Sabatini and Associates, LLC Attorneys at Law :: Newington :: Hartford :: Connecticut

Toyota is suspending U.S. sales of eight recalled vehicle models to fix accelerator pedals that stick. As part of the plan, Toyota is halting production at five manufacturing facilities for the week of Feb. 1 “to assess and coordinate activities.”  There are 2.3 million vehicles involved in the recall, which was announced last week. The sales suspension includes the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia. Toyota previously recalled 4.2 million vehicles due to gas pedals that could become trapped under floor mats, causing the vehicle to accelerate.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently obtained a court judgment of $1,073,261 against Whirlpool Corporation in a race and  sex discrimination lawsuit on behalf of Carlota Freeman, an African American  former employee at the company’s LeVergne, Tenn.-based facility.  According to the lawsuit, Whirlpool  failed to protect  Freeman from persistent harassment by a white male coworker, which ultimately  resulted in her being physically assaulted by him.   The Court agreed.

Following a bench trial, Tennessee District Court Judge  John T. Nixon  awarded Freeman $773,261 in back pay and front pay, and  $300,000 in compensatory damages for non-pecuniary injuries – the maximum  allowed under federal law. During the  four-day trial, the evidence showed that Freeman reported escalating offensive  verbal conduct and gestures by the male coworker over a period of two months  before he physically assaulted her; four levels of Whirlpool’s management were  aware of the escalating harassment; Whirlpool failed to take effective steps to  stop the harassment; and, Freeman suffered devastating permanent mental  injuries that will prevent her from working again as a result of the assault  and Whirlpool’s failure to protect her.

In its defense, Whirlpool claimed that it had posted its anti-discrimination and harassment policies in the workplace and thereby relived itself from liability.  However, the court correctly  pointed out that when those charged with enforcing a policy don’t take that  responsibility seriously, an employer has not met its duty under Title VII to  prevent and stop illegal harassment in its workplace.

Vincent F. Sabatini an attorney with Sabatini and Associates, LLC represented the potential buyer of a 3.5 acre parcel of land located in Newington, CT. The client wanted to develop the land. However the town’s wetlands map showed that most of the parcel was wetlands. A soils expert was retained to conduct a survey of the land to determine if the town’s wetland map was accurrate.  The soil expert determined that the map was not correct. Based on the report, an application was submitted to the town’s Conservation Commission. This commission has jurisdiction over wetlands. The application requested the commision to amend the wetland line to conform to the soils report. After public hearing the application was approved. The wetlands line was moved allowing the land to be developed.