The Injury Lawyer Directory Blog

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has recently settled 63 wage- and hour-abuse class action lawsuits across the country. This settlement ends a long legal battle that has extended for several years.

Each settlement will still need to be approved by the courts. The total amount to be paid in each settlement will be determined by the number of claims filed by class members. Wal-Mart will pay at least $352 million to their current and former employees, and the total can potentially reach as much $640 million.

These lawsuits have been filed due to widespread abuse of employees at the hands of the Wal-Mart Corporation. The company repeatedly forced many of their employees to work through rest breaks and meal breaks, failed to properly compensate workers for overtime, and failed to pay them for all hours worked.

The plaintiffs accused Wal-Mart of an unethical practice called "time-shaving," where they would chop off minutes of time from employees' paychecks. By doing so, the company reduced their payroll by millions of dollars.

As part of the settlement agreement, Wal-Mart will have to implement electronic monitoring systems to document their compliance with wage laws.

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart is not the only major corporation to try and cheat their employees in order to pad their bank accounts. Many companies are guilty of similar wage- and hour-abuse practices. Wal-Mart is simply the most recent to be held accountable for their deplorable actions.

If you have been victim of wage- and hour-abuse in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the law office of Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh, & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

A co-pilot aboard an Air Canada flight was removed from the cockpit, restrained, and sedated after suffering a mental breakdown mid-flight. There were no injuries to the 146 passengers or nine crew members on the plane. Fortunately, an airplane accident was avoided despite the co-pilot's actions.

The co-pilot had over 6,500 hours of flight time, and had recently been examined and deemed fit to fly a plane. None of the crew members suspected that he was on the verge of a breakdown.

After landing, the pilot told investigators that his co-pilot seemed out of sorts from the moment he arrived at work that morning. He had shown up late, missing the preflight inspection. During the flight, the co-pilot's behavior continuously deteriorated. He began rambling on nonsensically, and took an extended nap during the flight. When he returned from his nap, he refused to follow airline safety protocol.

The co-pilot eventually became so belligerent that the pilot ordered several of the flight attendants to come and remove him from the cockpit. The co-pilot put up a violent struggle and had to be restrained and sedated.

One of the flight attendants on board had previous flying experience and sat in as co-pilot for the remainder of the flight. The pilot praised her for her excellent job in a difficult situation.

Airplane accidents are responsible for large-scale damage and catastrophic injuries. If you have been injured in an airplane accident, you should consult an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an airplane accident in the West Palm Beach, Florida area, please contact the law office of Ellis, Ged & Bodden, P.A. today to schedule a free consultation.

Catastrophe was narrowly averted in an airplane accident at Denver Airport this past Saturday. An aborted take-off of a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 jet injured 38 people, but fortunately all passengers survived the crash. Two people are still in critical condition. The majority of injured passengers suffered broken bones.

The plane veered off the runway towards the left, crashing into a ravine. The plane burst into flames, the wheels were sheared off, and parts of the plane were strewn across the runway. Plastic from the overhead bins melted onto the seats from the heat of the fire. Fortunately, no passengers suffered severe burns in the incident.

An investigation into the cause of the plane crash is currently underway, although it will most likely be some time before inspectors determine exactly what happened. It does not appear that weather was a factor.

The flight never reached the air before the crash. This fortunate event most likely saved the lives of many passengers. One person reported that before boarding the plane, the airline informed passengers that the plane was experiencing engine troubles. However, they made another announcement shortly thereafter claiming that the problem had been fixed.

Injuries sustained in airplane accidents are frequently very serious, and often these crashes result in the death of many victims. An experienced airplane accident attorney can help you receive proper compensation for your injuries after such a traumatic event.

If you have been the victim of an airplane accident in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the law offices of Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh, & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

It is quite common for women to suffer from two vaginal conditions called pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). These conditions result from a weakening of the muscles in the pelvic region, generally following childbirth or surgery. Women suffering from POP and SUI experience pain and impaired bowel and bladder function.

In recent years, many pharmaceutical companies have created transvaginal mesh products to alleviate the symptoms associated with POP and SUI. While many manufacturers are producing these devices, the most commonly used is the Bard Avaulta Mesh product.

After more than 1,000 incidents of serious complications have been reported by medical professionals and transvaginal mesh product manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to issue a warning about these products. While the Bard Avaulta Mesh product and other similar devices have not yet been recalled, it is important to be aware that the risks associated with these products may not be worth the benefits.

The following problems have been associated with the use of transvaginal mesh products:

• Erosion through vaginal epithelium
  
• Infection
  
• Pain
  
• Urinary problems
  
• Recurrence of prolapse and/or incontinence
  
• Bowel, bladder, and blood vessel perforation during insertion
  

The corrective measures for these harmful side effects are all very serious, and often involve additional surgery. If you are suffering from POP or SUI, you should ask your doctor if there are any other safer treatment options before having a transvaginal mesh product surgically installed in your body.

If you have suffered from one or more of these painful side effects associated with the Bard Avaulta Mesh product, you should consult with an experienced defective product attorney immediately to see if you have a valid product liability claim. You may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages.

If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area and have a defective product claim from using the Bard Avaulta Mesh product, please contact the law office of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

A pedestrian bridge collapsed this morning at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. One person died and 18 others were injured in the accident. There were at least 30 people on the bridge when it collapsed at 9 a.m. this morning.

All of the people injured in the accident were construction workers who were building a new 600 foot, 45-foot long canopy walk. They were pouring concrete for the canopy walk at the time of the collapse. Four of the construction workers are in intensive care units, and two of these are still in critical condition.

The construction workers suffered brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and limb injuries. One worker damaged his liver in the construction accident. Investigators have not yet determined whether or not safety regulations were violated at the time of the accident. The bridge crashed into a ravine.

Many construction workers risk their lives on a daily basis. Due to the use of heavy machinery and working in precarious locations, construction accidents often lead to very serious injuries. Unfortunately, insurance companies do not always provide injured workers with fair workers' compensation benefits for their injuries. It is important to consult an experienced construction accident attorney to make sure that insurance companies don't take advantage of you in the event of a serious injury.

If you have been injured in a work-related accident in the Atlanta, Georgia area, please contact the law office of Robbins & Associates, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

EvenFlo has recalled 95,000 Majestic High Chairs today due to a defect that has caused children to fall out. The company has received over 1,000 reports of parts falling off, leading to many injuries in young children.

Plastic caps and metal screws on the side of the high chair have been coming loose, causing several parts, including the seat back, to fall off. There have already been over 100 injuries reported due to the defective high chairs. Most of these have been head injuries and broken bones.

The high chairs were sold nationally at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Burlington Coat Factory, and Walmart.com between January 2006 and May 2007.

If you have a Majestic High Chair from EvenFlow, you should stop using it immediately and contact the company at 1-800-233-5921 to find out about recall procedures for the product. If your child has been injured by a defective Majestic High Chair, you should consult an experienced defective product lawyer in your area to see if you are eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area and have a product liability claim from an EvenFlow Majestic High Chair, please contact the law offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

Macaulay Culkin's older sister, Dakota, was hit by a car last week in Los Angeles. She stepped in front of a moving vehicle in West L.A. The driver followed all expected protocol for auto accidents: he stopped the vehicle, tried to offer assistance to the injured victim, and provided police with all of his identification and insurance information.

Police declared that the driver was not intoxicated at the time of the accident. He was not charged with a crime in relation to the incident.

Dakota Culkin was rushed to the hospital at UCLA. She had sustained serious brain injuries from the collision, and died the next morning. She was 29 years old.

Although he was cleared of criminal wrong-doing, the driver will most likely face a wrongful death lawsuit in relation to the accident.

It is important to consult an experienced auto accident attorney if you or a loved one was injured or killed in a car accident. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you have been the victim of an auto accident in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

Many pharmaceutical injury lawsuits are currently underway against Medtronic for their defective Sprint Fidelis leads. In 2007, the company voluntarily recalled their Sprint Fidelis lead after it was discovered that the product was prone to lead fractures.

The Sprint Fidelis leads are used in conjunction with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy-Defibrillators (CRT-Ds). The leads are supposed to deliver shocks to the defibrillators when needed for cardiac treatment. However, fractures in the leads cause them to either transmit unnecessary shocks to their patients or to fail to transmit shocks when appropriate.

Currently, five deaths have been linked to lead fractures in the Medtronic product. Many patients have suffered violent shocks and extreme pain from the defective leads misfiring inappropriately, while others live with the anxiety of knowing that their defibrillators have not worked when needed.

Plaintiffs in these lawsuits claim that Medtronic is guilty of negligence in manufacturing a subpar product that is prone to fracture, and that they misrepresented the product by marketing it as safe. There have been more than 225 lawsuits filed against Medtronic to date. Many of them are class action cases.

Medtronic does not recommend replacing a defective lead with a new one, since the risks associated with replacement are greater than the risks of a lead fracture. However, if a Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead was installed with your defibrillator, you should contact your doctor immediately to make sure it has not fractured.

If you live in the Columbus, Ohio area and have suffered an injury as a result of a defective Sprint Fidelis lead, please contact the law offices of Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. today to schedule a consultation.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK) is a rare eye infection resulting in permanent vision loss or in extreme cases, blindness. The disease typically affects healthy people who wear contact lenses.

Symptoms of AK include eye pain and redness, blurred vision, light sensitivity, sensation of something in the eye, and excessive tearing. An ophthalmologist can diagnose the infection by evaluating your symptoms, scraping your eye to detect the growth of the amoeba causing the disease, or using a process called confocal microscopy to detect the amoeba. Early diagnosis is imperative if you are to receive effective treatment.

Defective drug lawyers have been investigating a link between AK and several multi-purpose contact lens solutions. The solutions under investigation include:

• Complete MoisturePlus (Bausch & Lomb)
  
• ReNu with MoistureLoc (Bausch & Lomb)
  
• ReNu MultiPlus (Bausch & Lomb)
  
• Opti-Free (Alcon)
  
• SOLO-care (Ciba Vision)
  
• Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution (Advanced Medical Optics)
  

Advanced Medical Optics has recently recalled their Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution for its connection with the development of AK. While the other solutions have not yet been recalled, it would be a good idea to discontinue using them. Contact your ophthalmologist immediately if you start experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms or if you develop an eye infection.

If you live in the Denver, Colorado area and have developed AK from the use of one of these contact lens solutions, please contact the law offices of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule a consultation with one of their experienced defective drug attorneys.

Many personal injury lawyers across the country are receiving calls to evaluate potential defective product lawsuits over the Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant. Clinics have been reporting failure rates as high as 5.7% in association with the product.

The Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant has been used with over 12,000 patients since being approved for use in 2006. The implant was marketed to younger, more active patients who will most likely need something more durable and long-lasting than a conventional prosthetic hip.

However, many patients have suffered from debilitating pain shortly after the implant surgery. Frequently, this pain has been more severe than what patients were experiencing prior to their operation. Many of these patients will require additional surgery to correct the problem.

Zimmer was made aware of the defects associated with their Durom Cup hip implant in April 2008, when Dr. Lawrence Dorr, a hip surgeon working as a consultant to the company while they developed the device, informed them of the many problems arising from the use of their product.

Dr. Dorr made his findings public to a group of hip surgeons who also used the Durom Cup hip implant, and found that many of them had observed the same conditions developing in their patients. Despite the wealth of corroborated evidence from Dorr's colleagues, Zimmer refused to acknowledge that their hip implant was defective. Instead, they insisted that the problems associated with their product were due to surgical errors during installation.

It took Zimmer an additional three months before they would acknowledge that adjustments were needed on the Durom Cup hip implant. In July 2008, Zimmer finally recalled the product for further trials, although they still insist that the product is completely safe.

If you live in the Jacksonville, Florida area and have experienced debilitating pain after receiving the Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant, please contact the law offices of Hardesty, Tyde, Green, & Ashton, P.A. today to schedule an initial consultation.

A military fighter jet crashed into a San Diego home on Monday, starting a huge fire and destroying the house. Three people, a grandmother, mother, and child, were all killed in the crash. The father was at work at the time of the crash and is the only surviving family member.

The jet had just completed a training exercise landing on a Navy aircraft carrier and was returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The pilot said that the jet lost power in its first engine, and after communication with military air traffic controllers, he decided to try to fly the plane to Miramar on the remaining functioning engine.

The pilot lost control of the jet in the residential San Diego neighborhood, crashing into the house and killing its three inhabitants. Two nearby homes were burned by debris from the jet, and a third home sustained some damage. Fortunately, the damage was contained. It could have been a lot worse.

The military is most likely facing a rather large wrongful death lawsuit to compensate surviving family members for their losses.

If you have a wrongful death claim in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact the law offices of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

Many police officers are starting to openly criticize the use of Tasers against suspects. While Taser International adamantly insists that their devices are completely safe, many police officers now have first-hand knowledge to the contrary.

Nick Dial is a police officer who volunteered to be Tasered during his precinct's Taser Training class. At the training, officers were shown a video produced by Taser International explaining how the device works and who it can be administered on. According to Dial, the video claims that there has never been an incident of serious injury or death resulting from a Taser, and that it can be used on anyone, including pregnant women. After his personal experience, Dial has come to question this claim.

One Taser blast was administered to Dial for three seconds. Afterwards, he was in considerable pain, experiencing throbbing in his back and difficulty breathing. When the pain failed to go away after a few days, Dial was examined by a spinal surgeon, who performed an MRI. The doctor didn't discover any noticeable damage, and only recommended physical therapy. However, the therapy did not alleviate his back pain.

One month later, Dial started getting severe headaches and dizzy spells as well. He felt like he was consistently in a fog, and his normally outgoing personality was gone. He was much more reserved. More than two years later, Dial's problems still persist, and have gotten much worse. He was evaluated by an endocrinologist who informed him that his adrenal gland was no longer functioning properly, and that it is very likely that the Taser was responsible for this, as well as other damage to his nervous system.

Nick Dial is not the only police officer to have suffered injuries as the result of a Taser. Many officers around the country have had similar experiences. Many have filed product liability lawsuits against Taser International, claiming that the company has untruthfully marketed the device as safe and non-lethal, when evidence clearly contradicts this statement.

If you have suffered an injury from a Taser in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the law offices of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

Thousands of American troops have returned from Iraq after suffering a major injury; many of them from brain injuries. The Institute of Medicine estimates that approximately 22% of wounded soldiers suffer from traumatic brain injury.

A serious brain injury will put soldiers at risk for long-term health problems, including depression and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, it is very important that these patients be monitored over the upcoming years to pick up future symptoms in their early stages.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most common injuries suffered in the Iraq War. However, unlike brain injuries sustained by soldiers in previous wars, these are not generally from a gunshot wound to the head. Rather, they stem from damage to the inside of the skull caused by an explosion's pressure wave.

These blast-induced brain injuries can range from a mild concussion to a more severe injury. Frequently, symptoms do not develop immediately. As a result, many soldiers don't know to seek treatment until it is too late.

Doctors are still trying to gain a better grasp on the nature of these blast-induced brain injuries. However, it is apparent that more research on these injuries is needed if troops are to receive the proper treatment required of this condition. Many soldiers have sought treatment for headaches, dizziness, memory loss, confusion, irritability, insomnia, and depression.

Soldiers exhibiting any of these symptoms should get examined by a doctor immediately to make sure that they have not sustained a major brain injury. Medical treatment for these conditions should be covered by the government. If medical claims are denied, it is important to consult an experienced brain injury lawyer immediately to ensure you receive proper coverage for your injuries.

If you have sustained a traumatic brain injury from serving in Iraq and live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact the law offices of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

Two teenage girls, 19-year-old Brianna Broitzman and 18-year-old Ashton Larson, have been charged with nursing home abuse. The girls have been accused of taunting, spitting on, and groping the breasts and genitals of residents suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

The two girls have been charged with assault, abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver, abuse of a vulnerable adult with sexual contact, disorderly conduct, and failing to report suspected maltreatment. These criminal charges are all gross misdemeanors. If convicted, Broitzman and Larson will most likely receive suspended jail sentences and probation.

The girls worked part-time as aides at a Minnesota nursing home. The criminal complaint alleges that the two teenagers would laugh as they spit in the mouths of residents. They also allegedly poked, grabbed, and mocked residents until they would scream.

Four other teenagers have been charged with failing to report an incident of abuse. There are two other teens who are reportedly involved, but charges have not been filed against them as of yet.

It is likely that Broitzman and Larson will also face a personal injury lawsuit for their actions as well. If found guilty, they will be required to compensate the abused residents for their damages.

There is a shocking amount of nursing home abuse and neglect in our country. Most of it stems from facilities being understaffed. However, there are also an alarming number of incidents similar to this one, where aides working at nursing homes bully, abuse, and molest residents who are unable to defend themselves.

It is important to contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer immediately if you have a loved one who is a victim of nursing home abuse. If you or a family member are a victim of nursing home abuse in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the law offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall on window blinds manufactured by Green Mountain Vista, Inc. after receiving a report of a two-year-old girl who almost died from a near strangulation.

The girl slipped off of a radiator with a loose bead cord loop around her neck and began gasping for air. Her older brother helped free her from the cord. The girl vomited and suffered from deep neck bruising. Her injuries were not severe enough to cause any permanent damage.

The product recall is for Green Mountain Vista's insulated black-out roller shades and insulated Roman shades. They have been sold nationwide since June 2005.

If you have one of these shades, check your window coverings immediately to see if the tension device is attached. If it is not, you should stop using the window shades at once and contact Green Mountain Vista for further instructions on recall procedures. You can contact Green Mountain Vista at (800) 639-1728.

You should also contact an experienced product liability lawyer if you have a child who has suffered an injury as a result of these defective blinds. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you have a product liability claim in the Washington, D.C. area, please contact the law offices of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

An Arizona hospital is being sued for medical malpractice by a local woman after her husband died while waiting eight hours to receive treatment in the emergency room.

The woman, Rachel Sweitzer, claims the hospital staff is guilty of negligence and reckless disregard in the treatment of her husband, which ultimately led to his wrongful death.

The official report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that Sweitzer's husband died of necrotizing pneumonia, caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. A severe form of staph, called MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), led to Sweitzer's pneumonia.

MRSA does not respond to penicillins and cephalosporins, the antibiotics generally used to treat staph infections. Specialized "second-line" antibiotics are required to combat the infection.

On Feb. 9, 2008, Robert Sweitzer went to the St. Mary's Hospital ER in Tucson, complaining of a cold, severe cough, loss of energy, and intense lower back pain. The ER was extremely crowded due to the start of Tucson's severe flu outbreak.

Sweitzer was given a preliminary assessment at around 7 p.m. He was never re-examined over the next eight hours, and died shortly thereafter from necrotizing pneumonia.

St. Mary's Hospital denies any negligent behavior in relation to Sweitzer's death.

If you have a medical malpractice case in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact the law offices of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

A bus crossed the median on Interstate 40 in eastern Arkansas, colliding with a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck. Three people were killed in the bus accident.

The accident occurred about 35 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee. The bus hit the pickup first before crashing into the tractor-trailer. The driver of the pickup and two bus passengers were killed. Both the bus driver and truck driver sustained minor injuries.

There were 44 passengers on the bus. State police haven't disclosed how many others were injured in the crash, but about 12 victims needed to be extracted from the bus. State troopers have been interviewing the bus driver and some of the passengers to more accurately determine what happened.

This is not the first time a major bus accident occurred in eastern Arkansas. In 2004, 15 people died when a bus flipped over on Interstate 55. Federal investigators determined that the bus was not in proper running condition and should never have been on the road to begin with.

It is important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer if you have been injured in a bus accident. You might be eligible to receive compensation for medical expenses and other damages suffered.

If you have been injured in a bus accident in the Mobile, Alabama area, please contact the law offices of Long & Waite, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.

Shoppers at a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, NY gave new meaning to the term "Black Friday" last week when an out-of-control mob started a stampede resulting in the death of an employee.

The Long Island branch was set to open for business at 5:00 AM the day after Thanksgiving. Apparently, it wasn't early enough for the 2,000 people lined up at the locked doors, anxiously awaiting the start of the holiday shopping season.

The horde of shoppers broke through the front doors and charged into the store. In an attempt to ward off the chaos, employees formed a human chain to slow down the frenzied shoppers storming past the front entrance.

Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old temporary maintenance worker, was trampled by the mob and died of a heart attack roughly an hour later. Four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured in the incident.

Police officers arriving on the scene couldn't slow down the raging stampede, which stepped over paramedics trying to perform CPR on Damour. Many shoppers became irate when forced to leave. The sight of an employee being carried into an ambulance didn't faze the angry horde, who didn't appreciate being kicked out of the store after waiting on line for hours to start their holiday shopping.

Long Island police claim that Wal-Mart failed to take the necessary steps to provide adequate security for the increase in customers brought on by the Black Friday sales. Hank Mullany, president of Wal-Mart's northeast division, disagrees with the assessment, claiming that the company added extra security and store associates to accommodate the additional volume of shoppers.

Police haven't ruled out filing criminal charges yet, but have said that it will be difficult to identify specific shoppers from the surveillance tapes. However, Wal-Mart stands to face a potential wrongful death lawsuit for failing to ensure the safety of their employees.

If you or a loved one has a wrongful death claim in the Long Island, New York area, please contact the law offices of Silberstein, Awad, & Miklos, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.