Daily Archives: March 7, 2013 - 5 results

Cement contractor Halliburton made critical mistakes in formulating and testing cement used in BP’s Macondo well, but BP shared responsibility for the success of the job, according to expert testimony given today in the civil trial over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Cement expert Glen Benge was on the stand for the second day, detailing nine distinct problems with the cement well construction that ultimately contributed to the blowout that killed 11 workers and spewed millions of barrels of oil …

  A writer is hoping to light a fire under people with his new play, “Incendiary Agents,” which premiered in New York City. It’s about two brothers who organize a break-in at a local draft board office to protest the Vietnam War.  Loosely based on historical incidents, the play addresses civil disobedience and even breaking the law in efforts to change it.  Lawyers.com Editorial Director Betsy Kim takes you behind the curtains to meet the production’s playwright and producer. The …

A worker who was fired for her panic attacks won a $21.7 million jury verdict against her employer, including $16.5 million in punitive damages for the employer’s malice. April Rodriguez was a customer service rep for waste disposal company Valley Vista Services. The 34-year-old mother of four asked for time off and work accommodations to deal with her panic attacks. Instead, she was fired. She sued her employer and its parent company, Zerep Management Corp., claiming her firing was illegal …

New evidence has come to light that shows Michael Jackson’s doctor was under pressure by promoters to help the pop star perform at an upcoming concert. Jackson’s mother and three children have sued AEG Live, which was putting on the concert Jackson was supposed to play in London that summer. Conrad Murray was sentenced in November 2011 to serve four years for involuntary manslaughter of Jackson, who died from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and sedatives.   Wrongful Death …

A school voucher program in Douglas County, Col., that allows students to use public money to pay for private religious school tuition does not violate the state’s constitution, an appeals court ruled last week. The program, created in March 2011, would give up to $4,575 each to 500 students to spend on one of 23 private schools, 16 of them with religious affiliations. However, no one has seen the money yet. A district court issued an injunction in August 2011, …