California Injury Attorney Blog

Take Heart, Take a Break
Recently, CNN Health reported that overtime hours can be hazardous to your health. A new study found that those who work in excess of 10 hours a day are more susceptible to heart problems, including heart attack and heart disease. At seven hours the danger of these diseases lessens. All the more reason to make sure that if you are working overtime you are paid for it and that you pay attention to your health.

The California Injury Attorney Blog has posted previously on the ways that employers attempt to avoid paying workers appropriate compensation by classifying them as exempt. The financial impact on workers who are misclassified by their employers is real and damaging. That is why it is so important to know your rights to overtime pay.

And now there is a new potential harm to those clocking long hours on the job with or without appropriate pay -- heart problems.

Balancing Act
The suspected cause of the heart problems for those working long hours is the lack of time to relax and alleviate stress. Long hours can be heartfelt, but not in a good way. Even if you don't feel particularly stressed, your heart can be suffering on the job

The lead author of the study, Dr. Marianna Virtanen at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London says the link between heart health and work hours has to do with balance. It's a risk factor that is overlooked if "you do not have enough time to take care of your health," says Dr. Virtanen.

The study included the health impact to over 6,000 civil servants in Britain who were followed for over a decade. Although the workers in the study were white-collar workers, the findings might well be applicable to those working in other jobs that require long hours and limited time for personal health.

If you are working long hours and you believe you may be entitled to overtime pay, please contact the San Francisco law firm of Hersh & Hersh for a free evaluation of your situation. We have experience helping workers get the pay to which they are entitled and we can evaluate your rights at no charge to you.

Don't let long hours go unpaid. And take time to take care of yourself and your heart health.

Related Web Resources

For more information on your right to over time pay, visit the California Department of Industrial Relations.

The story of Fen-Phen is long and arduous. The drug Fen-Phen caused serious injury and death and although it has been off the market for over ten years now, many patients were not diagnosed with the serious medical conditions that it caused until after they had stopped taking the diet pill.

The lawyers of Hersh & Hersh, who bring you the California Injury Lawyer Blog, were the first firm to take action against the drug manufacturer who made Fen-Phen. The firm was the first to file and settle a lawsuit making the connection between Fen-Phen diet pills and the progressive and potentially fatal disease, primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).

The impact of the drug was of historic proportions, but not in a good way. Many people were harmed as these pills caused such serious injury in some cases the only way to survive was lung transplantation. The symptoms for many Fen-Phen users did not appear immediately. And when they did, they were serious or fatal.

Sadly, this is not the end for the impact that diet drugs and supplements can have on the unsuspecting public. The long term adverse health effects of taking some of these quick-fix drugs and supplements can be very dangerous indeed.

Diet drugs, supplements and other substances are sold to the public by the millions. We want our readers to be aware that there can be not only adverse medical consequences for taking diet drugs and herbal substances, but it is possible for these substances to interfere with other prescription medications a person is taking at the same time.

It is important to be knowledgeable about what you are taking and in what combinations. There are many resources available for this information. For example, the Mayo Clinic website has an entire section devoted to the importance of knowing what you are taking and how it will interact with your other medications.

The story of Fen-Phen is tragic. Arm yourself with information before taking herbal or other supplements that claim to be helpful or good for you.

Continue reading "Lessons Learned? Fen-Phen and Beyond." »

Last week a jury awarded a couple in Georgia $317 thousand against Yamaha for injuries sustained by the husband while using his Yamaha off-road Rhino-model recreational-utility vehicle. Other cases are pending against Yamaha for product liability for alleged defects in the off-road vehicle.

More cases are expected to follow given that this case was not an extreme injury. As reported by law.com, plaintiffs' counsel expects to see many other cases already filed in Georgia to go-ahead based on this verdict.

In this case, the injuries were not extreme, but the jury still found liability against Yamaha. The injured plaintiff was turning when the vehicle tipped over and trapped his leg which was crushed under its weight.

Plaintiffs' argued that the Rhino should have had a barrier to protect the rider's legs. The company placed doors on the Rhino after this accident occurred. According to the plaintiffs' lawyers, the jury, which took ten hours in deliberations after a two-week trial, was swayed by Yamaha's failure to test the Rhino for possible issues with occupant containment.

Yamaha is maintaining a "Truth About Rhino" website which states the company "is disappointed by the jury's decision to find for the plaintiff in this case and will pursue all appropriate legal remedies, including possible appeal."

Continue reading "Yamaha Takes $317 Thousand Hit in Georgia Off-Road Vehicle Case " »