Legal

The Legal section covers court rulings, statutory changes, liability trends, and key developments in Alabama and federal law that shape personal-injury claims. We explain how case law and regulation affect claims strategy, statutes of limitations, damages, and the rights of injured people pursuing justice.

Waiter, there's a (horse)fly in my soup

And so the old joke goes:  “Look here, waiter, quick,” called out a gentleman in an Austin restaurant.   “What is it, sir?”  “ Here is a dead fly…

By Clay Rossi

/ 29 Jan 2013

Recent Alabama Supreme Court Decision on Medical Malpractice Experts

Since the retirement of Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, Alabama’s Supreme Court has become one of the most conservative in the nation. Conservatism goes hand-in-hand with the defense Bar,…

By Dottie Perry

/ 28 Jan 2013

Exploding Pipelines: Cast Iron Must Be Removed

The Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has long recognized dangers facing the public as a result of cast and wrought iron pipelines. Many of these pipelines…

By Zeb Ramey

/ 27 Jan 2013

Is your lawyer protecting you or the insurance company?

If you are currently a defendant in a lawsuit, its possible that your attorney is thinking about how to protect your insurance company and not you. Most, if not all car wreck cases involve a…

By Troy Schwant

/ 25 Jan 2013

What Can I Settle My Case For? Part 2

In my last post, I talked generally about different factors that go into a settlement calculation. In this post, we will develop a hypothetical situation to discuss specifics. The scenario where…

By Pete Mackey

/ 23 Jan 2013

Asking the Uncomfortable Question

No doubt everyone has experienced the moment in a deposition where a question presents itself — a question which is relevant, meaningful, and on the borderline of being out-of-bounds. In…

By Clay Rossi

/ 21 Jan 2013

Trailers Can Maim and Kill

After my last post regarding awnings separating from RVs, http://mobile.legalexaminer.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/rv-awnings-can-become-missiles.aspx?googleid=306504, I…

By Billy Cunningham

/ 21 Jan 2013

Fighting Collections Companies

I was in state District Court recently for trial with clients sued by a collections company. The couple co-signed on a new credit card for one of their children over a decade ago, and the…

By Dottie Perry

/ 21 Jan 2013

Light Shines on Lawyers Sued for Unethical Practices

At New York Personal Injury Law Blog, lawyer Eric Turkewitz again draws attention to lawyers who unethically seek clients using runners. His most recent post on the subject focuses on several…

By Dottie Perry

/ 16 Jan 2013

Who You Gonna Sue

Mr. Firestone was viciously assaulted in 1995 and incurred over $1,000,000 in medical bills. In 2012 the defendants plead guilty to criminal charges arising from the assault. Firestone sued…

By Zeb Ramey

/ 16 Jan 2013

“Do I have a BP claim?”

Almost every day I receive a call from someone that lives on the Gulf Coast where I am asked if they are eligible to file a claim with the Deepwater Horizon Claims Center. Do you own a business…

By Troy Schwant

/ 15 Jan 2013

What Can I Settle My Case For? Part 1

To most folks we represent, the biggest question is value – how much is their case worth? Well … that depends on a lot of different factors. Most of you have seen the ads on television or the…

By Pete Mackey

/ 15 Jan 2013