Legal News

NTSB Looks to Reduce Number of Helicopter Crashes

Posted on October 31, 2008
Washington, DC: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for changes to emergency medical services flights following a string of helicopter crashes in the past year. The NTSB released its top priorities for safety improvements in aviation and among those priorities was improving the safety of emergency medical services (EMS) flights.

Interview with Dr. Todd Curtis, Air Safety Expert

Posted on October 31, 2008
Dr. Todd Curtis has been involved in aviation in one form or another for 30 years. He took his first flight in a glider at the age of 18 and got his private license before becoming a flight test engineer. He also worked at Boeing as an airline safety engineer...

When a Train Accident Takes a Life…

Posted on October 31, 2008
Washington, DC: When it comes to railroad worker safety, most people will assume that the most pronounced issues relate to a train accident, railroad worker deaths or the emotional and physical trauma that come with an injury. In fact the Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) exists for that very reason—to serve as a resource, and a series of protections for workers who are injured, or for the families of workers killed on the job.

Digital Threats: Emerging Predatory Behaviors in the Workplace

Posted on October 31, 2008
Increasingly, digital threats are emerging as a new variant of workplace violence: Malicious, digitally-based threats have appeared as a new weapon for the disgruntled employee to perpetrate malice or unwanted pursuit.

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Will the next patient be Safe from Heparin?

Posted on October 30, 2008
Batesville, AR: Although Dorothy's husband had some major health issues before he was hospitalized and given Heparin, she says they were not life-threatening. She knows that he had an allergic reaction to multiple Heparin injections and never recovered...

Hives, blood clot and breast cancer: was it from the Ortho Evra Patch ?

Posted on October 30, 2008
Wilson, NC: Teresa woes the days she wore the Ortho Evra Patch. Back in 2004 her Obgyn prescribed the contraceptive, right after she had a physical. But 3 days later she broke out in hives, called the nurse and she was told to stop using the patch—it had caused an allergic reaction...

Fast-Tracking Medical Devices: Innovation, or Opportunism?

Posted on October 30, 2008
Oakland, CA: When it comes to medical devices and medical drugs, it can be argued that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is no real friend to the everyday Joe (the Plumber, or otherwise). That's because the FDA routinely allows so-called improvements to drug and medical devices through the pipeline and into the consumer marketplace, without completely vetting the process.

Getting a Green Card Takes Green to Do it Right

Posted on October 30, 2008
Washington, DC: Getting an immigration green card isn't easy. It can take years. It can be expensive. And the need for a citizenship green card by anyone in the citizenship immigration camp is so great, people are willing to do anything to get one.

Surviving Insurance Companies After a Car Accident

Posted on October 30, 2008
Elmhurst, IL: When you are involved in a car accident, you expect that the insurance company will take proper care of you, especially if you were not at fault in the accident. However, many people report having a lot of trouble dealing with insurance companies following their auto accidents...

Withholding Paychecks a violation of the California Labor Law

Posted on October 29, 2008
Simi Valley, CA: Withholding an employee's pay check is, without a shadow of doubt, a violation of the California Labor Law, so why do some people think they are above the law? What right does Geraldine's boss have to not pay her in a timely manner and then have the audacity to shortchange her?

Charges Laid In Truck Accident

Posted on October 29, 2008
Madison, MN: The driver of a semitruck who was involved in a fatal truck accident in 2005 faces federal charges alleging he falsely logged his sleep hours. The driver had been acquitted of all criminal charges related to his trucking accident in a separate trial.

Digitek: Five Days Too Late

Posted on October 29, 2008
San Gabriel, CA: For at least 2 years Shyanne's Grandmother, Romsao, had been taking the Digitek heart drug, in the belief that it would protect her against future heart attacks. She died while taking the drug, just 5 days before the drug maker, Actavis Totowa, issued a Class I Digitek recall.

Variable Annuities Carry Variable Risks and Benefits

Posted on October 29, 2008
New York, NY: Okay, here’s the scoop on variable annuities. They can have high fees. They can have steep penalties. And even though they are tied in with variable annuity life insurance, they can be associated with some pretty high-risk products that could cost many investors value in their investment portfolio...

Cyclists at Risk for Bicycle Accident Injury

Posted on October 28, 2008
Brownsville, TX: Writing about bicycle accident injury is a tough one, because on this subject there are more often than not two sides to every bike accident story. Tragic, too because more and more people are riding bicycles for all the right reasons...

Canada Pulls Toxic Imported Toys Off Store Shelves

Posted on October 28, 2008
Ottawa, ON: Here we go again. A toy recall, after numerous products—most of which were made in China—were found to have dangerous levels of lead. This time the issue is on Canadian soil, but an issue that has affected Americans in the past, who have seen recalled toys from China...

Contaminated in Canada: Syringes Re-used for Nearly Two Decades

Posted on October 28, 2008
High Prairie, AB: It's happened again. Reminiscent of the syringe scare at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, a Canadian hospital has been put on alert after reused syringes were found to have been used on a host of patients across nearly two decades...

Unum Provident's "Independent Examiner" a Farce

Posted on October 28, 2008
Basking Ridge, NJ: Ann suffers from depression and anxiety, to the point where she can no longer work. Her insurer Unum Provident recognized her illness as legitimate—which is surprising in itself as Unum has denied so many others who have mental illness—and accepted Ann’s claim...

Worried About What Your Parents Are Investing In? You Should Be.

Posted on October 28, 2008
San Diego, CA: Be careful out there folks! Everyday attorney Ron Marron sees older Americans that have been sucked into complicated investment products or strategies they thought would ensure their life savings would last forever. Marron specializes in recovering money from unscrupulous or negligent commission driven investment dealers—he cautions investors to be extremely wary of Variable Annuities.

The Whistleblower and the Voting Machine

Posted on October 27, 2008
Washington, DC: With one of the most important Presidential elections in US history mere days away, concern is resurfacing over the integrity of voting machines and the potential for tampering, according to two whistleblowers. Indeed, there has been a lot of whistleblowing going on with regard to one of the most closely guarded freedoms inherent with democracy—the right and the freedom to vote for the candidate of your choice with the assurance that your vote will not only count, but truly reflect your choice in the voting booth.

Motorcycle vs. Car: Motorcycle Always Loses

Posted on October 27, 2008
Memphis, TN: It is a sad truth that most people regard motorcycle enthusiasts as irresponsible speed demons who only have themselves to blame for their own motorcycle accident. However, the real truth is that most motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers turning into the path of the motorcycle, resulting in motorcycle injury or even death to the rider.

Stock Losses Aren't Always Caused by the Stock Market

Posted on October 27, 2008
Wooster, OH: If there is one segment of the population most hurt by the global economic crisis and stock market losses, it is seniors who may have been duped through imprudent stock market financial advice, and now have incurred stock losses at a time when they are ill-equipped to replace those funds.

Son's Death Due to Heparin?

Posted on October 26, 2008
Appleton, WI: It's tragic when your child dies before you. Margaret's son was only 49 years old when he passed away in 2006; she believes Heparin hastened his death or possibly even caused it. "Michael was given a lot of Heparin injections and IV flushes in hospital, on many occasions," Margaret says.

"Referring to my Weight is a California Labor Law Violation"

Posted on October 26, 2008
Lodi, CA: Loretta started working at a childcare center early this year and loved her job until the new owner took over. She says he made a lot of changes that could jeopardize the children's safety and health such as removing a safety gate that protected them from the storage rooms where cleaning supplies are stored...

Overtime Claim Worth Pursuing

Posted on October 26, 2008
Williamville, KT: Larry was involved in an overtime class action lawsuit (Price, et al. v. Acosta) that started back in 2004—in 2005 he was one of several hundred people who chose to opt in. However, the original four plaintiffs settled and the opt-in plaintiffs were dismissed without prejudice this past August...

Kugel Mesh Infection: What's a Busy Mom to do?

Posted on October 25, 2008
Huntsville, AL: Imagine. You've got 3 kids, ages 15, 13 and 10. Children at an age where they are active socially. It's a busy age. Any parent would be hard pressed to keep up with them. Now, imagine if you were a parent saddled with a Kugel Mesh patch—and worse, a hernia patch that had been recalled...

Byetta Lands a Plum as Safety Concern Remains

Posted on October 25, 2008
Alexandria, VA: In an, 'it happened on the way to the courthouse' moment, the makers of Byetta—the diabetes drug that has been associated with six deaths from Byetta acute pancreatitis—would have been overjoyed to hear this week's news that GLP-1 analogs have been added to treatment guidelines as a secondary option for patients...

The Neuberger Auction: Fodder for ERISA Lawsuit?

Posted on October 25, 2008
New York, NY: It's bad enough when the massive downturn in the stock market robs millions of Americans of value in their mutual funds. However when mutual fund losses are compounded by alleged mismanagement on the part of brokers entrusted to look out for the best interests of investors, violations of mutual fund ERISA comes into play.

Pilot Error Causes Plane Crashes

Posted on October 25, 2008
Madrid, Spain: When you board an airplane, you expect the pilot is fully capable of dealing with any situation that might arise and will always make the right decision to avert a plane crash. Of course, pilots are humans and humans make mistakes. Sadly, when pilots make mistakes the result can be a fatal airplane crash.

A Victory, Dead or Alive

Posted on October 25, 2008
Nashville, TN: The case of a young woman who contracted asbestos mesothelioma through second hand exposure made the news this September. She was exposed to asbestos from the time she was born--literally--because her father came home wearing clothes contaminated with asbestos.

Seniors Victimized in Financial Elder Abuse Scams

Posted on October 24, 2008
Sacramento, CA: As the number of people in their senior years increases, so, too, does the number of people willing to take advantage of seniors, making them victims of financial elder abuse. And, while some financial elder abuse is committed by the victim's family members, there is no shortage of so-called professionals who will portray themselves as experts in a certain field so they can con the senior out of his or her hard-earned money.

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