She was Hot, Sweaty, Dirty and Very Slippery (yep, it’s Tortelicious)

June 29th, 2010. By LucyC

Welcome to Totally Tortelicious—a review of some of the more bizarre legal stories making news—and there’s certainly no shortage of them.

But did she Stick to the Car Seats? Is there something in the water? Is the moon full? Are we witnessing the birth of a new social movement? This is the second car theft involving nude or partially nude women that I’ve seen in the last two months. Maybe it cuts down on the drag—speeds up the get away? Whatever the reasoning—it’s not very solid—as both women got caught. Unlike Brandi Smith, the woman who stole a bottle of wine in Nevada—who was only topless (yes, now it’s only), Sylvina Beagley our latest nude car thief, raised the bar—or would that be lowered?—She stole two cars, starkers, before being tasered (was that really necessary?) and subsequently arrested. 

Ms. Beagley, apparently in her thirties, stole the first car from a highway worker who was posting a sign on the side of the road. She stopped the car she was currently driving, got out and stole the highway worker’s vehicle. So, in the tradition of the best Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton skits, the road worker got into Beagley’s car and chased her down highway 111 somewhere in or near West Valley, Utah. 

The road worker managed to contact the local police who tracked her down. Imagine calling that one in… 

So two police were dispatched and took up the chase. The traveling party eventually came to a standstill in the woods. The officers attempted to arrest Ms. Beagley but failed, according to police reports, because the sweat and dirt on the woman’s body prevented the officers from getting a good grip on her (seriously, that headline above is a quote from the police captain). Ok, I’m not touching that one. 

Beagley managed to escape in the police cruiser—making it a whopping 50 or so Read the rest of this entry »

BP Oil Spill Fix #18 – Like a Punctured Bike Tire

June 28th, 2010. By AbiK

I don’t know what the goop is called that you fill a bike tire puncture with—you know, that green stuff that’s supposed to “fill” the hole and spread and seal to ensure that the air stops leaking out. But when I read the fix for the BP Oil Spill below—from a reader named Michael—I kind of envision the same thing going on. It’s sort of like a get-a-glob-of-goop-to-glom-onto-it fix (did you catch the alliteration attempt there?). And, much like fixing a bike tire puncture, there’s that same sense of “God, I sure hope this holds!” as you swing that leg back over the seat and feel a slight give in the pressure of the tire below—doubly confirmed by a glance downward at its bulging sides.

But hey, as I watch the live video stream showing—still—the oil spewing into the gulf, and I watched the seemingly helpless-looking “hands across the sand” protesters, I’m thinking a fix that requires a bit of prayer along with it is better than a fix that just plain don’t seem to be working. No? So here’s what Michael had to say…

Fix the BP Oil Spill Idea #18

“Why not just pour a few hundred gallons of epoxy through a couple tubes guided by robots over the whole thing? If the rupture manages to get through before it hardens, then at least the hole will be more definite.”

Got an idea you’d like to share? Let us know. Or email our editor at .

Thanks for sharing your idea Michael!

 

What’s Got You Annoyed? Take a Look…

June 28th, 2010. By AbiK

I have this little Monday morning ritual where I take a look at all the comments and claims that come in to LawyersAndSettlements.com over the weekend. Seems that’s when a lot of folks allow themselves a moment or two to think about what’s really pissing them off. Things like defective products, denied insurance claims, whatever. But there are always a few topics that folks write in about that seem to hit a common nerve (or, shall I say, that proverbial last nerve?).

So just in case you were wondering, here are some things that have you annoyed today…

• GM Saturn transmissions
• Hyundai Tiburon clutch issues
• Overtime Pay (or the lack thereof)
• Trex Decks–things like mold growth and surface “flaking”
• Bank of America
• BP Oil Spill
• CertainTeed roof shingles
• Citizens Bank
• PRA LLC (debt collection)
• Amiodarone (heart medicine)

Ok folks—I know I must be missing some here—so feel free to add to the list. Oh, and for the record, health insurance companies are what’s pissing me off today. Try this one on for size: I just received a Statement of Benefits that’s indicates my “Group” is an employer I haven’t worked for in five years—and yes, my medical provider had the correct insurance plan information. So what do you think happened to the claim? DENIED.

BP Oil Spill Fix #17 – Take Heart

June 24th, 2010. By AbiK

Today’s reports indicate that the impact of the BP Oil Spill is now reaching not only places like Pensacola, FL, but I even saw a local news report linking the oil spill to some environmental concerns in the Meadowlands region in NJ, just outside of Manhattan. The reach of this disaster now reminds me of some sort of unwanted plaque travelling through the major water arteries of the nation—and as such, it’s sort of fitting how many of our readers have come up with ideas for fixing the oil spill that resemble angioplasty. For example, here’s one that came in to us today from one of our readers, Eddie:

Fix the BP Oil Spill Idea #17

“I think that if they can get a large enough balloon, that they can stuff it down in there and inflate it, that it will stop it long enough for them to weld it shut.”

Got an idea you’d like to share? Let us know. Or email our editor at .

Thanks for sharing your idea Eddie!

Asbestos News Roundup: 6.24.10

June 24th, 2010. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of.

Asbestos Law

Ventura, CA: The owner of an apartment complex in Ventura, and the general contractor he hired to remove asbestos contaminated popcorn ceilings from several units in the complex, are facing a possible $10,000 fine for improper removal of the contaminated building debris. 

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District tested some of the materials being removed from the ceilings and found an elevated level of asbestos. Both Tony Biedul, the owner and Bill Bigler, the contractor who owns Quality Custom Painting, were issued numerous notices of violation, each carrying a fine of as much as $10K. The apartments were built in 1964. (VenturaTimes.com)  

Asbestos Hot Spots

San Francisco, CA: The San Francisco Gate reported this week that the Sierra Nevada trails in California are pockmarked with asbestos contaminated soil around the mouths of now defunct gold mines. The Sierra Nevada was made famous during the gold rush when thousands of mine shafts were dug and operated, and which now stand abandoned. However, the area is among California’s most popular recreation sites. (SFChronicle.com)

The asbestos dust—and asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral in this area—was brought up to the surface by the miners, and settled into the soil. But the toxic fibers can be stirred up by bicycles, horses, hikers, and off-road recreational vehicles. In an interview with the SF Gate, Elizabeth Martin, chief executive for the non-profit Sierra Fund, said that as well as bringing hundreds of thousands of people to California, the gold rush “also brought mining machines that ripped down sides of mountains and tunneled thousands of feet into rock, leaving behind arsenic and lead. This is the longest neglected environmental problem in California.” 

Researchers for the agency recently conducted soil tests on 80 samples from 11 trails and recreation spots in the Foresthill, Downieville and Nevada City areas. They reportedly found extremely high levels of asbestos, along with arsenic and lead. The group says California’s 47,000 abandoned mines pose significant threats to public safety, particularly in the dry summer months when families flock to the foothills. (SFGate.com)

Guilderland, NY: Classes have been suspended and students sent home at Westmere Elementary School Thursday, following what is being reported as a “minor asbestos disturbance.” 

At about 8:30 am Wednesday morning, contractors working in the custodial area disturbed the asbestos. The area is now closed and will remain so until asbestos abatement has been completed. Test results are due back Thursday afternoon, and if the results are negative the school will reopen Friday. (CBS06 News)

Louisville, KY: Asbestos has been discovered in the office of now deceased George Unseld, a Metro Councilman for Louisville. Unseld collapsed in his office on June 11, and died later at the University of Louisville Hospital. The asbestos has been found in the mastic which is the glue under the carpet in his office. The asbestos was discovered when the carpet was being removed.