All Topics

• Juries... Personality Trends and Personal Beliefs

  Staff Writer | May 24, 2006 9:52 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  I attended an association strategy session today where we discussed membership and trends among various age groups. Naturally the ideas surrounding membership may be applied to jurors. According to the research group--Consensus Management Group of New York--generations vary significantly from pre-1945 persons up through the present. It was shown that pre-1945 (born before 1945) persons are...

• Medical Negligence - Claims and Lawsuits

  Staff Writer | May 11, 2006 10:20 AM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  This week there were two medical malpractice Bills introduced into the United States Senate--both involved caps on lawsuits. The way a Bill works in the Senate (if you recall from those Saturday morning cartoons) is that a Bill will pass (and move onto the House) with a majority vote of the Senate. However, the minority may delay voting on the Bill by what's referred to as a filibuster. A...

• High Court Ruling-State's Rights and Medicaid Reimbursement

  Staff Writer | May 06, 2006 12:59 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  Medicaid is a program where an individual unable to afford necessary medical treatment may be eligible to receive state and federal Medicaid benefits. This is true even when another person or entity may be legally responsible to pay one's medical expenses yet the medical bills are unpaid awaiting a jury verdict or a settlement. Once a settlement or judgment is reached, Medicaid seeks...

• Vioxx® Heart Attack and Stroke - Death

  Staff Writer | April 21, 2006 10:00 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  A heart attack that is caused by a suddent lack of blood to the heart--a myocardial infarction--results when one or more of the heart's blood pathways (coronary arteries) become clogged or "occluded." [1] The most common cause of cononary artery occlusion is when blood cells clot together and get stuck in the artery. [2] These clots are called "thrombi." [3] As when water is unable to drain...

• Lawyer Bashing

  Staff Writer | April 15, 2006 6:17 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  I read a post by an unnamed first year associate titled "Complaining About Those Who Falsely Blame Lawyers." The post responds to office-sized billboard by a so-called "Institute for Legal Reform" asking passerbys to, "Please Don't Feed The Trial Lawyers." What is amazing to me is that the President of the Institute for Legal Reform, Lisa A. Rickard, is Lisa A. Rickard, Esq. She's a lawyer. ...

• Glade Air Fresheners and Fires

  Staff Writer | April 04, 2006 10:20 AM | 1 CommentBoston, MA

  In April of 2002, SC Johnson announced a recall of 2.5 Million of its Glade® Extra Outlet Scented Oil Air Fresheners, because the products posed a risk of fire. The air fresheners were sold between January 2002 and April 2002. SC Johnson stated in a press release that the "Glade Plugins® products are safe and will not cause fires." While the press release is undated, as stated in the...

• Ashamed at the thought of bringing a lawsuit?

  Staff Writer | April 01, 2006 12:03 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  Many prospective clients open our conversation with an apology. They feel ashamed for wanting to use the court system and bringing a lawsuit against a corporation or a doctor. They then assure me that they're not sue crazy, and that they have tried every other means of resolution apart from bringing a lawsuit. As I write this, powerful corporate interests lobby members of the legislature to...

• U.S. Senator Joe Biden and Port Security - National Security

  Staff Writer | March 25, 2006 3:25 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  Boston is one of many international trade ports in the United States. Senator Joe Biden discusses the importance of increasing port security and funding a relatively fail safe port screening with pre-existing "Star Wars" budgets. The Star Wars defense system (brainstormed during the Reagan Administration) absorbs about $8 Billion a year in federal funding and is intended to defend against...

• Mass Senate to Vote on Bad Bill

  Staff Writer | March 24, 2006 2:57 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  The Massachusetts House has passed a bill (H.B. 4701) that would prohibit certain types of lawsuits. H.B. 4701 has come out of the Senate committee and awaits a full vote of the Senate. The law will preclude certain lawsuits related to retail sales and a retailer's practice of charging more than the advertised price for goods sold. This bill is anti-consumer and seeks to eliminate,...

• Massachusetts Judge Enjoins Book Distribution

  Staff Writer | March 24, 2006 12:31 PM | 0 CommentsBoston, MA

  The Boston Herald reports today that an Essex County judge may have banned a book authored by a Methuen man who wrote about losing the custody of his son. The decision has not been released, but it would seem that First Amendment (Freedom of Speech) issues may be involved and that the decision is likely to be appealed. The Boston Herald Article has more information about the circumstances...