Ramon Rubalcava of SEIU Local 721 provided public comment on behalf of SEIU Local 721 President Bob Schoonover supporting an asset smoothing period of 7 years with a 60% – 140% Market Value of Assets (MVA) corridor.
ramon rubalcava
But who is this ramon? He likes to drink and drive and cost seiu members money! He is now somehow a pension expert??
This is ridiculous and one of the many reasons SEIU should stop setting policy. Read how he cost the members money!
Case Summary – Marotta Settlement Report (December 10, 1997) Hon. Ricardo Torres, Judge, Superior Court – Los Angeles Central Personal Injury: Auto v. Pedestrian
Settlement Amount: $250,000.00
Case Name: Matthew Marotta v. Ramon Rubalcava, Local 660 SEIU.
Attorneys: Plaintiff’s Counsel: Robert F. Brennan, Esq., Glendale
Defendant’s Counsel: David Werner, Esq., Ron Wisniewski, Esq., LAW OFFICES OF DAVID WERNER, Irvine, for defendant RUBALCAVA; Bradford Miller, Esq., Susan Westover, Esq., John Browning, Esq., MURTAUGH, MILLER, MEYER & NELSON, Costa Mesa, for defendant LOCAL 660 SEIU.
FACTS:
On March 8, 1996 at approximately 10:30 p.m., plaintiff MATTHEW MAROTTA was crossing Fountain Avenue towards his apartment. He had not been drinking. Five eyewitnesses placed MAROTTA in the crosswalk at the time of the collision. Two or three eyewitnesses placed him outside of the crosswalk. Defendant RAMON RUBALCAVA was driving eastbound on Fountain at approximately 35 miles per hour. The street is zoned for 30 miles per hour. Some of the witnesses placed RUBALCAVA’S speed at a higher rate, but skid marks at the scene suggested a speed of between 35 mph and 40 mph. RUBALCAVA admitted that he had had one to two beers some hours before the incident, but maintained that he was not drunk at the time and in fact passed field sobriety tests administered by police officers shortly after the accident. RUBALCAVA’s car struck MAROTTA while MAROTTA was about half-way across the street. MAROTTA’s face went through the car’s windshield, and his body flew from 5 feet to 20 feet in the air. RUBALCAVA’S car left 57 feet of skid marks before coming to a rest at the east end of the intersection. MAROTTA underwent surgery to repair the open fractures of his left tibia and fibula, the laceration on the right side of his face and under his nose and the fracture of his left shoulder. He also had some skin grafts for his left leg. He had a cast applied to his left leg, and his left arm was placed in a special sling/strap. He was bound in a wheelchair upon his discharge at the end of March of 1996. Two to three months later, he underwent a hip-bond graft procedure for support of his left leg. He underwent physical therapy for about seven months for rehabilitation of his left leg and shoulder. MAROTTA incurred approximately $75,000.00 in medical and therapy expenses. Future medical expenses were estimated at $20,000.00. Although his injuries healed substantially, he yet faces residual pain and limitations as a consequence of this collision.
CONTENTIONS:
Defendants contended that MAROTTA was outside of the crosswalk. Defendants also contend that MAROTTA “darted” into the street without adequately looking both ways. The Los Angeles Police Officers who investigated the collision in fact cited MAROTTA’s careless crossing of the street as the primary collision factor. Plaintiff contended that RUBALCAVA had been drinking and had been travelling at an excessive rate of speed. Defendants denied both contentions. Defendant LOCAL 660 SEIU also contended that RUBALCAVA was not in the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident. Plaintiff contended that RUBALCAVA was coming from a job-related political event on his way to a dinner with his boss and an influential political contact from the east coast. His boss had personally invited him to this dinner, at which union business matters would be discussed. Thus, RUBALCAVA’S presence at the earlier political fundraiser was related to his job, and his attendance was job-related, and the dinner to which he was heading was job-related and at the specific request of his supervisor.
DAMAGES:
Plaintiff suffered $75,000.00 in past medical expenses, with about $20,000.00 in future medical expenses.
OTHER INFORMATION:
The settlement was reached approximately one and one-half years after the suit was filed. The $100,000.00 paid by RAMON RUBALCAVA represented his policy limits. The balance of the settlement, $150,000.00, was paid by LOCAL 660 SEIU.
