ReleaseWire

According to recent statistics published by the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, helmet use when riding a bicycle reduces the risk of a head, brain, or severe brain injury by 85 percent or more. The fact that 21 states, including Alabama, require bike riders ages 16 years and younger to wear a helmet when riding highlights the importance of helmets in reducing injury incidents.

Federal judges are set to rule on whether Bayer can continue to be shielded from Essure product liability lawsuits that allege such side effects as pelvic pain, organ perforation and unintended pregnancies due to the birth control implant. Court records indicate that Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals has asked for a dismissal of five Essure birth control lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The birth control lawsuits contend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) premarket approval for Essure is invalid because Bayer failed to report adverse events caused by the contraceptive to the FDA, and Bayer's protection from product liability lawsuits over the birth control devices should be removed.

Birmingham based Alabama Fresh Air Locksmith or better known as AFA Locksmith has recently unveiled their newest rate on different locksmith services. The spokesperson of the company revealed that the new rates were launched after several considerations and deliberations in order to make their service as reasonable as possible.

Living a technology-based life has become a reality for millennials and the generations to come. With games to play and social media to update, it is no longer a rare sight to see even elementary aged kids with their cell phones! The incredible increase mobile devices in our world means a growing need for electrical outlets to keep batteries running smoothly. Sun Charge Systems has been the leader in capitalizing on and supplying this developing market. Instead of contributing to the already polluted atmosphere, they have found a way to utilize the most abundant power of all: solar energy. Their Solar Powered Charging Station is an environmentally friendly, self-contained power system that is changing the way people use their devices.

5K racers and sports enthusiasts of all fitness levels in the Birmingham-Hoover-Montevallo area are in for a treat when the University of Montevallo hosts l the inaugural l Birmingham 5k Xtreme Air Inflatable 5k Obstacle Race on Saturday, April 9, 2016. This promises to be a Birmingham 5k race unlike any the college town has ever seen– instead of a boring, traditional 5k race where racers simply run on a trail, participants in this 5k run will get to climb, slide, laugh, and bounce their way through twelve giant inflatable obstacles while enjoying the most fun workout of their lives. The course is open to racers of all ages and fitness levels, and spectators get into the event for free, making this the perfect event for athletes, enthusiasts, and anyone who simply wants to enjoy a unique, fresh experience!

Massey, Stotser & Nichols, a law firm in the Birmingham metro area, is announcing that attorneys Randall W. Nichols and Anne Lamkin Durward have been named to the 2016 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America list. This list is compiled each year by U.S. News and World Report and has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence since it was first published in 1983.

The increase in online stores for popular gadgets has got many customers comparing the prices before they settle for the best bargain. The downside to this is that most of the individuals simply do not have the time to be able to do the research.

Nearly three million Americans currently report suffering from vision impairment. According to experts, many more may have eye diseases and may not be aware of it. In the age range of 40 or older, 2.7 million Americans have glaucoma and 24.5 million Americans have cataracts. Cataracts effects 68% of those who are 80 or older. With regular eye exams, however, these can be uncovered, and in many cases, stopped or corrected before they cause serious amounts of damage.

Joe Hudson's Collision Center cares for the community and has created a unique partnership with the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders (ACCBD) at Children's of Alabama (http://childrensofal.org ) . During the month of October, Joe Hudson's Collision Center locations across Alabama (currently 20) will donate $5 to Children's of Alabama for every vehicle repaired. The funds raised from this campaign will help Alabama's children who are currently being served by this prestigious facility. In Alabama, 90% of children diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders are treated at Children's of Alabama.

Omnipole is a GoPro and smartphone extension pole that allows users to steady cameras with tripod action as well as shoot on-the-go footage quickly and easily at sporting events and in other hard-to-film locations.

Crossing Hollow Films' upcoming family-friendly Action-Drama film, Take A Chance, written and directed by Saiko Shihan Oyama, and produced by Scott Perkins, not only hooked a multi-talented ensemble cast, but brought together two of the largest Japanese martial arts organizations in the world...Kyokushin Karate and World Oyama Karate.

The federal judge managing the vaginal mesh lawsuits in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia, has scheduled a consolidated trial for 26 Ethicon vaginal mesh lawsuits that name Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Inc. unit as defendant. Southern Med Law represents women in product liability lawsuits across the country and reports that U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin said the bladder mesh lawsuits selected were filed by 26 women from West Virginia who all had Ethicon's Gynecare TVT mesh implanted to treat stress urinary incontinence. The Gynecare complaints allege that the women suffered such injuries as mesh erosion, infection, scar tissue, organ perforation, chronic nerve damage, pain and urinary problems. Judge Goodwin said the cases had common issues of law and fact. The jury trial, scheduled for November 2, will focus only on the plaintiffs' identical claims of design defects with the TVT mesh, according to the order. (In Re: Ethicon, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2327)

Morcellator cancer lawsuits contend laparoscopic power morcellators have the potential of spreading uterine cancer when used during a hysterectomy or myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids) and hysterectomy cancer lawsuits continue to filed on behalf of women who have developed uterine cancer due to the morcellation device.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is inviting interested members of the public to present data, information or oral or written views on Essure permanent birth control device at the FDA's meeting on September 24th. Southern Med Law notes that after Essure lawsuit filings and complaints surrounding Essure, the FDA has called for a meeting of its Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel to seek expert scientific and clinical opinion on the Essure birth control implant after numerous reports of Essure side-effects including perforation of the uterus, pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and even fetal and adult deaths. The FDA has opened a docket so that anyone interested in speaking at the meeting can submit electronic or written comments prior to the event.

A conference will be held Monday to discuss 3M Bair Hugger lawsuits and post-operative infections sustained by hip and knee replacement patients from the Bair Hugger forced air warming blanket. Southern Med Law, an experienced law firm representing men and women in product liability lawsuits reports the warning blanket injury conference is geared to provide more information for a deeper understanding on how to proceed with 3M Bair Hugger lawsuits that purport 3M's Bair Hugger warming blankets have caused patients to develop prosthetic joint infections (PJI) following hip and knee implants after the Bair Hugger warming blanket disrupted the airflow in operating rooms and contaminate the sterile field in the rooms. This contaminated purportedly caused surgical patients to develop infections that required repeat surgeries replacement of their artificial joint and in some cases amputation. A strong connection has been shown between Bair Hugger and patients developing prosthetic joint infections (PJI) following hip and knee implants.

As filings of testosterone treatment lawsuits involving such Low-T drugs as AndroGel, Androderm, Axiron and Testim continue to mount, the makers of AndroGel are seeking to have potential bellwether cases dismissed. The majority of the 2,000 low testosterone lawsuits pending in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois are filed against AbbVie and Abbott Laboratories and the first round of bellwether trials will only involve AndroGel lawsuits, court records show. AbbVie filed a motion on July 6 stating that 169 Plaintiffs Fact Sheets had missing information, such as names of prescribing physicians and dispensing pharmacies, and authorizations to allow AbbVie to collect additional medical records were not completed. AbbVie warned that if plaintiffs do not provide the information by the time of the bellwether hearing on August 14, AbbVie said in its motion that the Court should dismiss those Low-T cases with prejudice. Plaintiffs responded in a joint status report filed on the same day as AbbVie's motion, that they are concerned that AbbVie is attempting to use this issue as "a tactical sword in the testosterone bellwether process, rather than as a fact finding and discovery tool to gather information and collect the plaintiffs' medical records with authorizations." (In re: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Product Liability Litigation – MDL No. 2545

Morcellator Lawsuit News: While robotic surgeries are being used more frequently in both men and women in minimally invasive surgeries, a new study has found that more than 100 patients have died over the past 14 years after robotic surgeries. The attorneys at Southern Med Law are highly aware of the risks of robotic surgeries after they have represented men and women in robotic surgeries lawsuits and are currently representing numerous women in morcellator lawsuits who have developed uterine cancer and even death after robot assisted hysterectomies involving uterince morcellation.

In a move to reduce injuries and the spread of cancer after power morcellation hysterectomies and fibroid removal, the U.S. House passed a bipartisan bill that speeds up the government's process for approving drugs and medical devices, as well as improving the safety monitoring of medical devices that includes power morcellators, Southern Med Law reports. The new medical research legislation comes as Southern Med Law recently settled the first morcellator cancer lawsuits against morcellator makers, LiNA Medical APS, Kebomed AB & LiNA Medical US.

In many families, Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year.  Often, Santa Claus is a big part of those celebrations.  The new website You and Santa, located at www.youandsanta.com, sends personalized letters to children from Santa Claus and provides "books readings" from Santa of his original tale Kamden and The Holiday Kingdom.  This series of books not only covers Christmas but will expand to three other holidays as well.  The book is about a boy who finds a door to a magical kingdom where he learns new things about himself as well as the true meaning of Christmas.  The series will expand Kamden's adventures to include new holidays and new experiences.

The attorneys at Southern Med Law have settled the first federally filed morcellator cancer lawsuit against LiNA Medical APS. Kebomed AG & LiNA Medical US, the makers of power morcellators. The lawsuit was filed in March 2014 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Southern Med Law on behalf of Scott Burkhart, a Pennsylvania widower whose wife died of disseminated leiomyosarcoma in February 2013, which she developed after undergoing a power morcellator hysterectomy. The terms of the settlement are not being disclosed at the moment, but could prove positive for other power morcellator lawsuits that may be consolidated into a mult-idistrict litigation (MDL) in Kansas. Scott Burkart stated in this lawsuit that there was no evidence of disseminated cancer in his 53-year-old wife, Donna Burkhart, prior to having a robot-assisted hysterectomy in March 6, 2012. She was diagnosed with the aggressive uterine cancer just 9 days after having surgery. (No. 5:14-cv-1557)

One of only a few states in the nation that fails to provide a statewide indigent defender program, Alabama also lacks post-conviction counsel for those inmates on death row. Clayton Tartt, an associate with Birmingham's Parkman White, LLP, a birmingham criminal defense firm, feels this is a critical flaw in the state's judicial system and works to provide representation to those who otherwise cannot afford it. Tartt volunteers with the Alabama Post-Conviction Relief Project to help individuals in this situation. and Cody Owens of Weld Magazine recently interviewed Tartt about this issue.

Voted "Best Overall Service 2014" by the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute, Champion Cleaners in Birmingham, Alabama offers the best wedding gown alterations services in preparation for the big day. Not content to just cleaning and preserving your heirloom piece, Champion Cleaners employs the best experts available to help in the redesign, fitting, repair and complex alterations you need to look your best on your wedding day.

Following iPhone Data Recovery, the professional software developer – FonePaw recently announced its newly-developed data recovery software for Android devices. Now, owners of Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z3 and a bunch of other Android phones and tablets running Android OS 2.3 to 5.1 can go ahead and get back lost or deleted data from their Android devices.

The dry cleaning professionals at Champion Cleaners in Birmingham are educating customers about the stain removal process used by professional dry cleaners to help them learn more about what happens to their garments and textiles during the cleaning process. The pre-spotting process used by dry cleaners is typically far more effective than at-home spotting techniques at removing severe or set-in stains, especially on delicate fabrics.

Lovell Pediatric Dentistry proudly announces the grand opening of their new pediatric dentistry clinic on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Located in Homewood, Alabama, the clinic specializes in dentistry for children and provides infant and toddler oral care, care for special needs children, dental trauma and emergency treatments and oral hygiene. The clinic only sees children and teens, making it the perfect choice for parents wanting specialized care for their youngsters.

Achieve is conducting randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of new treatments for fibromyalgia. People who are living with this syndrome can visit their website or call their clinic directly if they are interested in this research opportunity.

Parkman White, LLP is proud to announce the addition of Calvin Whaley to its Birmingham office. Cal is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law and is admitted to practice in all State courts of Alabama and the Federal District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama. Cal's practice focuses on DUI defense, bankruptcy, and civil litigation.