The family of a California longshoreman will receive $24 million from DaimlerChrysler under a settlement approved this week by a bankruptcy judge. In 2007, a jury found that the automaker was negligent in the design of a Dodge Dakota pickup that crushed Richard Mraz. Attorneys for DaimlerChysler said they had received more than 1,000 complaints [...]
posted on September 27, 2009 by
Merck to Pay Out 3,000 Additional Vioxx Claims
Families of Vioxx users who died of heart attacks or strokes will receive between $5,000 and $1.5 million under a Merck-sponsored payout announced this week. The fund will cover more than 3,100 Vioxx claims that did not meet criteria for payments related to the drugs use, according to the law firm appointed to administer the [...]
posted on September 24, 2009 by
Significant Damages Awarded in Auto Case
A former college student who was left permanently brain damaged in a 2007 auto accident should received $49 million in damages, a California jury has ruled. Following a five-week trial, jurors found that two truck drivers were negligent for reckless driving and that the California Department of Transportation was negligent for failing to correct safety [...]
posted on September 24, 2009 by
Appeals Court Reinstates Award in Medical Malpractice Case
A Florida appeals court has reinstated a $10.3 million jury verdict awarded to the family of a man who died following a 2003 medical procedure at Palms West Medical Center. In ruling for the plaintiffs, the 4th District Court of Appeal held that the trial judge had erred in retroactively applying a state cap on [...]
posted on September 23, 2009 by
Study: Financial, Family Problems Contribute to Doctor Errors
Financial and family problems can play a major role in causing medical error among medical residents, a new study has found. In the study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic found that multiple stressors, not only fatigue, can significantly contribute to medical mistakes. The study is scheduled to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the [...]
posted on September 23, 2009 by
Study Finds Smoking Bans Reduce Health Risks
A new study published in the journal Circulation reveals an up to 36 percent reduction in heart attacks after smoking bans were enacted. Researchers studied the rate of heart attacks in US, Canadian and European cities immediately after smoking bans became effective and noted a 17 percent reduction the first year of the ban, followed [...]
posted on September 23, 2009 by
FDA Imposes Ban on Flavored Cigarettes
Federal health officials have banned tobacco makers from selling cigarettes with fruit, candy or clove flavors, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the Food and Drug Administration, flavored cigarettes serve a gateway to tobacco addiction for youth smokers. The agency estimates that youth smokers are three times more likely to smoke flavored cigarettes than [...]
posted on September 23, 2009 by
Texas Investigating Company Behind Fallen Light Poles
The recent rash of fallen athletic light poles has sparked an inquiry by the Texas attorney generals office. At least 15 poles sold by Texas-based Whitco Co. have fallen in the last four years, with the majority of those failures reported in Texas. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is also conducting an investigation, and issued [...]
posted on September 23, 2009 by
Quiet Cars May Pose a Risk of Accidents
Motorcyclists frequently say: “Loud Pipes Save Lives” and now car makers are responding to concerns voiced in Japan and the U.S that electric-powered vehicles are dangerous to pedestrians because they are quieter than gasoline-powered automobiles. Data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that drivers of hybrid vehicles face an increased risk of [...]
posted on September 22, 2009 by
Lawsuit Filed Over Electrocution Death
A Wisconsin utility company was negligent in the death of a man electrocuted by downed power lines in 2007, a lawsuit filed by family members alleges. According to the lawsuit, Madison Gas and Electric was negligent in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of a power line that killed 22-year-old Demetrius Dobbs. Dobbs was trying [...]
