Lawyer in Florida

  A recent fungal meningitis outbreak has infected at least 170 people in 11 states. The death toll from the outbreak that has reportedly been linked to spinal steroid injections compounded at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts currently stands at 14. According to the nation's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 14,000 patients in 23 states may have received a contaminated steroid injection. NECC has reportedly stopped all of its manufacturing processes and recalled all of the company's products, including three batches of allegedly tainted steroid injections sent to 75 medical facilities. Fungal meningitis is a rare infection that can cause the membranes which surround the brain and spinal cord to swell. Although other forms of meningitis are contagious, fungal meningitis cannot be transmitted from one person to another. In order to become infected, a person must have the fungus injected into their central nervous sy...

  The cause of a deadly explosion on the South Side of Indianapolis on Saturday, November 10th is still under investigation. Public Safety Director, Troy Riggs said Monday morning that the suspected cause of the explosion is natural gas. Citizens Energy Group has been conducting test and checking gas lines for possible leaks. The explosion occurred in the Richmond Hill subdivision sometime after 11pm on November 10th. The subdivision consists of 126 homes and Marc Lotter, spokesman for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, told the Los Angeles Times that "most" of the homes incurred some kind of damage. Police have blocked off the entrances and only those who live in the subdivision are allowed in. While the investigation continues, most residents have been allowed back into their homes to gather belongings. A Greenwood Schools teacher and her husband are believed to have died in the blast. Seven others were injured, five homes destroyed and 80 were damaged. Thirty-one of thos...

  A deadly fungal meningitis outbreak that was linked to spinal steroid injections contaminated at a Massachusetts compounding facility has some lawmakers calling for increased federal oversight over pharmacies and other compounding facilities. Deborah Autor, Deputy Regulatory Commissioner at the nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said it is often difficult to determine exactly where the agency's authority lies with regard to the regulation of specialty pharmacies. In response to the fungal meningitis outbreak, some members of Congress have stated they intend to introduce legislation that would provide the FDA with greater authority over compounding pharmacies. Compounding facilities are specialized pharmacies that create custom drugs based on the needs of individual patients. Such facilities alter the dosage, physical form, ingredients, and other drug properties on an as needed basis. Compounding facilities also provide pharmaceuticals that are not normally available...

  We recently read an   article   about a lucky individual who decided to make homemade fireworks. We say lucky because he and his wife escaped without   injury , but the same can't be said about their home. According to the article, fire crews responded to an explosion inside a home in rural Huntington County, Indiana. The owner confirmed he was making fireworks in the home. The owner and his wife were both home at the time of the explosion but were not hurt. A small fire started but was put out by the owner. Although the owner and his wife escaped injury, the home suffered major damage. The owner confirmed damage in every room, including the walls, floors, and roof. The explosion was so destructive the foundation of the home was cracked and the entire house is reportedly a total loss. There's only a little bit of good news with this story; there are no injuries. However, this could have been a catastrophic disaster. Reading this article reminded us of the article w...

  Clinical Specialties   of Martinez, GA., has received reports of eye infections among patients who used the drug to treat macular degeneration, a common vision disorder in seniors. The Georgia-based compounding pharmacy is recalling 40 lots of the Roche drug Avastin that was distributed to doctors' offices in Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana since December 18, 2012. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness among older Americans, affecting about 2 million people in the U.S. over age 50. The condition causes new blood vessels to grow in the eye and leak blood and fluid, damaging the retina and distorting vision. The  FDA  has stepped up inspections of compounding pharmacies after a fungal meningitis outbreak last year was tied to the  New England Compounding Center  in Framingham, Massachusetts. The tainted steroid has killed 50 people and sickened more than 720 across the nation. Since the discovery las...

  ndiana's new "Texting while Driving" law went into effect July 1 and with it comes a new slate of "do's," "don'ts," and potential penalties for hitting those little buttons on your Qwerty keyboard while (supposedly) you are also keeping your hands on the steering wheel. Actually, that's an overstatement, because the new law applies only to texting while driving. Technically, it does not apply to dialing a telephone number or playing a game. Unlike in some other states, it also does not include any kind of regulations regarding speaking on the phone while driving. What it does do, is provide you with the "opportunity" to pay up to a $500 fine if you are caught texting while driving. This is applicable whether or not you have been stopped for this infraction or for any other. However, the officer is not permitted to confiscate the phone. Perhaps more importantly, it is far less clear how this new legislation will affect those laws...

  The term waiver/release agreement is often used as though the mere mention of such removes all responsibility for injury or disability. In reality, how waiver agreements are written and applied is significantly more complex. In Indiana such agreements can be enforced, but you might be surprised at when they are or are not effective. In Indiana a waiver must contain language stating that the establishment is not being held responsible for its own negligence. Without that language specifying that the company is being released for its own negligence, an injured individual can still go forward with a case if the person was injured due to lack of care on the part of the establishment. A case our law firm recently settled for an injured person dealt with a waiver signed by our client at a climbing facility. Civil litigation lawyer . He was then injured when a bolt hanger came out of the wall, causing him to fall. He had signed a waiver, but it did not say he was releasing the climbing...

  Recently, CBS News came out with some pretty amazing statistics about the wide disparity in costs for a common surgical procedure across the country. For the appendectomy, a common and often performed operation, one would expect to pay virtually the same price regardless of what part of the country the surgery was done. Not so, according to the following report, which was included in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday, April 23, 2012. Surprisingly, the findings in this report were very similar to those results from a study conducted in 66 United States and Canada hospitals, which indicated a wide disparity in charges depending on geographic location. In a California study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, it was revealed that the average cost of the procedure was around $33,000 but the extremes ranged from under $2,000 to more than $180,000. As would be expected, the lowest price charged a patient for the surgery was in a rural northern California to...

  Warm weather has arrived and summer vacation season is well underway. Basking in the warm glow of the sun can make us feel great, and in the short term, make us look good. In the long term, over-exposure to ultraviolet rays damages the fibers in the skin. Construction law litigation . Effects of sun exposure put us at higher risk of cellular damage, age spots, early wrinkling and skin cancer. The summer season is a great reminder to use sunscreen whenever outdoors, but protection from UV radiation is important all year round. We recently read an article about a 69-year-old man who spent the last 28 years as a truck driver. Since the man spent countless daylight hours behind the wheel and over exposure to damaging UV rays, the left side of his face looks decades older than the right side. The name for his condition is unilateral dermatoheliosis (one-sided photo aging). Even with the window closed, UVA rays can penetrate window glass if it's not tinted enough to protect passenger...

  Warm weather has arrived and summer vacation season is well underway. Basking in the warm glow of the sun can make us feel great, and in the short term, make us look good. In the long term, over-exposure to ultraviolet rays damages the fibers in the skin. Effects of sun exposure put us at higher risk of cellular damage, age spots, early wrinkling and skin cancer. The summer season is a great reminder to use sunscreen whenever outdoors, but protection from UV radiation is important all year round. We recently read an article about a 69-year-old man who spent the last 28 years as a truck driver. Since the man spent countless daylight hours behind the wheel and over exposure to damaging UV rays, the left side of his face looks decades older than the right side. Construction law litigation . The name for his condition is unilateral dermatoheliosis (one-sided photo aging). Even with the window closed, UVA rays can penetrate window glass if it's not tinted enough to protect passenger...

  We recently read an interesting article by Steven Jefferson at WTHR.com about an Indiana State Police Department initiative to crack down on traffic violators. Steven writes about the initiative and the approach used by the Indiana State Police Department to find aggressive drivers who are breaking the law. Lawyer office in Florida . Steven says... "The aggressive driver campaign involves motorcycle officers, air patrols in a helicopter and other police cars you might not recognize." Steven goes on to say... "Trooper Justin Hobbs' pickup has a fake Indiana Department of Transportation sticker so the speeding drivers paid us no attention on Wednesday's ride-along." Summer months are popular times for family vacations and long weekend trips. With an increase in traffic and motorcycles on the roadways, it's never a bad time to crack down on aggressive drivers and those committing safety violations. Construction zones are more common during the warmer...

  A recent report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that injuries and deaths related to motorcycle crashes were significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle helmets. According to the report, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities across the nation in 2010 despite that motorcycles traveled less than one percent of all vehicle miles driven. The report authors also stated the most effective way to raise the rate of helmet use is to adopt a universal motorcycle helmet law that requires all drivers and passengers to wear a helmet whenever traveling on a motorcycle. The report authors examined data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding fatal traffic crashes throughout the nation between 2008 and 2010. Next, they compared motorcycle crash data with economic information regarding the estimated cost savings related to wearing a motorcycle helmet. Best lawyer help ...

  The Ford Motor Company is recalling half a million Ford Escape SUVs. The recall is due to problems with the accelerator pedal sticking. Ford issued a recall after an accident claimed the life of an Arizona teenager who was unable to stop her Ford Escape SUV. The Escape recall affects models manufactured from 2001-2004 with the 3-liter, V-6 engine with cruise control. In total, 484,600 vehicles have been recalled due to this problem. Lawyer office in LA . The accelerators speed control cables could become stuck on an engine cover when the pedal is almost fully depressed. In total, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 99 complaints about the problem, including 13 crashes, 9 injuries, and one death. Recently, Ford has had several recalls involving the Escape SUV. A week ago, Ford recalled 11,500 of the new 2013 models with 1.6-liter engines because the fuel lines can crack and leak gasoline, causing fires. A few days before that recall, Ford recalled 1...

  A recent fungal meningitis outbreak has infected at least 170 people in 11 states. The death toll from the outbreak that has reportedly been linked to spinal steroid injections compounded at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts currently stands at 14. According to the nation's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 14,000 patients in 23 states may have received a contaminated steroid injection. NECC has reportedly stopped all of its manufacturing processes and recalled all of the company's products, including three batches of allegedly tainted steroid injections sent to 75 medical facilities. Fungal meningitis is a rare infection that can cause the membranes which surround the brain and spinal cord to swell. Although other forms of meningitis are contagious, fungal meningitis cannot be transmitted from one person to another. In order to become infected, a person must have the fungus injected into their central nervous s...

  A deadly fungal meningitis outbreak that was linked to spinal steroid injections contaminated at a Massachusetts compounding facility has some lawmakers calling for increased federal oversight over pharmacies and other compounding facilities. Deborah Autor, Deputy Regulatory Commissioner at the nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said it is often difficult to determine exactly where the agency's authority lies with regard to the regulation of specialty pharmacies. In response to the fungal meningitis outbreak, some members of Congress have stated they intend to introduce legislation that would provide the FDA with greater authority over compounding pharmacies. Compounding facilities are specialized pharmacies that create custom drugs based on the needs of individual patients. Such facilities alter the dosage, physical form, ingredients, and other drug properties on an as needed basis. Lawyer office in Florida . Compounding facilities also provide pharmaceuticals tha...

  The cause of a deadly explosion on the South Side of Indianapolis on Saturday, November 10th is still under investigation. Public Safety Director, Troy Riggs said Monday morning that the suspected cause of the explosion is natural gas. Citizens Energy Group has been conducting test and checking gas lines for possible leaks. The explosion occurred in the Richmond Hill subdivision sometime after 11pm on November 10th. The subdivision consists of 126 homes and Marc Lotter, spokesman for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, told the Los Angeles Times that "most" of the homes incurred some kind of damage. Lawyer office in Florida . Police have blocked off the entrances and only those who live in the subdivision are allowed in. While the investigation continues, most residents have been allowed back into their homes to gather belongings. A Greenwood Schools teacher and her husband are believed to have died in the blast. Seven others were injured, five homes destroyed and 80 were da...

  If you have children, chances are you've been to a party with bounce houses to occupy the kids (and some adults). Bounce houses are considered safer trampolines since they have walls and are more forgiving. Most bounce houses also have a net door to eliminate the possibility of falling out. Bounce houses are generally constructed of strong PVC and nylon then inflated with an electric blowing machine. In the U.S., cheaper varieties made of polyester are banned. In the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it's mandatory that bounce houses pass both engineering and safety standards before they are rented out. According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, bounce house injuries are on the rise. More than 11,300 children were treated for bounce house related injuries in 2010. Lawyer office in Florida . The authors from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH say that "equals a child every 46 minutes na...

 We recently read an article about a lucky individual who decided to make homemade fireworks. We say lucky because he and his wife escaped without injury, but the same can't be said about their home. According to the article, fire crews responded to an explosion inside a home in rural Huntington County, Indiana. Lawyer firm in Florida . The owner confirmed he was making fireworks in the home. The owner and his wife were both home at the time of the explosion but were not hurt. A small fire started but was put out by the owner. Although the owner and his wife escaped injury, the home suffered major damage. The owner confirmed damage in every room, including the walls, floors, and roof. The explosion was so destructive the foundation of the home was cracked and the entire house is reportedly a total loss. There's only a little bit of good news with this story; there are no injuries. However, this could have been a catastrophic disaster. Reading this article reminded us of the ...