgin olive oil was being adulterated. The study offers the first accurate, scientific…

Callahan and Blaine file $40 million Wrongful Death Suit for Family of California Skating Rink Victim

Cherylynn Tang was ice skating at a temporary rink at Great Park with her family on February 14th, 2010 when she slipped on the ice and struck her head. She tragically died of her injuries two days later. Callahan & Blaine has filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Irvine, California…

Update on Deadly Huntington Beach, California Crosswalk

Huntington Beach residents have been concerned for many years that the intersection at Springdale and Croupier is unsafe.  The intersection has a decades-long history of fatal and non-fatal pedestrian accidents. Despite this, parents of children at Clegg Elementary School and Stacey Middle School learned September 7th that due to budget cuts, a crossing guard would…