High School Cheerleading Can Lead to Catastrophic Injuries
When we think about high school sports injuries, football is typically the first thing that comes to mind—head and neck injuries, specifically. Another group of athletes, however, who often suffer catastrophic injuries are competitive high school cheerleaders. Although they fly and twist through the air and make it look easy, the stunts our cheerleaders perform…
Read MoreBMW Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles Because of Risk of Fire
BMW has issued two separate recalls of its vehicles, because some of their cars and SUVs have been catching fire. Replacement parts will become available on December 18th. If you own one of the affected vehicles you’re entitled to a free replacement at any BMW dealership. To find out if your car is on the…
Read MorePlaytex Recalls 5.5 Million Children’s Plates, Bowls, and Dining Sets
Playtex, one of the leading manufacturers of children’s products, has recalled over 3 million dining sets after receiving reports of children choking on unexpectedly detached plastic. The brand has a history of product safety issues (particularly in the cases in the 1980’s concerning toxic shock syndrome). In recent years, the company has struggled to avoid…
Read MoreFraternity Injuries and Liability
Fraternity membership, also known as Greek life, has become synonymous with alcoholic overindulgence, misbehavior, and lack of consequences. Families across the country are becoming wary of allowing their children to pledge a fraternity or sorority in the wake of widely publicized incidents such as the alcohol-related death of Tim Piazza at a Penn State Beta…
Read MoreWrongful Death from Defective Medical Devices
When you think about the miracles modern medicine can perform to save lives, to improve the quality of lives and relieve suffering, it is shocking to know that some of the medical devices that make those miracles possible can also cause irreparable harm and death to patients. Defective medical devices which were supposed to treat…
Read MoreTruck Underride Guards Can Save Lives in Truck Crashes
Underride guards are safety equipment that can be added to tractor trailers and other large, commercial trucks to protect drivers of passenger vehicles from fatal injuries. These pieces of equipment can keep a vehicle that collides with the side or back of semi-truck from going under the truck, thus turning a fatal crash into something…
Read MoreExamples of Qui Tam Whistleblower Healthcare Fraud Cases
The number of health care fraud cases under the False Claims Act (FCA) is increasing every year. A study conducted by Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF), reported 62 cases of qui tam health care fraud in the years between 1987 and 1992, but that number spiked to 417 cases in 2011, 412 in 2012, and in…
Read MoreBeware, Drug Manufacturers – You May Actually Have to Face the People You Hurt
The Supreme Court of the United States may be best known for hearing cases that capture the attention and imagination of the American public, but that is not all they do. In fact, on October 2, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States heard motions on a case that we have been paying close…
Read MoreThe Newest Vehicle Safety Watch List Is Out. Did Your Car Make the List?
Back in 2010, a young woman named Brooke Melton died in a car crash after the ignition switch in her 2005 Chevy Cobalt slipped into a different position. The lawsuit resulting from her death revealed that General Motors had known about the defective switch since 2001, covered it up, and done nothing to fix the…
Read MoreWhen School Bullying Leads to Suicide
It’s every parent’s literal worst nightmare: finding a child dead by his or her own hand. In the case of Gabriel Taye, a toxic school environment in Cincinnati, filled with bullying, physical abuse, and exclusion led to the 8-year old hanging himself. His grieving parents have been left asking, what could have been done? They…
Read MoreSuits Alleging Negligence Ruled Not Applicable in Inherently Risky Activities
There are some sports and events we participate in that carry obvious risks. These can be as mundane as eating undercooked foods despite clear warnings against the practice, or as extraordinary as playing extreme sports without proper training or supervision. One hobby that is well-known for carrying dangers to even the most experienced is horseback…
Read MoreFederal Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Amazon for Selling Defective Eclipse Glasses
On August 21, 2017, people throughout the country put on special glasses and stared into the sky, watching the moon almost blot out the sun completely. It was a surreal experience for many; there were eclipse parties throughout the country, and tens of millions of these special glasses were sold. The retail behemoth Amazon sold…
Read MoreInsurance Company’s Substandard Repairs Blamed for Wreck
Insurance companies can and do delineate where you can get your vehicle repaired under their coverage. The intention of this type of limitation is, ideally, to assure that competent work is done, for a fair price. However, what if your insurance company forced you to have your car repaired by someone who clearly was no…
Read MoreDraft of Proposed Whistleblower Protection Act Serves Only Inadequacies
When the World Intellectual Property Organization published the latest draft of their new Whistleblower Protection Act earlier in 2017, it was hoped that the new guidelines would meet the best-practice standards set by the Government Accountability Project. Sadly, the draft fails these standards by a wide margin, leaving global intellectual property systems participants, like those…
Read MorePlattner Verderame Arizona Injury Lawyers Files Nuisance Lawsuit against Hickman Family Farms on Behalf of Tonopah Residents
Most days, the first thing you notice when you get out of your car in Tonopah is the smell, and it hits you like a tidal wave. The caustic ammonia, the pervasive, musty funk of manure and blood, and the overpowering stench of chickens. Four million of them, to be precise. These chickens live in…
Read MoreCongratulations, Frank Verderame, on Your Election to the Board of Directors of the Melvin M. Belli Society
All of us at Plattner Verderame, PC would like to offer a heart-felt “Congratulations!” to firm partner Frank Verderame, who has just been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the prestigious Melvin M. Belli Society. Formed in 1981, the Belli Society’s “stated purpose [is] to promote the international exchange of ideas among…
Read MoreCan You Sue if You Have Been Injured as an Uber or Lyft Passenger in Arizona?
Ridesharing apps such as Lyft, Uber and others continue to grow in popularity in large cities because they offer a convenient, cost-effective alternative to traditional taxis. Whether you request a ride from your home or from the airport or train station, the vehicle that you are riding is the driver’s personal vehicle. Have you ever…
Read MoreArizona’s Elderly Are at Risk of Abuse and Neglect
Millions of elderly Americans live in nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and other care arrangements, where they are essentially hidden from public view and must rely on the facility’s staff for all their daily needs. While most nursing homes are clean and adequately staffed, and the residents are cared for properly, some…
Read MoreHas a Fifth Grader Invented the Solution to Preventing Hot Car Deaths?
In the months of June, July and August, when Arizona reaches those famous triple-digit temperatures, many people worry about hot car deaths. When an 11-year-old Texas student, Bishop Curry, heard the news that his neighbor’s six-month-old infant died after being in a hot car, he decided to invent a device to prevent similar deaths from…
Read MoreArizona Qui Tam Attorneys Discuss Healthcare Fraud Enforcement
There are three important federal laws that apply to healthcare fraud and abuse: The False Claims Act, the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute are three federal laws which govern other forms of compensation for doctors. Healthcare providers must navigate the complicated laws and potential regulatory pitfalls to make sure that their business is operating…
Read MoreWrongful Death from Arizona Car Crashes
It is devastating to lose a loved one in a car crash. When you discover that the collision was the result of someone else’s negligent behavior, it can be even more difficult to process. Fortunately, our civil justice system provides a legal remedy for those who have been injured, or who have lost a loved…
Read MoreWhat Rights Are You Signing Away with an Arizona Skydiving Liability Waiver?
So you finally got up the nerve to try skydiving. You and your best friends have decided to just do it already, and now you’re experiencing feelings of excitement mixed with abject terror. Being the practical kind of person that you are (as opposed to the thrill-seeking, adventure loving type that your friends are), you…
Read MoreThe Surprising Impact of a Mild TBI Prognosis and Recovery
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a head injury caused by blunt trauma or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the brain’s normal functioning. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there were about 2.8 million TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. in 2013 (the most recent year…
Read MoreWhistleblowers Saved the U.S. Government More than $4 Billion in 2016
Whistleblowers have a vital role to play in helping the federal government identify fraud and corruption, which costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year. At the end of last year (2016), the U.S. Department of Justice announced that about $4.7 billion had been recovered through False Claims Act cases, $2.9 billion of which came from…
Read MoreCriteria for Filing a Wrongful Death Suit in Arizona
When you’ve lost a loved one, no amount of restitution or validation will make the pain and grief heal faster. Nothing will help you heal except for time. Over time, you will find a “new normal” and learn how to adjust to life with your loved one gone. Dealing with the loss is difficult enough,…
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