Vermont Personal Injury Lawyer

Parachute Hammocks Recalled Due to Fall Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:39:00 GMT

Travel Hammock Inc (dba Grand Trunk) issued a recall of Single and Double “Parachute” Hammocks because the supporting hooks can fail, posing a fall hazard to users.

To this date, the company has received nine reports of the hooks failing, resulting in minor injuries including scrapes and bruises.

The following colors and model numbers are included in the recall:

SH-01 (Single Olive/Khaki)

SH-02 (Single Blue/Navy Blue)

SH-06 (Single Royal/Khaki)

DH-01 (Double Olive/Khaki)

DH-02 (Double Lt. Blue/Yellow)

DH-03(Double Navy/Silver)

DH-04 (Double Navy/Red)

Consumers should top using the recalled hammocks and contact Grand Trunk for a free repair kit.

Consumer Information: Contact Grand Trunk at (877) 365-2965 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit their Web site at www.grandtrunkgoods.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Pacifiers Recalled Due to Choking Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:21:00 GMT

OKK Trading of Los Angeles, in conjunction with The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a voluntary recall of Baby Necessities Pacifiers.

The pacifiers are banned under federal law. They failed federal safety tests when the nipples separated from the base. This poses a choking hazard to young children.

To date, the company has not received any report of injury in connection with the recalled products.

Baby Necessities pacifiers with a blue heart-shaped mouth guard are included in the recall. The product are sold in a four-pack.

Consumers are advised to take the recalled pacifiers from small children immediately and to contact the company to for a refund or exchange.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact OKK Trading collect at (877) 655-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.okktrading.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

One Killed and Dozens Injured in Multi-Car Pile Up

Jenny Albano — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:03:44 GMT

Thirty six cars were involved in a multi-car pile up that happened on February 10, at 12:40 P.M., that killed one and injured almost two dozen more. The accident occurred on 390 South near Scottsville Road in Vermont.

More than 20 people were taken to local hospitals. One woman who was a passenger in one of the cars was killed. She has been identified as Lee Gno, 19. Several other people incurred serious injuries. A Strong Memorial Hospital spokesman said five were in guarded condition and four were listed as satisfactory.

A number of ambulances were also sent to the scene and the injured were taken to various local hospitals as part of a mass casualty plan that first responders have in place. The injured were taken to Strong, Park Ridge and Highland Hospitals.

The accident also caused problems on 390 northbound. The accident was probably related to poor visibility because of the wind and snow. Many drivers stopped on the highway because they couldn't see where they were going.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

A Big Pay Day for Enron Stockholders' Lawyers

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:17:52 GMT

Despite our best efforts to educate the public about the economics of contingent fee law practice, a great many people still believe that lawyer's fees are outrageous. Folks of this ilk will have a field day with the fee being sought by the San Diego law firm that represented the defrauded Enron stockholders. That firm, Coughlin Stoia, Geller, Rudman and Robbins just put in a request a whopping $688 million for its representation of the Enron claimants.

Outrageous, nothing could justify that kind of payday, right? Well, actually the total of the settlements the firm has negotiated for their clients is $7.3 billion. So the proposed fee is only 9.52 percent of the entire settlement. Many contingent fees call for the lawyers to be paid a third of the settlement proceeds. Also, the firm reports it has spent $112 on the case over the six years it's been in litigation. So viewed in its proper light the large fee may well be reasonable enough. Still, a number like $688 million will play into the hands of those who spew anti-lawyer bias. For more on this please visit: www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5435603.html.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

Actor Angry Over Hospital Error

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:11:32 GMT

Film actor Dennis Quaid and his wife have expressed their outrage over the treatment their newborn twins have received at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. A report from the California Department of Public Health confirms that the couple's babies each received a dosage of Heparin that was 2,000 times stronger than the prescribed dose. Heparin is a high risk drug used as a blood thinner.

Among the Quaids' expressed concerns was the "lack of candor" the hospital exhibited regarding the medical error. Evidently, the couple learned of the mistake through the Department of Health rather than the medical facility. The Quaids have also sued the manufacturers of the drug citing negligent packaging of different doses in similar appearing vials. For more on this story please visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywtq6u.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

Insurance Companies Only Respect a Law Firm That is Prepared to do Battle

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:50:19 GMT

Did you ever see the movie "Bravehart?" Early in the film the English and Scots armies are squared off against each other in battle formation. Just when a fight seems inevitable, small negotiating teams from both sides ride out to meet each other. At this tense point, with the hostile armies on the verge of confrontation, the negotiators work out a settlement between the Scots and English kings averting battle.

As odd as it may seem, personal injury claims are often settled through a very similar process. We prepare our clients' cases exactly if we are going to battle it out with the insurance company at trial. At some point before the trial, we sit down directly with representatives of the company and explain precisely what our evidence is and how we intend to present our case to the jury. We also explain the amount of the verdict we believe we will achieve based on our experience.

Now the insurance company is faced with a choice. They can either pay our client a fair settlement or go to battle (actually trial) with us and risk having a much larger verdict rendered against it than the amount of the settlement we are prepared to accept. Faced with this choice, the insurance company usually pays our clients a fair settlement.

Having explained our method, it should be obvious why we recommend that injury victims avoid hiring firms with little or no trial experience. When inexperienced firms sit down with an insurance company, the company has no incentive to pay a fair settlement because it is not afraid of doing battle with these firms in court. The ultimate loser in all this is, of course the injury victim. That is why if you are injured through negligence it is so important that you choose a firm that is ready to do battle for you. It is your best leverage against the insurance company.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

John Edwards, Taking Heat for Being a Trial Lawyer

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:48:06 GMT

Several of the major presidential candidates: Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani to name a few are lawyers by training. Thus far I don't recall any of these individuals have been attacked because they are attorneys. However, another candidate John Edwards has been vilified for some time because of his profession. You see, Edwards is not just a lawyer he is a "trial lawyer." This means that unlike the others his practice has primarily consisted of representing ordinary people against corporations and insurance companies. The fact that Edward's has represented victims against the rich and powerful has made him a natural target of the rich and powerful and their attack machine.

Now this article is not an endorsement of Edwards for president. But as a victims lawyer myself I believe we have a duty to stand up when trial lawyers are attacked simply for being trial lawyers. It should be pointed out one of the fathers of the American Revolution and our second president, John Adams was a trial lawyer. Abraham Lincoln, perhaps our greatest president was one also.

So when the rich and powerful attack trial lawyers for what they do they are really attacking our jury system. This is because all their money and power cannot protect them against a jury bent on doing justice. So their may be any number of good reasons to criticize John Edwards but his former profession is not one of them. For more on the debates see: http://www.wmur.com/politics/14978023/detail.html

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

Steroids are a Danger to the Players as Well as to the Game

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:47:12 GMT

With the long awaited release of the Mitchell Report, many baseball fans are weighing in on the way illegal steroid use has changed our national game. One intense area of focus is whether record setting steroid users (most homeruns, etc.) should be considered in a separate category from ballplayers who set records without resorting to performance enhancers.

One issue that seems to get passed over in the debate is just how dangerous steroids are. Anabolic steroids can lead to premature heart attacks, liver tumors, kidney failure, and psychiatric problems. Most of us want to clean up our national game, and we should remember that one of the primary reasons for doing this is to protect the lives and health of our young athletes who play the game.

As a law firm dedicated to helping injury victims we are committed to improving public safety. So for all the right reasons lets get steroids out of baseball. For more on this issue go to: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3060689

For more information on this subject, see our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

Slow Down on Winter Roadways

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:43:31 GMT

The snows have come early to New England this year. Where I live in Central New Hampshire, there is a possibility we will get another foot of it over the weekend. This is good news for skiers and the local economy but not for motorists. Because as we all know winter storms can make for treacherous driving.

To avoid wintertime accidents, it is important to allocate extra time to get where you are going. One simply cannot safely drive as rapidly in a winter storm as they can in good weather. And drivers who insist they can do this put us all at risk. So make sure to give yourself ample time when you are traveling in the winter. An extra half hour on the road is much more convenient then an accident or injury. For more on winter driving go to: http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/drivingsafety/drivingsafetytips/snow.html

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss

An Accident Can Spoil Your Holidays

Rob Curtiss — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:10:03 GMT

Driving during the Christmas season can be rough. Roads are congested with shoppers. Motorists heading home after holiday parties may have had an eggnog or two. The season itself seems to add to some people's stress level.

That is why it is important to drive extra cautiously at Christmas time. Having represented several people who were seriously injured in Christmas time car collisions, I can endorse this wholeheartedly. So be courteous and calm behind the wheel, don't let the pressure of the season get to you. After all, the last thing anybody needs at Christmas is an accident. For more on driving during the holiday season see: http://www.maimonidesmed.org/body.cfm?id=1534
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/holiday/a/aa991208.htm

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rob Curtiss