Case Study As A Cook At The Las Casuelas Restaurant

Mr. Ventura was translated from Spanish to English with World Services Spanish interpreter Miguel Blasina.

Mr. Gerado Martinez Ventura is employed as a Cook at the Las Casuelas Restaurant and has been with the restaurant for approximately eight years. He had known Ms. Miramontes after she was hired sometime in August 2016 when she worked in the kitchen helping in conducting miscellaneous tasks as a Kitchen Prep Assistant, who worked alongside with Kitchen Prep Assistant, Mr. Brian Ruvalcaba. The two helped warming tortillas, cutting vegetables, restocking the vegetable bins while they would stack and put away the dishes when they were dried at the dishwashing machine. Through his observations, Ms. Miramontes would find her to carry out small
when he reportedly saw Ms. Miramontes already at work when she had been talking with the owner of the restaurant at one of the tables where the customers are served. He said it was not unusual to see Ms. Miramontes in the restaurant that early in the morning when it appeared as if she was having a meeting with Owner and Operator Ms. Alana Coffin. He claimed he was unaware what the discussion was about and continued to mind his business when he kept working in the kitchen.

He remembered when he saw Ms. Miramontes on the date of her loss; he saw her performing regular duties while she prepared dishes and walked back and forth in the kitchen as she would walk in and out of the walk-in refrigerator which is in the rear portion of the kitchen area. At no time, did he see anything out of the ordinary when he observed her performing her duties, such as a change of attitude or being careless while she was performing her duties while she either carried produce or when she arranged and stacked clean dishes for the
Ventura stated from the time he worked in the kitchen and from the time he ended his shift at 4:00 p.m., at no point, did he witness or heard Ms. Miramontes slip, fall, or trip over any objects while he worked behind the grill. He said the walkways in the kitchen are narrow and have black rubber drainage mats that prevent slipping, and most the time each employee is responsible for keeping the walkway clear from clutter.

Near the end of his shift, he was unable to account if he saw Ms. Miramontes leave early or ever saw her mention, report, complain or exhibit a work related- injury caused from a fall where she may have been injured. Mr. Ventura stated if she had been injured by either falling or slipping in the kitchen area he would have been aware of it because the kitchen is small enough where he sees everyone coming and going out of the kitchen and if either she or anyone else fell in the kitchen he would know about it.

On the date of the loss, after ending his shift, Mr. Ventura said he punched out at 4:00 p.m., when he walked out in the back of the restaurant with Mr. Ruvalcaba when he overheard him talking about when he witnessed Ms. Miramontes slip and fall at work. There was no mentioned by Mr. Ruvalcaba of any known injuries which she may have injured either her head, neck, and back. He said he did not want to further to eavesdrop on the conversation which he had overheard Mr. Ruvalcaba discussing with another employee who is no longer employed with the