Archive for July, 2006

Drugmaker Wyeth Gears Up for First Prempro Trial

Linda Reeves, 67, is the first plaintiff in a long line of lawsuits against Wyeth, the company responsible for making Prempro.

Florida Woman Missing from Cruise Ship

The disappearance of Elizabeth Kay Galeana, the 22-year-old daughter of a wealthy Naples automotive mogul, is being investigated by the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Wants Meeting with Allstate CEO

Concerns about Allstate Insurance Company's plan to cancel wind and hail coverage for 30,000 people in 18 parishes have prompted Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon to request a meeting with Allstate CEO Edward Liddy.

ALCOA Inc. Sued over Alleged Asbestos Death

A Vonore, Tennessee, woman is suing ALCOA Inc. over her husband’s death, whose cancer she says was caused by asbestos at the company’s plant.

After Girlfriend Dies, Man Sentenced to 25 Years on Drug Charges

Erich O. Newton was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal drug charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend.

Lawsuit Filed by Mother of Girl Who Lost Hand in Bus Accident

The mother of an 8-year-old Philadelphia-area girl who lost her hand in a bus accident near Aberdeen, Maryland, is suing the driver and the owner of the bus for an undisclosed amount.

Insurers Stall Payment of Abuse Claims

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The eight insurance carriers of the Springfield Diocese have blocked the settlement of 36 pending claims for sexual abuse by priests on the grounds that the insurers need to depose the alleged victims to verify their credibility.

Nonsmoking Casino Worker with Lung Cancer Suing Employer

A nonsmoking casino worker at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City who was diagnosed with lung cancer is suing the casino’s operators, saying they failed to protect employees against secondhand smoke.

FDA Advisory Issued Regarding Use of Triptans and SSRI Antidepressants

Patients and doctors are warned that combining the use of migraine drugs called triptans with SSRI antidepressants can cause a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome.

Study Highlights New Risks of Popular Antipsychotic Drug

Clozaril (clozapine), one of the most effective antipsychotic medications available, has been shown to drastically increase the chances of patients developing diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.

Second Taser-Related Death for Connecticut Police Department

For the second time in less than a year, a crime suspect has died after being subdued with a Taser by the New Britain city police department.

Family of Motorcycle Accident Victim Refiles Lawsuit against U.S. Government

The family of a Hardwick, Minnesota, man who died in a motorcycle accident caused by former South Dakota governor Bill Janklow has filed a new $25 million lawsuit against the U.S. government.

New Lipitor Suits Dog Pfizer

Seventeen new lawsuits filed July 14 in New York State Supreme Court allege that pharmaceutical maker Pfizer failed to provide physicians and patients adequate warning about the possible negative side effects of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.

Telephone Lineman Severely Burned in Rhode Island Electrical Power Line Accident

A 35-year-old employee of phone company Verizon Communications received a life-threatening electric shock, apparently when the elevated work basket he was standing in brushed against a wire that contacted a power line carrying 7,800 volts.

Same Sex Couple Files Medical Malpractice Suit

Margaret Mueller and Charlotte Stacey have filed a medical malpractice lawsuit claiming two Connecticut doctors treated Mueller for ovarian cancer when she actually had cancer of the appendix.

Experts Testify on Violence of Katrina's Winds

Gulfport, Miss. – Structural engineer Peter de la Mora and meteorologist Rocco Calachi testified July 12 about the effect and intensity of Hurricane Katrina's winds in lawsuit proceedings against Columbus, Ohio–based Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Carbon Monoxide Leak in Va. College Dormitory Kills One, Sickens Many More

At dawn on July 14, nausea, dizziness, and headaches were reported among guests at a Roanoke College dormitory. Of the 62 guests taken to local hospitals, one died in transport. Carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected.

Schizophrenia Drug May Increase Risk of Pituitary Tumors

A new study authored by scientists from the FDA shows the first hard evidence of some pituitary tumors being caused by antipsychotic medications.

Antidepressant Safety Statistics Misinterpreted, Experts Say

In a recent report published in a medical journal, doctors have claimed that safety statistics of various antidepressants have been analyzed in a way that shows them to be safer than they really are.

Drug Charges Dismissed in Goverment's Failure to Follow Speedy Trial Act

A U.S. District Judge has granted a defendant’s motion to drop the drug charges against him, citing an unexcused 15-month delay in the case by the prosecutor.

Katrina-Suit Witnesses Testify That Agent Misled Them

Gulfport, Miss.– Policyholders testified July 11 in a lawsuit against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. that agent Jay Fletcher told them they were covered for flooding or did not need flood insurance prior to Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

Former Fulbright Scholar Sues Washington State Patrol over Accident, Cites Brain Damage

A former Fulbright Scholar who suffered brain damage in a crash with a patrol car is suing the Washington State Patrol and the State of Washington, claiming that her mental faculties were impaired for life

$28 Million Medical Malpractice Verdict Overturned

Florida Circuit Judge Debra Nelson threw out a $28 million verdict after determining jurors lied about prior litigation during jury selection, resulting in an unfair trial for gynecologist Robert Bowles.

LA County Settles Medical Malpractice Suit for Nearly $900,000

Robert Maurer, a 35-year-old Los Angeles resident, was recently awarded an $890,000 medical malpractice verdict for negligent care and treatment he received at USC Medical Center in LA County.

Driver in Fatal ATV Accident Found Reckless; Passenger's Family Awarded $1.2 Million

Akron, Ohio – A jury last week found the driver of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) reckless in a fatal 2003 crash and awarded $1.2 million to the mother and sons of the woman who died in the incident.

New Jersey Woman Awarded More Than $800,000 in Slip-and-Fall Case

Joyce Reynolds, a 51-year-old Wharton woman, won an $876,000 verdict in a slip-and-fall case against the supermarket ShopRite. The jury decided ShopRite was negligent and liable for the complete costs of Reynolds' injuries.

Sharper Image Settles Breathalyzer Lawsuit

As part of a settlement, electronics retailer Sharper Image has agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty and up to $1.2 million in restitution for selling defective personal breathalyzers.

First Katrina Insurance Lawsuit Begins

Gulfport, Miss. – Opening statements were made July 10 by attorneys for a Pascagoula, Miss., couple and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. in a lawsuit that disputes the insurer's denial of the couple's claim for Hurricane Katrina–caused damages to their home.

Florida Supreme Court Says Victims of Big Tobacco Can File Individual Lawsuits

Thousands of smoking victims are gearing up to fight Big Tobacco in individual lawsuits after the Florida State Supreme Court said they can do so in a new ruling.

Alaska Appeals Court Throws Out Drug Conviction

The Alaska Court of Appeals has overturned a drug conviction after deciding that a state trooper improperly searched the defendant's vehicle, finding marijuana and a pipe with methamphetamine residue.

Four-Story Manhattan Building Collapses After Apparent Gas Explosion; Injuries Reported

A four-alarm fire followed a tremendous explosion on Monday, July 10 at 8:40 a.m. on Manhattan's Upper East Side, bringing down a brownstone building housing apartments and businesses. At least 11 people were hurt.

Father of New Hampshire teen killed in crash sues for $5 million

A $5 million lawsuit has been filed against a New Hampshire woman and her son by a man who claims the pair caused the death of his son by serving alcohol to underage drinkers.

GM Cleanup Dispute Over Weschester, N.Y. Redevelopment Project

The General Motors plant in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. closed 10 years ago with an agreement to clean up its former site within 6 years. GM produced approximately 12 million vehicles at the plant.

Lipitor Counterfeiter Sentenced to Prison

Florida resident Domingo Gonzalez was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to pay $1.8 million after pleading guilty to selling more than 4 million counterfeit Lipitor tablets between December 2002 and August 2005.

South Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison After Third Drug Conviction

A Gastonia, South Carolina man who failed to appear in a Charlotte court last year as a federal grand jury was to begin deliberating his drug case has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

New Trial In Drug Case Emerges from State Supreme Court Ruling

A King County, Washington judge violated the rights of the defendant and the public when he closed the courtroom in a drug case, the Washington State Supreme Court said.