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.

UnitedHealth Settlement – Phase Two

UnitedHealth Group entered into a $350,000,000 settlement of three class actions on behalf of the American Medical Association, health plan members, healthcare providers and state medical societies….

By Pete Mackey

/ 15 Jan 2009

UnitedHealth Settlement – Another View

The UnitedHealth settlement with the state of New York has been hailed as a boon for healthcare plan subscribers who want to use doctors aho are not part of their network. Perhaps it is not all that…

By Pete Mackey

/ 15 Jan 2009

UnitedHealth Group Settles With New York Attorney General

UnitedHealth Group has agreed to settle a case filed by the New York Attorney General’s office. That lawsuit, filed in the spring of 2008, accused the health care giant of defrauding its members by…

By Pete Mackey

/ 13 Jan 2009

Who Got Bailed Out?

The bailout for the financial industry has been somewhat of a mystery to me. I have been busy with work and have not been able to delve into the details. So … watching from afar, I am not sure…

By Pete Mackey

/ 12 Jan 2009

Pressure Ulcers Are Preventable: Medicare and Medicaid Agree

Hospitals around the country were scrambling to put new programs in place to prevent pressure ulcers after the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in May 2008 that starting…

By Billy Cunningham

/ 12 Jan 2009

George Will – Heavy On The Invective, Light On The Facts

George Will’s recent op-ed piece, Exploding Litigation Means the death of Common Sense, lacks a key ingredient – a basis in fact. Mr. Will, generally a stickler for detail, offers only anecdotal…

By Pete Mackey

/ 12 Jan 2009

Dissecting Aorta: Timely treatment or death and malpractice

There are about 2,000 cases of aortic dissection in the United States each year. With timely treatment the survival rate is approximately 85%. Without treatment 25% of patients die in the first 24…

By Pete Burns

/ 11 Jan 2009

Judge To Michigan Prison System – Settle These Lawsuits

In his continuing report, Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press reports that County Judge Timothy Connors has ordered mediation in the lawsuits by female inmates alleging sexual assaults by prison…

By Pete Mackey

/ 9 Jan 2009

My New House Is A Lemon – Will You Take My Case?

You have been in your brand new house for four months. It was kind of scary draining your savings account for the down payment and your new monthly payment is $350 more than the rent you were paying…

By Pete Mackey

/ 8 Jan 2009

Nursing Home Arbitration Bill

With a new administration ready to be sworn in and some significant changes in Congress there is real optimism that the S. Bill 2838, Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act may actually pass this…

By Billy Cunningham

/ 8 Jan 2009

The Problem With Fly Ash Sludge – The Other Shoe Drops

Prior to the fly ash sludge holding pond rupturing at the Kingston, Tn. steam plant on December 22, not many people even knew what fly ash was. In the aftermath of that disaster, news surfaced that…

By Pete Mackey

/ 8 Jan 2009

Will You Take My Case?

Nobody comes in to our offices to tell us what a great day they have had. We don’t do adoptions, we represent folks who have suffered severe personal or financial injuries. Unfortunately, we have to…

By Pete Mackey

/ 7 Jan 2009