Researchers have finished a study on preschoolers who were exposed in some way to the events of September 11th. They wanted to access any long term effects or trauma that the children suffered from the World Trade Center attacks. Some of the children saw people fall from the tower or the towers collapse. They found that children that had a previous traumatic experience were more likely to suffer psychological effects years later. This study is another in a series trying to gauge the psychological side of World Trade Center Illness.
Children who had been rattled by a previous experience were about 20 times as likely to show signs of depression, anxiety, or attention deficits as children who had not known a significant trauma before Sept. 11.
"The optimistic part of this is that the kids who had no earlier traumas were doing fairly well, even though we set the bar very high for exposure to the World Trade Center attacks -- I mean, some of these kids were going to school practically across the street from the towers," said the lead author, Claude Chemtob, a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His co-authors were Yoko Nomura and Dr. Robert A. Abramovitz.
Researchers interviewed the parents of 116 children that were between the ages of 1 and 5 on September 11th. The study was done in partnership with the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services in New York.
Written by Shannon Weidemann on February 10th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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As an attorney in Atlanta, Georgia, with a practice heavily concentrated on trial of large truck and bus crash cases, I represent injured truck drivers (and their widows) almost as much as occupants of other vehicles. Posts about truckers violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations sometimes give folks the mistaken impression that I am condemning truckers as a group. However, I recognize that most truck drivers are hard working professionals who are conscientious about quality and safety. I also recognize that they are often placed in untenable situations by the demands of shippers and carriers.
The trucking collision data consistently show that about 80% of fatal collisions involving large commercial vehicles are caused by the actions of other drivers on the road, such as those tho erratically dart in front of a tractor trailer. When that happens, and a truck driver is seriously injured or killed, it is important to review all insurance information, including Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist coverage in the trucking company's insurance policy. If that insurance policy includes UM coverage equal to the liability limits, that may be enough to provide substantial help to the trucker and his or her family.
The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia. Ken Shigley was designated as a "SuperLawyer" in Atlanta Magazine and one of the "Legal Elite" in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck and bus accidents, including those resulting from driver fatigue. Click here for a free consultation with no obligation.
Written by Ken Shigley on February 10th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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I've spent the last few days in New Orleans at the American Association for Justice Litigating Truck Collision Cases seminar. I spoke on Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in relation to large truck products liability cases, debunking misconceptions about those minimal and largely outmoded standards.
Since I know opposing counsel read my blog, I won't go into a lot of detail about the new ideas I picked up in New Orleans. Suffice it to say that an excellent faculty of lawyers, technical experts and trial consultants from across the country made the trip worthwhile. Information exchanged informally over dinner with other lawyers trying these cases from coast to coast was nearly as valuable as the information shared by speakers.
The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia. Ken Shigley was designated as a "SuperLawyer" in Atlanta Magazine and one of the "Legal Elite" in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck and bus accidents, including those resulting from driver fatigue. Click here for a free consultation with no obligation.
Written by Ken Shigley on February 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Domega Internationanl Ltd., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Korica Brand Dried Plums because the product may contain undeclared sulfites. The recalled product was sold in 6 oz. plastic jars and were sold only in the state of New York.
Consumers who eat this product and are sensitive to sulfites can run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions. The consumption of 10 or more milligrams of sulfites in a serving has been shown to give sever reactions to some people with asthma. Also, anaphylactic shock is possible for some people who consume more than 10 milligrams of sulfites and are sensitive to sulfites.
The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of sulfites in KORICA BRAND DRIED PLUM which did not declare sulfites on the labels.
SO far there have not been any illnesses reported to Domega Int. or the FDA. The product was produced in China,
Written by Jenny Albano on February 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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From AFP via Yahoo! News: "Democratic White House hopefuls look to 'super-delegates,'"
by Alain Jean-Robert --
With no clear winner after months of wooing voters, the tight race for the Democratic White House nomination may leave the choice between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to "super-delegates."
The super-delegates are party leaders and lawmakers, including all Democratic members of Congress and former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, as well as ex-vice president Al Gore.
--Posted by Brighton Illinois personal injury lawyers and the Edwardsville Illinois truck accident attorneys of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C., handling car accident, personal injury, products liability, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, truck accidents, and all other types of injury cases.
Written by Evan Schaeffer on February 8th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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DurstNotes on Divorce Law is a nine part podcast series, and is part of the Divorce Law Podcast with Robert J. Durst, Shareholder and Chair of Stark & Stark's Divorce Law Group. DurstNotes on Divorce Law podcast series is designed to give you a brief overview of the several most common areas of divorce law, enabling you to better understand your divorce and the law.
This is the second installment of DurstNotes on Divorce Law, and will discuss child support. This podcast will address guidelines for the amount of support that needs to be paid from one parent to another, as well as medical expenses, work-related daycare expenses, educational tutoring, athletic fees and additional extracurricular activities.
You can download installment #2 here. (3.9 MB)
Installment 2 Show Notes (PDF)
Written by Robert Durst on February 8th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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In a $10 million medical malpractice case, the parties were unable to reach a settlement due to the opposition of the U.S. Attorney's Office to the demand of the plaintiff, Florencia Lewis.
According to the opposition filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikel Schwab, the plaintiff was under the misconception that, in addition to the willingness of the federal government to pay $339,900, the United States was also under obligation to pay the unknown bills from TRICARE, her medical program, which she will submit at a later date.
The suit came about after Lewis allegedly suffered permanent injuries in her left arm and hand as a result of a medical treatment she received at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii in the year 2002. Lewis holds the physicians and health care providers of the government hospital responsible for the injuries.
According to Lewis' complaint, she flew from Guam to Hawaii in August of 2002 in order to receive treatment for hypertension. While she was at Tripler, she was diagnosed with right-sided renal artery stenosis.
According to Lewis' attorney, due to problems and complications during the procedures she underwent as treatment, she allegedly sustained injuries to the nerves of her left arm and hand, pain, disability, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Her attorney added that the employees of Tripler failed to obtain the informed consent of Lewis for the procedures which caused the damages.
Written by Ben Glass on February 7th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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A big difference to hospitals and patients could be made by a slight change in the wording of the malpractice reform law of the state of Georgia.
Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy group, is making a push for an amendment which would make it easier for patients who believe they have been harmed in the emergency room to file suit against hospitals.
During the 2007 Georgia General Assembly, Senate Bill 286 was introduced by not brought up for vote. Reintroduction is expected during the current session.
A provision in the tort reform law passed in February of 2005, often called SB3, is the target of the bill. According to that law, ER staff can't be held liable for damages unless evidence that is clear and convincing can be provided that the actions of the physician or health care provider "showed gross negligence."
With SB 286, "showed gross negligence would be replaced with "failed to meet the applicable standard of care."
According to Allison Wall, Georgia Watch director, "reckless disregard for the safety of a patient" is what "gross negligence" is most commonly defined as, which is nearly impossible to prove in an emergency room.
"Applicable standard of care" is believed to be more precise. For example, an attorney would be able to use medical records in order to show that the standard treatment protocol for a specific diagnosis was failed to be met by a doctor.
According to Wall, "this wording would at least give patients a chance at achieving accountability."
Written by Ben Glass on February 7th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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Timothy P. Duggan, Shareholder and member of Stark & Stark's Condemnation and Bankruptcy & Creditor's Rights groups, has authored the article Surviving the Silent Killer: Failure to Respond to a Tax Assessor's Chapter 91 Request May Not Bar An Appeal for the January 28, 2008 issue of the New Jersey Law Journal.
The article discusses the recent change in the nation's real estate market, what these changes can mean for a property owner's tax assessments, and address when a tax assessment appeal is warranted.
You can read the full article here.
Written by Stark & Stark on February 7th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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On Friday, January 11, a medical malpractice lawsuit was filed against the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), by the family of Anne Ryan, a college sophomore who died from meningitis at the hospital on September 9. The family is alleging misdiagnosis and mistreatment by HUP.
According to the family's lawyer, Thomas Kline, emergency room doctors at HUP failed to properly diagnose Ryan during her initial visit to the hospital on September 6 when she complained of meningitis-like symptoms. He claims that during her second visit on September 8, the doctors then performed a spinal tap that was "unnecessary and unwarranted" and caused her brain to herniate.
A statement was released by the University the day the suit was filed defending the medical team's actions and denying the allegations of misdiagnosis.
According to Kline, Ryan displayed symptoms much like those of meningitis, including fever, nausea, and a head and neck ache upon her initial visit.
According to Kline, an analysis of her spinal fluid came back negative for bacteria, even though blood tests revealed her to have a high white blood cell count and low spinal fluid sugar, evidence of bacterial infection. She was diagnosed as having a viral infection, given nausea medication, and discharged.
After her condition worsened, Ryan returned to the hospital and doctors performed a CAT scan that showed swelling of the brain, said Klein. At that point, Ryan was given antibiotics to treat meningitis, but the doctors also performed a second spinal tap, which Kline alleges was the cause of Ryan's brain herniating
Written by Ben Glass on February 6th, 2008 with comments disabled.
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