After 15 surgeries, 2 months in the hospital, and 4 years later, an Olympia, WA man settled a $2 million, dangerous highway design lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Transportation (WADOT). The man’s critical injuries occurred after crashing his motorcycle while turning left at a highly controversial intersection. Although safety officials and state studies […]

Publication Date:  09/02/2010 Source:  Marketwatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — When dogs bite people, insurers often pay. But what happens when bed bugs bite? Bed bug infestations in the U.S. have multiplied at an alarming rate in recent years. A recent survey of almost 1,000 pest exterminators found that 95% of the firms had dealt with […]

After three years of environmental litigation, a Trust in Indiana was awarded $4.3 million in cleanup costs for two sites contaminated with lead and polychlorinatedbiphenals (PCBs).  The Trust filed the suit in 2007 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Indiana Environmental Legal Action (ELA) statute for cleanup costs for the […]

Acknowledgement to Great American A utility contractor was subject to clean-up costs after vandals opened an on-site mobile refueling tank causing diesel fuel to be released onto virgin soil.

Acknowledgement to Great American A utility contractor left an unfinished concrete vault open over the weekend. Heavy rains washed away sediment controls allowing sand and silt to be released from the unfinished vault into the adjacent bay. The contractor was subsequently fined by a regulatory agency for natural resource damage resulting from the release of […]

Acknowledgement to Great American A street and road contractor was hired to re-pave a 25-mile section of highway. During the project, one of the contractor’s dump trucks accidentally backed into and ruptured a mobile refueling tank. 300 gallons of diesel fuel was released onto the surface and migrated into a nearby storm drain.

Acknowledgement to Great American Inadequate erosion control measures implemented during construction of an abutment for a highway overpass resulted in petroleum-impacted sediment to be deposited into a pristine waterway. The street and road contractor was required to pay for clean-up costs and natural resource damages.

Acknowledgement to Great American During construction activities, a crane used to lift concrete barriers overturned. The accident ruptured the crane’s hydraulic hoses spilling all its fluid onto the ground. The contractor was required to pay for clean-up costs arising from the spill.

Acknowledgement to Great American A steel erection contractor accidentally caused a release of diesel fuel at a construction site when a crane operator dropped a steel beam. The beam landed on a small tanker truck that was brought onto the site to refuel other construction equipment. The cost of the emergency clean-up was in excess […]

Acknowledgement to Great American A subcontractor working for a street and road contractor performed abrasive sandblasting on a bridge located near a residential area. Lead paint chips and dust from the sandblasting became airborne and migrated onto residential properties, requiring clean-up. The residents filed property damage claims against the street and road contractor and the subcontractor […]

Acknowledgement to Great American A roofing contractor applied polyurethane foam along with layers of elastomeric protective coatings to a roof of a commercial building. After completion of the building, workers in the building began to suffer respiratory problems caused by irritants in the coatings. Suits for bodily injury and business interruption were filed against the […]

Acknowledgement to Great American A plumbing contractor installing a lawn sprinkler system did not install adequate vacuum breakers on the discharge side of the water supply valves. When pressure in a drinking water system fed by the same water main fell below atmospheric pressure, a vacuum was created which caused back-siphonage of stagnant water from […]