Archive for November, 2005

Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Wisconsin Treatment Center

The mother of a girl who died after falling from the third story of a treatment facility has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility's owners.

Parents File Wrongful Death Suit Over Daughter's Death at Community Pool

The parents of an 8-year-old girl who drowned at a community pool in Westchase, Florida have filed a wrongful death suit against the local community association.

First Federal Vioxx Trial Underway

The jury was selected and opening arguments were heard, as the first federal Vioxx lawsuit against Merck & Co. got underway Tuesday.

Suit filed, another planned in crash of van operated by Florida church charity

The family of a man who died after being injured in the crash of a van operated by Catholic Charities of Boca Raton plans to file the second lawsuit over the crash.

California Hospital Faces Lawsuit Over Transplant Program

Earlier this month, three individuals brought a lawsuit against a hospital they claim improperly operated a liver transplant program. Patients were subjected to lengthy waiting periods, which resulted in suffering and death, the lawsuit states.

Woman Convicted of Fatal Hit-And-Run Faces Wrongful Death Suit

In Benson County, Oregon, the family of a fatal hit-and-run victim recently filed a multimillion-dollar wrongful death suit against the driver of the vehicle.

Man Sentenced for the Death of Two Firefighters

A handyman, who was growing a pot farm in his basement, was convicted in the death of two firefighters.

Judge Orders Continental to Pay Manhattan Lawyer $3,110

A judge has ordered Continental Airlines to pay a Manhattan attorney $3,110 after he and his 13-year-old daughter were bumped from a flight.

Truck Driver Wins $109,000 In Wrongful Suspension Case

A jury in Portland, Oregon awarded $109,000 to a trucker whose employer suspended him for being overweight.

Woman Sues Cruise Liner Company Following Injury

A woman from Westbrook, Connecticut filed a lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Lines after she broke her tailbone during an activity aboard one of the company's cruise ships.

Mother Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit on Behalf of Slain Son

The mother of a man who was allegedly subject to a fatal beating outside of a bar has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the individuals accused of the murder and the bar's owner.

Connecticut Family Awarded $36.5 Million in Birth Injury Case

The parents of a child who suffered severe brain damage at birth were recently awarded $36.5 million by a jury that held that the child's injuries were the result of medical negligence.

Family of Texas man killed on motorcycle sues Missouri trucking firm, driver

A Missouri trucking firm and its driver are being sued by the family of a Texas man killed when a tractor-trailer struck his motorcycle near Pharr, TX., November 12.

Husband of Maine professor who died in crash sues cable company, snowplow contractor

The husband of a University of Maine professor who died after her car was struck by a cable company van is suing the owner and the driver of the van and a snowplow contractor.

Ambulette Company Sued Over Death of Prominent Surgeon

The family of a New York breast cancer surgeon who was run over and killed by an ambulette is suing the driver and the ambulette company for wrongful death.

Taser Faces Another Product Liability Suit

The company that makes tasers is being sued for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages after a county deputy suffered a severe injury during a certification training exercise required by the manufacturer.

Nevada Mental Health Facility Sued For Medical Negligence

A schizophrenic man who has been charged in a shooting incident is suing the mental health facility he claims denied him his medication two days prior to the shooting.

Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Kansas Doctor

A doctor who allegedly prescribed painkillers in a negligent manner was recently served with a wrongful death lawsuit after one of his patients died of an overdose.

Family Wins $60 Million in Medical Malpractice Case Involving Hospital

In Hialeah, Florida a federal judge issued a $60.9 million verdict in favor of the parents of a boy who incurred severe brain damage while being delivered at a Navy hospital.

Judge Dismisses Kentucky Woman's Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Citing insufficient evidence, a Daviess County judge dismissed the case of a woman who claimed that the medical professionals she saw while pregnant failed to properly treat her for chicken pox, allegedly causing the premature birth of her baby.

New Jersey Man Awarded $5 Million in Medical Malpractice Case

A man who passed out while at work and subsequently suffered a stroke recently was awarded $5.4 million by a Middlesex county jury that held that the stroke could have been prevented with proper medical care.

West Virginia University Reaches Settlement Agreement in Asbestos Lawsuit

A settlement agreement has been reached between West Virginia University and employees concerning a class action asbestos lawsuit filed in 2000.

Utah Supreme Court Ruling Scores a Victory for Cancer Survivors

The Utah Supreme Court clarified its position on medical malpractice lawsuits last Tuesday, correcting the misconception that cancer survivors in remission cannot sue their physicians for failure to diagnose.

FDA Adds Elevated Estrogen Warning to Birth Control Patch Labels

The Food and Drug Administration has added a warning to the labels of the Ortho Evra birth control patch, notifying users of increased estrogen exposure compared to regular birth control pills.

Florida woman receives $55,000 from city over dump truck crash

A Florida woman will receive a $55,000 settlement from the city of Largo for injuries received when a city dump truck ran into her car three years ago.

Jury Awards $1.9 million to Sheet Metal Worker Suffering from Peritoneal Mesothelioma

A San Francisco jury has awarded Genaro Garcia, a 71-year-old retired sheet metal worker, more than $1.9 million as a result of his on-the-job exposure to asbestos.

Man Faces 10 Years in Prison and Millions in Fines for Drug Crimes

A man from Iowa who received federal charges on five counts faces a 10-year prison sentence and millions of dollars in fines.

Mechanics Sue Metropolitan Airports Commission

Claiming their constitutional rights to picket had been violated, Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 33 has filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

Drug Dealer Sentenced to 107 Years in Prison

A major drug dealer from Washington was sentenced to 107 years behind bars for his role in distributing methamphetamine.

Doctors Agree to Settlement in Heart Surgery Fraud Case

Three surgeons have agreed to pay more than three million dollars between them as part of a large settlement awarded to Redding Medical Center patients who claim the doctors performed unnecessary heart surgeries.

Nurse's Aide Convicted for Stealing Patient's Medication

A nurse's aide from Keyser, West Virginia was convicted of stealing a patient's medication by removing a pain patch from the patient's arm and sucking out the medication.

Celebrex and Vioxx May Increase Risk of Death After Heart Attack

A Danish study indicated that taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex and Vioxx, after a heart attack increases the risk of death.

Congress Prepared to Exempt Missouri From Wright Amendment

Missouri is expected to soon become the eighth state to be made exempt from the Wright Amendment.

Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison on Drug Charges

A man was sentenced to 10 months in prison with an additional four years on parole for possessing drugs with the intent to distribute.

Ford issues recalls for three safety issues; 455,000 vehicles affected

Ford Motor Company has issued three recall orders in the past two days, affecting a total of 455,000 sport utility vehicles, pickups, vans, and sedans with potential safety problems.

Senate Prepares to Debate Asbestos Bill

The United States Senate will soon begin debating the creation of a $140 billion trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.

Drug-Related Murder Leads to Life Sentence

Alleged drug dealer who pleaded guilty to brutally murdering a man over a drug debt was sentenced to life in prison.

Wisconsin couple files lawsuit over death of son in charter bus crash

A Wisconsin couple filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week against parties involved in the Oct. 16 nighttime highway crash between a charter bus carrying a high school band and a tractor-trailer.

Pilots Must Sue to Challenge Delta's Pension Payment Cuts

Judge Prudence Carter Beatty, a bankruptcy judge, ruled that Delta Airlines Inc. pilots must follow procedures and file a lawsuit if they want to challenge the company's decision to cut pension payments.

Jury awards father, daughter $87,100 for South Dakota policeman's negligence in crash

A federal jury in South Dakota last week awarded a Wisconsin man and his daughter $87,100 in damages for a 2002 car crash, finding a Sioux Falls policeman negligent for causing the incident.

Wisconsin Senate Votes to Limit Medical Malpractice Damage Awards

The Republican controlled Wisconsin State Senate voted Tuesday to restore caps on medical malpractice awards, limiting non-economic damages to $450,000 for adults and $550,000 for minors.

Jury Finds Obstetrics Group Negligent for Failing to Offer Prenatal Test

A Connecticut jury on Thursday ordered an obstetrics group in Waterbury to pay $12 million for failing to offer a blood protein prenatal test to the parents of a child born with severe birth defects.

Family of Indiana woman killed in collision with truck wins $6 million lawsuit

The family of an Indiana women killed in a 2003 collision with a tractor-trailer was awarded $6 million dollars in a wrongful death suit against the tractor driver and an Illinois trucking company.

Injury suit filed against Michigan county, sheriff's deputy over patrol car crash

A couple hit by a sheriff's patrol car in November 2002 has filed a civil lawsuit against Grand Traverse County and the deputy who drove the car.

South Carolina family sues police over crash death of fleeing suspect

A South Carolina police department is being sued by the family of a man who died when a car in which he was a passenger crashed into a tree while fleeing police pursuit.

Virginia medical transport driver faces second lawsuit in fatal crash

A driver employed to transport Virginia Medicaid patients is facing a second wrongful death lawsuit over the deaths of three senior citizens in an April 8 crash that also led to criminal charges.

HMO Approves Boy's Consultation with Specialist

After an eight-month battle with the family of a boy suffering from a rare bone disease, Healthnet has agreed to provide coverage for a visit to a specialist.

Hospital Faces Medical Malpractice Lawsuit In Death of Elderly Woman

The son of a woman who suffered a heart attack and died while being treated at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way has filed a medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital.

Families sue over dangerous work conditions in construction deaths

The families of two construction workers who died after falling from a scaffold at a malt plant have filed suit against International Malting Co.

FAA Absolves Arizona Man of Washington Air Defense Violation

The Federal Aviation Administration has absolved a Chandler, Arizona man after mistakenly accusing him of violating the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone.

Illinois Jury Awards $1 Million in Bowel Obstruction Lawsuit

An Adams County jury has awarded $1 million dollars in damages to the parents of a young girl who died from a mistreated bowel obstruction at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois.

Two Taser suits filed in Sacramento

Two separate lawsuits have been filed in Sacramento after two men died as a result of being stunned with a Taser gun.

Lack of seat belts gets $17.5 million for victims of Texas bus crash

A jury in Waco, Texas, last week ordered the maker of a bus involved in a fatal 2003 crash to pay $17.5 million to victims, declaring the bus defective because it had no seat belts.

$10 Million Claim Filed for Fireman's Death Rejected

Santa Clara County has rejected a $10 million benefits claim filed by the family of fireman Captain Mark McCormack who was killed after being electrocuted while fighting a fire.

Family Fights HMO to Save Boy's Life

Family sues Health Net when they refuse care to a four-year-old with a rare form a dwarfisim.

Brain Damaged Boy Awarded 3 Million

A high court judge in London has awarded three million in damages to a young boy who suffered brain damage after developing a severe case of jaundice at birth.

Royal Caribbean Loses Bid for Lawsuit Protection

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has lost an appeal for protection from a lawsuit involving an assault by one of their crewmembers.

Bald Head Island Sued After Child's Death

During a family vacation to North Carolina's Bald Head Island, Howard Biggers IV, 6, fell out of a moving golf cart and suffered a traumatic brain injury that lead to his death 14 months later.

Man Convicted Of Ramming Boat is Moved To Halfway House

Glenn Colann, a 56-year-old Columbus man convicted of ramming a boat and leaving the scene of the accident, is now serving his 10-year sentence in a halfway house.

Merck Wins New Jersey Vioxx Trial

In the nation's second Vioxx trial, the jury found for the defendant, Merck & Co., asserting that the pharmaceutical manufacturer did not mislead consumers about the safety of its recalled arthritis drug.

Lawsuit accuses Michigan cement company of hiring unlicensed driver in fatal crash

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a Michigan cement company, claiming the driver of one of its trucks was unlicensed and intoxicated when he caused a fatal crash.

Gymnast Files Lawsuit for Paralysis Caused by Fall

After falling from the uneven bars during high school gymnastics practice Andrea Wilson sustained a spinal cord injury, which resulted in permanent paralysis. She is suing the school, training facility and coaches for negligence.

Cocaine Dealer Receives 65-Month Sentence

A man from Wisconsin has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for distributing cocaine.

Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Man Stricken with Mesothelioma

Harvey Harris, a 62-year-old Philadelphia man suffering from life-threatening mesothelioma from years of working with asbestos, is beating the odds with gene therapy.

Lawsuits filed against railroad in intersection collision

Lawsuits filed against a railroad company claim that a driver killed in a crash nearly three years ago could not have seen an oncoming train because of another train parked at the switchyard.

New Diabetes Drug Shows Signs of Health Dangers

Shortly before being approved by the Food and Drug Administration, proposed diabetes drug Pargluva has been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and death.

Drug-Related Murder Leads to 35-Year Sentence

South Carolina man sentenced to 35 years for murdering another man who owed him money for drugs.

Dueling lawsuits filed over Rhode Island crash involving police car

A Rhode Island police officer has filed a lawsuit against two women who are suing him and local officials following a collision involving his patrol car and the SUV in which they were traveling.

Family of man killed by police officer file lawsuit

The family of a man shot and killed by a West Valley City police officer has filed suit, claiming the officer was under the influence of steroids and police fabricated evidence to justify the shooting.

Drug House Owner Sentenced to Prison

A Pittsburgh property owner has been sentenced to more than two years in prison as a result of a program designed to crack down on illegal drug activity.