July 2, 2011 – While the legal system in the United States and many other countries permit patients to sue for damages caused by alleged defective medical devices, those in New Zealand are limited due to that country’s “no fault” system. Today’s New Zealand Herald carries a story about the dilemma this presents for patients who received the…
June 25, 2011 – In the Health section of today’s edition of the New York Times, columnist Barry Meier points out that Americans’ “impulse to covet the new and improved” may be at the root of the DePuy Hip Recall. (“In Medicine, New Isn’t Always Improved”) While stopping far short of blaming the patients themselves for…
Just a brief alert to make sure everyone sets their DVRs to HBO this coming Monday, June 27 for the premiere of: Hot Coffee is the award winning, critically acclaimed documentary that tells the inside story of Stella Liebeck, the woman who unfairly became a national symbol of legal system frivolity when she was awarded $2.9 million stemming from a…
A Career of Endorsing Structured Settlements “For the almost 40 years I’ve been practicing, structured settlements have played an integral role in the positive outcome of many cases I have settled.” – William T. “Bill” Robinson III, Esq. – Last month, members of the National Structured Settlements Trade Association were treated to a keynote address…
Seems people have a penchant for going “Back to the Future.” “Old” ideas get a fresh coat of paint and are recycled for the next generation who embrace them as their own. Just think of all the successful TV shows that focus on a particular historical period in time but are produced a decade or…
The same tax deferral benefit enjoyed by contingency fee lawyers for years is now available for another group of professionals often looking for a sensible tax break: Business Brokers and Real Estate Agents. This is terrific news for any realtor or business broker who has always sought a way to safely and conveniently defer taxes on commissions they earn…
The once trusted and highly respected Johnson & Johnson name has taken some major image hits in the last 15 months according to a recent article. During this time, the $60 Billion company has voluntarily recalled over 50 products. In its cover story, Johnson & Johnson’s Quality Catastrophe, Bloomberg/ Businessweek highlights a number of the products…
As March Madness heads into its final rounds, it seems an appropriate time to share with clients the good news that NCAA cagers aren’t the only ones rebounding. According to A. M. Best, the life/health industry continues to recover from the financial crisis as evidenced by the improvement of key economic indicators. Among the highlights: Total admitted assets improved…
Among the many positive reasons parents, courts and plaintiff attorneys choose structured settlements when settling a minor’s injury claim, one of the most overlooked is the fact that it can shield the minor’s recovery from the dreaded Kiddie Tax. Faster than a child can grow from cradle to car keys, the Kiddie Tax can sneak up…
As reported today on Bloomberg.com, the British Orthopaedic Association and the British Hip Society issued a statement that the failure rate of the DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System is more than twice what was originally represented when the device was recalled in 2010. According to the article, nearly half of all patients who received the recalled device require…