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Peterson Printing Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Double decades mark this exciting anniversary for Peterson Printing, Santa Clarita's mainstay full-service printing company. This one-stop great-service shop employs a helpful staff of experienced professionals who specialize in digital printing, offset printing and large-format printing. Locally owned and operated, Peterson Printing has earned a gold-standard reputation in Santa Clarita and beyond. "We're so proud to serve the community we call home," says Cory Peterson. "We've grown and evolved as technology has changed and we're excited about what the future has in store. We look forward to the next 20 years and beyond!" Peterson Printing is positioned to manage all jobs, from big to small, with a smile. Call for a free quote. 255-2846

Injuries on the Job
Many people are injured on the job every year in California, and although some of these injuries will warrant workers' compensation, others will call for a personal injury or wrongful death claim. In cases where a worker is injured on the job because of an accident or a condition that developed over time through the performance of a certain job, workers compensation may be provided to help cover costs associated with the injury.

Other times, workers can be injured in accidents that resulted from a safety issue, equipment defect or equipment malfunction. If it can be determined that another party's negligence caused the injury on the job, the injured worker can file a personal injury claim against the responsible party to obtain compensation for medical expenses, doctor bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Unfortunately, for most cases of injuries sustained at work, the law provides that employees do not have the option to pursue a personal injury claim against their employer and, for those cases, workers' compensation is the only legal remedy for injuries. However, there are several exceptions to this rule that employees in California should be aware of should they be injured at work.

In some instances where the employee at the work place was injured because of an employer's intentional egregious conduct, that employee may have grounds for a personal injury suit. This egregious conduct can also be known as gross negligence and means that the employer neglected his or her duty to provide a healthy and safe working environment for one or all employees.

Other exceptions to being restricted to a workers' compensation claim include defective or dangerous products that caused injury. If an employee was injured by defective equipment at work, they may have grounds to pursue legal action against the manufacturer of the product through a products liability suit. However, a great distinction must be made here between a defective product and one that was improperly installed or maintained by the employer. If the injury was due to a failure in installing or maintaining the equipment, the fault lies with the employer and the injury would fall under workers' compensation. However, if the equipment was defective because of a mistake by the manufacturer, the employee may be able to target them as the culprit for their injuries. Since the manufacturer of products used at work is not covered under the employer's insurance, they are susceptible to a products liability suit. Likewise, if the employee sustained injuries because of a toxic substance at work, they may be able to bring a suit of toxic tort against the manufacturer of that substance.

Lastly, if an employee was injured at work by a third party who is not covered under the employer's insurance, the employee has the right to pursue legal action against that individual. This would be carried out like any other civil dispute of personal injury outside of the workplace.

If you are unsure whether your injuries fall into any of the above mentioned exceptions, contact a personal injury attorney in Santa Clarita and explain your situation to them. A personal injury lawyer will be able to offer valuable guidance to you in both a workers' comp claim and a personal injury claim.
The Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus 296-2992

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Community Bank Formation at All-time Low
Community banks have been the cornerstone of the nation's financial system for more than a century and are vital to our local and national economic recovery. However, far-reaching changes in the US financial sector in recent decades have put the squeeze on community banks and made formation of new banks practically nonexistent.

Why are community banks so important? They support balanced and stable economic growth and are highly-capitalized institutions that reinvest in the communities they serve. Community banks are outsized drivers of local growth and development, providing approximately 60 percent of the nation's small-business loans.

Further, community banks compete openly and fairly in the marketplace. As locally-owned institutions, they are held accountable by their communities and have an inherent incentive to treat customers right.

Finally, a diverse banking system is essential for full economic recovery and the future prosperity of local communities. Despite this well known truth, community bank formation is at an all-time low.

Bird-in-Hand Equals One
According to the December 2012 FDIC Community Banking Study, between 1984 and 2011, the share of US banking assets held by community banks declined by more than half, from 38 percent to 14 percent. FDIC policies enacted in 2009 make forming new community banks virtually impossible and have brought new-bank formation to an 80-year low.

Since late 2010, the number of new community bank openings in the US has been exactly: one. The recent launch of Bank of Bird-in-Hand, a small community bank chartered in Pennsylvania to primarily serve the local Amish community, was the first new bank to open in three years.

Policymakers should Promote Growth
Blanket regulatory and compliance policies are stretched across all financial institutions, from the largest Wall Street giants to the smallest Main Street branches.

So what can we do to ensure that our nation will continue to benefit from community-based institutions for generations to come? We can start by reducing the regulatory red tape that inhibits the formation of new community banks. The cumulative effects of regulatory requirements have led community banks to increase staff over the past 10 years.

The answer is more flexible regulatory policies tailored to the risk profiles and business plans of both new bank applicants and existing community banks. The current one-size-fits-all policy that applies virtually identical regulations to Main Street community banks and Wall Street megabanks are unnecessary and a threat to community banks and, more importantly, the communities they serve.

To truly recover from our nation's financial crisis, community banks must be allowed to do their part. These institutions are deeply involved in the affairs of their communities and use that knowledge to support prosperity across the nation. We must encourage the growth of the community banking industry to meet the economic and financial needs of all citizens and communities today and into the future.

Mission Valley Bank is a locally-owned, full service community business bank headquartered in Sun Valley with branch offices in Valencia and Santa Clarita.
Mission Valley Bank Valencia Office 775-4112
Centre Pointe Business Banking Office 753-5680

If You are in Debt Trouble,
Don't Wait Until All Savings are Depleted
Like most people, you've worked hard to pay your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, all of us can find ourselves facing overwhelming debt. Money problems can easily spiral out of control and spill into other areas of your life. When this happens, most people feel powerless to change their situation. If this describes you, rather than allowing your money problems to affect your life in such a dramatic way, obtaining legal protection immediately may help you get your life back on track before things get ugly.

Some people wait too long to take action. In the meantime, they deplete hard-earned assets like their retirement plan and savings accounts, and, in the end, they regrettably realize that this was nothing more than a temporary fix to a lingering problem. Sooner or later, these people realize that they would have been better off acting sooner to resolve their debt before losing everything that they had worked so hard for. Don't roll the dice on your financial future! Things will not get better until you do something about your situation. If you need to have a well-planned strategy to get out of debt and rebuild your life, there is help. You can also download a free book that can assist you by logging onto www.beforefilingbk.com.
Ray Bulaon Law Offices, Inc. 866-477-7772