New Bill Would Protect Veterans by Letting Them File Claims for Military Medical Malpractice
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-California) has introduced legislation to help members of the military file claims against the health system for medical malpractice. Currently, it is federal policy to bar medical malpractice claims by active veterans against their healthcare providers. The bill, called the Richard Stavskal Military Medical Bill, is named after Sgt. First Class Richard…
Read MoreUsing Handheld Devices while Driving Will Soon Be Illegal in Arizona
Using handheld devices while you are driving will soon be illegal in the state of Arizona. On April 22, 2019, Governor Ducey signed a bill into law that bans using handheld devices while driving. The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2021, though, police officers can give warnings to drivers starting now. If…
Read MoreWho Is Watching the Watchers?
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is a government organization that is tasked with protecting consumers by promoting the safety of products that hit the market. In order to protect the public from unsafe and defective products, the agency addresses unreasonable risks of injury, studying illnesses and injuries caused by products and creating…
Read MoreHashish IS Marijuana, per the Supreme Court of Arizona
Arizona’s history with medical marijuana hasn’t always been smooth, but as of 2010, it’s been legal. Under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA), qualifying patients could obtain a card that would allow them to purchase and have up to 2.5 ounces of “usable” marijuana, and to grow up to 12 plants. On May 28, the…
Read MoreGov. Ducey Signs Bill Giving Childhood Sexual Assault Victims More Time to File a Lawsuit
On May 27, Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill into law to help protect victims of childhood sexual abuse. The new law “gives abuse victims until their 30th birthday to sue, a decade longer than before. It also opens a one-time window for victims who’ve missed the cutoff, who now have until the end of…
Read MoreKids II and Fisher Price Recall Rocking Sleepers Linked to Infant Deaths
Kids II (also called Kids2) has recalled all of models of its infant rocking sleepers due to potential deadly hazards posed to infants. The recall affects close to 694,000 units, and comes on the heels of Fisher-Price recalling 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play sleepers, which have been linked to between 10 and 32 infant deaths…
Read MoreHouse Votes to Return Constitutional Rights to Americans
Yesterday, May 22nd, saw a massive victory for Americans. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on an amendment that will limit how big banks and financial institutions can use mandatory arbitration. The amendment was introduced by Rep. Al Green (D-TX), and reinstates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) 2017 rule governing forced arbitration. The amendment…
Read MoreMay is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
For many, the warm weather and open roads in and around Phoenix offer year-round joy for motorcycle riders and passengers. While riding a motorcycle may be a lot of fun and a cheap alternative to cars, there are many inherent dangers in riding a motorcycle. The odds of dying in a traffic accident, according to…
Read MoreCan I File a Car Accident Claim against a Deceased Driver?
In 2016, there were more than 34,000 fatalities due to car accidents nationwide, and 962 Arizonans died in car crashes that year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In many of those accidents, the driver who was responsible for the accident died. Death does not absolve the driver from liability, but it does…
Read MoreBritax Drags Its Feet on Warnings for Dangerous BOB Stroller
Britax Child Safety, the leading manufacturer of child safety products, allegedly failed to meet is deadline to notify consumers and resellers of a dangerous defect in its BOB jogging stroller. According to The Washington Post, Britax reached an agreement with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to educate the public about a dangerous problem…
Read MoreHow the False Claims Act Helps Whistleblowers Disclose Medical Fraud
We have often talk about how the law protects those who blow the whistle on medical fraud, and how qui tam actions can help the government AND whistleblowers recover funds when physicians, hospitals, medical device makers, and others defraud the government. In 2018, whistleblowers helped the US government collect more than $2.1 billion in recoveries.…
Read MoreBlocking Mandatory Arbitration in Nursing Home Cases through the Power of Attorney
In America, we have a Constitutional right to a jury trial. But nowadays, many corporations are requiring that we give up our right to a jury trial in order to do business with them. They insert mandatory arbitration clauses in the fine print of their contracts. You’d be shocked to know how often you have…
Read MoreDoctors’ Group Sues the USDA Claiming Consumers are Buying Meat Contaminated with Fecal Matter
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to force new rules to prohibit the sale of raw poultry, pork and beef that contain traces of animal waste, which is allowed under current law, according to a story in the Washington Post. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine…
Read MoreArizona Court of Appeals Voids Financial Lien Section of Arizona Law
On March 13, 2019, that a three-judge appellate court ruled that the practice of allowing hospitals to file financial liens against people who, despite having AHCCCS, medical treaters claim owe money violated federal law. Per the Capitol Times: “In a precedent-setting ruling, the judges voided sections of state law that specifically allow hospitals to impose…
Read MoreDoes the Time of Delivery Increase the Risk of Complications for Your Newborn?
A recent story in the New York Times reported on a study that analyzed whether the “when” of your baby’s delivery could affect that delivery. Per the data, the paper reported, having a baby in the egosvening or on the weekend, in the month of July, or during the holidays may increase the possibility your…
Read MorePersonal Injury Lawsuits and Finding the Right Attorney in Arizona
Unsure if you should file a personal injury lawsuit in Arizona? Don’t know how to choose the right attorney for your needs? Check out the following videos to learn a bit about what to do if you were injured by someone else’s negligence. When should I file a personal injury lawsuit? You need to file…
Read MoreThe FDA Is Hiding Crucial Information about Defective Medical Devices
Most claims of malfunctioning medical devices are required to be submitted to the FDA and kept in a public database. Often doctors search these databases when they experience or learn of a similar malfunction, to try to learn how they can better serve their patients. But not always. Kaiser Health News recently reported on a…
Read MoreTo Settle or Not to Settle: What Is Best for a Personal Injury Claim?
One of the most common questions we are asked is, “Should I settle my claim, or go to trial?” The truth is, in some cases, a settlement may be a better option for you than a trial would be. Today, Randall Hinsch and Nick Verderame get into the nitty-gritty of settling a case, in the…
Read MoreLime and Bird E-Scooters – Deadly and Dangerous
Electronic scooters, or e-scooters, have taken a lot of U.S. cities by storm. According to CNN, the leading makers of electronic scooters are Bird Rides, Inc., a rideshare company based in California; and Lime, which is already selling its scooters in 70 cities. The scooters are popular across America and the leading cities of Europe.…
Read MoreIf I’m Hurt, Who Pays for It?
Sometimes people are hesitant to sue because they’re afraid that the person’s gonna, who’s gonna pay for their injury, is another person like them who doesn’t have assets. But in most instances, the entity that’s paying for the claim is an auto insurance company, or a homeowner’s insurance company, or some kind of indemnity…
Read MoreDefective E-Cigarette Batteries Keep Exploding and Causing Injuries
An e-cigarette battery overheated and ignited a fire on an American Airlines flight shortly after landing on January 4, 2019. In a USA Today.com story, Ross Feinstein, a spokesperson for American Airlines, said that flight attendants are trained on how to fight high-energy battery fires, and that they “quickly extinguished the fire and the plane…
Read MoreWhat Does “Qui Tam” Mean?
Do you know somebody who’s ripping off the government? Do you know someone who is ripping off the United States government, the Arizona government? If so, you can bring a claim under the False Claims Act. This is also known as a qui tam claim, or a whistleblower claim. It’s the patriotic thing to…
Read MoreExploding Vape Pen Kills Texas Man
The threats posed by e-cigarettes (also referred to as a vape pens) to the well-being of consumers, have been well publicized in recent years. The recent death of a young man in Texas related to vaping has focused additional attention to the potential dangers of the practice. On January 27, 24-year-old William Brown lost his…
Read MoreCommon Questions about Contingency Fees in Arizona
At Plattner Verderame Arizona Injury Lawyers, we represent injury victims and their families in claims against the parties who caused them harm. When potential clients first call us, they often have similar questions: what will it cost? What do you do? Our attorneys have put together a few short videos addressing some of those common…
Read MoreThe Safety Institute Publishes Its Annual Vehicle Safety Watch
The Safety Institute’s Vehicle Safety Watch List Analytics and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Enforcement Monitoring Program alerts the public to potential vehicle safety issues on a quarterly basis. In memory of Brooke Melton, who was killed in a 2010 accident resulting from a sudden ignition failure in her 2005 Chevy cobalt, Ken and…
Read More