Medical Malpractice Settlements

Chicago Social Media Firm

2007-11-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of press recently about Social media and it's impact on business. I found a Chicago Social Media Firm that cuts through the clutter, www.bigblackpencil.com. The firm caters to small and medium sized businesses and the principal has over 30 yrs of advertising and marketing experience. They helped me make sense of this new media.

DNA Test May Help Your Peace Of Mind

2007-05-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the field of law and lawsuits, few things have been as useful as the DNA test. It has become indispensable as a method of ascertaining paternity. The police and the judiciary would be completely hobbled without it. Image a criminal prosecution going forward with the use of DNA as the ultimate mea culpa.

Is Drug Rehab the Solution

2007-05-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

With today's American society the way it is, 5 day work weeks, 2 days to let loose the temptations are often to hard to resist come the weekend. Now, knowing this, one has to be aware of the consequences if making the wrong temptation choice. What I mean by this is, often times than not younger people are drawn to the "high" offered by today's drugs. With choices ranging from prescription pills to liquid injections our younger generation for some reason feels the need to chase their "high" of choice. If this is a choice that a loved one of yours has chosen, seek help for them before it's too late. PERIOD. Getting your loved one into a drug rehab clinic should be your number 1 goal. With that being said, one cannot force another to visit a center like this until the other is ready for the change.

Marketing Pens Popping Up All Over

2007-05-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

The question of what to give clients or potential customers as a giveaway is a perplexing one. If you go all out and give away an expensive gift, it could be seen as you currying favor, or trying to buy business. If you cheap out, well you cheap out. The best gifts are marketing pens. You can give an expensive looking pen that is not an expensive giveaway. Plus your prospects or clients will see your logo every day. Nice promotion.

Coin Sorter For Everyday Use

2007-04-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

I am amazed sometimes by the ingenuity of the American mind. The Germans called the brits a nation of shopkeepers back in the 1940's, but they have got nothing on the commercial creativity displayed right here in the US of A. Take the coin sorter for instance. Who on earth needs one of these things? Apparently we all do. I visited Brookstone.com and bought one. And it comes in handy. Repeatedly.

First Communion Gifts

2007-04-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

When it comes to memorable gifts for that special little person in your life, there are few occasions that are more important than the communion. That is why you absolutely cannot skimp on first communion gifts. You will remember for years that you did not make the occasion special. Now that's a feeling you would rather avoid.

A Juicy Hangover Tip

2007-04-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hangover Tip: Do you have a killer hangover? Do you want to get rid of it, asap? If so, try the following tip. It is one of the best hangover cures around. Go out and buy yourself a big fat juicy burger. The morning after a long night of drinking, go to a restaurant that sells big juicy burgers and this doesn't include Mcdonalds. Get a REAL hamburger! It is rumored that the fat in the burger soaks up the alcohol. Plus, they taste really good, too!

Convenience Checks Can Be Dangerous & Costly!

2007-04-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

A Safety Tip: Inform your credit card company that you don't want ANY Convenience checks, EVER! Put this request in writing and have your credit card company put it in your hardcopy file or include this request on your online file.

For those of you who don't know what convenience checks are, they are those slightly oversize checks often issued in groups of three or four that your credit-card issuer sends to encourage you to transfer a balance, make a purchase or tap your account for extra cash. Your credit card company might include them in your statement or send them separately. These checks can be sent out at any time which can be very dangerous and costly.

The primary reason why you should inform your credit card company that you don't ever want any convenience checks is to prevent a thief from stealing them out of your mail, using them then sticking you with the bill. Convenience checks are dangerous because you don't have the opportunity to watch for them because they are sent out at the credit card company's discretion so they could go missing and you'd never know until you saw your credit card statement. While we're on the subject of convenience and checks, if you are going to pay a bill or for a product over the phone you might want to try
electronic check processing.

Benefits of Owning a Grandfather Clock

2007-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some benefits of owning a couple of grandfather clocks: You never have to wear a watch in your house, You never have to clean or dust certain areas of your house, Kids can hide behind them when they play hide-and-seek, Men can hide behind them when their mother-in-law's come for a visit and They add a certain touch of elegance and sophistication that a Kermit the Frog alarm clock can't.

Hair Replacement Is An Option

2007-04-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

As someone who has been losing his hair for several years, I am naturally a little bit upset about being bald. There seems that there is very little I can do. I thought I was just cursed with the bad hair genes. That was until I looked into hair replacement through an excellent site I saw online. I am looking forward to having a full head of hair.

Lawyers Need Business Cards Too

2007-04-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

When it comes to self promotion, there is no-one better than a lawyer. If you ask a lawyer directly they will talk about themselves and their firms for hours. Ask for business cards though, or some marketing materials and you would be surprised as to how inadequate their marketing is. They simply do not have the time to devote to any advanced marketing techniques.

Drug Rehab

2007-04-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

One of the areas that is largely neglected when talking about medical malpractice settlements is that of the continuing health of claimants. A lot of these cases go on and on for years, and it is very possible that a claimant will have been in and out of drug rehab in the interim.

Beach time

2007-04-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and bathing suit season is approaching. Now, the best way to lose excess inches around the waist, and lbs on the scale is no doubt through exercising and watching what you eat. Looking for a diet comparison is recommended but only dieting will not help. You have to be willing to allow your muscles to burn fat also. This will only happen if you are willing to strengthen your muscles by exercising. Dieting alone will not achieve for you what you and your body along with the right diet can.

Work hard in the gym and be smart at the table and you'll be well on your way.

Increase Your Metabolism

2007-03-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Why would anyone want to increase their metabolism? Do you often wear out during the day feeling "groggy" or just plain tired? If so, you really need to consider increasing your metabolism. Allow your body to give you the energy you need to be full of "life". Cut out the fries, pizza, and similar foods and replace with light but protein plentiful daily helpings. Start exercising 2-3 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day, start drinking more water and make sure that you get plenty of sleep at night. These are elementary guidelines to follow.

To instantly boost your metabolism - try this metabolism booster.

Taking Pharmaceutical Drugs Is Not Always The Best Way To Relieve Pain

2007-03-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

When you have a headache, do you take an aspirin to relieve the pain? Ladies, when you have leg cramps, do you take ibuprofen to get rid of the pain? Guys, when you feel stressed, do you take a Valium to relax? If so, you might want to read an interesting article written by Dr. David Klein of San Diego Chiropractic on the reason why you might not want to do this. Instead of taking pharmaceutical drugs to get rid of headaches, leg cramps and stress, you might want to try to find out what is causing these health problems because there could be some other course of action other than taking pharmaceutical drugs that you can take to feel better.

My Home Needs More Coaster Furniture

2007-03-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

I used to be a used furniture type of buyer. I'd look on Craigslist and in local furniture stores for all my furniture. I got some great deals, but ended up with a mismatched combination of styles that just didn't look good. That was before I discovered Coaster furniture. Now I have a consistent look throughout my house and I like every piece I own.

RFI Shielding

2007-03-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

RFI shielding is used in a number of industries, and involves the containment of potentially disruptive electromagnetic interference. This is also known as shielding against EMI in order to increase performance in both commercial, military and industrial settings.

Grandfather Clocks Are Just Cool

2007-03-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about a couple of my relatives driving to work this morning, and the main recollection I have of most of my older relatives is that they all had grandfather clocks. It seems like people no longer have the same focus on beautiful timepieces, but I think every home should have a free standing clock in their hallway. They look great, they sound great and they add a certain elegance to any home.

A Few Things You Should Know About Celebrities Who Have Visited Disney World

2007-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

I recently read a blog post written by "erosion rules" about celebrities who have visited Disney World and the author pulls no punches. I bet you the following stars wished they would have stayed holed up in an Orlando Rental than to have been mentioned in this individual's blog. According to the article, Phil Collins likes to chase people with golf carts which is why the author wants to punch him in the face, Paris Hilton is a queen "b" when you don't respond to her flirting, Ron Jeremy has bad body odor, Rosie O'Donnell can't keep her big mouth shut-she talks non-stop, Kelly Rippa complains like a little baby for six hours when a drop of water falls on her and Marie Osmond is too dumb to figure out how to put on a seatbelt. Ouch!

April is a good time to get a computer memory upgrade

2007-03-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hey office workers, here's a tip. Remember to get a computer memory upgrade for your desktop before Spring 2007 comes. Remember the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, with numerous thunderstorms occurring during the Spring, a good computer memory upgrade could prevent you from losing emails and other irreplaceable documents if a thunderstorm knocks the power out.

Celebrities, It's Time You Fessed Up About Using Diet Pills

2007-03-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

I'm curious to know how many celebrities use diet pills like Hoodia to help them lose weight. I mean, there is nothing wrong with doing this, I just wish that certain celebrities would fess up and just admit that they use Hoodia instead of lying about it and saying that they have lost the weight by eating healthy foods and exercising daily.

Info About DNA Testing For Immigrants

2007-03-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here is some important info about a dna test for immigration: Individuals petitioning for immigration to the United States are required to provide documentation of a biological relationship between themselves and a beneficiary (citizen) currently residing within the USA. It is often difficult to prove a family relationship if records or documents are challenged, however dna paternity, maternity or siblingship testing is widely accepted by the U.S. Office of Immigration and Naturalization Service, embassies and consulates as evidence of the claimed biological relationship.

Getting Married? Try the "Hound Dog" Wedding Package

2007-03-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

Do you want your wedding day to be memorable? If so, hop on a plane or bus to Las Vegas and have the "King of Rock N' Roll" be a part of your special day. There is an Elvis Wedding Chapel in Vegas that offers a "Hound Dog" Wedding Package for $359.00. This unique wedding package includes: Elvis singing three songs of your choice, special Elvis vows will be a part of the ceremony, a fresh 6-rose hand-held bouquet for the bride to keep, Elvis will walk the bride down the aisle if the bride would like, 24 photos during the ceremony and after the ceremony you receive the roll of film, 2 pairs of Elvis sunglasses, a VHS video of the ceremony, complimentary limousine from and to your hotel or prime piece of
Las Vegas Real Estate that you rented for this special occasion. Everything except the minister's donation will be included in the package price. For more info, call 1-800-452-6081 or 1-702-383-5909.

North Carolina Furniture

2007-03-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

I have been looking recently for a new dining room table. I have heard that North Carolina Furniture is the best in the market, so I looked on a few websites relating to that part of the country. It was incredible the variety of tables and the variety of prices. I think I will end op buying from Club Furniture. They seem to be the best out there.

2007-02-25T12:35:00.000-08:00

I always wondered how Irwin Allen, the film and television producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster films genre, got inspired to make these films. I mean, did he buy a couple of disaster kits and get inspired by the items in them or did he see a car crash, swarm of african killer bees, earthquake and a cruise ship capsize all in one day and said, "Hey, I could put all of these things in a motion picture and call it a disaster film!"

2007-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

While surfing the internet this afternoon, I found a unique metabolism booster that I want to share. According to this article that I read, if you really want to speed up your metabolism then you might want to try spicing up your meals. Try adding spices like chili powder to your meals because it has been rumored to speed your metabolism up to 50% for up to three hours after eating due to increasing your heart rate. Just be sure to add it to low calorie and low fat dishes.

2007-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard the words, "grandfather clock" since the early 1980's. I didn't even know that they made grandfather clocks anymore. I thought that they went out of style just like tube socks, the rubik's cube and the macarena did. I rarely use a watch let alone would I ever use a grandfather clock to let me know what time it is. Since it is the year 2007, I just assumed that everyone does what I do when they need to know the time which is to look on their cell phones for it.

2007-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

From Ben Affleck to Robert Downey Jr. to Matthew Perry to Charlie Sheen to Diana Ross now to Britney Spears, the Promises Rehabilitation Center is the drug rehab center for celebrities. So if you are a celebrity who can afford to shell out $40,000 to $60,000 for a 45 day stay then the Promises Rehabilitation Center is for you. If you are not however a celebrity with lots of cash to burn and don't have time to sit around on your ass for 45 days, you might want to try this
drug rehab center instead.

2007-02-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

In my life as a parent, I have to buy a lot of stuff for the little ones. I skimp on a lot of stuff by going to the dollar store, but I never cut corners on their bunk bed. I have a great one that both of them sleep in, play in and generally have a great time in.

2007-02-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

With painting costs soaring a homeowner needs a painter that can do a good job and one that they can trust. If you are a homeowner who has been thinking about having their house painted you might want to enlist the services of CertaPro Painters for the job. They offer many unique services that alot of other companies don't offer like having your painting project managed by a professional Job Site Supervisor who is assigned to oversee your entire painting project from start to finish. They will also keep you informed on the status of the project, answer your questions and address your concerns. So, if you are looking for quality and professionalism in a painter contact CertaPro Painters for the job.

2007-02-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

I saw a unique coffee mug design on Cafe Press today. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this company they are an online store where people can create and sell their designs on things like t-shirts, mugs, key chains and bumper stickers for money. The design I saw today was on a white coffee mug and had inscribed on the mug in bold black letters, OBX. Underneath the letters it said "The Outer Banks NC." At a retail price of $12.99, it would be the perfect tourist gift.

2007-02-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

I just moved into a new apartment about two weeks ago. Furniture wise, the living room, dining room and kitchen are all set. My bedroom is a different story. I'm still trying to acquire all of the things that I need. What I really need is two end tables so that I have places to put food and beverages on or even stack a couple of books on. I have been looking online at end tables and I finally found some that are made by Powell Furniture which would be perfect for my room. Yeah! I'll finally have some place other than the floor to put my Lipton Iced Tea on.

2007-02-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

When I think of the best diet pills on the market today, I think that the best ones are the ones that don't give you alot of side effects. I hate diet pills that give you heart palpitations, make you drowsy, give you indigestion, make you sweat, make you look like your hopped up on Speed or make your breath stink.

2007-02-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

A warning to individuals who use diet pills: Be careful of online stores that sell illegal diet pills. Illegal diet pills usually contain active substances like ephedrine and ephedra. Products containing ephedrine or ephedra are only legal if they meet the requirements for sale of medicinal products. Illegal diet pills don't meet these requirements. In Denmark, some illegal diet pills are sold under names such as Therma Power, Ephedra 850®, El Tigre® and Stack.

2007-02-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Is anyone as sick of the media coverage of Anna Nicole Smith's death as I am? It seems like every channel on television broadcasts a new development about her death every hour. The constant media coverage has given me one of the biggest tension headaches that I can't seem to get rid of. I tried the usual over-the-counter drugs like Advil and Tylenol but they did not work. I think I might have to break out the big guns and go to RX-Select.Com and order some
Fioricet. I heard that it is excellent for tension headaches.

2007-02-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

If you have never consumed an energy drink before be careful! Alot of first time energy drinkers complain about "crashing and burning" hard after their first energy drink. For some energy drinks on the market you have to keep consuming them to build up a tolerance to this side effect. Also, take the time to try the different varieties of energy drinks on the market to find the best one that works for you. There are alot of energy drinks like Red Bull that don't make you crash and burn.

2007-02-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

I wonder if all of the rooms at Trump Tower in Las Vegas have extra high ceilings in order to accommodate Donald Trump's huge combover hairstyle? I wonder which
Las Vegas Luxury Condos have the most mirrors in them. Luxury Condominiums in Las Vegas are becoming a huge attraction. With a similar feel to downtown Manhattan, and a skyline that is becoming quite similar also, Las Vegas still has a lot to offer that Manhattan cannot. So take your casino earnings and consider making a down payment today in the fastest growing housing market Las Vegas has to offer.

2007-02-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Whatever happened to Tony Orlando and Dawn? They were a very popular vocal group in the 1970's. It wasn't like they were one hit wonders or anything, I mean they had a couple of hits which included Candida, Knock Three Times and my favorite Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. Was Tony so tired of the music business that he decided to take a permanent Orlando Vacation and get out of the business completely or did he have trouble writing or finding another hit song for the group and finally gave up then retired? Somebody tell me, whatever happened to Tony Orlando and Dawn? (P.S. I already know that one of the Dawns went on to star in the ABC sitcom Family Matters.)

2007-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

There are many traditions surrounding a child's first communion such as large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the child's first communion. Special clothing like fancy dresses, suits, veils and gloves are usually worn at a first communion. First communion gifts such as clothing, prayer books and religious jewelry are often given. Many families also have professional photographs taken to commemorate their child's first communion as well.

2007-02-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

On May 23, 2005 when Tom "Scientology" Cruise jumped up and down on Oprah's couch (Hey Oprah, make Tom buy you a new couch at club furniture! You deserve it!) like a damn fool, a new pop culture term was coined. "Jumping the Couch" is used to describe an individual who is "going off the deep end" in public (which Tom Cruise obviously is, I just hope that he doesn't take Katie or Suri with him) or a person who has a nervous breakdown accompanied by often bizarre or unintentionally humorous behavior in public. It is interesting to see how far Tom Cruise has come and how far he has fallen.

2007-01-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

While looking at catholic gifts on CatholicCompany.com, I saw a beautiful St. John Tile Mural that would look nice on my kitchen floor. The mural itself was made of ceramic tile and hand-painted with a scalloped edge. It was so pretty and reminded me of my catholic school days. The church where we used to worship had a mural similar to the one that I saw on CatholicCompany.com but it was on the wall.

2007-01-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

A wedding day is one of the most important days of a person's life so you want everything to be perfect right down to the labels. Bachcroft.com offers a complete line of wedding mailing labels, wedding address labels, just married gift labels and coordinated wedding
return address labels. In addition, Bachcroft offers over 60 wedding label designs and over 40 different print styles to choose from which guarantees that every bride and groom will find the perfect wedding label for their special day.

2007-01-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

When I was thirteen I suffered a devastating loss. I literally went down in flames in the fourth round of the regional spelling bee. I wanted to be the first black girl in Iowa to win it, but I went out fast! Even after twenty years that loss still hurts because I wanted to win so badly and make it to nationals! I consoled myself with the fact that at least I made it to the fourth round which alot of kids didn't, but it still sucked big time when I lost. A schoolmate of mine actually came in second place. God, I was so angry and jealous of her at the time! I hoped all of her hair would fall out or turn green. To this day, I can't bring myself to watch a spelling bee on television or in person. I couldn't even watch commercials of a movie called "Akeelah and the Bee" because it was about a young black girl's quest to make it to the National Spelling Bee. Talk about art imitating life! Also to this day, I will never forget the word that I misspelled. It was
"e-l-a-s-t-i-c." But I spelled it "e-l-e-s-t-i-c." When I was thirteen, I thought that word was hard but at thirty-six that word is so damn easy! I know that I can't change the past but if I could I would change the outcome, I would be the winner not only of the regionals in Iowa but I would be the national spelling bee champion as well or I would change the word that I misspelled. I would change it from something easy like elastic to something hard like stethoscopes.

2007-01-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite movies of all time is Beverly Hills Cop which starred a young Eddie Murphy. It is one of the funniest movies every made and probably Eddie Murphy's best picture to date although I may have to change my opinion since I still haven't seen the movie "Dreamgirls" which earned Murphy a "Golden Globe" award. My favorite scene of the movie is when Eddie Murphy puts a couple of bananas in the tailpipe of a car! That was hilarious but at the same time I felt so sorry for that poor car. It must have needed a complete overhaul including having the fuel transfer tank replaced.

2007-01-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

For a fun family vacation, try taking your brood to see the historical landmarks of
Outer Banks North Carolina. The Outer Banks have so much to offer and there is something for everyone. Try taking the youngins to North Carolina's Aquarium. Let the teenyboppers loose at Bodie Island Light Station
which is one of North Carolina's many historical lighthouses. And for the adults, take a romantic stroll through the lush and breathtaking Elizabethan Gardens.

2007-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for a good part time opportunity for my lay about cousin, and I think I finally found one. He could open his own painting business. He lives in San Francisco, so it would be perfect. People need painting year round, and he can get a tan.

2007-01-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about trying to drop a few pounds recently, but always run into the same obstacle. I don't have any time and I'll admit it, I'm plain lazy. I know it takes effort and commitment and if I don't see quick results I just give up. I have heard good things about weight loss through supplements. I think I'll try it and see what happens.

2007-01-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

My mom is moving her small business into an office building this year. She’s been working out of 3 rooms in her house for the past year and she finally found a great office space to help. The only problem is that the other tenants in the building said that they have power problems a lot because of extreme weather, falling tree branches and animals chewing on wires. They gave us the contact information for a great power supply repair company.

2007-01-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

I’ve fallen in love with a small town in Georgia. I recently visited Ellijay, GA when I went to a trip to the mountains. The atmosphere is so warm and comfortable in this small town that I’m looking into Ellijay real estate. My husband and I are looking to buy a vacation home doing me and we both love the mountains, so I really want to do my research on this.

2007-01-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

I start a new job in Florida this spring. I’m a recent December graduate, so I’m very excited to move but I’m also very nervous because I don’t know anyone in Orlando and I’ll have to start over and live on my own for the first time. I’ve been looking into Orlando Town Homes for a while now and I really like what I see. I’m anxious to see how different life will be in Florida.

2006-12-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

We’ll be spending the New Year’s celebration in our Outer Banks Vacation Rentals. My family and I are doing something a little unusual this year. We’re spending New Year’s Eve together in a vacation home in the outer banks. When usually we bring in the New Year separately, my husband and I usually go to a holiday party while my kids hang out with friends, this year we all agreed to do it together. Our family has been through a lot this year and we all are excited to spend the holiday together.

2006-12-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to take better care of my home. I’d like to not only re-decorate my house but also repair a lot of things that are wrong with the house. Lately I’ve been picking paint colors and making lists of everything I would like to change in the house. All my furniture is fairly new, but I really think if I update my currently white walls with a splash of color to match the furniture, then everything else will come together. I’m hoping to keep this resolution.

2006-12-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

New beds for everyone in my family before the end of the year. I’m having a hard time finding a nice kids bed for each of my two boys. They really want something that is comfortable but stylish and that fits each boys’ personality. I’ve already bought new mattresses and picked out a bed for my husband and I but I’m having a hard time finding furniture for the kids.

2006-12-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

When I made the decision to lose weight this holiday season I didn't know it would be this hard. I really want to buy a dietary supplement to help me lose weight faster, but there are so many diet supplements on the market I don't know where to start. I'm also not sure about how to take proper care of my body while I'm taking the supplement. I'm looking online for resources to help me because I really want to lose some weight

2006-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

You need Triarch Lighting for the lighting in your home. It really does add a touch of class to any room. If you need a little extra something for entertaining or for those romantic occasions, what could be better than Triarch Lighting? Other lights, chandeliers and fixtures fall behind and pale in comparison to these world class lights.

2006-12-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much weight you gain when you work about 60 hours a week and have breakfast, lunch and dinner catered to you each day. I started working at a really great advertising agency this summer after I graduated and in about 6 months time I've gained about 30 pounds, so It's definitely time I worked on getting back into shape. I'm trying out Hoodia diet pills along with exercise and a healthy diet. My goal is to get back to my normal weight by April. It's just so hard to watch what you eat when everything is free!

2006-12-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for more bookings in your hotel you should look at Fleck Water Softeners. They make your water softer. People can control their hair better after a shower, so they take better pictures. So they have better memories. So they rebook.

2006-12-07T00:51:00.000-08:00

So next summer I'm thinking about going to the Outer Banks NC with my husband. We take a vacation every year, past years we've been to the Bahamas, Mexico and even went to France one year. This year we wanted to to save money but still have a nice time. Our Outer Banks trip is saving us a LOT of money but it seems like it will be a great choice. We really want to be able to relax and spend a quality time together. I think we made a great choice this year.

2006-12-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

My husband and I bought a house a few years ago when we found out I was pregnant. We painted and decorated the house exactly how we wanted it to be. Imagine my surprise when I can home one day from the grocery store to find my husband asleep on the couch and a my 2 year old daughter writing on the walls with a permanent black marker. My husband said he'd only been asleep for 20 minutes, but in that time my daughter was able to completely ruin our kitchen, living room and a hallway. My husband felt so bad he's agreed to pay the painting costs to have to rooms redone. At least we know my daughter could have a career as an artist.

2006-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Water Softeners are not often considered to be the be all and end all when you are talking about a new bathroom or kitchen. This is a mistake. It is critical that when you are putting up a new home or condo, or more importantly a hotel, that you pay attention to this critical detail. People remember a stay in a hotel without a water softener and they can see the difference in the holiday pictures.

2006-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

My wife's new homebased business is booming! So much so that we'll have to buy a bigger house (and so much so, that we can afford to buy a bigger house) Right now we're located in a small town outside of Raleigh, NC, so we're looking into Raleigh North Carolina Real Estate just because we want to be in more of a city environment and a lot of her customers live within the city. I thought the selection of real estate within the city would be limited, but I'm finding a lot of great options. I like having a big yard for our kids and dogs and by moving to a city like Raleigh, that's not a problem. I look forward to it!

2006-11-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

I was asking the wife what she wants for the holidays and was surprised to hear that she doesn't want the usual chocolates, jewelry, leather coats etc. She wants lights. For the house. And not just the kind you can pick up from Home Depot. She wants some really good lights. Nulco lighting to be precise. I had never heard of it, but I think I might just go along with her. Turns out that Nulco Lighting is really cool. Maybe I should listen to her more often.

2006-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

I found a great deal on Orlando Vacation rentals. I had been planning a trip over the holidays. I was thinking about taking the wife and kids on a Disney adventure to break up the winter. The only drawback is the cost of flights at that time.

2006-09-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

I wonder how many medical malpractice suits are initiated by people who became ill through using potions and voodoo medicine, but then ended up suing doctors to try and find someone responsible? That may be true with other medications, but there is a new compound that is 100% natural and works like a charm, Hoodia. It may be a strange name, but Hoodia or Hoodia Gordinii as it is sometimes known is actually the real deal, and taken with a sensible regimen of exercise and diet may help in reducing your weight along with a host of other problems.

2006-06-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Stop Foreclosure is a phrase that too many people are saying due to high medical bills. So many people are endebted to the insurance companies for medical expenses, that in order to avoid foreclosure, they have to work two jobs, and cut costs elsewhere.

2006-06-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I read an article recently talking about the increases in the size of several North Carolina cities. It seems that Raleigh real estate in particular is growing by leaps and bounds. This is really good news for Raleigh realtors and also for lawyers in the Triangle who will no doubt see an increase in personal injury cases.

2006-05-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have been across the pond for a few days and have noticed a distinct absence of medical malpractice news in the papers. It may be due to the fact that there is not a lot of money in the medical system here, so if you do decide to sue a doctor it won't really do you any good. If you are a Raleigh Realtor in the US or a bricklayer here you should be entitled to the same level of medical care, but it doesn't seem to work out that way. I have known several Chapel Hill Realtors who couldn't afford good health insurance, but garbage collectors in Scotland seem to take it for granted.

2006-05-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Medical malpractice cases can happen to pretty much anyone in any profession. When you are injured and in the hands of the medical profession, whether you are Los Angeles chiropractors, New York Firemen or Salt Lake City sewer workers, you run the same risk of malpractice whenever you enter a hospital or doctors office. Medical negligence is an equal opportunity pandemic in our medical system. Even Chapel Hill realtors have been known to suffer from bad medical decisions and inadequate medical care, and should be protected by lawyers trained in Medical Malpractice cases. The insurance industy has tried to limit jury awards and protect our country against the evil trial lawyers, but in the end it is congress who should be protecting the American public against shoddy medical work. I read today about a doctor conducting back surgery who inserted a screw driver shaft in the back of a patient because he didn't want to wait a couple of hours and get the proper supplies. Despite having the best medical system in the world, there should always be a place for people to protect us against medical mistakes.

atlanta medical malpractice lawyer

2006-04-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Medical Malpractice Payouts not Increasing according to a new study. This article came from Healthcare Purchasing News,August 2005 and was posted on Find Articles. Interesting piece on information. Whether you are in podunk or Atlanta you need a good medical malpractice lawyer to make sure you get the maximum amount of damgages.

New research published in the latest issue of Journal of Empirical Legal Studies examines Texas medical malpractice claims and finds no tort crisis. Instead, the study's authors find that, over a 15 year period, the system was largely stable and generated few significant changes in claim frequencies, payments, or jury verdicts. "Average payments on medical malpractice claims rose because small claims were squeezed out of the system over time, not because payments on larger claims increased," the authors explain. The authors used a comprehensive database of insured closed claims maintained by the Texas Department of Insurance since 1988. The data presented a picture of stability in most respects and only moderate change in others. Their research also revealed a weak connection between claims-related costs and short-to-medium fluctuations in insurance premiums. "Our hope is that better understanding of the claims process will lead to reforms that address real shortcomings in the malpractice litigation and claims payment systems, rather than respond to anecdotes or the rhetoric of crisis" the authors Bernard Black, Charles Silver, David A. Hyman and William M. Sage conclude. From 2000 to 2004, the increase in premiums collected by the leading 15 medical malpractice insurance companies was 21 times the increase in the claims they paid, according to the study.

2006-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Spinal Cord Injury article by Karen Nodalo, posted on Article City.This piece has a lot to say about the devastating effect such an injury can have on the life of the victim. If the injury was caused by the negligence of another party, the victim should consult a good spinal cord injury lawyer. In Atlanta there have been a preponderance of these injuries.

There had been 200,000 people suffering from spinal cord injuries in the United States. Cases of spinal cord injury resulted mostly from car accidents. Other causes include falls, acts of violence and sports. If a victim experienced a spinal cord injury, he might be faced with many trials that include expensive treatments, damages, medications and even the inability to work for a lifetime. If you are the head of the family and you have children, you can be deprived from your work.

Sometimes those who have experienced accidents do not take their injuries seriously with because they think that it is just a minor problem. But sooner or later, the effects may take place and they can never prove it is the result from the accident that they have met before. In order to give impact and proof to your claim, you need to report the accident immediately. Ask a doctor to give you a certificate that the accident has caused grievous injuries that resulted to a spinal cord injury.

Our spinal cord consist of several bundles of nerves which comes from the base of our brain up to our back. Our spinal cord is surrounded by backbones which are very delicate ones. If the backbone is broken, the spinal cord will be open for damages too.

If a person’s spinal cord has been severely injured, there will be no chance of curing it. The treatments and medications will only help the patients relieve the pain and suffering that they are experiencing. However, it will not mean a lifetime of relieving the pain without receiving any compensation so it would be best if you report accidents immediately so that it can be given action and proofs that are sufficient.

If you have been a victim of spinal cord injury, you should not hesitate to consult a lawyer for professional help. You should talk to a specialized attorney so that things will be handled accordingly and you will not have to wait for a long time for actions to take place. If you cannot have your good health back, it would mean useless and you will feel like having no life at all. At least all you can do is get everything you deserve in order to make your life purposeful.

2006-04-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Defining Medical Malpractice.

Article by Robert Thatcher in Ezine articles. Robert is associated with aboutmalpractice.info, and has some interesting things to say about the abc's of medical malpractice.

A patient comes to a medical professional to heal or treat an ailment. When the opposite happens, that the patient is injured or the situation worsens because of a mistake on the part of the health care provider, this is called medical malpractice.

Malpractice occurs when a doctor or a health care professional deviates from the standards which are accepted in the medical profession. It is mostly the doctor who has the final say in the procedure or treatment that a patient undergoes.

Once a medical practitioner veers away from the standard medical practice and it results to serious injuries or complications on the patient's health, this is considered malpractice.

In cases where a medical practitioner is accused of malpractice, another health care professional is asked of the procedure that is applicable in the circumstances of the patient. He should have done what is expected of a practitioner who is under the same situation.

The worst case scenario is when a patient dies inadvertently due to the mistake on the part of the doctor.

First, take a look at the mistakes which classify as medical malpractice:

1. injuries relating to birth

2. incorrect dosage and dispersal of medicine or error with prescription

3. incorrect or delayed diagnosis of an ailment

4. improper treatment

5. surgery mistakes

6. failure to refer to a medical specialist

7. health complications from anesthesiologists

8. improper procedures performed on emergency rooms

9. abuse of patients in nursing homes, children's ward and other medical institutions

10. mistakes with the general treatment of a patient

There are cases where a healthy part of the body is removed because of incorrect diagnosis. A delay in the delivery of a baby may result to more serious complications.

More specifically, malpractice occurs when the medical professional neglects to perform his or her duties on a timely and efficient manner. Just like with any other aspect in our lives, negligence would always have negative results.

In the medical profession, there should be zero tolerance for negligence because people's lives and their health are at stake.

'Medical Malpractice Laws and Cases'

The laws regarding malpractice in the United States may differ from state to state. They are changed from time to time and some laws may apply only to particular circumstances.

If you have a relative or a friend who may have suffered or died due to medical malpractice, then you may consult a lawyer in your state who specializes in such cases. Make sure that the lawyer that you will consult has an extensive experience in this field so that you will have the best legal support possible. You may also review past medical malpractice cases to learn more about this.

If you have a medical malpractice case, it would be difficult to immediately recognize whether you have a good or bad case against the health care professional.

Just like in criminal or corporate law, each case is unique and has its own downsides and merits. Your lawyer may need to work through all the details about the case.

Most of these cases are dragging and consumes a lot of your time and expenses. Talk with your lawyer before deciding to file a case. Most legal practitioners would first consider t he financial and legal merits of your case before they formally proceed to court.

Medical malpractice is a growing problem in the United States. When filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, make sure that you have a lawyer on your side who will adequately defend your rights.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides malpractice resources on http://www.aboutmalpractice.info.

2006-04-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

Medical Malpractice Lawyer articles seem to be coming thick and fast, especially articles on Atlanta personal injury lawyers. Here is a good one I found on GoArticles by Gage Killian from http://www.malpractice-attorny.com, although he seems to have misspelled his url.

Medical Malpractice is a serious issue. Every day people get improper treatment resulting in numerous negative outcomes. The medical society has sworn an oath to provide the best medical care to their patients. Unfortunately, we all are human and mistakes are made. This is a seriously concerning issue due to the fact that we trust our lives to individuals that may be either not properly trained, inexperienced, neglectful, overly exhausted or just plain unfit to perform medical practices.

Now it is the nature of the beast, in the medical profession, to undergo long hours without rest. This may be looked at as an error in society because no one can predict always when an injury or emergency will happen. What happens when a doctor creates a much more serious issue to an already existing problem? This term could be considered medical malpractice.

Now, in regards to those that protect us every day and help keep us healthy, many complications that result from medical treatment are not medical malpractice, they are simply complications. The human being is a biological product and like anything biological we have tendencies to reject certain treatments that we may undergo. Doctors and Medical Professionals help us daily overcome numerous illnesses and medical emergencies. These good Samaritans give their heart and soul to their work. We should hope they do so!

The problem lies when someone falls victim to an incident that could have easily been prevented with a little more attention to detail. The patient can be left with much less than he or she was willing to gamble. Its horrible to think about, but it is a truth in our society that gets dealt with on a daily basis. When someone falls victim to such acts such as medical neglect, it may be in their best interest to seek legal action.

If legal action is found necessary. It may mean compensation for the injured and neglected. Sometimes it gets no where close to filling the void that may have been left from the incident, however it does spread awareness. In order to help prevent legal matters to take place it is important to do your homework. When doing research on a physician or doctor it is extremely important to look at their credentials. Then you are not working on blind faith alone.

When taking legal action, it is important to take down every little bit of detail possible. Record every date, every happening, and every little thing you can think about relating to the incident at hand. Its important to take names, addresses, phone numbers, dates and numerous specific details about everything that took place. Understanding your options and knowing your situation inside and out is the number one key to success if legal action is necessary. It is quite an unfortunate even, when something such as medical malpractice occurs, but it does happen and one should realize the risks before hand.

2006-04-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Medical malpractice primer for nurses, from www.medi-smart.com written by Sara Ellis and posted on Go Articles. Most people think about medical malpractice in relation to when you need to hire an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer as you are about to sue a member of the medical profession. Not often that you see a piece from the other side, so thank you to Sara for a well written and informative piece.

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing the number of disciplinary actions for practice related issues such as failure to assess or intervene, documentation errors and medication errors for RNs has risen significantly in the last five years. Nurses should be concerned about medical malpractice because nurses are held liable for their own negligence and could find themselves being sued for malpractice.

Elements of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice can be generally defined as negligence on the part of a physician, nurse, EMT, hospital or other health care professional which causes physical or emotional damage to a patient under their care. This includes failure to diagnose an illness in a timely professional manner, surgical mistakes, mistakes in the delivery of a child, mistakes with medications, or causing any loss or injury by not performing professionally. Medical malpractice is limited to negligence which occurs in the course of medical or health care, and the basic legal issues involved in medical malpractice are the same as the legal elements in common negligence.

Four key elements of a medical malpractice case:

Standard of Care: Generally, standard of care is defined as the care a reasonable, careful or prudent health care practitioner would provide in similar circumstances. Hospitals, nurse practice acts, state boards of nursing, and nursing departments generally have established standards of care and policies and procedures that guide nurses and ancillary staff in nearly all patient care situations. Nursing Care Plans help nurses define the most commonly encountered clinical problems and its symptoms, then offer guidelines for performing ongoing assessment and therapeutic interventions. Care Plans assist the nurse in the development, deliverance, and documentation of patient care in order to help nurses adhere to the most current practice and professional standards in nursing.

Mistakes include a range of examples, including:

--Failing to assess serious changes in patient condition, such as failure to check neurological status, vital signs, or blood glucose levels on time. --Failure to take appropriate action or notify physician when significant changes in patient condition are noted. --Medication errors, or documentation errors. --Misusing a medical device or implant. --Failing to get informed consent from a patient --Failing to perform a procedure

In order to prove medical malpractice, the plaintiff needs to prove that the care received did not meet the "standard of care" for medical professionals under similar circumstances. Breach of that standard of care occurs when someone deviates from that standard of care.

If the nurse successfully demonstrates that he/she has met an acceptable standard of care, then there is no malpractice.

Remember what your nursing instructors always used to say, "If you didn't document it, it didn't happen!" - in other words proper documentation can be your best defense!

Duty: This is generally the most straight forward element to prove in a medical malpractice case. Once a nurse accepts report and assigned patients the nurse has agreed to care for those patients. By accepting the assigned patients the nurse has assumed a duty to treat the patient with that degree of skill, care, and diligence possessed or exercised by competent and careful nurses. One situation that provides exemption from "duty" would be care provided in a situation covered by Good Samaritan Statutes.

Legal Causation: Legal Causation is the second major hurdle that must be overcome for a successful malpractice plaintiff. The plaintiff must establish that had standards of care been followed, the injury or damages to the patient would have been avoided. A legal cause of action for negligence usually exists when it is determined that the breach of the standard of care proximately caused damages, usually physical or emotional in nature to the victim.

Damages: Was unreasonable, careless or inappropriate behavior on the part of the nurse, hospital or other health care provider the proximate cause of injury or damages to the patient or client? Substantial injuries caused by breach of the standards of care that satisfy the "damages" element of a medical malpractice claim include: - Death - Disability - Deformity - Additional hospitalization or surgery to correct a medical error - Severe and prolonged pain Remember that medical errors can happen during even the most routine tasks, such as when a hospital patient is given a the wrong diet. Staffing shortages or patient overload does not relieve you of your responsibilities to manage each and every aspect of care for your patients! If you believe you are being assigned more patients than you can care for safely during your shift voice your objections to your charge nurse and nursing supervisor! Once you accept the patient load you assume the legal duty for their care. Keep these elements of malpractice in mind and be sure you can meet the standards of care for your nursing specialty before accepting your patient assignment.

Nurses would be advised to carry their own professional liability insurance rather than rely on their employer's umbrella policy to protect them in case of a malpractice suit. Never expect your employer's interests in the case of a lawsuit to be the same as yours!

2006-03-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a good piece I found by V. Franklin Conlon on ways to reduce medical malpractice exposure posted on FindArticles. He is from the physicians executive and although he is not an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer, he has a lot of good information to share.

WITH HEADLINES proclaiming another medical malpractice crisis, it's a good idea to take stock of how physicians conduct business with patients.

Let's face it, in malpractice cases the trouble doesn't begin with lawyers, it begins with doctors' interactions with patients. Patients who feel well cared for and have an amicable relationship with their physicians rarely sue, even when there may be a poor outcome to some element of a care plan.

In medical practice for 38 years, I've seen the malpractice concerns of physicians rise from minimal to, sometimes, almost hysterical. The scope of our problems accelerated in the early 1970s.

I believe our risks for litigation grew as individuals dispersed away from their core family groups after World War II. The close, long-term contacts with which many of us grew up in our well-defined communities were disrupted. Trust became a victim of that dispersion. People did not have the family ties and, due to frequent moves, did not develop new ones.

That mobile pattern continues to increase today. In addition, the highly publicized scientific developments in medicine began to make the public believe that medicine could cure almost anything and expectations became unrealistic in many cases.

This combination of lost trust in physicians and publicity surrounding miracle cures played a large part in the development of the litigious society in which we live. Of course, this litigious attitude is not limited to physicians, but it hits us hard when we see our insurance premiums rise each year and our coverages reduced.

Cost of doing business

Involved in medical malpractice crisis since the early 1970s with the Nebraska Medical Association committee on malpractice, I later served as a co-author in a group that helped write the Nebraska medical malpractice statute that still exists today.

In the mid-1980s while a professor of family medicine at the University of Cincinnati, I took a sabbatical at the University of Cincinnati College of Law as a scholar in residence to study the basic elements of tort law and how they affect the medical profession. That sojourn led to continued activity in the area of malpractice for the past 16 years.

After leaving law school, I continued to practice medicine, but also worked as a consultant with a number of law firms to review potential malpractice cases. I reviewed cases for plaintiffs attorneys, defense lawyers and medical malpractice insurance companies. I occasionally served as a witness for both defense and plaintiffs.

It is my observation that most doctors practice quite good medicine, but some just don't do their jobs with care. There truly is medical malpractice out there, but in some cases malpractice suits are filed due to factual misunderstandings or poor communication.

Unfortunately, even good physicians are sometimes inadvertently negligent in the care of a patient. Most negligence is an unintended lapse or accident and not a sign of incompetence. Good doctors do get sued and this does not necessarily reflect on their abilities. Nonetheless, litigation is an unhappy cost of doing business in our society.

On the other hand, there are some doctors that I am ashamed to call colleagues. Their behavior toward patients would turn the stomach of even the most adamant defenders of the medical profession.

It is our duty to police ourselves and protect patients. We have a sworn duty to do no harm and that duty extends to preventing harm done by others.

Avoiding lawsuits

Based on my experience in the review of over 200 medical malpractice cases, I created a list 10 ways to help practitioners to avoid litigation. The list is not all-inclusive, but it does provide a number of preventive measures that, if followed, can reduce litigation risks significantly.

(1) Maintain open communication.

One of the leading causes of litigation is poor communication between doctors and patients.

Patients view their physicians as arrogant or distant when they do not make an effort to speak with them and their families.

I recently dealt with a case that centered solely on a surgeon's failure to explain to the family the complications that arose during an elderly patient's operation. The need to communicate with patients and families pertains to us all.

Remember the great French barber surgeon Ambrose Pare's admonition to all physicians; "We are sometimes to cure, often to treat, but always to console."

(2) Keep accurate medical records.

Keep clear and concise records. If handwritten, be certain the records are legible.

I went to a trial where a physician could not read his own medical records. It cost his insurance company a bundle. Use only standard abbreviations. Do not use personal codes that others cannot decipher.

The records are for the benefit of patients and the information they contain belongs to them. Keep pertinent positives and negatives in the notes.

A record needs to reflect the logical pursuit of a diagnosis and treatment plan. Remember, the records must be kept confidential.

(3) Obtain informed consent.

Every competent patient has the right to make his or her own decision about medical care.

If a procedure or treatment is beyond the usual scope of care, note in the chart that the patient was advised of the risks, benefits and alternatives to the care you provided and agrees to this particular course.

It is even better to get a signed agreement. There is such a thing as "implied consent," but if things go wrong, the patient's signature goes a long way toward mitigating the legal problems of the doctor.

(4) Examine the patient and note the findings carefully.

I have been involved in several cases associated with rectal and vaginal bleeding in which no physical exam was done. The patient was reassured that it was nothing serious.

In each case there was something seriously wrong and a lawsuit was filed.

If there is a complaint, take it seriously. If nothing is found after a carefully directed exam, the physician has demonstrated reasonable and prudent care.

(5) Monitor lab reports and have a follow-up plan.

Every lab result needs to be reviewed. Date and initial each report when you receive it. If it's abnormal, note a follow-up plan.

Note when the patient is contacted and what is said. Failure to do this is, to many courts, "negligence on its face" should the patient suffer injury due to a lack of follow-up.

(6) Consult and refer appropriately.

If a medical problem arises that is outside the usual scope of a practice, a consultation (noted in the chart) should be sought with a qualified expert. Or a referral to an expert should be made.

Failure to get help when a physician is clearly out of his or her depth can be considered a negligent act. Always note to whom, when and why a referral was made.

(7) Have a clear policy on office and hospital coverage.

All physicians have a duty to provide appropriate care to their patients. This means that the attending doctor must be available or have an equally competent associate ready to provide services at the time needed.

It is important that patients understand office hours and what to do when the office isn't open. The same applies to hospital coverages for inpatients and hospital staff coverage for ER or other in-house units.

Failure to care for a patient in need -- such as an obstetrical or cardiac patient -- in a timely manner can lead to charges of abandonment by a plaintiff.

(8) Be aware of your responsibility for the care provided by others.

Physicians are frequently responsible for the care rendered by those under their supervision. That's called vicarious liability, so be certain there is a practice policy that covers what each employee may or may not do.

Remember that all problems must be brought to the attention of the doctor because that's where the responsibility ultimately lies. Partners are also responsible for the care of their associates.

It may be smart to inquire into incorporating a practice to limit several forms of liability.

(9) Be familiar with state laws regulating medical care

Many state medical societies have booklets that provide physicians with the statutory requirements of practice in that state. Each state also has a medical board that can provide similar information.

Many doctors are unaware of their statutory duties or risks. I encourage everyone to contact their state medical associations and get a set of the rules of the game.

(10) Have a trusted lawyer on retainer.

Most physicians that I know don't have a lawyer to provide immediate support or counsel should a malpractice action arise. This should be considered another cost of doing business. It's one of the smartest things a physician can do.

A personal attorney with knowledge of malpractice law can pay off in a big way and help a doctor protect confidential information.

2006-03-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

Most common defenses in a medical malpractice case. Great article from Gerry Oginski of www.oginski-law.com, posted on Ezine Articles. As with most Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers, Gerry is very well aware of the resources that hospitals and doctors can devote to defending themselves, but he is not deterred by the kind of excuses you will see in the following article.

A medical malpractice case is typically defended with the following 5 important defenses:

(1) We didn't do it, but...

(2) If we did it, it was an acceptable risk,

(3) However, if we did it, and it wasn't an acceptable risk, then the patient wasn't hurt by it, but...

(4) If the patient was hurt, he wasn't hurt that badly,and finally,

(5) We didn't do it, but even if we did, the patient also contributed too.

It is the extremely rare case where the defense admits causing injury and the extent of injury. Those cases are settled quickly without ever going to trial.

The majority of medical malpractice cases in New York are settled prior to trial. Of the remaining 5-10% that are not settled, the physician wins the majority of them at trial. Defense counsel have gotten their clients off the hook using the defenses listed above.

Obviously, the list above is overly simplistic, but it's easy to see how it applies in any malpractice case.

Jimmy D'Victim arrives in my office claiming that hernia surgery caused a perforation in his colon. The defense will quicly claim that (1) Jimmy needed the surgery, (2) That a perforation is a known recognized risk of the procedure, (3) That there is no real injury, (4) That if there is an injury it's minimal, and (5) That he caused all of his own problems because he moved during surgery or failed to follow the doctor's instructions before, during and after surgery.

Is it any wonder that most malpractice cases are won by the defense?

Attorney Oginski has been in practice for over 17 years as a trial lawyer practicing exclusively in the State of New York. Having his own law firm, he is able to provide the utmost in personalized, individualized attention to each and every client. In our office, a client is not a file number. Client's are always treated with the respect they deserve and expect from a professional. Mr. Oginski is always aware of every aspect of a client's case from start to finish.

2006-03-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

Pharmaceutical liability article published by Garrett Law office. I found this in Go Articles. The focus is on Oklahoma, but the law would be pretty much the same if you were looking for an atlanta medical malpractice lawyer or wanted information on medical malpractice law throughout the country.

What are some of the ordinary causes of pharmaceutical negligence? In the rush to get new drugs to market, pharmaceutical companies may fail to disclose certain heath risks and serious side effects. Other times, enough time is not spent on clinical trials, or researchers may miss important findings that come to light only after products are on the market for an extended period of time. Mistakes can also be made in manufacturing that could result in defective products. Who is liable for injuries suffered from prescription drugs? Depending on your individual situation, liable parties can range from the drug manufacturer, to your treating physician, to the pharmacy that dispensed the medication. Is there a time limit on bringing a pharmaceutical negligence claim? Yes. Each state has its own statute of limitations establishing a deadline to pursue a claim. In Oklahoma the time limit is 2 years from the date of injury. What is the medical malpractice standard of care? This is the measure of care and skill that the average qualified physician would provide to a patient who sought medical care for similar symptoms and circumstances. How can I avoid a pharmaceutical injury? When you buy prescribed or over-the-counter medication you should always read the labels carefully as they may contain important information regarding side effects. Drugs can interact with your other medications, cause an allergic reaction, or not be proper for your symptoms. Ask your pharmacist for help if you have trouble selecting the right drug for you symptoms and given medical history. Do I still have legal rights for injuries suffered from a drug that was not prescribed by a doctor? In a case where no physician prescribed the drug which caused your injury, but instead you purchased it on your own, you may still have a claim against the drug manufacturer. However, you will not have a claim against your doctor. What is a class action lawsuit? A class action is a unique type of lawsuit that allows a group of people who have comparable issues to sue another party as a group called a class. The initiative of a class action is that everyone who has been injured by the same conduct should not have to be put to the expense of hiring his or her own lawyer. Certain drug cases fall under class action lawsuits against the manufacturer. What drugs are most commonly found in drug lawsuits? Among many others, the following are the most common drugs found in current litigation claims:
-Celebrex
-Vioxx
-Accutane
-Bextra
-Crestor
-Ortho Evra
-Ephedra
-Paxil
-Rezullin
-Zyprexa

2006-03-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Deposition techniques in medical malpractice cases. This article was posted in Ezine Articles by Gerry Oginski from www.oginski-law.com. He has a lot of interesting things to say about winning medical malpractice cases. He practices in New York but the same prinipals would apply if you were looking to question an Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer. If they are going to use some of the same techniques as Mr. Oginski, then you may want them to represent you in your case.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DEFENDANT DOCTOR

WARNING:
Preparation is the entire key to a doctor’s deposition. You must spend countless hours reviewing the entire file, reviewing all the medical records, notes and entries in the chart. You must know and review your theory of liability, causation and damages before you begin to review the file. You must keep track of anything in the chart that will help you in your quest to prove each element of liability, causation and damages.

1. Most lawyers ask the same boring questions at the beginning of every deposition:

a. State your name and address
b. State your qualifications, pedigree, schooling, etc.

Comment: OK, this is fine, but very boring and very expected by defense counsel and the doctor. Mix it up a bit. I advocate never starting a doctor’s deposition this way. Why not go right to the heart of the case with the very first question? You can always get the doctor’s credentials later or at the end. Besides, the credentials are usually found online or in a curriculum vitae, and don’t help except to establish where he went to school and whether he’s board certified in any specialty. On more than one occasion the doctor has been disoriented by this approach. They are usually prepared for questions in a lock-step manner and do not expect something so unusual, but legally permissible set of questions right off the bat.

2. Go ahead- ask why they operated on the wrong side of the brain as your first question. “Objection, no foundation,” says the defense attorney. “So where does it say in the CPLR I need to lay a foundation question?” Despite this exchange of ‘ideas’, if you get such an objection, then simply ask:

a. “Didn’t you operate on my client on this date?”
b. “Isn’t it true you operated on the wrong leg?”
c. “Why?”

3. I always advocate asking the ‘why’ question at deposition. It is much better to know the reasons why a doctor did or didn’t so something now, rather than save the question for trial. At trial, the reason may be devastating to our case, and if so, I want to know about it now. Besides, when you question a doctor at trial, as an adverse witness, you never want to ask a question in which you don’t know the answer. If you do, you subject yourself, your client and your case to inherent risks that could jeopardize the case.

4. Make the doctor read his notes into the record. This is important for anyone who is trying to decipher the doctor’s handwriting later on. Your expert will definitely need to know whether the scribble is important, and the only way to do that is if the doctor explains, on the record, what his scribble means.

5. Be polite. At all times. You can’t imagine how many lawyers don’t listen to this recommendation. They think they know it all, are sarcastic, belligerent, annoying, and really annoy everybody in the room. The doctor’s attitude in responding changes as well. No longer is the doctor as verbose. No longer does the doctor look like the perpetrator. Rather, he might begin to look like a victim if attacks against him and his credibility are kept up.

6. You can still make all your points without being hostile, angry, yelling or screaming. The old saying ‘you get more with honey than with vinegar’ speaks volumes. Naturally, you’re not going to bend over and sweet talk your way to getting the doctor’s admissions about how he screwed up. But, the key is being professional and knowledgeable. You gain more respect from your adversary- (don’t worry about respect or lack of it from the doctor) by being respectful than you do if you are antagonistic.

7. There are times when you want to rile the physician. You want to know if you can push his buttons. You want to know how easily it is to rankle his composure. If it’s easy to do at deposition, your trial strategy toward this witness just got that much easier.

8. Find out about conversations the doctor had with the patient, family members and other doctors. Remember, conversations are rarely recorded in a hospital record. Make sure you ask the doctor to confirm or deny comments that your client has testified about. Most often, the doctor will claim they no longer recall the conversation. But, if your client does, it’s much more possible that the conversation occurred. If the doctor denies making certain comments, then you know you have different facts about the same conversation, and a jury will have to ultimately decide who is telling the truth.

9. Ask whether the doctor has ever had his license to practice medicine suspended and/or revoked.

a. Ask whether their hospital privileges have ever been suspended or provoked.

b. Always ask whether the doctor has given testimony before.

i. Ask whether it was an an expert for plaintiff or defendant
ii. Ask whether they were a treating physician
iii. Ask what type of case it was, and the name of the case
iv. Ask whether they were paid for their time in Court to testify in that matter

10. In New York, in a medical malpractice deposition, you must ask opinion questions. The doctor- as a defendant is required to answer ‘expert’ questions and give answers about his medical opinions.

a. Do you have an opinion, with a reasonable degree of medical probability whether the treatment rendered to Mrs. X was appropriate and within the standard of care?

b. If you have an opinion, what is that opinion?

c. Confront the doctor with other opinions in the medical community that disagree with his school of thought and ask what he thinks of those opinions.

d. Ask the doctor to admit to certain facts- Here’s an example:

i. Isn’t it true the patient got Ex-lax at 10 p.m.?

ii. Isn’t it true that patients with colon tumors shouldn’t get ex-lax?

iii. Are there any circumstances when you would prescribe this medication for a patient who had this tumor?

iv. Would you agree that if the patient got ex-lax at 10 pm that would be a departure from good care?

v. Would you agree that the only reason the patient suffered injury was because she got ex-lax at 10 pm?

vi. Would you agree that had she not gotten the ex-lax at 10 pm, she wouldn’t have suffered the bowel perforation?

11. Make sure you rule out other potential causes of injury besides the malpractice that you are claiming occurred here. The reason you do this is to learn the potential defense to your case. The defense will always come up with some explanation as to why your argument is not valid. Better you should learn it during the deposition than to head to trial without knowing what their defense will be.

12. Ask many open ended questions. Ask who/ what/ where/ when/ why/ how. By doing this, you will get the doctor to talk and explain. If the doctor’s is going on and on without directly answering the question- and his attorney is letting him- that’s ok. Let him keep talking; you might actually get some useful information. When he stops talking simply say “Maybe my question wasn’t clear doctor. What I was looking for was….can you answer that question?” Always take the blame if the doctor says the question is not clear. Don’t respond to him by asking “What didn’t you understand about my English language question?”

13. Ask about medical definitions.

a. What is an endocervical curettage?
b. What is a myocardial infarction?
c. What is hypoxia?
d. Ask whether these definitions are commonly accepted within the medical community, or whether there are other schools of accepted definitions.

14. Ask whether they’ve reviewed any medical literature or textbooks prior to coming to the deposition.

a. Did you bring any with you?
b. Which ones did you review?
c. What did you learn from the article? Did it support your position here, or was it contrary to your position?

15. Finally, but not last, ask about credentials, schooling, licensing, board certification- but you should already have this information before your deposition when you research the defendant doctor. I always advocate doing a Google search on the physician to see if they’ve authored anything or if there’s anything out there online that’s worthwhile knowing. I recently learned from an online search where the defendant doctor was fired from his residency and sued the chairman of his department. Needless to say, this information proved very useful at deposition.

2006-03-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting post by Karen Nodalo, who is a very prolific source for all personal injury related topics. She is associated with www.socialsecuritylawattorney.com, and provides some excellent information through ArticleCity. Medical malpractice happens quite frequently with babies, but it is such an emotional time that people do not recognize it as such, and do not act until it is too late. It seems that with childbirth there are so many emotions involved and people are so scared for the health of the baby and uninformed as to the risks and implications of procedures, that they just blindly follow what the doctor recommends.In the southeast you should look to a good Atlanta personal injury lawyer for help. Do not wait too long and do not try and go it alone. Malpractice is very difficult to prove.

Medical practices are some of the causes of pain and suffering among the American Families. The bad news is that it affects the babies in some situation. Researches have shown that around two million babies have suffered from trauma during delivery at the time of their birth. Birth trauma has a lot of consequences which can go from mild to temporary up to devastating injuries. This can also cause tragic impairments that can lead to permanent conditions.

We all know that babies are young and if they experience medical malpractice, they might not recover from the pain and suffering that they are going through. Their body is weak so doctors should take extra care of them.

In some cases, birth trauma cannot be prevented because of some conditions. However, if a good doctor handles the delivery, these situations can be prevented. If a doctor is not that trained and experienced, he might fail to diagnose the cause of the birth trauma. This is where medical practice takes place. There are laws regarding medical malpractices. Doctors should be very careful in treating these cases especially in babies because they might be suffering this for the rest of their lives.

When a medical professional or a doctor fails to diagnose some common prenatal infections, or some other factors, it is expected to have birth trauma. If on the day of the delivery, a medical assistant did not provide the proper treatment, the baby can develop birth trauma that easy. We might not be aware of this but even the babies have feelings at such early stage. Some heavy bruising can be caused by improperly using birthing techniques like vacuums and forceps. These equipments need extra care in using it. Another common example of birth trauma us shoulder dystocia. When a shoulder of the baby is impacted on the pelvis of the mother during birth, which is considered shoulder dystocia. If this is not treated properly, it can lead to serious injuries to the upper extremities of the child.

Medical malpractice and negligence is something that cannot be forgiven to doctors. It has been clear from the start that once they have committed to the care and attention of patients, he must do his best to perform a good action, an action that can alleviate the suffering of the individual. Our babies’ life is important so they should be given the proper care and treatment.

2006-03-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

Interesting article I found concerning medical malpractice rates, posted by Andrew Rockman on Article City. The amount that doctors pay in insurance is a bit of a political hot potato. One camp paints the increase on the lawyers, others blaim greedy patients looking for a payoff. The real culprits, according to Mr Rockman are the insurance companies.

No doubt, in this political season, you have heard of the medical malpractice “reform” dispute.
If you are a doctor or related to someone in medicine, your reflexes tell you that it must be necessary.If you are a patient who never suffered an injury through inadequate care, your reflexes might also lead you to worry about the availability of medical care and its cost. Your inclination may be to fall in line with those pushing for reform with dramatic accusations. The problem is, those accusations are unsupported by fact and are made with the recognition that whether you speak the truth or not, speak it frequently enough and, like mud, it will stick.

If you are a patient who has been injured through substandard care, your instincts and experience lead you to question why the medical profession seeks to insulate from responsibility those few individuals who cause injuries by their medical carelessness, when individuals in other professions are responsible when they do something wrong that causes injury. Responsibility to someone you have harmed through carelessness is a right that preexists the Constitution.

A recent editorial by the Editors of the Trenton Times newspaper echoes what many attorneys have known for quite some time: “… information just released by order of a federal judge showing that confidential settlements, jury awards and other payouts made by insurers on behalf of physicians have been declining since 2001, even as insurance premiums soared … It seems clear by now, however, that other factors, possibly including insurance industry practices, are helping cause those high premiums.” (The Times, Thursday, June 10, 2004, page A18)

Those who push for this reform have their own agenda that is blind to the plight of the injured and the majority of doctors.

The problem is that we have all been made victims of the malpractice dispute and the lines that have been drawn. As usual, those who press for malpractice reform vilify attorneys. Arguments are offered about the impact of verdicts on the availability of medical care and its cost. The proven reality is that the problem does not lie with the performance of the great majority of doctors, nor does it lie with any lack of merit in the overwhelming majority of malpractice claims that are properly brought and supported.

As so often happens, the battle has been launched by those who want change based upon the impact on their own profit, rather than on merit. It is the insurance industry and those it supports in politics who push for more change. The weapons they use involve select, distorted statistics.

The insurance industry, both in the managed care and liability sectors, has put the doctors in a vise, squeezed by the difficulty in receiving fair fees for care provided and pressed by rising premiums or the threat of unavailable insurance. This combination forces doctors into an adversarial position with their patients and with the legal system.

This is what the insurance industry has done, pitting patient against doctor and doctor against the lawyer. One can understand the doctors being upset at the predicament in which they have been placed. The quarrel is only with whom they blame for that predicament and with the information they have been supplied by an industry that has far too much control over their medical conduct and their income.

The problem is that the rancor created between the legal and medical communities is fueled by this misinformation flowing from the real “culprit”, the insurance industry, to the physicians.

A missed cancer diagnoses is not always malpractice. But sometimes it is. A bad result from medical treatment is not always malpractice. But sometimes it is.

The studies and facts are clear and available. The problem lies not in the verdicts. It lies not with the vast majority of well-founded cases that properly seek redress through use of one of the world’s finest legal systems. And it lies not with the vast number of good doctors, who consistently practice good medicine. It lies with the insurance industry that refuses to police itself in terms of its business practices and its dealings with those relatively few doctors that repeatedly fail to practice within the standards of their own profession.

That industry arms itself (and the doctors it controls through its ability to dictate both income and insurance costs) with distortion and the easy, historic dislike of lawyers and the legal system that is so easy to cultivate. That is, until access to the courts and attorneys are needed.

Insurance corporations have their attorneys with untrammeled access to the courts and virtually limitless resources to advance their own interests. It is patients’ access to the courts for protection of their rights that is being attacked and minimized. Since it is the patient’s lawyer who must advance that right, it is the patient’s lawyer and the jury system that the insurance industry seeks to whittle away. Then the insurance industry and its political spokespersons can advance their interests virtually unopposed without the threat of meaningful financial responsibility for negligently caused injury.

It is the irony of the situation that the victims of malpractice – the vast majority of doctors and the injured patients – really do have common interest with Atlanta personal injury lawyers in protecting the patient. The villain, the irritant, or whatever other word fits, is the big business of insurance and those in government who either misunderstand the situation or seek to protect their own interests by stepping on those who need protection.

The danger is in the successful creation of a misguided debate on the wrong issues – so that the patients, the patients’ attorneys, and most of the doctors are compelled to avoid, or at least delay, focusing on the conduct of the insurance industry that is a major cause of its own problems and, by extension, the problems of the medical profession and patients they are supposed to protect.

2006-03-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

To follow is an interesting article on the topic of medical malpractice, which was posted on GOArticles by Kael Geary. Too often people are disuaded from bringing suit by members of the medical profession or insurance industries. People do make mistakes, and if you are the vicitm of mistakes by a doctor you have a right to compensation.

Too often, the general public just sits back as very qualified doctors and medical professionals make mistakes in the normal course of their everyday business. Their business is the treatment of us, the average citizen. Over the years we have placed Doctors (and some extent Lawyers) on top of pedestals which puts them out of reach of any retribution for wrong doings.

However, Doctors DO pay medical malpractice insurance in the rare case they do make a mistake in their practice. You ever wonder why it's called the practice of medicine? It's not a misnomer. Doctor's are held to a higher degree of responsibility due to the inherent trust we place in their care.

But there does come a time when they will make a mistake, or mistakes. Whether it's from being overworked (a very common occurrence in the medical field) or from straight ignorance and poor decision make, or even sheer negligence, we do have a right of remedy against the medical profession. It is there where we can talk to a qualified lawyer who is well versed in the field of medical malpractice who can then determine if you have a qualified cause of action.

If you don't go see a lawyer, and you do feel that you have a cause of action, do your research online to see if you can read about similar cases that have gone to trial or have been litigated elsewhere. It is important to feel justified for going through the expensive and often times unpleasant motions of suing somebody for the hurtful actions caused against you or a loved one. Regardless of how unpleasant it, you still need to stand tough and seek what is rightfully yours. Doctors and other professionals are NOT on some tall pedestal that can't be touched. You do have the right to seek compensation if you have been damaged through the negligence of others.

2006-03-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

One interesting snippet of information I picked up recently was the fact that settlements for medical malpractice cases seem to be declining. At the same time, insurance premiums for doctors are on the rise. So the insurance companies are paying out less, but bringing in more. Standard price gouging by greedy corporations or something more? Seems like the problem is at its worst in the South East. One thing that does remain constant is the need for a good Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer. A good lawyer will help you through the labrynth of legal issues and give you support against the vast array of corporate lawyers.