1.2 Million Awarded in Wrongful Death

Filed under:Opinions, Controversial, Civil Law, Lawsuits, Liability, Settlements, Blogroll — posted by Tom on June 30, 2007 @ 6:11 pm

A wrongful death claim in the District of Columbia has netted the parents of 2 deceased children 1.2 million dollars. A man killed them via vehicle while fleeing police in 2004.

Police attempted to use undercover deceit to catch a suspected drug dealer, when they botched the sting, the dealer panicked and fled.

DC officials deny responsibility, claiming that they broke off pursuit prior to the incident.

The parents maintain that there was no reason to pursue the suspect, and even state one officer refused to give up the chase when ordered.

The real tragedy is this, those children were struck in a CROSSWALK, in arms reach of their father, the children were thrown 140 feet through the air, and died in their fathers sight! This disturbs me because as a father, my greatest fear is something liek this or, that i will lose my family to a drunken driver. The words to describe this feeling escapes me, but its a terrible and horrrendous thing to ponder.

When the police screwed up the bust and realized they werent getting him they shoudl have left it alone. Period. Be professional or go back to bed. Drugs? Hey drug dealers wouldnt exist if people didnt WANT the drugs. Go stop terrorism or soemthing!

Ford Recalls Escape

Filed under:Liability, Ethics, Blogroll, News — posted by Tom on June 27, 2007 @ 8:00 am


Ford  recalled more than a half million Escape  Sport Utility Vehicles following knowledge  of fifty   engine fires.

The fires were discoverd to be caused by dmaged brake parts in the Escapes’  brakes.  The recall was for 2001 through 2004 models, and it became active  after a thourogh amount of reasearch by the Natioinal Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2006. Escape Owners will not be made to pay for the replacement of their antilock brakes parts. There was no reports of injuries related to this recall.

Nailguns

Filed under:Opinions, Injuries, Blogroll, News — posted by Tom on June 24, 2007 @ 6:51 am


U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show figures that approximately 37,000 people are injured by nailguns annually. The CDC figures show that since 1990 these injuries have increase significantly(200%)

When they investigated the demographic of the injured, it was discovered wrokers being injured were about the same value, but the layman was getting hurt much much more. We can attribute the number of nailgun injuries by home users to the fact that nowadays this tool is widely availble and affordable for the non professional builder.  During 2001-2005 time period, about 37000 were treated nationwide in the emergency rooms annually, and 40% of those treated were laymen. More needs to be done to make consumers aware of the dangers of nailguns.

Is there a way to increase the safety of this device? A guard or a safety lock akin to that of a firearm perhaps. Could be we need to give it more attention as a society. Whatever the case, I fear that the avergae consumer is careless in its purchase and its use, i cant help but wonder how often alcohol was a factor.

Failed Communication

Filed under:Controversial, Opinions, Ethics, Blogroll — posted by Tom on June 21, 2007 @ 5:17 pm

i think there needs to be a legislation forcing communication between peers on a professional level. So many people have suffered because doctors wont share opinions, data, and other pertinenent information relating to a patients well being.

How would a SWAT team fare if the point man thought “mmm i see the suspect, hes armed, and notices us, but hey! this team is professional and they will obtain their own information in their own way.”

Thats Unthinkable! But so many doctors think , and act in that manner, and their patients suffer and die as simply as that swat team would. Yet, its not being addressed by the medical boards, or any of the regulatory boards governing our doctors and surgeons.

I ask why? of course its rhetorical in the sense that it wont be addressed, but i hope that people see the wisdom in this.

Consider if the anesthesiologist and the surgeon actually communicated prior to a procedure how much less sufferign there would be. What causes this? Arrogance perhaps? Pride maybe?

It would take such small amounts of time, and no cost at all to simply communicate and share facts, and knowledge.

Jury Awards 6.5 Million

Filed under:Civil Law, Settlements, Injuries, Liability, Blogroll — posted by Tom on June 18, 2007 @ 1:37 pm

A Florida jury has awarded several million dollars to a man who received brain injuries in a two car collision. 6,500,000 to be precise.

According to the local newspaper, the victim did not seek medical treatment immediately for his brain injuries simply because he did not realize the depth of them at that time. The brain injury changed the mans capability to earn income and his personal behavior.Also, the man recieved a back injury that will require many operations and physical therapy for life.

Things like this break my heart, I wonder how a person with diminished capability finds a way to carry on, and some even do so in a happy and cheerful way. My hats off to them.

Man Totals Truck

Filed under:Injuries, Liability, Blogroll — posted by Tom on June 15, 2007 @ 5:59 am

A man was cut from his destroyed pickup truck with the “jaws of life” after colliding with a bus. Authorities say he is in critical condition. Passengers of the bus and the driver were all taken to hospital for minor injuries in the incident.

The man was taken by helicopter to the nearby surgical center for life threatening bodily damage.

Witnesses say the man in critical condition ran the red light at an intersection and plowed into the bus. The truck he was driving is totaled and there is substantial damage to the bus. The man failed to wear a seat belt.

Its people like this that scare me, people who are reckless and drive like complete morons, if only we had a way to know where they will pop up and perhaps avoid that area…

Bad Faith = 10 Million

Filed under:Lawsuits, Civil Law, Federal Rulings, Settlements, Injuries, Blogroll, Ethics, News — posted by Tom on June 11, 2007 @ 4:53 pm

A Federal Jury  has given  a man $10 million dollars by deciding his employer’s insurance carrier acted in bad faith when they turned down his claim for benefits from a  back injury.

The jury is debating  to also award the man with  compensation for punitive damages in additional to the 10 million.

The worker was a computer tech at Norwest Financial at the time he injured his back while  picking up papers that had dropped to the floor. He was diagnosed in severe pain, but his workers compensation claim had been rejected.

The adjusters say he had  two prior surgeries on his back. They claim the injury worsened an existing condition.

The 10 million dollar verdict was to assuage his mental and emotional pain after being denied medical assistance based on a bad faith ruling.

Preacher Accused of Fraud

Filed under:Civil Law, Controversial, Lawsuits, Ethics, Blogroll, News — posted by Tom on June 8, 2007 @ 2:21 am

An insurance company has brought a suit against minister from Denver accusing fraud saying he filed life insurance claims on the congregation fraudulently.

AIG Life Insurance Company states the preacher and other co-defendants obtained a group life insurance policy on behalf of 315 people and doctored up paperwork to make certain that any claim payments would go directly to the defendants, and not the family of those covered by the group policy.

The company paid over 600,000 more than half of that was recieved by the pastor. Back in Novemeber the insurance agency terminated their policy.

Medication Side Effects

Filed under:Controversial, Ethics, Blogroll, News — posted by Tom on June 5, 2007 @ 3:19 pm

It is like every day we find out about a new medication with horrendous side effects and we dont learn this info through the drug makers. Recently we have been brought a champion of the cause!

A Web site called WorstPills(https://www.worstpills.org) that will actually email you warnings about drugs with nasty side efffects. Theres a subscription fee for the warnings, but the site is free to browse.

Michelle Knepper

Filed under:Controversial, Lawsuits, Settlements, Injuries, Blogroll — posted by Tom on June 2, 2007 @ 12:07 am

 Knepper chose a doctor out of the yellow pages to do her liposuction, and then did   the procedure. teh doctor wasnt even a surgeon he was a simple dermatologist.

Of course she had some complications. SHe claims she wouldnt have chosen him if she knew he was not board certified. WELL CONSIDER LOOKING FOR MORE THAN A PHONE BOOK ADVERT?! Perhaps a certificate on the office wall? i dont know!

Of course, does she sue the doctor? Naw, she sues the phone book she found the doctor in! She wins 1.2 million for her and 375,000 for her husband’s (loss of spousal services) . What the ^@$@#!!



image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace