Medical malpractice payouts by doctors account for only a fraction of the nation's healthcare expenditures, according to a recent study by a group of researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Using the National Practitioner Data Bank, a government database that lists all paid medical malpractice claims, the Hopkins' researchers looked at all awards over $1 million, so-called "catastrophic" payouts by U.S. doctors, between 2004 and 2010. Their findings, published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, showed that catastrophic payouts tended to attract the most attention from the public, media and tort reform advocates, but that they accounted... Continue reading

Arizona car accident attorney: We can help if you are involved in a car accident where you suspect the other driver was inattentive due to use of a cell phone. The popularity of cell phones has grown enormously in the past couple decade, and it is becoming quite clear how much an impact cell phone calls and texting have on car crashes. Talking on the phone and texting while operating a vehicle leads to distraction and driver inattention. When dialing a phone number, engaging in intense conversation or texting, you are being inattentive by not watching the road. Whenever you... Continue reading

Do you NEED an Arizona Personal Injury Attorney if you or a loved one was injured as a result of a defective or faulty seat belt? The use of seat belts has been strongly promoted in the United States for many years. Current legislation in Arizona requires that seatbelts be used in most situations while occupying a vehicle. Studies and experience show that buckling up can significantly increase your chances of surviving a motor vehicle accident and preventing serious injuries. While most of us know that putting on our seatbelt will help prevent serious injuries in an accident, this is... Continue reading

A decade-old benchmark for determining when a driver is legally intoxicated -- the .08 blood-alcohol content rate -- should be lowered to 0.05, reducing the amount a motorist can imbibe before being presumed to be drunk, federal safety officials said Tuesday. At a meeting in Washington, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all 50 states lower the threshold to reduce the nation's drunk driving death toll, which has plateaued at about 10,000 deaths a year. A vote on the recommendation is expected to take place at 11:30 a.m. Lowering the rate to 0.05 would save about 500 to... Continue reading

A picture can sometimes be worth more than a thousand words. Not only does a photograph or portrait give the first impression of a Law firm or Lawyer, but it shows just how “real” a law firm can be There are many stock images out there. Of gavels, law books, and the scales of justice. But there is more needed in order to give that “warm” feeling of knowing that your executives or Law Firm have real people. Having the right image and portrait taken by a professional photographer is key in making sure that you represent your business and... Continue reading

Some people think that because distracted driving is a problem created by technology, the solution must be technological. That’s the viewpoint of Jeffrey H. Coben, M.D., and Motao Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., of the West Virginia University School of Medicine. In a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they argue that the best solution to help prevent more deaths is to have vehicle and/or cell-phone manufacturers render a handheld device inoperable whenever it’s in a moving car. That is one of a number of tech strategies for reducing phone-based distractions. Below is a sampling of the... Continue reading

Roadway deaths in the United States rose 5.3 percent last year, to 34,080. It is the first year there has been an increase in traffic fatalities since 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Roadway deaths had steadily decreased each year since 2005, dropping by about 26 percent from 2005 to 2011, when 32,367 people died on the nation’s roads. The jump had been widely expected, as more people are taking to the roadways as the economy improves. Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration shows that vehicle miles traveled in 2012 increased by 9.1 billion miles --... Continue reading

Arizona personal injury law has several common principles that are generally applicable even though every case is different and needs to evaluated separately. One of those principles is the idea of negligence, which has been defined as conduct which falls below the standard established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm. This standard of behavior can be created in several ways, and when it is created by a statute or regulation, it creates a legal category known as negligence per se. More formally, negligence per se applies if someone (1) violates a statute, and (2)... Continue reading

You may think you are saving time and even being nice by not involving the police after you’ve been involved in an accident, even if the accident seems small. But what happens days or weeks later down the road? The involved parties are generally nicer at the scene. In addition, the excitement (adrenaline) from the accident often masks pain and injury. Insurance companies use police reports to help settle disputes in almost every single claim that is brought their way. A detailed police report can be very useful for you especially if the other driver was at fault for the... Continue reading

Slip and fall? injured? seek advice from an attorney experienced to help you investigate a slip and fall claim against a bar or restaurant owner. Whether you’re on a night out on the town or merely having a casual dinner at a restaurant, the last thing you may be expecting is getting injured. As a result, you may be unprepared when an accident occurs, and unsure of what to do once you have sustained an injury. Receiving compensation from the owner of a bar or restaurant is especially complex. A slip and fall accident in a bar or restaurant has... Continue reading

Arizona Personal Injury Attorney: Essential for accidents involving passengers riding in the bed of a pickup truck. Is the bed of a pickup truck safe to ride in? The bed of a pickup truck is a very dangerous place to ride, especially in Arizona because of the high rate of accidents. The beds of pickup trucks are designed to carry cargo, not people. They are not designed to provide protection in the event of a crash. Children and adults can be easily ejected from pickup beds even at relatively low speeds as a result of a sharp turn or sudden... Continue reading

Talk about being your own worst enemy. Becoming “lost in thought” is actually far more dangerous than talking on the phone or texting while behind the wheel, with 62% of all distracted driving-related traffic fatalities caused by simple daydreaming. That’s according to an analysis of crash reports conducted by Erie Insurance, based on police report data for auto accidents from 2010 and 2011 compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA statistics show that 10 percent of the more than 65,000 crash-related fatalities recorded during that period were caused by at least one of the drivers involved being... Continue reading

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year there are more than six million car accidents in the United States. A person dies in an auto accident every 12 minutes and each year, car crashes claim over 40,000 lives. The leading cause of death for people between the ages of two and thirty-four years old is vehicular crashes. Someone is injured by a car accident every 14 seconds and about two million of the people injured in auto accidents suffer permanent injuries each year. Car accidents are the leading cause of acquired disability nationwide. In 2008, there were... Continue reading

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF: Long Island cerebral palsy victim Shannon Reilly received justice after her lawyer, Thomas Moore, refused to give up her malpractice fight and won the girl a $130M judgment. A lawyer who took heat for turning down an $8 million settlement in a medical-malpractice suit -- only to lose at trial -- became a hero when he secured a $130 million judgment for a brain-damaged Suffolk County girl at a new trial this week. In a courtroom drama reminiscent of the Paul Newman film "The Verdict," lawyer Thomas Moore persuaded a Long Island jury that St. Charles Hospital... Continue reading

A recent ruling in California prohibits drivers from using mapping apps like Google Maps while driving. This occurred after a man was caught checking his smartphone for directions. Section 23123 of the California Vehicle Code bans voice calling and text messaging while driving a car. However, Steven Spriggs challenged a citation for violating the rule during a traffic stop in January 2012. He rejected the accusation, as he considered that checking the map application for directions was not included in the ban on calling or texting while driving law. The Superior Court of California Judge W. Kent Hamlin said: “Our... Continue reading

A study to examine driver behavior in permitted left turns has identified what researchers call an “alarming” level of risk to pedestrians crossing the street – about 9% of the time, drivers don’t even bother to look and see if there are people in the way. A "protected” left turn, is a solid green arrow that gives a driver the complete right of way in a left-turn lane. A “permitted” left turn allows a driver to turn when safe to do so. It often involves a confusing hodgepodge of signals, and drivers may have to pick their way through narrow... Continue reading

As everyone knows, Left Hand Turns can be the most dangerous maneuver done in a vehicle. You are attempting to turn in front of on-coming traffic and if your judgment is off or your view is somehow altered, it could end in a very horrific situation. Left hand turns have shown time and time again, that they are far more dangerous than anything else out there as far as vehicles are concerned. So what can you do if you are needing to make a left turn? Below are some tips in order to help you. When making a left turn:... Continue reading

With the weather starting to warm up. Many people will decide to take in the fresh air and great weather and walk. Pedestrian accidents are a common occurrence that shouldn’t be ignored or taken lightly. How big is the problem? In 2008, 4,378 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, and another 69,000 pedestrians were injured. Pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than occupants in a vehicle. The danger is very real. Who is most at risk? Older adults Pedestrians ages 65 and older accounted for 18% of all pedestrian... Continue reading

Every year, emergency officials respond to over 200,000 children regarding playground injuries. Most kids are 14 and under. Playground injuries can be dangerous. 45% of these injuries result in fractures, internal injuries, dislocations, amputations, and concussions. 75% plus are non-fatal and are the result of playground equipment at daycares and schools. Between 1990 and 200, over 147 children ages 14 and younger died from playground-related injuries. The number is shocking considering that no one really thinks about their child being seriously injured while at school and under the supervision of school officials. Of the total fatalities, 82 of them died... Continue reading

At age 15 years, 6 months, a teen can apply for a driving permit in Arizona, They first must pass a written test. Okay. Easy right? I mean, the State is surely concerned with getting these young drivers n the right foot, and so, there must be a plethora of free study materials available. Right? Wrong. Waaaaaay wrong. There are study materials. A good number actually. Free? Not hardly. Recently, a friend's son had to purchase the online study guide, so he had SOMETHING to study and learn from before his test. He bought 100 practice questions. He knew them... Continue reading

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? The Arizona Senate has again rejected an effort to create a statewide ban on texting while driving by amending an existing House bill. Democratic Sen. Steve Farley of Tucson said deaths and injuries caused by drivers who were distracted by texting make a compelling argument for the ban. He gave several examples of horrific accidents cause by distracted drivers. Senate President Andy Biggs argued against the amendment. He contends that state law already makes reckless driving illegal and a texting ban isn't required. QUICK QUESTION: WHAT IS ANDY BIGGS SMOKING?? HE CANNOT BE SERIOUS. I UNDERSTAND... Continue reading

As everyone knows, Left Hand Turns can be the most dangerous maneuver done in a vehicle. You are attempting to turn in front of on-coming traffic and if your judgment is off or your view is somehow altered, it could end in a very horrific situation. Left hand turns have shown time and time again, that they are far more dangerous than anything else out there as far as vehicles are concerned. So what can you do if you are needing to make a left turn? Below are some tips in order to help you. When making a left turn:... Continue reading

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 5 – 34. Adult seat belt use is by far the most effective way to keep yourself safe in an accident. Many people are starting to realize how important seat belts really are. In fact, nearly 85% of adults use seat belts in today’s busy driving world. Yet, 1 in 7 drivers will not use a seat belt the next time they drive. Why? Data has shown time over time just how safe someone is in an accident while wearing a seat belt. It should be a no... Continue reading

If you're holding onto the stereotype about foolhardy teens fiddling with their smartphones while driving, you might want to look in the mirror. In a new survey by AT&T, almost half of adults admitted to texting while driving, compared to a slightly smaller number of teens. About 49% of adults say they've sent a text while behind the wheel, according to a new survey conducted for the mobile company, compared with 43% of teens in a survey from last April. And here's the thing -- they ALL know it's wrong. A full 98% of respondents said they're aware that texting... Continue reading

There is information and rumor about that Lawyers take more money from settlements than they give their clients. Some seem to think that big awards for clients means big awards for Lawyers. Some even go as far as to think that the Lawyer takes the majority of the settlements, leaving close to nothing for the client. Is this true? Generally, this is just flat out false. Civil justice attorneys rarely charge an hourly fee like other attorneys. Instead, they work on a “contingency fee” or percentage basis. This means if they win, generally they get a percentage of the damages... Continue reading