1/23/09 - A new federal law to prevent swimmers from being injured or killed by underwater drains has many pool operators struggling to comply. Under the 2007 Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, pool operators must install new compliant drain covers designed to reduce the chance of swimmers becoming trapped against the drain. However, one nonprofit group estimates that as many as 80 percent of the nation´s 300,000 swimming pools have yet to comply with the regulations. Read Article (Malena Ogles, Tyler Morning Telegraph) http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090123/NEWS08/901230339 Begam Lewis & Marks handles accidental death cases, including pool drownings. The firm also advocates for new legislation to protect consumers.

1/23/09 - The operators of an amusement park where a teenager was killed have agreed to pay $1 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the girl´s parents. An investigation determined that ride operator Air Glory Inc. failed to properly attach safety harnesses to the girl before she fell 50 feet from a free-fall ride called the "Giant Swing." The settlement will be paid by Air Glory´s insurer, an attorney for the family of the girl said. Read Aritcle (Dan Wilson, Green Bay Press Gazette) Begam Lewis & Marks handles wrongful death cases, including premises liability cases.´ Nearly all settlments and verdicts are paid out of insurance policies.

1/21/09 - The Columbus Dispatch reports, "The family of the Ohio State University freshman who was crushed to death by a dormitory elevator is suing the university" and alleging that the "school was negligent in maintaining, inspecting, repairing and operating the elevator." The student "tried to jump out as the elevator started to move and was crushed between the ceiling of the elevator and the floor of the third-floor lobby." Read article Begam Lewis & Marks handles all types of wrongful death cases. Call for more information.

1/19/09 - According to the FDA and Kellogg, Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter, which had already been recalled, tested positive for salmonella. The crackers are the first consumer product to test positive in the growing outbreak linked to peanut butter and peanut paste manufactured by Peanut Corp. of America. Since the outbreak began, 474 people have reported being sickened and 6 people have died, but those numbers are believed to be lower than the actual number of cases. Read Article: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2009-01-19-peanut-butter-problems_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

People taking popular antipsychotic drugs produced by Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and others were twice as likely to suffer heart attacks, a new study has found. According to the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the drugs are no safer than older drugs for treating diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Among the drugs included in the study were Eli Lilly & Co´s Zyprexa and Johnson & Johnson´s Risperdal. Read article: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=a9vPbrgrdPPA&refer=home Begam Lewis & Marks handles product defect cases and pharmaceuticals, including Vioxx, Bextra and others. If you have been seriously injured or a family member killed by a pharmaceutical, call for more information.

1/14/09 - A Canadian-based crib manufacturer has recalled more than 1 million cribs because of defective support brackets that could cause children to suffocate or become trapped. The recall applies to about 500,000 Stork Craft baby cribs sold in the United States at retailers including J.C. Penney, Kmart and Wal-Mart. The remaining cribs covered by the recall were sold in Canada. Read Article Begam Lewis & Marks handles cases where a product defect resulted in serious injury or death, including to children. Call for more information.

1/14/09 (Los Angeles) - Companies that operate the Metrolink commuter train system were responsible for a crash that killed 25 people last year, according to five new lawsuits filed this week. In one of the lawsuits, the plaintiff claims that the regional rail authority that operates Metrolink, a contractor that provides engineers who run the Metrolink trains and its parent company Veolia Transportation knew the engineer was not competent to operate the train. The lawsuits seek compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of survivors and families of the victims. Read article: http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/1543787.html Begam Lewis & Marks handles all kinds of vehicle accidents, including train accidents, vehicle-train accidents, and vehicle/train-pedestrian accidents. If you have been injured in any type of accident, call Begam Lewis & Marks for more information.

Play Yards Recalled Amid Safety Concerns Safety regulators have recalled 200,000 Fisher-Price Rainforest-themed play yards after receiving at least 1,350 consumer complaints of mild to severe injuries. Critics have questioned the timing of the recall saying that the Consumer Product Safety Commission knew of problems as early as last year but failed to initiate a recall. At least 18 children have died in the collapse of other brands of play yards, according to one consumer group. Read Article http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fisher-price-play-yard-recall-jan15,0,4511994.story Begam Lewis & Marks successfully handles personal injury claims related to product defects. Call for more information.

1/12/09 - A national health-care agency stripped Maricopa County of accreditation of its jails after a months-long attempt by county administrators to remain certified. The revocation is a blow to the county's Correctional Health Services, county supervisors and top administrators, who for months maintained that the commission was threatening to pull accreditation on unreliable and anonymous information. Correctional Health Services provides health care for the estimated 10,000 inmates in Maricopa County's jails. The decision could affect health-care-related lawsuits by inmates and their families and could expose the county to more liability. Read full article Begam Lewis & Marks handles inmate personal injury complaints, including those for personal injury or death related to the health care system in the county jails. Claims must be made within 180 days of injury in most cases. Call for more information.

Judge Gives Go Ahead on Second Hand Smoke Case The Recorder(1/14, McKee) reports, "An asthmatic 7-year-old girl's public-nuisance suit against her family's apartment complex over secondhand smoke in outdoor common areas has been given the go-ahead" as a Los Angeles judge ruled that she "not only had standing to file suit as a tenant, but also raised serious allegations warranting further hearings." Also, "The girl's father, Woodland Hills civil litigator Johnny Birke, said Tuesday he believes the ruling sets a national precedent." He said that this "is the first time...that a court anywhere in the country -- and I can say that with some certainty because we did the research -- has ruled that outdoor secondhand smoke can constitute a public and private nuisance." Read Article