Tag Archives: environmental law

Porter Ranch Gas Leak Victims Ask Weitz and Luxenberg and Erin Brockovich for Help

environmental law

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 11, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A standing-room-only crowd of more than 2,200 affected residents gathered Wednesday night in Porter Ranch, California. They were there to listen to environmental activist Erin Brockovich, scientists and attorneys from Weitz & Luxenberg discuss their legal options against Southern California Gas Co. due to a leak from the natural gas storage well in the hills above their homes, the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg today reported.

The people who attended the meeting voiced concerns about their health, the health of their children, and the numerous economic losses due to the harmful leak. In addition to the rotten-egg smell, residents are suffering ongoing and debilitating health issues and loss of quality of life.

There were more than 2,000 attendees who signed forms requesting individual consultations with the nationally known law firm's attorneys, Weitz & Luxenberg said.

Hundreds more indicated they planned to sign forms available online after the supply of paper forms available at the townhall meeting ran out, the law firm added.

The law firm explained that the consultations will help Porter Ranch residents more fully understand the full extent of their legal individual rights to compensation from Southern California Gas Co., owner of the leaking natural gas storage well.

The consultations will also help those who decide to sue the utility prepare for the next steps in their quest for justice, the firm added.

Porter Ranch Residents Described Health Problems:

Weitz & Luxenberg's attorneys were joined at the townhall by famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich, the firm said.

Brockovich and the attorneys shared with attendees the latest news about the gas leak. The leak is coming from an 8,500-foot-deep storage well that can hold 86 billion cubic yards of the methane-rich fuel, Weitz & Luxenberg noted.

Southern California Gas Co. has indicated that it could be three to four months yet before the leak is stopped, according to various news reports. It has been leaking since at least late October.

Porter Ranch residents have complained of health problems affecting them, but especially their children, said Robin. L. Greenwald, who heads Weitz & Luxenberg's Environmental, Toxic Tort & Consumer Protection litigation unit. They have begged for a new location for their children's school, so that their children can stay with their teachers and friends, without jeopardizing their health on a daily basis.

Health complaints have included episodes of nosebleeds, headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, skin rash, fatigue, eye irritation and respiratory problems, Greenwald said.

"In particular there have been reports of constant nosebleeds, with children affected most of all," she said. "Taken together, these problems are causing children to miss school - and causing parents to miss work by having to stay home to take care of their sick children."

Porter Ranch Gas Leak Lawsuits Planned:

A sizable number of Porter Ranch families have abandoned their homes to avoid further health consequences and because of the intolerable odor of the gas, Greenwald indicated. Many more want replacement housing, but the gas company either offers them housing that is inadequate for their needs, such as a one-room hotel for a family of 5, forcing them to leave their pets behind, or denies their request because their housing needs are too expensive. Add to this insult that it is holiday time, when children and families typically gather at their homes with family and neighbors and now can't.

By the time the townhall meeting convened, approximately 1,150 families had relocated. More than 2,500 other families were still awaiting relocation, according to news reports.

Townhall attendees heard from Brockovich and from Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys about using the legal system to seek monetary damages for their injuries and hardships, the firm said. The residents also deserve a medical monitoring regime, paid for by the gas company, to measure their health over the coming years and a monthly stipend from the company to help with the additional costs they are incurring from the gas leak.

Brockovich and the attorneys also discussed the possibility of obtaining a court order that would alleviate some of the immediate issues residents currently face, the law firm said, such as a safe location for the schools and adequate alternative housing until the leak is stopped.

There have been some positive signs on at least one front since the meeting. The school board has developed a survey for all parents to take, asking whether they want the district to relocate the schools until the leak is capped.

Parents have until 5 p.m. on December 11, 2015 to respond to the survey. Based on the participants at the Wednesday night meeting, the parents will overwhelmingly vote "yes" to relocating the schools for their children's safety and well being.

About Weitz & Luxenberg:

Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. is among the nation's leading and most readily recognized personal injury and consumer protection law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg's numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, products liability, consumer protection, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of experience handling such cases. You can contact the firm's Client Relations department at 800-476-6070 or at info@weitzlux.com.

More information: http://www.weitzlux.com/.

Twitter: @WeitzLuxenberg

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/porter-ranch-gas-leak-victims-ask-weitz-and-luxenberg-and-erin-brockovich-for-help-2015-1211-01.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Weitz and Luxenberg P.C. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Weitz and Luxenberg to Target Volkswagen Over ‘Defeat Device’ Emissions Recall

Environmental Law

NEW YORK, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Owners of recalled Volkswagen diesel passenger cars sold with emissions controls designed to cheat during smog tests may be entitled to compensation from the automaker, the nationally known personal injury law firm Weitz & Luxenberg said today.

The firm announced plans to bring a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen on behalf of defrauded consumers across the country, including in California and New York, where Weitz & Luxenberg has offices.

Weitz & Luxenberg said it believes that consumers who purchased one of the 482,000 Volkswagen vehicles the federal government last week ordered recalled may be entitled to damages from Volkswagen.

According to Robin L. Greenwald, who heads Weitz & Luxenberg's Environmental, Toxic Tort & Consumer Protection litigation unit, owners could recover an amount of money equal to the lost value of their car. The diesel engine on these cars increased their purchase price by several thousands of dollars, she explained.

"When owners of the recalled Volkswagen cars bought them they were promised a lawfully compliant emission system, but that promise turned out to be a deliberate falsehood because Volkswagen built into the emission system a 'defeat device,'" Greenwald said.

"That device tricked the consumer and the government when the vehicle was brought in for emission tests - allowing the vehicle to pass the test - even though when on the road the vehicle far exceeded allowable emissions," she said.

"As a result of the intentional misrepresentation, these recalled Volkswagen cars will be worth substantially less than paid for," Greenwald indicated.

'Defeat Device' Allowed Volkswagen Cars to Pass:

According to NBC News, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered that Volkswagen rigged its onboard emission control software with special programming - the 'defeat device.'

This programming allowed each car undergoing an official smog test to appear to be compliant with California's strictest-in-the-nation emissions standard as well as those set by other states and the EPA, NBC News said.

Volkswagen's software was capable of detecting when the car was undergoing an official smog test and would automatically adjust the engine performance to reduce exhaust pollution levels, NBC News reported.

Then, when the smog test ended, the software would readjust engine performance back to normal, a setting at which the car would spew toxic fumes far in excess of legal limits, NBC News said.

"As an indication of how bad this fraud is, Volkswagen actually touts these vehicles as 'clean diesel,'" said Greenwald.

The recall covers the model years 2009-2015 Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Golf, and Audi A3, as well as the 2014-2015 Volkswagen Passat, according to news sources cited by Weitz & Luxenberg.

Weitz & Luxenberg Meeting Volkswagen Owners:

Weitz & Luxenberg said that at this stage of the pending litigation its consumer protection attorneys plan to focus on meeting with Volkswagen car owners to explore their legal rights to compensation from Volkswagen.

The firm said interested Volkswagen owners will receive a no-cost, no-obligation evaluation. To schedule such a meeting, consumers may contact Weitz & Luxenberg at (212) 558-5925 or by filling out a request form online at http://www.weitzlux.com/.

Said Greenwald: "Emission standards exist to protect the health and welfare of our citizens. For Volkswagen to have purposefully designed an emission system intended to deceive consumers and the public with regard to the performance of their vehicles and also to deceive the government during emission tests is indefensible.

"Consumers were lured into purchasing these vehicles on the belief that they were high-performing vehicles with excellent emission controls. Instead, they now find out that they paid a premium for a vehicle that secretly installed software designed to hide nitrogen oxide emissions that contribute to ozone, smog and the increase in human health concerns."

About Weitz & Luxenberg:

Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. is among the nation's leading and most readily recognized personal injury and consumer protection law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg's numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, products liability, consumer protection, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of consumer fraud are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of experience handling such cases. You can contact the firm's Client Relations department at 800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com.

More information: http://www.weitzlux.com/.

Twitter: @WeitzLuxenberg

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/weitz-and-luxenberg-to-target-volkswagen-over-defeat-device-emissions-recall-2015-0921-03.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Weitz and Luxenberg P.C. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

Weitz and Luxenberg Exploring Southern California Oil Spill Victims’ Claims

environmental law

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 21, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Weitz & Luxenberg P.C., today announced it is investigating claims from members of the fishing industry, property owners and others harmed by an oil spill that began Tuesday and blighted the shoreline just north of Santa Barbara, California.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in response to the oil spill.

NBC News reported the spill dumped about 105,000 gallons from a break in a 2-foot-diameter pipeline that runs through the northern part of Santa Barbara County.

Oil from the pipeline rupture flowed to the beach where it then entered the water and created 9-miles of oil slick in the ocean, affecting 4 miles of beach, CNN said.

Santa Barbara Oil Spill Causing Harm:

According to news reports, popular beaches and campgrounds in the affected area were ordered evacuated, and officials said that some beaches would be closed for Memorial Day weekend.

"California's coastal region is home to a rich and diverse habitat and is a vital part of the state's economy because of the variety of businesses supported by those Pacific waters - chief among them fishing and tourism," explained Robin Greenwald, who heads Weitz & Luxenberg's Environmental, Toxic Tort & Consumer Protection Unit.

"Memorial Day weekend is typically a three-day period when local businesses expect some of their biggest economic gains of the year," she indicated. "Because of the oil spill, those gains may not materialize this year."

"The full extent of the spill is yet to be determined, but fishermen and coastal property owners will likely suffer economic harm, too, by this spill," Greenwald added.

Greenwald said Weitz & Luxenberg is no stranger to aiding businesses and property owners who suffer economic harms from oil spills.

Beginning in 2010, the law firm represented fishermen, businesses and individuals who suffered losses after the oil giant BP's offshore drilling rig exploded, spewing millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, she said.

Weitz & Luxenberg, joined by other law firms, convinced BP to enter a massive financial settlement. The settlement compensated hundreds of thousands of fishermen, businesses and individuals whose livelihoods and/or property were damaged in the course of the spill, said Greenwald, a key player in the settlement negotiations.

Money May Be Owed to Santa Barbara Oil Spill Victims:

The flow of oil from the burst pipeline eventually was stopped, the Coast Guard said.

However, the news media raised the possibility that the pipeline owner - Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline - may have allowed the leak to continue for hours before shutting off the flow.

Weitz & Luxenberg said that under California law, the pipeline owner had a duty to exercise reasonable care in preventing this kind of disaster from occurring.

"The company created an unacceptable risk of economic harm to innocent people and businesses," said Greenwald.

Santa Barbara oil-spill victims who contact Weitz & Luxenberg are eligible for a no-cost, no-obligation evaluation of their legal rights against the oil company

To obtain the free consultation, oil-spill victims can reach the law firm toll-free at (800) 476-6070 or online at www.weitzlux.com, Greenwald said.

About Weitz & Luxenberg:

Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. is among the nation's leading and most readily recognized personal injury and consumer protection law firms. Weitz & Luxenberg's numerous litigation areas include: mesothelioma, defective medicine and devices, environmental pollutants, products liability, consumer protection, accidents, personal injury, and medical malpractice. Victims of consumer fraud are invited to rely on Weitz & Luxenberg's more than 25 years of experience handling such cases. You can contact the firm's Client Relations department at 800-476-6070 or at clientrelations@weitzlux.com.

More information: http://www.weitzlux.com/.

TWITTER: @WeitzLuxenberg

To view the original version on Send2Press Newswire, visit: https://www.send2press.com/newswire/weitz-luxenberg-exploring-southern-california-oil-spill-victims-claims-2015-0521-02.shtml.

NEWS SOURCE Weitz and Luxenberg P.C. :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (who is solely responsible for its accuracy) by and Copr. © 2015 Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.