The Role and Functions of Law

The Role and Functions of Law

The U.S. Constitution decided that there should only be one federal government in each state and only have limited power. This eliminates what the federal courts can decide about different cases. Most of the laws in each state that affect us are passed by the state governments, in which the courts can handle just about any disputes that rule our daily lives.

In Texas you have local trial courts, then country trail courts, then state trial courts and once you reach the state trial courts and go to prison then you can go to court to appeal your case. Once you appeal your case, then it will reach the Supreme Court (civil appeals) or Court of Criminal Appeals (criminal appeals). There are multiple courts that an individual has to go through to reach the Supreme Court.

How the laws or regulations affect me in my present job is that I write all of the standard work as well as all of the safety audits throughout Caterpillar, Inc. When writing the standard work, I have to figure out which is the best and safest way for the associates to perform their job duties, whether it be on heavy equipment, a forklift, unloading material off of a flat-bed trailer or a box truck, using the correct handle tools to perform the job, etc. For example, It is not wise for our associates to get onto the flat-bed trailer with the counterweights because they weigh fifteen thousand to twenty thousand pounds. If one of those counterweights were to fall on our associates while on the flat-bed trailer and our equipment (forklift) is not attached to the counterweight, then it could kill one of our employees. Now the tricky part comes into effect. Would it Caterpillar’s responsibility because the truck delivering the equipment is on our property or would it be the company that is delivering the equipment responsibility because our forklift is not attached to the counterweights yet? That is where I come in and figure out which way is safest for the associates