Following an automobile accident, Cody Wade, 17, was hospitalized. The injuries he suffered in the car crash led the hospital’s staff to place a tracheostomy tube to help with Cody’s breathing. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure in which a doctor creates an opening through the neck to the patient’s windpipe or…
Birth injury lawsuits are brought because of the catastrophic damage to an infant during or immediately after childbirth. One of the more significant injuries to a baby is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is described as a group of disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitations that are associated…
Jury trials are, by design, the final arbiter of any lawsuit. In all jury trials, the case is presented to the six or twelve jurors, who then determine the facts of the case. In Illinois the decision of the jury must be unanimous. That decision of the jurors is delivered to the court…
Metal-on-metal artificial hips were originally thought to be more durable and longer lasting than the traditional hip implants. It was believed that the mechanical hip implants would reduce wear and lower the rates of failure and dislocation. With the advent of multiple medical studies, it was found that metal-on-metal hips were no…
Teodoro Ramirez was injured while working for his employer and subcontractor, Sullivan Roofing. The case was tried before a jury in Cook County against the general contractor on the project, FCL Builders. At the end of the trial, the trial judge included Sullivan Roofing on the jury verdict form for apportioning fault…
Jurors are pulled into courthouses bringing with each their unmovable principles, attitudes and beliefs. The goal of jury selection is the questioning allowed by the judge, in choosing the fairest possible jury. Given the fact that many prospective jurors do not want to be involved in the process at all, lawyers…
According to a recent study and a New York Times report, dietary supplements containing high concentrations of green tea extract result in up to 20 percent of liver injuries in patients who turn up in hospitals. This new data was analyzed by a national network of liver specialists. Dietary supplements are…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published recent data showing that the number of large trucks (those weighing more than 10,000 lbs.) involved in deadly crashes has risen. In 2011, 3,608 trucks were involved in fatal crashes. The 2011 numbers are an increase of 3 percent from 2010 and a…
DePuy Orthopaedics is the subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The company has agreed to pay $2.475 billion to settle what amounts to thousands of claims related to patient injuries suffered as a result of defective ASR hip implant parts. The settlement was approved by U.S. District Judge David A. Katz of…
Lawyers are often lured into the prospect of settlement by casually agreeing to sign off on mediation agreements proposed by either the mediator or the opposite counsel. The obvious purpose of mediation is to resolve disputes that would be costly with an unpredictable result. Settlements are good for both parties in that…