Other Consumer Protection

Hersh & Hersh has developed an expertise in consumer protection cases. If you or a loved one has a wage or hour dispute with an employer, or has been injured due to deceptive or fraudulent practices by a company, please contact us.

Related News

Marriott International Fails to Pay Certain of its San Francisco Employees the Minimum Wage Required by the San Francisco Minimum Wage Ordinance

January 25, 2006

San Francisco, CA - Hersh and Hersh is co-counsel in a case against Marriott International for Marriott's failure to pay certain of its San Francisco employees the minimum wage required by the San Francisco Minimum Wage Ordinance. This ordinance, which went into effect on February 23, 2004, requires companies to pay employees in San Francisco a minimum hourly wage of $8.50 in 2004, $8.62 in 2005, and $8.82 in 2006.

Hersh and Hersh is dedicated to making sure that all employees receive the wages to which they are entitled and that Marriott and any other employer be held accountable for failing to pay their employees the minimum wage required by law. If you believe that your employer is violating a minimum wage law, please contact Hersh & Hersh online.

Hayward Jury Slams All Pro Wresting School: Awards In Excess of $1.3 Million to Parents of Young Man Who Died Because of Reckless Training

July 14, 2005

Hayward, CA - The San Francisco Law Firm of Hersh & Hersh announced that an Alameda County Superior Court jury quickly reached a unanimous verdict earlier this week in the case against the owner of All Pro Wrestling ("APW") of Hayward, California, finding the wrestling school liable for reckless behavior. The high profile case, which received considerable media attention when filed by Hersh & Hersh in September, 2002, went to trial on June 10, 2005, lasting approximately three weeks. On Tuesday, July 12, after less than a day of deliberations, the jury reached a verdict, unanimously finding All Pro Wrestling liable for recklessness.

The case was filed by Norman and May Ong of Concord, California on behalf of their son Brian Ong who died as a result of injuries suffered during an Open Gym night at All Pro Wrestling in Hayward. Brian Ong, then 27 years old, began All Pro Wrestling Hayward's Beginner's Camp in March, 2001 and was fatally injured on May 28, 2001 as a result of being thrown to the mat twice after being asked to volunteer to "receive" a professional wrestling move (called the "flapjack") from a 7 foot, 400 pound wrestler who was being specially trained by APW to be a professional wrestler.

The evidence showed that Brian Ong "had his bell rung", meaning having some sort of head injury and being woozy and disoriented after being thrown to the mat the first time he tried the move and was killed after being thrown the second time. The evidence also showed that APW was primarily interested in training the 7 foot wrestler who it hoped would become a big professional wrestling star.

"We are pleased with the jury's verdict and hope that this wrestling school and all wrestling schools will learn that they must treat all their students properly, train them appropriately and not allow any desire to train someone they hope to be a star to overcome their duties to every student." commented seasoned Hersh & Hersh litigator Berne Reuben who represented the Ong family. "This has been a very painful four years for Brian's family, who will never recover from the loss of their son. They feel that by exposing what happened at All Pro Wrestling they may help to save the lives of other young people."

Trial Begins Against Bay Area Pro Wrestling School After Student Dies from Wrestling "Boot Camp" Injuries; Exposes Danger and Deceit of All Pro Wrestling

Student Dies of Injuries Suffered in Wrestling "Boot Camp" When Pitted Against Goliath Sparring Partner

June 10, 2005

The San Francisco law firm of Hersh & Hersh (www.hershlaw.com) is in trial in the Superior Court of California in Alameda County against Roland Alexander, founder of All Pro Wrestling (www.allprowrestling.com) and Pacific Coast Sports Promotion companies. The complaint was made on behalf of the parents of Brian Ong of Berkeley, California who died as a result of injuries suffered during All Pro Wrestling's "Boot Camp" training. Headquartered in Hayward, California, Alexander's company bills itself as the number one wrestling school in America and markets wrestling "Boot Camps" to amateurs as a chance to "Live Your Dream" as a professional wrestler by providing wrestling training camps, career counseling and talent agency services to wrestling amateurs at fees of $6,000 or more.

Mr. Ong, age 24, enrolled in All Pro Wrestling's Hayward, CA Boot Camp and was fatally injured as a result of being thrown to the ground in a practice wrestling maneuver. According to the complaint, Mr. Ong suffered a concussion during a practice session and instead of being advised to seek medical attention and take time off from his training to fully recover, he was given a lower evaluation for not avoiding injuries and was told to continue practicing and performing.

The complaint goes on to state that Mr. Ong, at 5 feet, 7 inches and 185 pounds, was subsequently pitted against a sparring partner more than twice his size and that the enormous disparity in size between Mr. Ong and his opponent, a massive 7 feet, 3 inches and weighing 400 pounds, increased the risk of harm to Mr. Ong. He was thrown twice off his sparring partner's shoulders, lost consciousness when his head hit the floor and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. All Pro Wrestling did not provide Mr. Ong with any protective gear or any supervision by APW staff, and the floor mats provided were not adequate to cushion the impact of such maneuvers.

"All Pro Wrestling lures wrestling wanna be's with the promise of fame and fortune on the exhibition wrestling circuit," stated Nancy Hersh, partner of Hersh & Hersh. "Legitimate wrestling organizations would never pair-up sparring partners from weight classes at such opposite ends of the spectrum. Tragically for Mr. Ong's family, they lost their son as a result of All Pro Wrestling's negligence and deceit."

The complaint, seeking damages and requesting a jury trial for injuries causing death and for fraudulent contract charges, will proceed to trial within the near future.