Current News

Current News

Healthcare

Doctor Allegedly Ignored Warning About Allergic Reaction

The unexpected death of Donna Dunham, an Indiana real estate agent, has left her family questioning the care she received at a Pinnacle medical center. Dunham’s children had repeatedly warned hospital staff that their mother was allergic to codeine and morphine and that a previous allergic reaction to the narcotics had made her seriously ill. Despite repeated cautioning, a Pinnacle doctor allegedly ignored those warnings and administered morphine anyway. Mark Taylor, The Post-Tribune 08/17/2008

Read Article: The Post-Tribune

Hospital Performance Records Now Available Online

Measurements of death rates for three major illnesses at virtually every hospital in the nation are now available to anyone with access to the Internet. On Friday, USA Today posted the results of a government report comparing the death rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia – statistics widely considered to be solid indicators of overall hospital performance. Steve Sternberg and Anthony DeBarros, USA Today 08/22/2008

Read Article: USA Today

Laws/Cases

Residents File Lawsuit to Remove Contamination

The residents of a St. Petersburg, Fla. neighborhood have filed a lawsuit against defense contractor Raytheon over contamination that has seeped beneath their homes from a Raytheon-owned facility. The lawsuit seeks for Raytheon to clean up the chemical contaminants as quickly as possible. However, other communities that have dealt with Raytheon have found the company to be less than responsive. Andrew Dunn, St. Petersburg Times 08/20/2008

Read Article: St. Petersburg Times

Attorneys for Paint Companies Seek Costs from State

Attorneys who defended lead paint companies are asking the courts to force the state of Rhode Island and plaintiffs attorneys to pay their court fees. In a hearing last week, counsel for Sherwin-Williams Co., ConAgra Grocery Product Co., Millennium Holdings and NL Industries argued that in light of a July Rhode Island Supreme Court decision the state and firms who participated in the public nuisance suit should be accountable for litigation, transcripts, travel costs and other service fees. The state Supreme Court ruling overturned a $2.4 billion jury verdict ordering the cleanup of lead paints. Rachel Breitman, Law.com 08/20/2008

Read Article: Law.com

Ranch Negligent in Landslide, Jury Finds

A California ranch was responsible for a 2005 landslide that killed 10 people, destroyed 13 homes and damaged 23 others, a jury has ruled. In a 50 page verdict, jurors found that La Conchita Ranch Co. failed to prepare adequate drainage systems for its orchards which overlook the community of La Conchita. The damages phase of the trial, beginning next week, is expected to take more than a month. AP, San Diego Union Tribune 08/20/2008

Read Article: San Diego Union Tribune

Bristol-Myers Squibb Not Protected by Stoneridge, Judge Rules

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and two of its executives are not shielded from securities fraud claims by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Stoneridge case, a federal judge ruled. Shareholders allege that the company misled investors about patent litigation against a generic drug maker in order to strike an under-the-table licensing deal with the same company. Attorneys for Bristol-Myers Squibb had argued that executives were shielded from the suit because they were sufficiently removed from the shareholders who brought the case. Anthony Lin, Law.com 08/22/2008

Read Article: Law.com

Investigation Planned for Troubled Bus Company

Regulators are planning to investigate a Houston bus company following two high-profile accidents this week in the Dallas area. According to records, the company Transportes Los Norteños has had buses removed from service 41 times during the past two years because of faulty tires and brakes. The crashes were the third in the state in as many weeks involving bus companies based in Houston. Terri Langford, Houston Chronicle 08/22/2008

Read Article: Houston Chronicle

Judge Dismisses Officers from Class Action

About 700 San Diego police officers have been dismissed from a class-action lawsuit. According to the complaint, the city violated federal labor laws and its collective bargaining agreement with the police force by failing to pay officers for jobs before and after their shifts. Judge Dana Sabraw found that the officers did not comply with the term of the collective bargaining agreement and did not work enough hours to pursue overtime claims. Kristen Davis, San Diego Union Tribune 08/22/2008

Read Article: San Diego Union Tribune

____________________________________________________________

Law Offices of Yale I. Markus

New Jersey NJ Lawyers · Florida FL Attorneys