The families of two men killed in the 2006 crash of a private two-seat plane have filed a lawsuit against the companies that manufactured, sold or promoted the plane, according to the Modesto Bee. The lawsuit argues that the Zodiac CH-601XL and its parts were dangerous and defective. Since the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the plane be grounded because of design flaws in the wings of the plane. Merrill Balassone, Modesto Bee 10/21/2009 At Begam & Lewis, we have successfully handled numerous air crash cases and are currently processing several at this time. If you believe you have a possible claim for you or a loved one resulting from the crash of a plane, helicopter, or hot air balloon, please contact us for a free consultation.

The "California Consumer" blog of the Los Angeles Times(10/20, Olivarez-Giles) reported, "Plum Organics is recalling a batch of its apple and carrot 'portable pouch' baby food due to possible contamination with" clostridium botulinum, a bacteria "that can cause botulism." Plum Organics founder Gigi Lee Chang said in a statement, "Due to a mixing error during production, one batch of this product was improperly blended." The FDA said that "because of the health risk, consumers should not feed their children the baby food." At Begam & Marks, we provide this information as a public service. If you have been injured or a loved one injured or killed by tainted food, whether because of E. coli or bacterial contamination, please contact us for a free consultation. Attorneys at Begam & Marks have successfully handled numerous cases involving contaminated food.

A judge in California has approved a $5.75 million settlement between the University of California-Davis Medical Center and the family of a boy who suffered severe neurological injuries during birth at the hospital. According to the lawsuit, hospital staff ignored signs that the baby was in distress and likely lacked oxygen. The boy now suffers from cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Andy Furillo, The Sacramento Bee 10/10/2009 At Begam & Marks, we have handled scores of birth trauma cases over the years and are currently handling several such cases. Remember that in the State of Arizona, claims on behalf of children are normally tolled until the childreaches 18 years of age, which means that a claim can be brought many years after birth in some cases. If you believe that your child was permanently injured as a result of medical negligence at the time of birth, please contact our office for a free consultation.

In continuing coverage, the Los Angeles Times(10/13, Zarembo) reports, "Scores of radiation overdoses at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have been traced to a single cause: a mistake the hospital made resetting a CT scanner." According to hospital officials, "the error occurred in February 2008, when the hospital began using a new protocol for a specialized type of scan used to diagnose strokes." The machine was reset "to override the pre-programmed instructions that came with the scanner when it was installed," because they "believed it would provide them more useful data to analyze disruptions in the flow of blood to brain tissue." As a result, "206 patients received eight times the normal dose of radiation -- an error that went undetected for 18 months," the AP (10/13) reports. A spokesman stated that "about 40 percent of the patients lost patches of hair."