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Cook County to start paying awards in illegal political hiring, promotions
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 30, 2008
Cook County will pay more than $100,000 each to four victims of illegal political patronage as part of 108 awards announced Thursday by a court-appointed hiring monitor.
Julia Nowicki awarded about $3 million to people who lost out on jobs and promotions because of politics between August 2004 and February 2007.
The awards, ranging from $250 to $323,000, will be paid by the county in the next 60 days.
One of the biggest-$130,000-went to Margaret Bageanis, an administrative assistant in the county's Animal Control Department since 1988.
Levaquin: This Antibiotic Doesn't Leave You Aching for More
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 25, 2008
The Levaquin antibiotic is proving to be more trouble than it is worth for many patients, if one man's story is any indication. A host of Levaquin side effects is one of the reasons why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the wheels in motion for a black box warning for Levaquin.
"Doug" is a healthy 31-year-old man with no pressing health problems-until, it seems, he was prescribed Levaquin to combat a bad case of bronchitis. His doctor prescribed a 10-day regimen of Levaquin, 500 mg once per day. While his bronchitis appeared to be on the mend, Doug began noticing pain in his left knee after taking the Levaquin for only two days. Doug describes it as a dull ache that was almost a constant, regardless of whether he was walking, standing or sitting-however the pain would escalate sharply whenever he moved.
Animal rights drive dog lawsuit
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 19, 2008
Michael and Kathryn Sutton aren't activists. They never envisioned joining any movement. Yet, the Ellijay couple find themselves at the forefront of a legal battle aimed at elevating the status of animals under the law. Their fight could redefine veterinary care - and the relationship between humans and animals.
Last month, the Suttons filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court charging their former veterinary surgeon with doggy malpractice for her treatment of Marshall, the Suttons' beloved 13-year-old miniature Schnauzer. The unusual suit claims Marshall would still be alive today if it weren't for the poor care of Sandy Springs-based vet Julie Duval.
GM agrees to pay Saturn owners for transmission defects
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 16, 2008
General Motors Corp. has agreed to pay an estimated $90 million or more to "tens of thousands" of motorists in all 50 states for expenses they incurred as a result of defective transmissions in more than 90,000 Saturn economy cars.
The agreement by the manufacturing giant, if ultimately approved by a Sacramento federal judge, would resolve a class-action lawsuit targeting certain models of four-cylinder Saturn Vues and Ions.
They are equipped with "Vti" transmissions. Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, which uses traditional gears to shift at a few fixed points, it is a "continuously variable" transmission that has a belt and pulley system to shift between gears.
Senate Measure Would Expand Disabilities Act
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 12, 2008
The Senate on Thursday approved a major civil rights bill that would expand protections against workplace discrimination for people with disabilities and that would address several Supreme Court rulings that curbed such safeguards in the past decade.
The measure, passed on a voice vote and without dissent, is similar to legislation that sailed through the House in June by a vote of 402 to 17. Minor differences between the bills are expected to be resolved quickly and a final version sent to President Bush. The legislation would expand the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, which was signed by Mr. Bush's father.
CT scans can be better medicine for doctors than for patients
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 11, 2008
When Maureen Scanlan had a painful kidney stone episode four years ago, she was pleased that her doctor ordered an annual regimen of CT scans to monitor her condition.
The scans involved hundreds of razor-thin X-rays of her innards stitched together by a computer into stunningly detailed 3-D images showing the size and location of the stone, down to the millimeter.
FDA posts list of potential problem drugs
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 08, 2008
The government on Friday began posting a list of prescription drugs under investigation for potential safety problems in an effort to better inform doctors and patients.
Potential Signals of Serious Risks/New Safety Information Identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS)
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
September 08, 2008
Consumer Protection Laws and Your Business
Posted by: euser
September 03, 2008
If you are a business owner, make sure you know about and follow the state consumer protection laws that apply to your business. These laws protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices. They go beyond the traditional legal remedies available for breach of warranty to really help consumers. Laws like these are on the books in nearly every state, although the details vary.
Study says smoking may hurt women more than men
Posted by: Matthew Terry
September 03, 2008
MUNICH, Germany (AP) - Women who smoke may develop heart disease at almost the same age as male smokers, wiping out the natural difference between the sexes, doctors said Tuesday.
In research presented to the European Society of Cardiology, Norwegian researchers said that women who smoke have heart attacks nearly 14 years earlier than women who don't smoke. For men, the figure is about six years.
High gas prices drive down traffic fatalities
Posted by: euser
August 26, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) - Roll back the clock to 1961: John F. Kennedy was inaugurated president. The Peace Corps was founded. The Dow Jones industrials hit 734. Gasoline reached 31 cents a gallon.
And the number of people killed in U.S. traffic accidents that year topped 36,200.
This year, gasoline climbed over $4 a gallon, and the traffic death toll - according to one study - appears headed to the lowest levels since Kennedy moved into the White House.
Authorities: Tire failure may be behind Nev. crash
Posted by: Matthew Terry
August 18, 2008
It's still early in the investigation, but officers have found evidence of tread separation on the left front tire of the full-sized bus, Trooper Kevin Honea said.
Three people remained in critical condition Monday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, including the driver, said spokeswoman Tammy McMahan.
Lawsuit claims hospital lost part of man?s skull
Posted by: euser
August 07, 2008
GALVESTON - The emergency removal of part of Marvin Simmons' skull saved his life when his brain was swelling during a stroke.
The problem is that once it was removed, he never got it back.
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in the 122nd District Court against the University of Texas Medical Branch on behalf of the 53-year-old Galveston man claims the hospital lost the 8-inch by 4-inch piece of skull and canceled three surgeries to replace it before admitting the mistake.
Private medical data exposed
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
August 01, 2008
Georgia's largest health insurer sent an estimated 202,000 benefits letters containing personal and health information to the wrong addresses last week, in a privacy breach that also raised concerns about potential identity theft.
Verizon to Pay $21 Million to Settle Lawsuit Over Early Termination Fees
Posted by: Matthew Terry
July 11, 2008
Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay $21 million to settle a lawsuit filed by California customers upset with the company's early termination fees, a lawyer on the case said Wednesday.
Brain injuries cause half of seniors' fall deaths
Posted by: Matthew Terry
June 25, 2008
Brain injuries cause half of seniors' fall deaths
The elderly fear breaking a hip when they fall, but a government study indicates that hitting their head can also have deadly consequences: Brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls. The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the first comprehensive national look at the role brain injuries play in fatal elderly falls. It examined 16,000 deaths in 2005 that listed unintentional falls as an underlying cause of death.
Read More at : http://news.findlaw.com/ap/other/1500/06-24-2008/20080624045002_65.html
Worker dies at chemical weapons plant in Alabama
Posted by: Matthew Terry
June 16, 2008
ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) - Officials say a worker has died at an Army facility where chemical weapons are destroyed in northeastern Alabama. The laboratory worker at the Anniston Army Depot died Wednesday afternoon. The worker was employed by subcontractor Westinghouse Anniston.
Read More at: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/f/1310/06-12-2008/20080612075004_07.html
Lasik worries? Some may see better with alternatives
Posted by: Sam Nicholson
April 29, 2008
They all have their own risks. A key is finding a surgeon who doesn't have a favorite but is qualified to evaluate patients for all of the options, to find the best fit.
Supreme Court upholds photo ID law
Posted by: euser
April 29, 2008
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws such as Georgia's.
Democrats: politics in toxic chemical decisions
Posted by: euser
April 29, 2008
Democratic senators accused the Bush administration Tuesday of injecting politics into the Environmental Protection Agency's assessment of health risks from toxic chemicals, citing a congressional investigation that concluded the assessments are being undermined by secrecy and White House involvement.
Recent Updates
September 30, 2008
Cook County to start paying awards in illegal political hiring, promotions
September 25, 2008
Levaquin: This Antibiotic Doesn't Leave You Aching for More
September 19, 2008
Animal rights drive dog lawsuit
September 16, 2008
GM agrees to pay Saturn owners for transmission defects
September 12, 2008
Senate Measure Would Expand Disabilities Act
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