All Topics

• Jury returns verdict for family in a 4-car collision

  Tom Methvin | October 13, 2006 4:11 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  A California state jury awarded $3.7 million in damages to a family that suffered injuries during a crash involving vehicles owned by Harris Ranch Beef Co. and FedEx Ground Package System Inc. The jury found that California-based Harris Ranch should pay 80% of the damages and that Pittsburgh-based FedEx Ground, the trucking division of shipping giant FedEx Corp., should pay 20%. A husband,...

• Transportation fatalities up in 2005

  Tom Methvin | October 13, 2006 3:46 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Transportation fatalities in the United States increased last year, according to preliminary figures released last month by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Deaths from transportation accidents in the United States in 2005 totaled 45,636, up from 45,092 in 2004. Based on our firm's experience in litigation relating to highway crashes, I was not at all surprised to learn of the...

• Yamaha recalls 190,000 motorcycles

  Tom Methvin | October 13, 2006 3:45 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Yamaha Motor Corp. is recalling around 190,000 motorcycles because the passenger seat can fall off the rear fender, federal safety regulators and the company said Friday. The recall affects XV250, XVS11, and XVS65 motorcycles from the 1988-2005 model years. The mounting hardware that connects the seat to the fender can loosen when passengers shift their weight, which eventually can cause the...

• Ford Can't Put All Of The Blame On Firestone Tires

  Tom Methvin | October 10, 2006 2:54 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Ford Motor Co. approved replacement tires for its Explorer sport utility vehicle that made it just as likely to roll over as the originals that Ford had blamed for more than 200 deaths. Ford's test results of replacement tires, introduced as evidence in an Explorer trial in Mississippi, will support hundreds of pending lawsuits contending that this SUV is unstable and can roll over amid evasive...

• A Shocking Report Relating To Medication Errors

  Tom Methvin | October 10, 2006 2:24 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  I was shocked to learn that medication errors harm 1.5 million people and kill several thousand each year in the United States, costing the nation at least $3.5 billion annually. While I knew that the error rate was fairly high, I certainly didn't realize how bad it actually was. The Institute of Medicine, the nation's most prestigious medical advisory organization, released a report,...

• Consumers Sue Bureaus Over Damaged Credit

  Staff Writer | August 09, 2006 2:12 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  An increasing number of lawsuits against the nation's top three credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian allege they are "damaging credit worthiness" of consumers through inaccurate credit reports. Various consumers and lawyers agree that erroneous reports are best handled through litigation and complaints have increased significantly nationwide. Three SC class-action suits allege that...

• FDA Official Recommends Antibiotic Withdrawal

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:19 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  The 2004 approval of the antibiotic Ketek, is a "mistake," according to FDA safety official Dr. David Graham. Graham suggested immediate withdrawal of the controversial antibiotic, citing its toxicity and lack of adequate safety research. Over five million prescriptions have been written for Ketek, which has been linked to reports of liver damage, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, and death.

• Medical Device Manufacturer Settles Kickback Charges

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:17 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  An unidentified whistleblower filed suit in Federal District Court against medical device manufacturer Medtronic. The suit claims the company's spinal-plant division gave doctors kickbacks to encourage the use of its products. The company settled the first of two similar lawsuits for $40M.

• Widespread Medication Errors Affect Millions

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:16 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  The Institute of Medicine performed a research study that found approximately 1.5 million people are harmed from errors in prescribing, dispensing, and taking of medication. The report stated that errors could be prevented with improved prescription technology, disclosure of drug information, and packaging. Over $3.5 billion is spent treating drug-related injuries annually, according to report...

• Privacy Suit Against AT&T Still Stands

  Staff Writer | July 23, 2006 2:15 PM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  A lawsuit over AT&T's cooperation with a government surveillance program will still proceed after federal judge Vaughn Walker rejected the Bush administration's motion to dismiss. In a separate motion, AT&T argued that their government relationship exempted them from prosecution. Judge Walker also rejected that motion, adding that the rulings did not reflect his confirmation of the accusations.