I have been hearing radio ads about getting malaria vaccinations before traveling to Africa. It struck a chord of interest simply because malaria hasn't had major prevalence in many years. I found this article on the subject and found it quite thorough and interesting. It explains malaria as a disease, and the most statistically affected demographic. Great article. If you plan on travelling to Africa or surrounding regions, look into vaccination before you go. Here is the article:
http://www.climateark.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=118991
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell dies at 56
Billy Powell, keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, passed away at his home near Jacksonville, Florida last night. No cause of death has been released as of yet. The band's website has this post, “A Great Loss — Beloved Pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night. We will post more info shortly. The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.” The band has canceled upcoming shows and directs fans to the website for further updates.
Powell joined the band as a member in 1973 after serving as a roadie for a year. Powell was invited to join the band after he was credited with crafting the intro to Freebird, listed as 191 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the greatest songs of all time. He remained a member from the debut album until 1977's Street Survivors. His self taught style was an inspiration to many fans and aspiring musicians.
He was also the only survivor of the 1977 plane crash that claimed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members. Despite suffering injuries including facial lacerations and nearly losing his nose, Powell was the first to be discharged from the hospital and was the only member to attend his bandmates’ funerals. After Skynyrd, Powell joined the Christian rock band Vision, but reunited with Skynyrd after a decade-long hiatus for some concerts in 1989, and ultimately remained with the band until now. In May, Skynyrd played their first-ever gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Kid Rock.
Powell and the rest of his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. With Powell’s death, guitarist Gary Rossington becomes the lone surviving original Skynyrd member touring with the band.
Thank you Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone Magazine for the excerpts in this article.
Billy, you will be missed.
Powell joined the band as a member in 1973 after serving as a roadie for a year. Powell was invited to join the band after he was credited with crafting the intro to Freebird, listed as 191 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the greatest songs of all time. He remained a member from the debut album until 1977's Street Survivors. His self taught style was an inspiration to many fans and aspiring musicians.
He was also the only survivor of the 1977 plane crash that claimed singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines and other crew members. Despite suffering injuries including facial lacerations and nearly losing his nose, Powell was the first to be discharged from the hospital and was the only member to attend his bandmates’ funerals. After Skynyrd, Powell joined the Christian rock band Vision, but reunited with Skynyrd after a decade-long hiatus for some concerts in 1989, and ultimately remained with the band until now. In May, Skynyrd played their first-ever gig at New York’s Madison Square Garden with Kid Rock.
Powell and the rest of his Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. With Powell’s death, guitarist Gary Rossington becomes the lone surviving original Skynyrd member touring with the band.
Thank you Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone Magazine for the excerpts in this article.
Billy, you will be missed.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Fire Rob Parker
Fire Rob Parker
by Sean Yuille on Dec 21, 2008 8:33 PM EST in News
During every postgame press conference no journalist has badgered Lions coach Rod Marinelli more than the Detroit News' Rob Parker. Parker has asked downright ridiculous questions at times in hopes of getting Marinelli to say something controversial, and Marinelli has never taken the bait. Despite the losing and the tough times, I respect Marinelli for staying so classy throughout this entire season. I can't say the same about Parker, though.
Parker has always been an awful journalist, and I'll admit that I have despised him for years. He is a lazy writer that only has the goal of drumming up controversy. That is obvious during his segment on WDIV's Sports Final Edition, where he spews unfounded rumors that are untrue 99% of the time.
Once he said that Michigan basketball player Manny Harris was caught at a drug house in Detroit. Guess what? That wasn't true. Another time he said that Michigan receiver Mario Manningham was suspended for the season, and surprise, surprise, that never ended up happening.
The most recent example was perhaps the worst unfounded rumor of all. He said that Michigan State backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was involved in a fight between football and hockey players that will result in charges being filed in the coming days (the fight happened in October). MSU head coach Mark Dantonio came to Cousins' defense and called Parker out. Parker ended up getting suspended from his column and apologized to the Cousins family, as he was caught making up things that didn't happen.
As you can already see, Parker is a disgrace to his profession, and he keeps making himself look worse and worse with every question he asks Rod Marinelli. It has gotten to the point where Parker will ask the same questions over and over again because Marinelli won't answer them in a controversial way. Parker's questions are intended only to produce something controversial, and that was evident earlier today.
Parker decided to repeatedly ask Marinelli about defensive coordinator Joe Barry's job status and whether or not he will be fired considering he is Marinelli's son-in-law. Marinelli answered the question by talking about how he is in the meetings, he is the one in charge, and he is the one that finalizes the scouting reports. Marinelli came to Barry's defense in his response, and quite honestly, I felt that the question was answered. Parker didn't, though, and continued to press on. Marinelli somehow managed to keep his cool and remained classy throughout all of this. How he did that is beyond me, especially considering what Parker was about to ask.
With Marinelli not taking the bait and keeping his cool despite the constant badgering, Parker asked one of the most classless questions I have ever heard: "Do you wish your daughter married a better defensive coordinator." Marinelli was speechless and didn't respond to the question, as it was completely ridiculous and uncalled for. It's one thing to spew lies, ask the same questions over and over again, and be a lazy journalist. But to take such a cheap shot at Joe Barry, Marinelli, and their family is absolutely ridiculous.
The repercussions of that question should be tremendous. Parker shouldn't have a job in the first place, but after his latest actions, he should be fired immediately by the Detroit News. WDIV should not allow him back on their TV station, and ESPN should never allow him in their TV studios or on their radio. It's not like he has done anything to deserve these jobs in the first place and his actions both on TV and in the press room are reprehensible.
Regardless of your opinion of Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry as coaches, there is no place for people like Parker in the press room. I think FOX's Terry Bradshaw said it best when he called Parker a "flat idiot." Actually, each of the analysts on FOX's wrap-up show took turns bashing Parker. Michael Strahan said that Parker shouldn't be a reporter; he should be an ex-reporter. Howie Long said "Rod Marinelli, through all of this -- the good and bad -- has handled himself with class; I don't think that reporter can make that statement." Finally, Jimmy Johnson called him a jerk, which is 100% true.
Rob Parker needed to be fired long before now, but if this isn't the straw that breaks the camel's back, then what is? The Detroit News, his main employer, needs to terminate his contract immediately, as I can't even imagine what this idiot will do next.
You may not like the job that Rod Marinelli has done as a football coach, but he has handled himself with class at all times. No coach, especially Marinelli, should have to be subjected to Rob Parker ever again. I hope the Lions revoke Parker's press credentials for next week, and I hope the Detroit News revokes Parker's status as an employee, making sure he will never be allowed to ask such a dumb question ever again.
by Sean Yuille on Dec 21, 2008 8:33 PM EST in News
During every postgame press conference no journalist has badgered Lions coach Rod Marinelli more than the Detroit News' Rob Parker. Parker has asked downright ridiculous questions at times in hopes of getting Marinelli to say something controversial, and Marinelli has never taken the bait. Despite the losing and the tough times, I respect Marinelli for staying so classy throughout this entire season. I can't say the same about Parker, though.
Parker has always been an awful journalist, and I'll admit that I have despised him for years. He is a lazy writer that only has the goal of drumming up controversy. That is obvious during his segment on WDIV's Sports Final Edition, where he spews unfounded rumors that are untrue 99% of the time.
Once he said that Michigan basketball player Manny Harris was caught at a drug house in Detroit. Guess what? That wasn't true. Another time he said that Michigan receiver Mario Manningham was suspended for the season, and surprise, surprise, that never ended up happening.
The most recent example was perhaps the worst unfounded rumor of all. He said that Michigan State backup quarterback Kirk Cousins was involved in a fight between football and hockey players that will result in charges being filed in the coming days (the fight happened in October). MSU head coach Mark Dantonio came to Cousins' defense and called Parker out. Parker ended up getting suspended from his column and apologized to the Cousins family, as he was caught making up things that didn't happen.
As you can already see, Parker is a disgrace to his profession, and he keeps making himself look worse and worse with every question he asks Rod Marinelli. It has gotten to the point where Parker will ask the same questions over and over again because Marinelli won't answer them in a controversial way. Parker's questions are intended only to produce something controversial, and that was evident earlier today.
Parker decided to repeatedly ask Marinelli about defensive coordinator Joe Barry's job status and whether or not he will be fired considering he is Marinelli's son-in-law. Marinelli answered the question by talking about how he is in the meetings, he is the one in charge, and he is the one that finalizes the scouting reports. Marinelli came to Barry's defense in his response, and quite honestly, I felt that the question was answered. Parker didn't, though, and continued to press on. Marinelli somehow managed to keep his cool and remained classy throughout all of this. How he did that is beyond me, especially considering what Parker was about to ask.
With Marinelli not taking the bait and keeping his cool despite the constant badgering, Parker asked one of the most classless questions I have ever heard: "Do you wish your daughter married a better defensive coordinator." Marinelli was speechless and didn't respond to the question, as it was completely ridiculous and uncalled for. It's one thing to spew lies, ask the same questions over and over again, and be a lazy journalist. But to take such a cheap shot at Joe Barry, Marinelli, and their family is absolutely ridiculous.
The repercussions of that question should be tremendous. Parker shouldn't have a job in the first place, but after his latest actions, he should be fired immediately by the Detroit News. WDIV should not allow him back on their TV station, and ESPN should never allow him in their TV studios or on their radio. It's not like he has done anything to deserve these jobs in the first place and his actions both on TV and in the press room are reprehensible.
Regardless of your opinion of Rod Marinelli and Joe Barry as coaches, there is no place for people like Parker in the press room. I think FOX's Terry Bradshaw said it best when he called Parker a "flat idiot." Actually, each of the analysts on FOX's wrap-up show took turns bashing Parker. Michael Strahan said that Parker shouldn't be a reporter; he should be an ex-reporter. Howie Long said "Rod Marinelli, through all of this -- the good and bad -- has handled himself with class; I don't think that reporter can make that statement." Finally, Jimmy Johnson called him a jerk, which is 100% true.
Rob Parker needed to be fired long before now, but if this isn't the straw that breaks the camel's back, then what is? The Detroit News, his main employer, needs to terminate his contract immediately, as I can't even imagine what this idiot will do next.
You may not like the job that Rod Marinelli has done as a football coach, but he has handled himself with class at all times. No coach, especially Marinelli, should have to be subjected to Rob Parker ever again. I hope the Lions revoke Parker's press credentials for next week, and I hope the Detroit News revokes Parker's status as an employee, making sure he will never be allowed to ask such a dumb question ever again.
Hannukah Prayers Reach the Western Wall
Letters to God find home at Western Wall
By Michele Chabin, Religion News Service
Article Launched: 12/19/2008 05:00:15 PM PST
Once a year, usually just before Hanukkah and Christmas, a handful of Jerusalem postal workers leave their dreary letter-sorting station for a few hours and head to the Western Wall.
Boxes in hand, they haul the thousands of letters addressed to "God, Jerusalem Israel," "the Almighty," or "the Wailing Wall," among others.
At the wall, the second-holiest in Judaism after the adjoining Temple Mount, the workers separate by gender, going either to the men's or women's prayer sections. An arm's length from the wall's ancient stones, where dozens of people are deep in prayer, they carefully open the envelopes, fold the letters until they are slivers and insert them into the crevices.
Jewish pilgrims and others have been performing this ritual for centuries, and the postal workers take the job of delivering heartfelt prayers very,very seriously.
Many Jews, as well as some followers of other Abrahamic faiths, believe God answers prayers inserted in the 2,000-year-old wall.
"If you live in Israel you can come to the Kotel (Western Wall) and place a prayer in the stones, but the people who wrote these letters live abroad," says Chana Arvatz, a postal worker, while inserting a letter between the stones. "It is a sacred responsibility, something I find very moving."
The letters arrive from dozens of countries, some of which, like Malaysia and Kuwait, do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Most of the letters in today's pile appear to be in
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Russian, but English, Spanish, Italian and French are also represented.
"The majority come from Christians, but a sizable number come from Jews and even a few from Muslims," says Avi Yaniv, who calls himself the manager of the "dead letters" department. "There are also quite a few letters to Santa Claus."
From what Yaniv has heard, Israeli postal workers have been delivering letters addressed to God to the wall for 60 years, since the founding of the state.
Yaniv, a 65-year-old grandfather who some call "God's postman," says he is "always a bit surprised" to see Muslim prayers sent to Jerusalem "because Mecca and Medina are holier places, according to Islam."
Yaniv says he and his fellow postal workers read some of the letters before placing them in the wall, but are careful not to look at the senders' names out of respect for their privacy.
"People tend to write to God when they're experiencing problems in their lives or want to change their situation. Some are very touching," he says somberly.
Of all the letters he has read over the years, Yaniv says he was particularly moved by one from a mother asking God to heal her son of alcoholism and drug abuse. Another, from a little boy, asked God to bring him a Harry Potter wizard's wand for Christmas. Many others ask for strength to confront challenges ranging from illness and unemployment to marital problems and sexual abuse.
Regardless of the religion of the sender, all letters addressed to God are taken to the Western Wall, says Avi Hochman, general manager of the Israel Postal Service.
"Israel is a Jewish country and the Kotel is a sacred place. All people are welcome to pray here. We respect all minorities," Hochman says.
Like all of the messages placed in the wall's crevices, those addressed to God will eventually be collected by employees of the Western Wall Plaza and buried in the "geniza," a repository for texts considered holy, such as the Torah and prayer books.
Although employees of the dead letters department handle more than their fair share of off-beat mail - the "Letters to God" cubbyhole stands right next to the cubbyhole for "Strange Letters" - the God letters hold a special place in their heart, they say.
"I'm religious myself, so this task gives me the opportunity to go to the Kotel and be part of it," says Iris Cohen, another letter sorter, glancing at the wall's golden stones. "I'm attached to this job."
"It is a privilege," agrees Yaniv. "In Jerusalem we feel very close to God, as if he is just a local call away."
By Michele Chabin, Religion News Service
Article Launched: 12/19/2008 05:00:15 PM PST
Once a year, usually just before Hanukkah and Christmas, a handful of Jerusalem postal workers leave their dreary letter-sorting station for a few hours and head to the Western Wall.
Boxes in hand, they haul the thousands of letters addressed to "God, Jerusalem Israel," "the Almighty," or "the Wailing Wall," among others.
At the wall, the second-holiest in Judaism after the adjoining Temple Mount, the workers separate by gender, going either to the men's or women's prayer sections. An arm's length from the wall's ancient stones, where dozens of people are deep in prayer, they carefully open the envelopes, fold the letters until they are slivers and insert them into the crevices.
Jewish pilgrims and others have been performing this ritual for centuries, and the postal workers take the job of delivering heartfelt prayers very,very seriously.
Many Jews, as well as some followers of other Abrahamic faiths, believe God answers prayers inserted in the 2,000-year-old wall.
"If you live in Israel you can come to the Kotel (Western Wall) and place a prayer in the stones, but the people who wrote these letters live abroad," says Chana Arvatz, a postal worker, while inserting a letter between the stones. "It is a sacred responsibility, something I find very moving."
The letters arrive from dozens of countries, some of which, like Malaysia and Kuwait, do not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Most of the letters in today's pile appear to be in
Advertisement
Russian, but English, Spanish, Italian and French are also represented.
"The majority come from Christians, but a sizable number come from Jews and even a few from Muslims," says Avi Yaniv, who calls himself the manager of the "dead letters" department. "There are also quite a few letters to Santa Claus."
From what Yaniv has heard, Israeli postal workers have been delivering letters addressed to God to the wall for 60 years, since the founding of the state.
Yaniv, a 65-year-old grandfather who some call "God's postman," says he is "always a bit surprised" to see Muslim prayers sent to Jerusalem "because Mecca and Medina are holier places, according to Islam."
Yaniv says he and his fellow postal workers read some of the letters before placing them in the wall, but are careful not to look at the senders' names out of respect for their privacy.
"People tend to write to God when they're experiencing problems in their lives or want to change their situation. Some are very touching," he says somberly.
Of all the letters he has read over the years, Yaniv says he was particularly moved by one from a mother asking God to heal her son of alcoholism and drug abuse. Another, from a little boy, asked God to bring him a Harry Potter wizard's wand for Christmas. Many others ask for strength to confront challenges ranging from illness and unemployment to marital problems and sexual abuse.
Regardless of the religion of the sender, all letters addressed to God are taken to the Western Wall, says Avi Hochman, general manager of the Israel Postal Service.
"Israel is a Jewish country and the Kotel is a sacred place. All people are welcome to pray here. We respect all minorities," Hochman says.
Like all of the messages placed in the wall's crevices, those addressed to God will eventually be collected by employees of the Western Wall Plaza and buried in the "geniza," a repository for texts considered holy, such as the Torah and prayer books.
Although employees of the dead letters department handle more than their fair share of off-beat mail - the "Letters to God" cubbyhole stands right next to the cubbyhole for "Strange Letters" - the God letters hold a special place in their heart, they say.
"I'm religious myself, so this task gives me the opportunity to go to the Kotel and be part of it," says Iris Cohen, another letter sorter, glancing at the wall's golden stones. "I'm attached to this job."
"It is a privilege," agrees Yaniv. "In Jerusalem we feel very close to God, as if he is just a local call away."
Saturday, December 20, 2008
No Good Samaritan Goes Unpunished...
The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a young woman who pulled a co-worker from a crashed vehicle isn't immune from civil liability because the care she rendered wasn't medical.
The divided high court appeared to signal that rescue efforts are the responsibility of trained professionals. It was also thought to be the first ruling by the court that someone who intervened in an accident in good faith could be sued.
Lisa Torti of Northridge allegedly worsened the injuries suffered by Alexandra Van Horn by yanking her "like a rag doll" from the wrecked car on Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Torti now faces possible liability for injuries suffered by Van Horn, a fellow department store cosmetician who was rendered a paraplegic in the accident that ended a night of Halloween revelry in 2004.
But in a sharp dissent, three of the seven justices said that by making a distinction between medical care and emergency response, the court was placing "an arbitrary and unreasonable limitation" on protections for those trying to help.
In 1980, the Legislature enacted the Health and Safety Code, which provides that "no person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission."
Although that passage does not use the word "medical" in describing the protected emergency care, it was included in the section of the code that deals with emergency medical services. By placing it there, lawmakers intended to shield "only those persons who in good faith render emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency," Justice Carlos R. Moreno wrote for the majority.
The high court cited no previous cases involving good Samaritan actions deemed unprotected by the state code, suggesting the challenge of Torti's rescue effort was the first to narrow the scope of the law.
The three dissenting justices argued, however, that the aim of the legislation was clearly "to encourage persons not to pass by those in need of emergency help, but to show compassion and render the necessary aid."
Justice Marvin R. Baxter said the ruling was "illogical" because it recognizes legal immunity for nonprofessionals administering medical care while denying it for potentially life-saving actions like saving a person from drowning or carrying an injured hiker to safety.
"One who dives into swirling waters to retrieve a drowning swimmer can be sued for incidental injury he or she causes while bringing the victim to shore, but is immune for harm he or she produces while thereafter trying to revive the victim," Baxter wrote for the dissenters. "Here, the result is that defendant Torti has no immunity for her bravery in pulling her injured friend from a crashed vehicle, even if she reasonably believed it might be about to explode."
Both opinions have merit, "but I think the majority has better arguments," said Michael Shapiro, professor of constitutional and bioethics law at USC.
Shapiro said the majority was correct in interpreting that the Legislature meant to shield doctors and other healthcare professionals from being sued for injuries they cause despite acting with "reasonable care," as the law requires.
Noting that he would be reluctant himself to step in to aid a crash victim with potential spinal injuries, Shapiro said the court's message was that emergency care "should be left to medical professionals."
Torti's liability has yet to be determined in court, and if the Legislature is unhappy with any judgment arising from the immunity denial, it can revise the code, he concluded.
Torti, Van Horn and three other co-workers from a San Fernando Valley department store had gone out to a bar on Halloween for a night of drinking and dancing, departing in two cars at 1:30 a.m., the justices noted as background.
Van Horn was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by Anthony Glen Watson, whom she also sued, and Torti rode in the second car. After Watson's car crashed into a light pole at about 45 mph, the rear car pulled off the road and driver Dion Ofoegbu and Torti rushed to help Watson's two passengers escape the wreckage.
Torti testified in a deposition that she saw smoke and liquid coming from Watson's vehicle and feared the car was about to catch fire. None of the others reported seeing signs of an imminent explosion, and Van Horn said in her deposition that Torti grabbed her arm and yanked her out "like a rag doll."
Van Horn's suit alleges negligence by Torti in aggravating a vertebrae injury suffered in the crash, causing permanent damage to the spinal cord.
Neither Torti nor her attorney, Ronald D. Kent, could be reached immediately. Kent's Los Angeles law office said he was in meetings on the East Coast and may not have seen the decision.
Van Horn's attorney, Robert B. Hutchinson, disputed the notion that the ruling could have a chilling effect on laymen coming to the rescue of the injured. Good Samaritan laws have been on the books for centuries and state that "if a person volunteers to act, he or she must act with reasonable care," Hutchinson said.
"Ms. Torti ran up in a state of panic, literally grabbed Ms. Van Horn by the shoulder and yanked her out, then dropped her next to the car," he said, deeming Torti's assessment of an imminent explosion "irrational" and her action in leaving Van Horn close to the car inconsistent with that judgment.
Hutchinson said it was too early to say what sum Van Horn might seek in damages; her original suit was summarily dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court before he could arrange expert assessments of the costs of her life care and loss of potential income. It was her ambition to become a Hollywood makeup artist -- a dream no longer achievable, the lawyer said.
Torti's trial at the Chatsworth courthouse is expected next year.
carol.williams@latimes.com
The divided high court appeared to signal that rescue efforts are the responsibility of trained professionals. It was also thought to be the first ruling by the court that someone who intervened in an accident in good faith could be sued.
Lisa Torti of Northridge allegedly worsened the injuries suffered by Alexandra Van Horn by yanking her "like a rag doll" from the wrecked car on Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Torti now faces possible liability for injuries suffered by Van Horn, a fellow department store cosmetician who was rendered a paraplegic in the accident that ended a night of Halloween revelry in 2004.
But in a sharp dissent, three of the seven justices said that by making a distinction between medical care and emergency response, the court was placing "an arbitrary and unreasonable limitation" on protections for those trying to help.
In 1980, the Legislature enacted the Health and Safety Code, which provides that "no person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission."
Although that passage does not use the word "medical" in describing the protected emergency care, it was included in the section of the code that deals with emergency medical services. By placing it there, lawmakers intended to shield "only those persons who in good faith render emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency," Justice Carlos R. Moreno wrote for the majority.
The high court cited no previous cases involving good Samaritan actions deemed unprotected by the state code, suggesting the challenge of Torti's rescue effort was the first to narrow the scope of the law.
The three dissenting justices argued, however, that the aim of the legislation was clearly "to encourage persons not to pass by those in need of emergency help, but to show compassion and render the necessary aid."
Justice Marvin R. Baxter said the ruling was "illogical" because it recognizes legal immunity for nonprofessionals administering medical care while denying it for potentially life-saving actions like saving a person from drowning or carrying an injured hiker to safety.
"One who dives into swirling waters to retrieve a drowning swimmer can be sued for incidental injury he or she causes while bringing the victim to shore, but is immune for harm he or she produces while thereafter trying to revive the victim," Baxter wrote for the dissenters. "Here, the result is that defendant Torti has no immunity for her bravery in pulling her injured friend from a crashed vehicle, even if she reasonably believed it might be about to explode."
Both opinions have merit, "but I think the majority has better arguments," said Michael Shapiro, professor of constitutional and bioethics law at USC.
Shapiro said the majority was correct in interpreting that the Legislature meant to shield doctors and other healthcare professionals from being sued for injuries they cause despite acting with "reasonable care," as the law requires.
Noting that he would be reluctant himself to step in to aid a crash victim with potential spinal injuries, Shapiro said the court's message was that emergency care "should be left to medical professionals."
Torti's liability has yet to be determined in court, and if the Legislature is unhappy with any judgment arising from the immunity denial, it can revise the code, he concluded.
Torti, Van Horn and three other co-workers from a San Fernando Valley department store had gone out to a bar on Halloween for a night of drinking and dancing, departing in two cars at 1:30 a.m., the justices noted as background.
Van Horn was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by Anthony Glen Watson, whom she also sued, and Torti rode in the second car. After Watson's car crashed into a light pole at about 45 mph, the rear car pulled off the road and driver Dion Ofoegbu and Torti rushed to help Watson's two passengers escape the wreckage.
Torti testified in a deposition that she saw smoke and liquid coming from Watson's vehicle and feared the car was about to catch fire. None of the others reported seeing signs of an imminent explosion, and Van Horn said in her deposition that Torti grabbed her arm and yanked her out "like a rag doll."
Van Horn's suit alleges negligence by Torti in aggravating a vertebrae injury suffered in the crash, causing permanent damage to the spinal cord.
Neither Torti nor her attorney, Ronald D. Kent, could be reached immediately. Kent's Los Angeles law office said he was in meetings on the East Coast and may not have seen the decision.
Van Horn's attorney, Robert B. Hutchinson, disputed the notion that the ruling could have a chilling effect on laymen coming to the rescue of the injured. Good Samaritan laws have been on the books for centuries and state that "if a person volunteers to act, he or she must act with reasonable care," Hutchinson said.
"Ms. Torti ran up in a state of panic, literally grabbed Ms. Van Horn by the shoulder and yanked her out, then dropped her next to the car," he said, deeming Torti's assessment of an imminent explosion "irrational" and her action in leaving Van Horn close to the car inconsistent with that judgment.
Hutchinson said it was too early to say what sum Van Horn might seek in damages; her original suit was summarily dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court before he could arrange expert assessments of the costs of her life care and loss of potential income. It was her ambition to become a Hollywood makeup artist -- a dream no longer achievable, the lawyer said.
Torti's trial at the Chatsworth courthouse is expected next year.
carol.williams@latimes.com
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