InjuryBoard Chattanooga Archives

• Ford Recall on Police Cruisers

  John Rice | March 29, 2007 1:24 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Defective & Dangerous Products

  As many as 109,664 Ford Crown Victoria police cars recalled because of cracks developing in wheels causing rapid air loss during pursuits. There have been two crashes because of this defect which Ford is disputing. The NHTSA received a letter from Ford's association director for safety assurance stating that the voluntary recall is only to "avoid a protracted dispute with the agency".

• Gastric Bypass Lawsuit

  John Rice | March 27, 2007 1:20 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Medical Malpractice

  Houston Community Hospital of Texas and one of its surgeons face a medical malpractice lawsuit for the death of a gastric bypass patient. The patient's mother claims the hospital failed to appropriately warn her daughter of the risks involved in the gastric bypass surgery. The same surgeon has been named in another lawsuit.

• FDA's Warning About Sleeping Pills

  John Rice | March 26, 2007 1:14 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Defective & Dangerous Products

  The FDA ordered sleeping pill manufacturers to strengthen warnings about two rare but serious side effects. The agency is concerned that these pills are causing users to sleep-drive or perform other complex behaviors while not fully awake. Officials also warn about the life threatening allergic reactions such as severe facial swelling that can occur the first time the pills are taken.

• Wiretap Lawsuit Against Bush

  John Rice | March 25, 2007 1:09 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Miscellaneous

  The federal government in an effort to maintain national security is urging an appeals court to drop a lawsuit filed over President Bush's eavesdropping program. The Justice Department argued that the alleged secret relationship between AT&T and the government should remain a state secret. The lawsuit was filed by Electronic Frontier Foundation accusing AT&T of illegally allowing the National...

• Defective Flood Control Pumps In New Orleans

  John Rice | March 23, 2007 1:07 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Defective & Dangerous Products

  In 2006 the Corps of Engineers knowingly installed faulty flood-control pumps in New Orleans. An engineering expert had warned that the pumps had failed testing and would break down during a hurricane. The pumps were not used in 2006 due to a mild hurricane season.

• Medical Data Missing

  John Rice | March 22, 2007 1:04 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Medical Malpractice

  Wellpoint has begun informing 75,000 Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield members that a CD holding their personal data is missing. The CD was lost after being sent to a behavioral services company in Connecticut. An Empire spokeswoman said the data was not encrypted.

• Lawyers for Katrina Victims Withdraw Settlement Motion

  John Rice | March 21, 2007 12:59 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Miscellaneous

  The lawyers representing approximately 36,000 Hurricane Katrina victims withdrew from a proposed settlement with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance. The judge was reluctant to approve the settlement and the lawyers plan to file a new settlement proposal. According to the judge the proposed settlement of $50 million dollars did not guarantee enough policyholders would receive money.

• State Officials Order Allstate to Reduce Homeowners' Rates

  John Rice | March 20, 2007 12:54 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Miscellaneous

  The Allstate Insurance Company must reduce Texas homeowners insurance rates by 5% as ordered by the Texas Department of Insurance.Allstate must also refund overcharges made since December 2004 which amounts to an estimated $56 million dollars. This was announced after the Department upheld the insurance commissioner's claims that Allstate's rates were excessive, unreasonable and unfairly...

• Trial lawyers, Physicians and Hospitals

  John Rice | March 13, 2007 11:57 AM | 0 Comments
  Category: Medical Malpractice

  The annual battle between trial lawyers on one side and physicians, hospitals and insurance companies on the other is now under way. Lawyers say it's about medical malpractice. Health-care professionals say it's tort reform. (A tort is a wrong inflicted on someone). Doctors claim greedy trial lawyers and their clients are flooding the courts with frivolous litigation, sending insurance premiums...

• Party hosts escape liability for drunk-driving injuries

  John Rice | March 09, 2007 9:50 AM | 0 Comments
  Category: Miscellaneous

  A man who was uninsured when he drove while drunk caused the accident that resulted in the plaintiff's injuries. Further, he had no personal assets which could be used to satisfy the judgment against him. Instead, the plaintiff had to resort to suing the hosts of the party where he had consumed alcohol prior to getting into his car. The hosts had homeowner insurance which could cover their...

• Judiciary Committee Postpones Medical Malpractice Debate

  John Rice | March 08, 2007 12:54 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Medical Malpractice

  On a day that began with reports of a compromise on medical malpractice legislation, the Senate sponsor of SB2001, Mark Norris, R-Collierville, was granted leave to defer consideration of the bill for another week. Early this morning, the Nashville Post.com reported that compromise legislation was in the works. Sources involved in the negotiations confirmed that an agreement had been reached on...

• Medical Malpractice Deal Within Reach on Capitol Hill

  John Rice | March 07, 2007 12:47 PM | 0 Comments
  Category: Medical Malpractice

  Significant changes in Tennessee laws regarding medical malpractice lawsuits may be imminent. An agreement has been reached in principle by leaders of the state's legal and medical communities that proponents believe would lower the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in Tennessee and still protect the interests and rights of all parties.What is not in the agreement is a cap on the...