1/21/2015· Product Liability
Forensic Clues: Products and Child Safety
No one likes to see children get hurt, especially when it could be prevented. Poor design, manufacturing defects, material defects, assembly errors, and the lack of a hazard analysis can result in hazardous products that injure people. Many products are put in stores that may have never been looked at by a design engineer and/or a safety specialist.
1/16/2015· Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Increasing School Security Concepts to Keep Our Students Safe
By: Michael Panish
In December of 2012 a gunman broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and viciously murdered 20 children and 6 administrators. Adding Sandy Hook Elementary School to a growing list of other tragic school shootings confirms that any educational institution should be considered a viable target for future attacks.
1/9/2015· Dental - Dentistry
Crowns & Veneers: Dental Mistakes Cause Physical Pain, Speech Problems, and Concerns for Appearance
By: Dr. Gregg Helvey
Patient presented to my office on 9/17/12 with the chief complaint of a recently placed crown on tooth #10 that had chipped. She said that the treating dentist, Dr. R, said that it could not be fixed and she would need to replace the veneer at her cost. Not satisfied with that response, she consulted another local dentist who gave her the same information. Still frustrated with her situation, she searched the internet and found an article that I published on repairing chipped porcelain.
12/31/2014· Dental - Dentistry
Oral Cancer in the Dental Patient
Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy diagnosed in the United States. It represents 3 to 5% of all cancers in America. This translates in over 43,000 new cases of oral cancers yearly (1996 figures). In 1996 in the U.S., there were 8,260 deaths directly attributed to oral cancer. In the state of Georgia, 680 new cases of oral cancer were diagnosed, and 190 deaths occurred from oral cancer in 1996.
12/29/2014· Plastic / Reconstructive / Cosmetic Surgery
So, You Want to Get Started with Lasers? - Pearls On How to Incorporate Them Into Your Practice
One of the most common questions that other physicians ask me is how to begin to use lasers in their practice. It can seem exciting, yet daunting, to bring in a new procedure that centers on a device.
12/29/2014· Plants & Trees
Organic Fertilizers: Of Trends, Science and Chickens
By: Joe Samnik
Trends are fascinating and exhilarating phenomena. They allow pundits the opportunity to pontificate upon things which may never happen but are nonetheless given great credence due to the expertise of the pontificator. Trends tend to focus on the minutia of a far greater whole, and more likely than not are short-lived. Trends are fun to watch and a delight to participate in. Trends define goals and give us hope to better ourselves and our communities. We want to become a trendsetter due to its elitism and social stature. We want to follow trendsetters because there's safety in numbers. But lurking in the hallowed halls of this intermittent euphoria lays danger. Nothing can disappear quicker than Elvis Presley sideburns then to follow a trend and ignore the science behind it.
12/22/2014· Insurance
Continuity And Prior/Pending Litigation Exclusions In The Claims-Made Policy Form
The 35-year history of the claims-made policy form has not brought it stability or standardization. In fact, claims-made forms have begun to incorporate with increasing frequency additional and exclusionary language that is unfavorable to the policyholder.
12/17/2014· Transportation
Compromising Safety to Reduce Liability Exposure
By: Ned Einstein
Every responsible society has mechanisms to hold its citizens, and their organizations, accountable for their actions. With respect to safety, our society effects this goal through the enactment and enforcement of statutes and regulations, and through the process of civil litigation. As with most rules and most societies, many of our transportation organizations have discovered loopholes. Employing these loopholes, they have effectively reduced their liability exposure at the cost of compromising safety.
12/10/2014· Elevators - Escalator - Automatic Doors
Door Injuries & "The Eggshell Plaintiff"
By: Michael Panish
Every good attorney needs to consider the validity of every potential claim. As the most frequently retained door expert witness, working for both Plaintiff and Defense evenly, I have been retained on door injury and wrongful death claims that were not caused by malfunctioning doors or door hardware. As discovery has often shown, people in poor physical or mental condition who are left unattended or unassisted while moving through properly functioning doorways are often the genesis of their own injuries. All commercial venues have the responsibility to maintain their facilities to industry wide standards, seek proper routine maintenance, and provide daily inspections of their door systems. However, it is difficult to provide safe passage to every patron of their facilities when some of those patrons may include persons requiring diligent physical supervision, special assistance walking, or have special needs due to disease, mental incapacity, or other unknown infirmities.
12/10/2014· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction
Forensic Clues: Fishing and Boating Accidents
Fishing and boating accidents result in thousands of injuries each year. The U.S. Coast Guard reported 3331 injuries and 709 fatalities due to boating accidents on both recreational and commercial vessels. There are many causes for these accidents, including collisions with objects or other vessels, drowning, electrical and mechanical failures, interaction with unguarded machinery, and others. There are various acts and laws that govern accidents at sea. This issue of Forensic Clues will examine some of the preventable accidents caused by defective machinery and equipment that occur at sea, and a brief overview of the laws and regulations affecting product liability litigation related to maritime accidents.
