Andrew Collins filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, alleging that Noble Drilling violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Collins, an African American resident of Harris County, claims that he was subjected to harassment, threats, intimidation, discrimination and disparate treatment because of his race, which caused him embarrassment and emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, Noble Drilling denied Collins the privileges, benefits, terms and conditions of employment. The complaint alleges that the company retaliated against Collins by transferring him to a less desirable offshore facility after he reported racial and sexual harassment. Noble Drilling threatened Collins with disciplinary action and wrongfully terminated his employment, the lawsuit claims.

Collins seeks back pay including lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages, attorney fees and costs, as well as other relief to which he may be entitled. A trial by jury has been demanded.

Noble Drilling, based in Sugar Land, Texas, operates about 30 drilling rigs, including 14 jackups and 16 semi-submersibles. In 2015, revenue from Shell Oil accounted from 49 percent of the company’s income. The company announced mass layoffs in January 2016.

Gregory D. Jordan is an employment lawyer. To learn more, visit http://www.theaustintriallawyer.com or call 512-419-0684.

Linda J. Donnie is suing Central United Life, claiming employment discrimination. Donnie filed the lawsuit in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas on October 27.

The lawsuit claims that Donnie was hired as associate manager of the underwriting department of Central United Life. She had 14 years of prior experience. According to the complaint, positions under Donnie were eliminated, leaving her solely responsible for the department. The complaint alleges that after a younger white woman was hired as chief operations officer, Donnie, an African-American, began to have her decisions questioned and overriden. Donnie claims that she was presented in a bad light to the corporation and to customers.

The lawsuit states that after Donnie filed a grievance, she was required to participate in an “improvement plan” and experienced a hostile work environment. She was ultimately dismissed for stated grounds based on an underwriting decision she had made a year earlier. The lawsuit claims age discrimination, racial discrimination, retaliation and harassment. Donnie is seeking damages, front and back pay, reinstatement and an injunction against further discrimination.

Gregory D. Jordan is a business lawyer and business litigation attorney in Austin, TX. To learn more, visit http://www.theaustintriallawyer.com or call 512-419-0684.

Robert Green filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.

In the lawsuit, Green says that he is an African-American male who was employed as a fourth grade teacher in the school district. He claims he was told in April 2013 that his contract would not be renewed due to poor job performance. Green states that he was not informed of any issues regarding his job performance beforehand.

Green alleges that in March 2013, a new principal, Toren Woolridge, was hired. Green claims that Woolridge criticized his job performance and accused him of threatening Woolridge, but that Woolridge actually threatened him. Green said he filed claims with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reporting the incident.

According to further claims in the lawsuit, Green was not given an opportunity to correct any alleged deficiencies in his job performance before his employment was terminated.

Green alleges race discrimination, breach of contract and retaliation. He is seeking an unspecified amount of damages for lost pay, earning potential and benefits.

Gregory D. Jordan is an employment lawyer. To learn more, visit http://www.theaustintriallawyer.com or call 512-419-0684.

Cleveland McGuire filed the lawsuit against Mundy Companies Inc. in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.

McGuire says in the lawsuit that he is an African-American male who worked as a general foreman in charge of maintenance operations at Mundy’s plant. He claims that he was the only black male supervisor at the plant.

According to the lawsuit, on October 9, 2013, a white female worker became upset over a workplace incident involving a black worker and began shouting racial slurs directed toward McGuire. McGuire claims that he reported the incident to a Mundy superintendent and shift leader, but no action was taken. McGuire states that after he reported the incident, the white female worker made false claims of sexual harassment against him.

McGuire claims that he was wrongfully terminated on October 21, 2013. A white man was hired to fill his position. According to the lawsuit, after McGuire complained to the company, Mundy rehired him in a lower-paying position. However, on November 18, 2013, McGuire filed an Equal Opportunity Commission complaint based on the previous incident. He claims that his employment was then terminated for a second time in retaliation on December 16, 2013.

McGuire claims race discrimination, retaliation and age discrimination. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for lost earnings, lost wages and mental pain and suffering. He has requested a jury trial.

Gregory D. Jordan is an employment lawyer. To learn more, visit http://www.theaustintriallawyer.com or call 512-419-0684.

Landmarks around the world, including New York’s Empire State Building, will shine blue lights on Wednesday to show their support for autism awareness. Organizations large and small will host events to raise awareness of the growing public health issue of autism spectrum disorders.

World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) follows a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statistics show, According to the report, one in 68 American children have an autism diagnosis, a 30 percent increase from a CDC study conducted last year, and more than double the number of children estimated to have autism in a 2000 study.

Experts do not know whether autism is actually affecting more people or whether diagnoses have increased as awareness of the disorder grows. According to CDC estimates, approximately 1.2 million people under the age of 21 in the U.S. have some form of autism.

Autism continues to be more prevalent in boys than in girls, with boys being diagnosed at a rate that is four and a half times greater than the rate for girls. Autism is also diagnosed more commonly in white children than in Hispanic or African-American children, which researchers believe is primarily due to a difference in reporting rather than in actual prevalence of the disorder.

Autism awareness focuses on the push for earlier diagnoses. Currently, autism can be diagnosed as early as age two, but most diagnoses are made around age four and a half. Greater awareness could result in earlier diagnoses, and researchers are currently studying ways of identifying higher risks of developing autism even in infants. The earlier a risk of autism can be identified, the earlier that intensive interventions can make a positive impact on the child’s development.

The Health and Human Services Department announced that it is launching an “unprecedented” initiative to help with earlier diagnoses, including research-based screening tools that families can use to identify possible indicators of autism in their children.

Read more about World Autism Awareness Day by visiting our special needs blog. Was this article of interest to you? If so, please LIKE our Facebook Page by clicking here.

Family caregiving can improve mental health, study shows.

By Chris Berry

Family caregiving can be extremely stressful and potentially detrimental to the caregiver’s health, however, studies have revealed that people who care for a family member live longer than comparable people who aren’t caregiving.

(Related: Your Long-Term Care Insurance Company Can Fail)

Although scientists didn’t ask the caregivers what they attribute their healthier and possibly happier lives to, 3,503 people were surveyed to better convey the overall caregiving experience.

Among those surveyed, only 17 percent said they had high levels of caregiving strain, with the majority putting in less than 14 hours of care each week.

“The burden of caregiving certainly can be overwhelming and negative to health,” says David Roth, director of the Center on Aging and Health at Johns Hopkins University and lead author of the study. “But those are not necessarily the typical experience.”

(Related: Muskegon County’s Alternative Court for U.S. Combat Veterans)

Originally gathered for a multiyear study on stroke risk, the study data included people being care for with a wide range of health problems. With an average age of 64, the caregivers were more likely female of white or African-American descent.

Researchers found that family caregivers were 18 percent less likely to die than noncaregivers over six years.

Leah Eskinazi, director of operations for the Family Caregiver Alliance in San Francisco offered her theory on what made life better for the caregivers.

“There are people who find caregiving very rewarding,” Eskinazi told Shots. “They feel really good that they can give back to Mom, for example, because Mom was really there for them when they were growing up. Maybe they weren’t the best kid, but as they’ve aged they can have a more balanced healthier relationship and heal some of those wounds.”

Eskinazi added that importance of the type of care required. Caring for an individual with dementia takes a greater toll because the person is dealing with a long inevitable decline. “You’re caring for someone who can’t voice their preferences,” she says. “You’re making decisions for another person and for yourself, and that can last for a long time. It’s tough.”

(Related: Female Veterans Gather for a Day of Service and Sisterhood)

In contrast, caregiving for someone after a stroke can be extremely positive. “There’s a lot of energy going into helping that person recover,” Eskinazi says.

If the person receiving care has the ability to be grateful it makes a dramatic difference. “To have someone stick by you, or a group of people stick by you, that’s pretty cool,” Eskinazi says. “It gives you an opportunity to say thank you.”

Read more: http://wunc.org/post/family-caregiving-can-be-stressful-rewarding-and-life-affirming

Christopher J. Berry is a Michigan elder law attorney Dedicated to helping seniors, veterans and their families navigate the long-term care maze. To learn more visit http://www.theeldercarefirm.com/ or call 248.481.4000

It is important pregnant women know the warning signs so they can seek appropriate treatment. A Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer may help Ohio families whose doctor failed to properly address the condition or any childbirth complications of the mother or child.

Causes and Symptoms of Eclampsia

It is not easy to determine who will and who will not develop this condition because the root causes are not fully understood.

It is believed, however, that certain factors may contribute such as:

• genes;
• diet;
• neurological factors; and
• problems with blood vessels.

In addition, the following women are known to have been at higher risk in the past those:

• carrying multiple babies;
• aged 35 or older;
• in their teen years;
• who are African-American;
• who have a history of diabetes;
• who have a history of kidney problems; and/or
• who have high blood pressure.

In addition to seizures that characterize eclampsia, symptoms may include agitation or unconsciousness.

Women should seek immediate medical care if they notice:

• bright red blood from the vaginal area;
• severe headache;
• abdominal pain;
• vision loss;
• nausea;
• vomiting; or
• that the baby is not moving.

Women should also be aware of symptoms of preeclampsia, of which eclampsia may be a serious complication.

Women with preeclampsia may have:

• high blood pressure;
• headaches;
• vision problems;
• hand/face swelling; and
• other symptoms that should be discussed with a doctor.

In some cases, the placenta may separate or the child may be born prematurely, which can put the child at risk for compilations. This is why it’s so important that these conditions and any childbirth complications of the mother are properly addressed. If they are not, a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer can review an Ohio family’s case with an expert to determine if proper care was given.

Treatment for Eclampsia

For best results, treatment should be started while the woman is in the mild stages of preeclampsia. Once the woman’s condition advances to eclampsia, complications are more likely to occur. Anti-seizure medication, such as magnesium sulfate, may be given to those who suffer from seizures. Steroids may be given if the fetus is fewer than 32 weeks old. Those with high blood pressure may be given appropriate medication as well.

To prevent eclampsia, some women with severe preeclampsia may be advised to deliver the child; still, the goal is to keep the baby in the womb for as close to 40 weeks as possible. This may reduce the risk of complications caused by premature delivery. The baby may be delivered at around 32 weeks if the condition is severe. For milder cases, delivery at 36-37 weeks may ideal.

Many women who experience eclampsia have a good prognosis, while some may have elevated blood pressure after delivery. The babies often also fare well. If born prematurely, they will likely need to stay in the hospital for monitoring.

Although many babies and their mothers live fairly normal lives after eclampsia, some mothers and babies experience serious complications. Many complications present in the babies are attributed to premature birth. A condition called HELLP, which negatively affects liver function and causes anemia and low platelet counts, may cause complications and could increase risk of maternal death.

Contacting a Cleveland Medical Malpractice Lawyer for an Ohio Case

Failure to diagnose this condition or failure to provide proper treatment can result in liability issues for medical providers. Mellino Robenalt LLC can help clients who have suffered injury as a result of negligence related to childbirth complications for the mother or child. Victims and their families can set up a consultation in Cleveland with a medical malpractice lawyer in Ohio to review the details of their case related to diagnostic failure or poor handling of eclampsia or preeclampsia that causes childbirth complications for the mother or child.

African-Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimers at a slightly higher rate than people of European ancestry, but… http://p.ost.im/p/d4aH5m

In one of the first large studies on Alzheimer’s in African-Americans, researchers found the same gene variants that previous studies found in Caucasian Alzheimer’s patients. APoE4, a gene long known to correlate with higher Alzheimer’s risk in Caucasian people, was identified in a similar percentage of African-American patients as Caucasian patients. Another, ABCA7, was found at slightly higher rates in African-Americans with the disease.

In an editorial accompanying the publication of the research, Dr. Robert L. Nussbaum of the University of California, San Francisco, said that finding the genes in African-Americans supports theories that they contribute to susceptibility to Alzheimer’s.

The study analyzed data from 6,000 African-Americans over the age of 60. Approximately 2,000 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers determined that ABCA7 confers an 80 percent increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s in African-Americans, compared with a risk of 10 to 20 percent among whites. Even 80 percent is considered modest; a gene conferring significant risk would at least double the likelihood of a disease. And the gene is fairly uncommon even among African-American Alzheimer’s patients, leaving the cause of the disease mostly unexplained.

ABCA7 helps move cholesterol in and out of cells and is also suspected of influencing the development of heart disease. That may explain why many Alzheimer’s patients are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and vice-versa.

The elder law attorneys at Hook Law Center assist Virginia families with will preparation, trust & estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, long-term care planning, special needs planning, veterans benefits, and more. To learn more, visit http://www.hooklawcenter.com/ or call 757-399-7506.