Mobile, Alabama Personal Injury Lawyer Blog | Long & Waite

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2010-04-23T14:34:00.001-05:00

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Unknown Cause of Oil Rig Explosion

2010-04-21T11:59:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday night about 10 pm, there was an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. It is about 52 miles southeast of Venice, FL and the smoke and fire are still visible. It was on a rig called the MODU Deepwater Horizon which is owned by Transocean, Ltd., in Houston. At first, eleven people were missing, of the 126 people believed to be on the rig. The others had escaped safely,

ConAgra Workers File Suit Over 2009 Explosion

2010-04-16T11:49:00.001-05:00

In June 2009, there was an explosion at a ConAgra Foods plant in Garner, North Carolina which sent 38 workers to local hospitals. Four were admitted in critical condition and the others were treated and released. Injuries were typical of an explosion -- burns, bruises, cuts, broken bones – because the building collapsed. The four in critical condition were suffering from severe burns reportedly

Plaintiff Seeks New Trial in Asbestos Case

2010-04-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

The widow of one Alan Olson sued her deceased husband’s employer, the Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH), for not giving its employees adequate protection from, or information about, asbestos. PATH provides commuter trains between New York and New Jersey. Alan Olson was a smoker for 31 years and died of lung cancer. However, his widow is claiming that his cancer was caused by asbestos in his

Louisiana Settles with Eli Lilly for $20 Million

2010-04-08T14:17:00.001-05:00

Zyprexa is a drug approved by the FDA for treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults. It is one of the atypical anti-psychotics, used after the regular anti-psychotics have failed to be effective. It is made by Eli Lilly & Co. Louisana has been one of 13 states that have sued Eli Lilly for inappropriate marketing of Zyprexa. Eli Lilly had been promoting Zyprexa for its “

Boy Killed in Bus Accident

2010-04-05T13:02:00.001-05:00

Last week, a nine-year-old boy and his friend were riding their bicycles in Disney World, Florida. It was a busy time of day, with a lot of schools closed for the Easter break and families therefore visiting Disney World and other places. A bus was driving along the same road as the two children in the same direction when the boy’s bike veered from the pavement to the road (there was no curb).

Wrongful Death Suit After ATV Accident

2010-04-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

In October 2008, two Mississippi girls aged eleven were killed when their Yamaha Rhino ATV overturned. They were driving it around neighborhood streets and authorities determined that it flipped when it ran off the pavement. One girl was killed immediately and the other died later in a hospital emergency room. There were no witnesses. Now the two families have filed a wrongful death lawsuit

Seven-Year-Old on Seroquel Commits Suicide

2010-03-30T13:23:00.003-05:00

Last week, a seven-year-old Florida boy in foster care locked himself in the bathroom and hanged himself. He was taking Seroquel, a drug for bipolar disorder which is a psychiatric condition of severe mood swings. There has already been a Florida state-wide investigation and the Department of Children and Families study found that 2,699 foster children are on this type of drug. That is 13

Facts about Mesothelioma

2010-03-29T11:49:00.001-05:00

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can be found in the lining of several of the body’s internal organs. Most commonly found in the lungs, it can also affect the heart and the abdomen, and it is incurable. Expensive treatments exist to lessen the impact of mesothelioma on a patient, and the mesothelioma attorneys at Long & Waite, P.C. are experienced in helping victims get the

Detecting Mesothelioma

2010-03-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

For people who have worked around asbestos, mesothelioma is a very real risk. Unfortunately, the symptoms of mesothelioma can often be mistaken for other types of lung disease, cancerous and non-cancerous alike. Symptoms of mesothelioma include:Persistent coughFluid or blood from the lungs while coughingShortness of breathChest or abdominal painDifficulty swallowing If you have any of the

Cell Phone Use While Driving

2010-03-27T11:39:00.000-05:00

Cell phones are a modern necessity. With a decreasing number of public phones, and an increasing demand for constant availability, cell phones are the most convenient way for us to stay in touch with co-workers, family, and friends. Like all conveniences, however, there is an appropriate and inappropriate time to use them, and driving falls into the latter category. According to the National

Kentucky Truck Accident Kills Eleven

2010-03-26T11:39:00.001-05:00

Today at about 5 a.m., a big rig was hauling a load of brake drums designed for use in big rigs south along I-65 in Hart County, Kentucky. At a place where the road reduces from three lanes to two, the trucker lost control, crossed the median strip, hit a van, then hit the rock wall alongside the road and caught fire. The van had 18 people in it, men, women, and children, and ten were killed

Truck Accidents and Cell Phones

2010-03-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

There are myriad reasons a truck driver may need to use his cell phone: instructions from dispatch, information from the delivery site, even keeping in touch with family and friends. Like the rest of us, truck drivers rely on cell phones to handle things both large and small, but the use of cell phones while driving has been conclusively linked to accidents, and accidents caused by truck drivers

Typical Causes of Truck Driving Accidents

2010-03-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

We rely on tractor trailers to deliver all of life’s conveniences. Tractor trailers are a mixed blessing though, considering the extreme damage they can cause when they are involved in accidents. In fact, accidents caused by tractor trailers are among the most fatal of all automobile accidents.Common Causes of Truck Accidents While many factors contribute to any accident, accidents caused by

Nursing Home Neglect

2010-03-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

As your loved ones age, it sometimes becomes necessary to place them in the care of others. When this difficult decision is made, you trust that the hands you are placing them into are capable, caring, and experienced. In all too many instances this is sadly not the case. Nursing homes operated for profit by large companies, hiring insufficiently trained, and often dangerous employees, are

Use of Contaminated Vaccine Suspended

2010-03-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, federal health officials asked that doctors stop using Rotarix, a vaccine used to protect babies from the rotavirus. Rotarix is made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and received FDA approval in 2008. So far, about one million U.S. children have been given this vaccine and about 30 million children worldwide. It is not being recalled; its use is just suspended. Rotarix was found to be

Wrongful Death

2010-03-23T09:45:00.003-05:00

Losing a loved one is always difficult. Losing a loved one due to someone else's negligence is simply tragic. Nothing, of course, can bring your loved one back, but you do have recourse to gain some piece of mind and small financial benefit when a personal injury results in death. The attorneys at Long & Waite, P.C. have years of experience in helping grieving families receive the compensation

Accidents Caused by Defective Roadways

2010-03-22T12:39:00.008-05:00

When you head out on the road, you expect that the road itself is the least of your safety concerns. Other drivers, distractions, and the weather may be concerns, but you rely on local and state governments to keep the roadway in optimal repair. Sadly, this is not always the case, and holding governments responsible for inappropriately maintained roadways is surprisingly difficult. The attorneys

BP Relieved of $100 Million Punitive Damages

2010-03-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday this week, U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt negated punitive damages against the London-based British Petroleum in a toxic fumes case. The ten plaintiffs in this case had alleged that on April 19, 2007, BP had been negligent in allowing a release of airborne chemicals. At the time, about 100 workers went to local hospitals for a

Bus Accident Kills Two, Injures 30

2010-03-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, a tour bus heading for Mexico with 40 passengers overturned on a Texas highway. It tumbled off the road and ended up in the grassy median on its side. The bus was owned by Americanos, USA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Greyhound Lines, Inc. (which in turn is owned by FirstGroup America). The driver, who was evidently uninjured, said she heard a “loud pop” and lost control of the

Medical Malpractice Award in Breast Enlargement Case

2010-03-11T15:27:00.000-06:00

In 2003, one Maria Alaimo, aged 47, had breast surgery – a combination of a breast lift and breast augmentation. A breast lift (mastopexy) is a procedure done after sagging has stretched the skin and created a flattened contour. It removes excess skin and tightens the tissue into a higher and more youthful shape.Breast augmentation is the insertion of breast implants under the breast tissue and

Award to Plaintiffs in Hog Farm Case

2010-03-08T13:05:00.000-06:00

On February 8, 2010, this space wrote about a hog farm lawsuit in Missouri and how the same plaintiffs had already sued the same company, Premium Standard Farms (PSF) in 1999 and received $100,000 each because of hog odor. Their lawyer, one Charlie Speer, is on a roll with hog farm lawsuits and stated that he has hundreds of them pending in Missouri. Based on one of his previously settled cases,

GM Recalling Chevrolet and Pontiac Cars

2010-03-05T16:02:00.002-06:00

U.S. regulators have received over 1,100 complaints from consumers about the power steering failures in various Chevrolet and Pontiac models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started investigating after receiving these complaints, which included 14 car accidents. Those accidents have only caused one injury, however. GM

Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Medical Malpractice Case

2010-03-01T14:31:00.003-06:00

In July, 2006, in Virginia, one Hector Alvarez fired up his barbecue and made steak for the family dinner. He took one bite and trouble started. The piece of steak got stuck in his throat and he had trouble swallowing and developed chest pain. He went to the Inova HealthPlex at Franconia-Springfield that night, where he was given a CT chest scan, an EKG, and general X-rays. The films were

$10.3 Million Premises Liability Award

2010-02-25T11:30:00.000-06:00

In July 2008, one Michael Hess was on an elevated walkway in a Springfield, N.J. shopping plaza. He leaned against a metal railing, which gave way, and he fell four feet to the pavement underneath. He sustained three fractured vertebrae, a dislocated shoulder, and loss of hearing on one side. He had hit his head on the pavement and suffered from disorientation, behavior problems and loss of