Two lawsuits have been filed by families of men who are still missing at sea after an oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Families of Shane Roshto and Karl Kleppinger Jr. have both filed suits against Transocean, the rig owners, claiming the company was negligent in the explosion. One of the lawsuits also claims that the rig was not seaworthy. Eleven men are still unaccounted for, and Transocean officials have said they have little to no details as to their whereabouts

An attorney representing the family of one of the oil rig workers missing since an explosion Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico told reporters that a life capsule has been recovered. A lawsuit filed by the family of Shane Roshto claims that Transocean and BP were negligent in the explosion. It remains unclear whether Roshto or any other workers were aboard the recovered vessel. At least 17 other workers were hospitalized following the explosion.

A California security company has settled a lawsuit with two men over injuries they sustained at a heavy metal concert in 2007. Michael McClelland and Stephen Holloway claim in their lawsuit that they were both attacked and beaten by concertgoers at Ozzfest on July 21, 2007 in Devore, Calif. The lawsuit states that the security guards hired by Contemporary Services Corp. of Northridge were “too young and under-trained to act as security guards at a heavy metal concert.” The security guards told the men that they did not want to be injured themselves, and that the men should instead leave after they reported the violence, the suit states. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

A lawsuit has been filed by one of the men injured earlier this year when a plane crashed into the Echelon building in Austin, Texas. The lawsuit, filed by state employee Shane Hill, seeks compensation from the insurance policy the pilot, Joseph Stack, had to cover the plane and his actions as the pilot. Hill sustained second-degree burns over 20 to 25 percent of his body during the crash, the KVUE reported. A dollar amount was not specified in the lawsuit.

A trial has begun in Arizona over a lawsuit filed by a man who claims a doctor at University Medical Center removed his right testicle unnecessarily in 2007. Kenneth Irby had gone to Dr. Jonathan Walker to have a biopsy performed on a mass found on his right testicle that Walker feared might be cancerous. Before going into surgery, Irby said he and the doctor agreed that if the mass was indeed cancerous, Walker would remove the testicle, the lawsuit states. During a routine check-up a week later, however, Irby was told that the mass was not cancerous, but the testicle was removed anyway. Irby told jurors this week that since the operation he “feels like (he’s) lost (his) sexuality.

A Florida jury voted yesterday to award $43.6 million to the widow of a man who died from lung cancer caused by cigarettes made by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Smokers and their families have won 13 of 15 verdicts in Florida since 2006, when the State Supreme Court ruled in favor of individual smoker lawsuits. The jurors awarded $10.8 million in compensatory damages plus $80 million in punitive damages; R.J. Reynolds will pay 51 percent of those damages.

1. If I have an auto accident, do I have to stop?

Answer: Yes. Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime.

2. What do I do if someone is injured?

Answer: If you are qualified, provide reasonable assistance but do not move anyone and call 911 as soon as possible.

3. What do I do next?

Answer: Get the name, address, date of birth, and telephone number of the other driver, other persons in your vehicle, plus any other witnesses.

4. If I think the accident was my fault, should I say so?

Answer: Do not volunteer any information about who you think was at fault.

5. What if I get a ticket?

Answer: Accept it. A ticket is NOT proof of your guilt or innocence, just a promise to appear.

6. Do I need auto insurance?

Answer: Yes.

7. Should I get a physical checkup after the accident?

Answer: Yes.

8. Do I have to report the accident?

Answer: Yes. Failure to report an accident may result in criminal charges.

9. Who pays if I’m injured or my car is damaged?

Answer: Depends on who is at fault and if you or the other party have insurance.

10. What should I do if the other driver does not have insurance?

Answer: If the other driver caused the accident and is noes not have insurance, your own policy may pay.

11. What if someone sues me?

Answer: If you have already contacted an attorney then he or she will represent your interest. If you have not contacted an attorney, do so immediately.

12. What if I want to make a claim for my injuries?

Answer: Call a personal injury attorney.

13. How can I find an attorney or lawyer?

Answer: Ask someone whose judgment you can trust: a friend, associate, or employer. Question all prospective attorneys as to their experience in auto accident or personal injury law. Some attorneys concentrate their practice in auto accident law and a TV advertisement does not necessarily assure you of the best representation.

Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood is advising owners of recalled Toyotas to stop driving them immediately and get them into the shop for repairs

Honda Motors Inc. has issued another recall of more than 430,000 vehicles to replace a faulty airbag deflator that could rupture and significantly harm the driver. The airbag defect has been linked to one fatality and 11 injuries in the United States. This is the third time Honda will issue a recall for this problem; the first was in November 2008 and then again in June 2009. The latest recall applies to 2001 and 2002 model-year Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, Pilot and 2002 Acura TL and CL vehicles in the United States.

Nationwide Insurance has agreed to a $6 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that accused the company of fraud and violating Ohio consumer protection laws. According to the suit, customers who paid semi-annually, quarterly or monthly were charged more than the maximum premium. The lawsuit will affect about 230,000 current and former Nationwide term-life insurance holders.