Kimberly L. Cox filed the lawsuit in federal court in Texas on August 4, citing civil rights violations, after her employment was terminated following a work injury. Patrick R. Donahoe, as Postmaster General, is also named as a defendant.

According to the lawsuit, Cox worked as a letter carrier for the Kilgore Post Office. She claims that in July and August of 2012, she reported to Postmaster McQuiston alleged instances of discrimination against white employees by a black supervisor, but McQuiston took no action.

Cox also claims that on August 21, 2012, she sustained on-the-job injuries after tripping on a curb. Cox claims that she had three days of sick leave, but was then told to report to work and was made to sit in a room for eight hours per day. 

According to the complaint, Cox was scheduled to be off work on August 30, 2012, and she attended an estate sale, where McQuiston observed her and subsequently asked the Office of the Inspector General to investigate whether Cox exceeded her medical restrictions. On August 31, 2012, Cox claims that McQuiston placed her on emergency leave. She claims that her employment was terminated in November 2012.

The lawsuit alleges gender and race discrimination and retaliation. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. Cox seeks damages and attorney’s fees.

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

The inspection found safety violations in the training provided for stopping equipment before clearing jams. Inspectors found that workers were exposed to amputation and laceration hazards due to the potential for unintentional operation of the conveyor while jams were being cleared.

The citations included four repeat violations, including failure to ensure that each device had a tagout or lockout device affixed by authorized employees and failure to conduct inspections of energy control procedures. Other violations included failure to ensure the uniform height of stairway risers and inadequate fall protection for workers clearing jams on a conveyor.

Three violations were cited as “serious,” meaning that there is a substantial probability that serious physical harm or death could occur as the result of a hazard of which the employer was aware or should have been aware.

The Champaign facility employs 294 workers. About 434,000 people work for the Postal Service nationwide.

Paul Greenberg is a work injury lawyer and workers compensation attorney in Chicago with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To read more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

One type of scam takes advantage of the public’s confusion over changes in health insurance. Someone perpetrating this type of fraud may call a senior and say that new Medicare cards are being issued and they just need to verify some personal information. A similar trick is for callers to say they are IRS agents. The goal is to obtain personal details such as Social Security numbers, which can be used to set up credit cards or loans in victims’ names, or claim their income tax refunds.

Seniors may be targeted in part because they are more likely to answer the phone, because they may have retirement savings or because they are perceived as more trusting. However, scammers will defraud anyone they can. The federal government reported that almost 83,000 complaints of this type of imposter scam were received in 2012, an increase of 12 percent from 2011.

Other criminals target electronic Social Security benefits payments. More than $28 million in benefits was stolen from October 2011 to June 2013. The thieves begin by obtaining a victim’s personal information, such as Social Security number and bank account information, which is often done through the same type of fraudulent telephone call, with the scammers posing as government officials. The fraudsters then contact the Social Security Administration or the victim’s bank pretending to be the victim and have the electronic benefits payments transferred to an account that they control.

The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging recently convened a panel of advocates and victims to learn what action can be taken to prevent this type of crime. Once the benefits have been stolen, getting them repaid can be difficult if not impossible.

On an individual level, seniors and others should take care to avoid being taken advantage of. First of all, never give out personal information such as a Social Security number to an unsolicited caller over the phone. Official communication from government agencies is by letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Never wire money to an unknown person or agree to accept debit or credit cards in another person’s name. If you receive a call from a person pretending to be a Social Security official, call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.

The Hale Law Firm believe the right solution to your estate planning, elder law, or probate needs can be identified in a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys and counselors at law. To learn more or to contact a Dallas estate planning attorney, visit http://www.thehalelawfirm.com/ or call 972.351.0000