Posts by Richard Plattner
What Are Mistakes a Lot of Clients Make?
Common mistakes that we see that injured people make include delaying treatment. Do not delay treatment. If you’re injured, please go see a doctor and be honest with that doctor. Don’t exaggerate whatever pain or problems that you have. And the flip side, don’t minimize it. We need documentation of exactly what’s going on…
Read MoreCatastrophic Injuries
When there’s been a catastrophic injury, you need to call a lawyer, even if you don’t know that somebody else may have been at fault for it. Maybe the road was defective, maybe there was something that went wrong with the vehicle. There can be all kinds of things that are not obvious at…
Read MoreBalance Billing – What it is and How it Works
Have you ever made a trip to the emergency room, thought you were covered by insurance, and later received a bill that seemed way too high? Chances are you just got hit with “surprise billing,” otherwise known as balance billing. You’re not alone. Approximately one in five people who visit an ER within their healthcare…
Read MoreDefective Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Devices – What You Need to Know
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator device, or ICD, is a miracle device. It’s a little box, powered by a battery, that attaches to your heart and records your heart’s rhythm. If it detects an arrythmia – a change in rhythm – it will send an electrical current to the heart. ICDs are a bit different from…
Read MoreUsing Your Health Insurance After a Car Accident
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Phoenix, you can expect the medical bills to start rolling in pretty quickly. Depending on your injury, these bills could be quite substantial. You probably have a lot of questions. How will these bills get paid? Whose insurance company is responsible—yours or the person who caused…
Read MoreRandall A. Hinsch, Firm Partner
If you’ve ever had, I hope you have had, a chance to help somebody out in a situation, it feels good. It really feels good to help somebody out when they’re being bullied. Insurance companies are multi-billion-dollar bullies. And in our civil justice system, it’s often the case where personal injury lawyers, trial lawyers…
Read MoreYears After Takata Recall, Drivers Still Waiting for New Airbags
The Takata airbag recall is the largest and probably most complex safety recall in United States history. This recall, affecting cars from model years 2002 to 2015, involved a design defect in manufacturer-installed airbags that could deploy in an explosive manner, injuring or killing occupants of the vehicle. An inflator inside the airbag would sometimes…
Read MoreRichard S. Plattner, Firm Partner
Well, I’ve been practicing law; now I’m in my 41st year of doing it. What I love about being a personal injury lawyer for plaintiffs is I get to help people. I don’t represent corporations. I only represent people: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters who’ve been knocked down and who need a hand to get pulled…
Read MoreFormer Banner Health Nurse Collects $6M in Whistleblower Lawsuits
Cecilia Guardiola, RN, has an impressive resume as a hospital compliance expert. However, recently, she’s been having trouble landing a job. It seems that once hospitals do a background check on Ms. Guardiola, she rarely hears from them again. That may have something to do with the three whistleblower lawsuits she’s filed against former hospitals…
Read MoreBike Safety
Bicycle safety can be a little bit complicated. Normally, bicycles are supposed to follow the same rules of the road that motor vehicles follow. But there are exceptions. In Arizona, for example, a bicycle in a cross walk is covered by the same rules as pedestrians, whether you’re riding your bike or walking your bike.…
Read MoreWhistleblowers Prevail in $11.4 Million Qui Tam Claim with Genetics Testing Company
On March 5, 2018, Natera Inc. settled with the U.S. government for $11.4 million dollars to resolve a qui tam action filed by Sallie McAdoo and Steven Aldridge in January 2015. The qui tam complaint alleges that Natera, a genetic testing laboratory which performed services for which they were reimbursed by several government agencies, submitted…
Read MoreJaguar & Waymo Partner to Develop Luxury Self-Driving Car
Waymo, the autonomous car development company, and Jaguar, the luxury vehicle brand, recently announced a partnership to build and outfit up to 20,000 I-PACE fully electric cars over the next three years for their self-driving ride-hail service. The two companies plan to have prototypes on the road in Phoenix by the of the year, and…
Read MoreAre Bars Responsible if They Over Serve a Customer and it Causes an Accident?
Bars can be responsible if they over serve patrons, get them drunk and then an injury happens. It may seem counterintuitive that somebody who’s in the business of serving alcohol, actually is required not to serve too much alcohol, but it’s an important rule in the law because it’s necessary to prevent injury and death…
Read MoreCouple Awarded $117 Million in Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit
On April 11, a New Jersey couple was awarded $80 million in punitive damages from Johnson & Johnson and Imerys Talc America. This comes a week after a Middlesex County jury had already awarded Stephen Lanzo $30 million and $7 million to his wife in compensatory damages. Lanzo claims his long-term use of asbestos-contaminated J&J…
Read MoreSix People Confirmed Dead after a Small Plane Crashed at TPC Scottsdale Champions Golf Course
A small plane crashed at the TPC Scottsdale Champions golf course on Monday night, killing all six people aboard. The Piper PA24 Comanche left Scottsdale Airport for Las Vegas, but crashed soon after take-off. The golf course is less than a mile away from the airport, and the plane burst into flames after crashing. The…
Read MoreThings Remembered Recalls Children’s Jewelry Due to Violation of Lead Standard
The clear surface coating on the bracelets and necklaces contain lead in excess of the allowable limits. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues. Source: Things Remembered Recalls Children’s Jewelry Due to Violation of Lead Standard Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in the Arizona Association for…
Read MoreGSI Outdoors Recalls Children’s Water Bottles Due to Violation of Lead Standard; Sold Exclusively at L.L.Bean
If your kid has one of these bottles, get the lead out, snatch it from her hands, and get your money back! The lead solder exterior base of the bottles contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause terrible health issues. Source: GSI Outdoors Recalls Children’s Water Bottles Due…
Read MoreLorex Recalls Video Baby Monitors Due to Burn Hazard
These baby monitors may not be quite as explosive as the lithium ion batteries in e-cigarettes that are going off like bombs all around the world — but you still don’t want anything catching fire in the house with baby. The video monitor’s batteries can overheat, swell and expand and cause the battery cover to…
Read MoreCrosman Recalls Crossbow Rope Cocking Devices Due to Injury Hazard
In the first place, why do you have a sniper cross-bow? In the second place, get it replaced before it smashes you in the face. Tabs on the hooks attaching the rope cocking device to the crossbow string can break and cause the rope to recoil. Source: Crosman Recalls Crossbow Rope Cocking Devices Due to…
Read MoreCycling Sports Group Recalls Commuter Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard
Looks like the Cannondale Bad Boy bicycle should just be called the Cannondale Bad bicycle. The fork axle on Cannondale Bad Boy and Bad Girl commuter bicycles can crack. Source: Cycling Sports Group Recalls Commuter Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in the Arizona Association for Justice (lawyers who…
Read MorePacific Cycle Recalls Swivel Wheel Jogging Strollers Due to Crash and Fall Hazards
215 injuries so far — that we know of. Get this repaired before you put baby in this stroller again. The front wheel can become loose and detach, posing crash and fall hazards. Source: Pacific Cycle Recalls Swivel Wheel Jogging Strollers Due to Crash and Fall Hazards Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in…
Read MoreJeep Shifter Defect Claims First Life
The high-profile death of Anton Yelchin following the rollaway of his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee illuminates significant problems with the defect – first investigated by NHTSA in August 2015, and the recall remedy – a software patch to prevent rollaway in some circumstances and warning chimes: FCA’s (Fiat Chrysler America) recall blames drivers: “The…
Read MoreOld tires are dangerous
Make sure your tires are not 6 years old or older. If they are, replace them, no matter how much tread they have. This video will show you how to check the age of your tires. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngIK4dmTGic Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in the Arizona Association for Justice (lawyers who represent injured folks,…
Read MoreTJX Recalls Foldable Lounge Chairs Due to Risk of Injury; Sold at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls Stores
The chairs can collapse unexpectedly. And it can hurt! Source: TJX Recalls Foldable Lounge Chairs Due to Risk of Injury; Sold at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls Stores Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in the Arizona Association for Justice (lawyers who represent injured folks, and formerly known as the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association) since…
Read MoreTwin Go Recalls Baby Carriers Due to Fall Hazard
Rockabye baby — The waist buckle can break, and baby may fall. Source: Twin Go Recalls Baby Carriers Due to Fall Hazard Richard PlattnerI have been active in leadership in the Arizona Association for Justice (lawyers who represent injured folks, and formerly known as the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association) since 1985. I served as President…
Read More