Articles

Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing Homes, in Bid to Cut Costs, Prod Patients to Forgo Lawsuits
There is a growing trend for the nursing home industry to write binding arbitration clauses into their standard contracts in an effort to reduce legal costs. Nursing homes have been adopting arbitration strategies in large numbers since a wave of large jury awards against them in the late 1990's. Arbitration can reduce the number of big punitive judgements for neglect and wrongful death as each award is determined by an independent arbitrator and not a jury.
At Many Homes, More Profit and Less Nursing. The New York Times September 23, 2007
Investors of nursing homes earn millions after dramatically cutting costs of 49 homes. Half of the registered nursing staff was cut as well as many nursing supplies, activities for the residents, and many other services. One daughter of a resident says “They’ve created a hellhole.” Her mother passed because a bedsore was infected with feces.
Carlyle Must Solve Problems in Manor Care Homes. December 21, 2007
Carlyle Group owns Manor Care and must improve care for their residents. Staffing must be increased and deficiencies must be addressed. Advocates, regulators, and law makers are concerned about profit-driven private companies acquiring nursing homes and the effect on the fragile seniors.
An In-Depth Look at State Nursing Home Regulations
NHRegsPlus provides state regulations related to nursing homes. This site can be used to: “learn about regulations governing a particular state, or learn about how a particular topic is handled nationwide, or consult federal regulations and codes.”
Democrats Seek Info on Bad Nursing Homes
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a list of 54 nursing homes that were named the worst in their state. Democrat lawmakers are pushing the Bush Administration to release the names of more troubled nursing homes.

Motorcycle and Truck Accidents

Gooding Settlement Notice

A Legal Notice of a class action settlement involving bodily injury claims under Grange auto policies with Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist coverage. This settlement includes everyone: (1) who submitted a bodily injury claim under the UM/UIM provisions of a Grange auto policy from January 1, 1999 through December 12, 2007; (2) who received payment from Grange for the UM/UIM bodily injury claim; and (3) the COLOSSUS software was consulted by Grange in the resolution of the UM/UIM bodily injury claim. The settlement includes these Grange property and casualty insurers: Grange Indemnity Insurance Company, Grange Insurance Company of Michigan, Grange Mutual Casualty Company, Grange Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Integrity Mutual Insurance Company, and Trustgard Insurance Company.

Monday, January 5, 2009

$150,000 settlement for an 85 year old Alzheimer patient who died from malnutrition.

Settled a quadriplegic truck accident case for damages in excess of $1,000,000 liability insurance limits.

$250,000 settlement for a patient who developed decubitus ulcers, which led to pulmonary vascular disease and the amputation of his leg.

$650,000 settlement for a 35 year-old husband and wife who were struck on a motorcycle, resulting in multiple pelvic, leg, and arm fractures.

$150,000 settlement for the death of an 88 year old nursing home resident who developed an decubitus ulcer.

Represented a 26 year-old male who was struck on a motorcycle by a motorist making an illegal left turn, resulting in severe traumatic brain injury. The case settled for $250,000 policy limits.