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.

Why Can't I Recover Everything I Lost?

I settled a case recently right before jury selection. It was a legal malpractice case. My client had lost a good bit of money because the lawyer representing him in a real estate transaction did…

By Pete Mackey

/ 3 Nov 2009

Get Off the Phone

Every year, well really every month for that matter, our cell phones appear to be able to perform more and more functions. They truly have become computers in the palm of our hand connecting us to…

By Legal Examiner Staffer

/ 3 Nov 2009

Qui Tam and Health Care Savings

A south Texas hospital agreed to pay $27.5 million to settle a qui tam suit. San Antonio Express-News (10/31, Brezovsky). The whistleblower got $5.5 million for his trouble and the taxpayers got…

By Pete Burns

/ 2 Nov 2009

Contact You Congressman to Pass the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act

Last January I wrote a blog on the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act (then Senate Bill . 2838 and now Senate Bill 512) The last report from Congress is that the bill was referred to…

By Billy Cunningham

/ 31 Oct 2009

The Consumer's Role in the Nursing Home/Healthcare Reform Battle

Health care reform is the big issue today- as it should be. But how will it affect our elderly in nursing homes? Nursing home owners say they are looking at $16 billion dollars in cuts from Medicare…

By Billy Cunningham

/ 24 Oct 2009

Safe Sidewalks

8 Schools in the Mobile, Alabama, area are finally getting safe sidewalks around their campuses. The cost of this federally funded project was just over one million dollars. While the percentage of…

By Legal Examiner Staffer

/ 21 Oct 2009

AHA Advocates substituting good ole boys for juries

The American Hospital Association is advancing a bizarre version of malpractice “reform”. It advocates substituting a local panel of experts appointed by state authorities for juries….

By Pete Burns

/ 21 Oct 2009

Wills For Heroes

Last Wednesday, my firm and another lawyer went over to the local Sherriff’s office and drafted 17 wills, durable powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives for first responders. This was…

By Pete Mackey

/ 19 Oct 2009

CBO Report

The Congressional Budget Office has determined that limiting the rights of malpractice victims would only result in three tenths of one percent savings in medical cost….

By Pete Burns

/ 12 Oct 2009

President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, should be good news for all Americans…

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you have heard the news that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. With this recognition, has come unbelievable scrutiny from…

By Troy Schwant

/ 12 Oct 2009

Health Care Reform

Now that President Obama has focused public attention on the deplorable state of health insurance in America everyone purports to agree that we must change the system. In truth, insurance companies…

By Pete Burns

/ 7 Oct 2009

New Ways To Market for Small Firms

Marketing your firm in new and inventive ways is one of the most crucial cogs in the small law firm machine. If you are unable to stay on top of new trends and tendencies in the advertising world…

By Legal Examiner Staffer

/ 28 Sep 2009