What is the Green Card?

Large numbers of people enter the U.S. from other countries on a daily basis. Some people are returning home after being away for some time, some are coming to visit their family, some on a holiday, some for work and some move permanently to settle down in the U.S. Whatever may be the reason, each person who is entering the U.S. should possess the right documents to prove that they are legally allowed to enter the country.

Many people are permitted to enter the country only for a specified time and that too for a specific purpose only. People who are on a vacation to the U.S. may be permitted to enter for a few weeks only and purely for tourist activities. They would not be allowed to work in the US. There are instances where some people would be permitted to enter for a few years at a time for work but this could be restricted to a certain employer. People who are moving to the U.S. under this category are called non-immigrants.

People who live and work in the U.S. without any restrictions are called immigrants. They are permitted to stay in the U.S. for an unlimited period of time, to participate in any legal activity, to work and also to study. Generally, immigrants refer to a select number of foreign nationals who have been permitted to live and work in the U.S. permanently.

Both Immigrants and Non-Immigrants must show a valid visa before they enter the US. A visa is similar to a pass. An immigrant who has gained entry to the U.S. would be issued an Alien Registration Card which is also known as a Green Card. Early editions of the card were light green in color and hence the term. Present day cards are either pink or light blue. A person with a Green Card is called a Lawful Permanent Resident.

The 9/11 tragedy was one of the path breaking events in the history of United States. Life in United States will never be the same again, more so for people who have been directly or indirectly been associated with the ground zero. So many people died and so many were hurt but there were also heroes of the tragedy. The 9/11 first responders were the people who stepped forward when the duty called and helped save the victims who were stuck in the collapsed twin towers as well as in the reclamation of ground zero. The bad thing is that a number of these first responders were exposed to poisonous fumes and gases and have developed many health problems because of it.

The case of James Zadroga is worth mentioning here. James Zadroga was a policeman of New York who was involved in the search and recovery work at the ground zero. During the course of his work, he was exposed to asbestos and other poisonous materials and developed respiratory problems. Huge uproar occurred when James Zadroga succumbed because of this disease. Since his wife had died already, James daughter was left to fend for herself. This drove the American society very angry.

In order to ensure that the heroes of the 9/11 tragedy get their due and no such tragedy ever occurs again where the children of the heroes of this country are left to fend for themselves, the United States has passed Zadroga law. According to Zadroga law a Zadroga Claim can be made by the people who were involved in the rescue effort at ground zero during a specified period. Also a Zadroga claim can be made by the people who reside in the area in and around ground zero.

There are a large number of jobs which involve a lot of risk to the people involved. For example, if you are a miner then you could be seriously injured by a falling boulder while working in a mine. You are well within your rights to claim some sort of compensation and other benefits from the company that employed you. Medical bills form a large chunk of the reparation package depending upon the seriousness of the injury sustained. If you are living in Glen Burnie, workers’ comp lawyers are always available at your service. Try to ask enquire about the best before you hire a particular lawyer.

Don’t make any hasty decisions while searching for an attorney. You need to trust the firm you decide to go with because the fate of your case is in their hands. Here are a couple of points that should be kept in mind while selecting a competent workers’ comp lawyer:

* Experience is a vital factor that needs to be considered while in the hunt for a lawyer. For instance, a lawyer who has been handling compensation claims for over 35 years will have a holistic approach to each and every case that he/she takes up. They will know exactly how the legal system functions when reparation claims are made by an individual. The strong background of an experienced attorney is all you need when trying to get a fair compensation.

* You also need to make sure that the lawyer you hire has the required licenses and is an active member of the particular state’s various judicial bodies. If you stay in Glen Burnie, then the lawyer you approach should be a member of the Anne Arundel County Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Association for Justice.

With oil and gas at such a high premium today, there are thousands of companies in the United States working to extract these valuable resources from lands here in the U.S, including a multitude of other minerals. Oil and gas extraction is classified by the North American Industry Classification System as mining, not drilling and they are held to a strict set of regulations set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. If you or someone you know works for or has worked for a company that violated OSHA regulations and an accident occurred, contact an accident attorney to get your case evaluated.

While most companies adhere to these standards, OSHA violations are far too prevalent, the result being workers injured on the job. The general public generally doesn’t hear much about these companies until a disaster strikes, then it becomes national media. The gulf oil spill is a perfect case in point.

There are over 100 fatal accidents in the oil and gas extraction industry caused by transportation, contact with equipment, and explosions/fires. Nearly five percent of all full time workers will suffer a serious but nonfatal accident while working in the oil and gas extraction industry. Many of these accidents and fatalities happen because of companies not following OSHA regulations. If you or anyone you know as been killed or injured in an accident due to OSHA violations, contact an accident attorney to get a free case evaluation. They can help with any type of OSHA violation.

Some of the most common areas that OSHA regulates include:

Guards on all moving parts
Permissible exposure limits
Lockout/tag out
Confined space
Hazard Communication
Process Safety Management
Blood borne Pathogens
Excavations and Trenches
Exposure to asbestos