Hartford Personal Injury Lawyer - Miscellaneous

AMA Corrects Impairment Ratings Guide

James Sabatini — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:31:50 GMT

When the AMA published the Sixth Edition of its Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, it contained new language that restricted chiropractic evaluations to the spine only. The restriction drew sharp criticism from the American Chiropractic Association. In a letter to the AMA, the ACA questioned the legality of restrictive language related to evaluations by doctors of chiropractic and accused the AMA of violating the permanent Wilk injuction.

The AMA responded by issuing a correction. The Guide will state in relevant part that: "Impairment evaluation requires medical knowledge. Physicians duly recognized by an appropriate jurisdiction should perform such assessments within their applicable scope of practice and field of expertise." AMA will be mailing out the correction and future publication of the Guide will contain the corrective language. For all plaintiff's attorneys, any attempt by a defense lawyer during cross examination of a treating chiropractor who has testified as to a whole person impairment should do one of two things: 1) object to the cross examination on the grounds that the langauge being cited by the defense attorney from the Guide has been retracted and corrected; or 2) allow the questioning and then on re-direct present the fact that such language was subsequently corrected by the AMA. It is my opinion that the former is the better strategy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

Negligence Lawsuits Filed Against St. Francis Hospital - Failure to Supervise Dr. Reardon

James Sabatini — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:32:17 GMT

Two men who say they were sexually molested by Dr. George Reardon filed lawsuits Thursday against St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, claiming the hospital was negligent in its supervision of the doctor during the 30 years he practiced there. In the latest suits, the men say Reardon fondled and photographed them in his private St. Francis office during the 1970s or early 1980s. One suit claims Reardon took as many as 1,000 "sexualized" pictures of the plaintiff, both alone and posed with his three brothers. The lawsuits assert that St. Francis bears responsibility for the abuse because it failed to properly supervise Dr. Reardon, who was an employee of the hospital. At least 80 people so far have come forward with allegations of sexual molestation by Dr. Reardon during the time that he was employed by St. Francis Hospital.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

CT Nursing Home Files For Chapter 11

James Sabatini — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:26:48 GMT

Haven Healthcare, the Connecticut nursing home operator has filed for bankruptcy. I recently blogged about this nursing home operator's CEO who funded a record label start up company while his company's nursing homes were failing to pay their bills. Haven's bankruptcy filing reveals that the company's 50 largest creditors are owed nearly $31 million.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced today that the state would file a motion to appoint an independent trustee to take control over the chain's nursing home operations throughout the state. Read more about the bankrupt Connecticut nursing home.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

CT Nursing Home CEO Funds Record Label

James Sabatini — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:31:30 GMT

In late 2005, Haven Healthcare CEO Raymond Termini decided to pursue a longtime dream: He launched a record label in Nashville to produce both little-known and established country musicians. Within in a few months, the company gets the cash to sign major artists such as Travis Tritt. Back in Connecticut, residents of his nursing home in Jewett City spent a cold December night. After months of not being paid, the company that supplied heating oil to the nursing home had suspended deliveries. Is there a connection between the financial problems at the Connecticut nuring homes and the record company?

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

Countrywide Employees Sue Company

James Sabatini — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:37:38 GMT

Some Countrywide Financial Corp. employees have sued their employer. The employees are claiming they suffered heavy losses in their 401k retirement accounts after the company failed to warn them about the depth of its financial troubles.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, seeks class-action status and names as defendants Countrywide Chairman and Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo and benefits committee members in charge of the retirement plan. To read more about the Countrywide lawsuit, click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

N.C. Jet Ski Accident Kills CT Man

James Sabatini — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:52:28 GMT

An 18-year-old Connecticut resident was killed this week after he was hit with a personal watercraft on Lake Gaston in North Carolina. The man and his friend were operating Jet skis on a lake when his friends jet ski struck the man the head. Officials are withholding the man's identity until his relatives are notified. The 18-year-old and a friend were vacationing with family at Lake Gaston, which straddles the North Carolina-Virginia border.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

CT Priest Charged With Sexually Assaulting a Minor

James Sabatini — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:41:10 GMT

A Naugatuck priest is facing charges of sexually assaulting a minor. Father Robert J. Grant, of St. Mary's Church on North Main Street, was arrested on Thursday after an investigation by Naugatuck police.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

Pilots Did Not Receive Warnings Before Deadly Crash

James Sabatini — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:39:13 GMT

The pilots in a jet crash last summer that killed 49 people left the terminal without receiving four important airport advisories, including one that said the normal taxiway to the main runway was closed. Comair Flight 5191 crashed on August 27, 2006, shortly after mistakenly taking off from the general aviation runway, killing all people aboard but one. The plane taxied to the wrong runway in the pre-dawn darkness.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

Tam Airlines Pilot Tried to Abort Landing

James Sabatini — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:12:20 GMT

An initial probe of a Brazilian plane crash that killed at least 200 people suggests the airliner's pilot tried to abort a crash landing, an official said Wednesday.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Airline, Cruise, Bus, and other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini

TAM Airline Airbus 320 Crashes In Sao Paulo

James Sabatini — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:12:41 GMT

A TAM Airlines Airbus 320 carrying 176 people crashed while attempting to land in heavy rain at Sao Paulo's Congon has Airport, the airline said. The Sao Paulo fire department said at least 200 people, including some on the ground, were dead at the scene. There was no immediate word on survivors.

A Brazilian Court had previously banned large jets from using the runway due to safety concerns. The runway has been known to be short and slippery when wet. An appeals court reversed the ban citing business concerns and that the safety issues did not warrant the shutting down of the runway. More facts will be discovered as this tragic airplane crash is investigated.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on Airline, Cruise, Bus, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by James Sabatini