Professional Services: Legal - Press Releases

Daughter Dead from Head Injury, Father Charged Christus With Wrongful Death

Robert Bowden, beneficiary of Zora Bowden who was hit by a car while backing out from a parking lot of a grocery store and rushed to the Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Texas but died a few days after the incident due to subdural hematoma, charged the hospital and Zora's attending physicians of wrongful death suit. Bowden filed the lawsuit with the Jefferson County District Court on August 13.

Parents Cautioned by U.S. Government As to Cough and Cold Medications for Children

Parents all over the United States is cautioned by the government to avoid giving cough and cold medications to their children especially those under 2 years old without doctor's prescriptions. This warning has been part of general review regarding the cough and cold medicine products' effectiveness and safety for children.

HP Sued by Journalists and Family Members Are Spying Scheme

An assembly of reporters, together with members of their family, filed charges against Hewlett-Packard Co. and its two former executives. These journalists and their families have been subject to the technological giant's boardroom surveillance system. As part of the spying scheme, HP obtained their confidential telephone records in secret.

Low Cost Auto Insurance Program Expansion, Targeted in California

In his statement released yesterday, California Department of Insurance chief, Commissioner Steve Poizner affirmed that the state government is planning to extend its Low Cost Automobile Insurance program in other areas in California. The said expansion is being arranged to be implemented in the counties of Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Placer, San Benito, Shasta, Sutter, Tuolumne and Yuba. This is expected to take its effect after the new rates have been agreed upon later this October.

Epoxy Supplier Indicted in Fatal Tunnel Collapse

The lone supplier of epoxy used in the construction of the Big Dig tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts was finally charged in court last Wednesday. This is for providing inadequate adhesives used on bolts to secure the tunnel ceiling of the most ambitious and costly road project in the history of the United States. The incident, which happened July 10, last year, has resulted to the death of Milena Del Valle, 39, who was crushed by the concrete panels from the ceiling that subsequently shatter and broke down. Yet, her husband was able to crawl out of the ruins and sustained only minor injuries.

50 Million Americans and More Have Disability on Different Levels

The United States Census Bureau reported on August 6, 2007 that during the year 2002, around 18 percent of the American people claim of having a disability. On the other hand, about 12 percent have severe or serious disability. Based on this data, more than half with ages 21 to 64 years old had held down a job. Meanwhile, four out of 10 of those who are 15 to 64 years old have utilized a computer in their homes. Furthermore, a quarter of those with ages 25 to 64 years old had earned a degree in college.

9/11 Testimonies of FBI & CIA Sought by U.S. Airlines

In an attempt to engender the federal government's liability in its failure to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks, the airline companies being sued by victims filed complaints seeking testimonies from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Seven airline companies filed separate complaints on Tuesday with the United States Court for the Southern District of New York.

Jobless Claims Among U.S. Workers Increase

The United States Labor Department reported last week, Thursday that the number of workers who were recently laid off from their jobs increased. This suggests the even if the employment condition in the country is softening a bit, it still remains on good standing. The newly jobless people are presently signing up and applying for unemployed benefits, particularly unemployment insurance.

States Cautioned in the Aftermath of Minnesota Bridge Collapse

Federal government officials, particularly Mary Peters, the U.S. transportation secretary cautioned the transportation authorities of each state in the country of the need to re-examine their bridges. This admonition was declared after investigations that probed into the devastating collapse of the interstate bridge in Minnesota found that there was a probable design flaw.

Victims Burned During Steam Pipe Explosion Sue Public Utility

Tow-truck driver Gregory McCullough and his passenger, Judith Bailey were burned during the catastrophic explosion of a steam-pipe that blew up a crater in a street along Manhattan district of New York City. McCullough and Bailey filed charges against New York City's utility provider with allegations of misconduct. Both are seeking for unstipulated damages from the Consolidated Edison.

Multi-million Settlement Reached by Brown With California Corinthian School

On Monday, California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that the Corinthian Schools, Inc. and Titan Schools, Inc. would pay the amount of $6.5 million as a lawsuit settlement.

New Orleans Conference on Drug Policy Alliance During December 5-8 Will Be Attended by an Expanding VCL

New Orleans will glimpse the VCL’s new look from LogoBee at this event

Cases of Dog Bites Multiply in Hawaii

A steady increase in the number of accounted dog bite incidents has been noted during the recent years in Hawaii.

Whistle-blowing Lawsuit Between Neurosurgeon and Miami Hospital, Settled

In a whistle-blowing case in Miami, Florida, certified neurosurgeon, Linda I. Bland and the hospital administration where she was employed agreed to reimburse the government with the outstanding amount of $1.275 million for their illicit medical performances on several Medicare patients.

Social Security Administration Sets up Backlog Record

Social Security Administration (SSA) has set a record backlog on disability appeals filed by members. It is said that an outstanding number of unresolved cases has reached 745,000.

AG Brown Warns California of Unsafe Vehicle Tires

California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. asked the public to examine their vehicle tires carefully

Latest Study on Results of Antidepressant Use during Pregnancy

A new study on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was released by the New England Journal of Medicine or NEJM showing results in the use of some antidepressants in the course of pregnancy. According to the study, the use of these antidepressants during certain stages in pregnancy, like in particular, the "selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors or widely known as the SSRIs, have not significant effect on the increase in risk of having birth defects.

Former Roman Catholic Priest in LA charged with Molestation

The issue of clergy sexual abuse was again fired up in Los Angeles after a former priest of the Roman Catholic sect was arrested on charges of child molestation last Tuesday. This is incidentally five years after the previous allegations of sexual abuse have been thrown out due to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court canceling a statute of limitations extension in California for such cases, as prosecutors have claimed. Sixty-nine years old George Miller was charged with alleged sexual abuse of a boy during the period of March 1988 up to March 1991. These incidents happened when Miller had been assigned as priest in Pacoima's Guardian Angel Church, Los Angeles County.

Dock Clerks in California and Employers Strike a Deal

The dock clerks of the United States' biggest port complex came to a tentative agreement with their employers regarding a new employment contract on Thursday. Even if it was just provisional, the contract had served as a measure to prevent a strike to occur. If the employee's had staged a strike due to dead end in negotiations, it could have caused such crippling effects on the nation's shipping activities. If a strike would happen on this principal port, billions of dollars would be lost, according to a negotiator in the agreement.

Hill Wilson Presents at the AAJ Annual Convention in Chicago

Rhonda Hill Wilson, Esquire, of Philadelphia presented at the American Association for Justice Annual Convention for the American Women Trial Lawyers Caucus on the topic of “Exercising Leadership Through Community Outreach.” The Convention was held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on July 17, 2007.

Dependency to Social Security Benefits More Prevalent Among Women

According to the Committee on American Academy Actuaries Social Insurance, women are receiving lower Social Security benefits due to the differences concerning gender in the work culture of America. The said actuaries committee issued these observations in their brief's new issue, "Women and Social Security." In this issue, the actuaries cited several points behind their observation. They detailed that the wage history differences, the greater possibilities of surviving longer than the spouse, the occurrence of still being single during retirement, and the greater probability for the women not to be included in the workforce, albeit temporarily are the indications of differences causing women's benefits to shrink smaller as compared to that of the men folk. This even if the benefit from Social Security follows rules of gender-neutral calculations.

Cigarette Packs to Issue More Harsh Warnings

As an additional provision to the Tobacco Legislation waiting for approval in the tables of the Senate Committee, cigarette packs need to display more harsh warnings regarding the risks to our health that smoking induces. The warnings must be as graphically issued as possible in order to convey a vivid illustration of the smoker's doom. As a model, the graphic warnings being utilized in Canada and some other countries would be mimicked by the cigarette packs intended for the U.S. market.

AG of Louisiana Demands to Open Files on Katrina's Death Toll

Charles Foti, attorney general of Louisiana, on Wednesday, requested a judge to issue an official permission for hospital documents to be unsealed in order to support his claims on the patient murder by a doctor of a New Orleans hospital. As alleged by Foti, the doctor has murdered patients of his a few days after the Hurricane Katrina happened. Earlier, Foti was not granted with an indictment against the said doctor.

Compromise Agreement Solicitors in London Launch New Site

Sharpes Solicitors compromise agreement specialists providing expert advice on UK employment law from both the employee and employer’s perspective and they’ve launched a new easy-to-use site providing more information about their services and an overview of compromise agreement.

Attorney Rhonda Hill Wilson of Philadelphia Presents Legal Topics in Mississippi and Boston

Rhonda Hill Wilson, Esq. of Philadelphia presented “The Use of Technology in the Courtroom,” at the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Annual Convention in New Orleans on June 8, 2007. On June 14, 2007, Hill Wilson addressed Advanced Nursing Home Litigation for the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention in Boston.