Watch the Chrysler TxtUL8r Distracted Driving Awareness Video

Here.  Resolve to not drive distracted in 2011.

Holiday Safety Tips from the CDC

Info on motor vehicle safety, child passenger safety, impaired driving and more.

Legal Expert Says Malpractice Reform Would Produce Only Modest Healthcare Savings

In the CBS News Political Hotsheet blog, lawyer and researcher Paula Reid states that the national debt commission's recommendations to reform medical malpractice suits would amount to only "a tiny fraction" of savings when compared to the total national debt.  Reid wrote: "Critics argue that malpractice suits increase insurance premiums for doctors and result in unnecessary – and expensive – tests and services to avoid exposure to lawsuits."  Among the panel's recommendations "are specialized 'health courts' for medical malpractice lawsuits which could streamline cases and reduce costs."  UCLA law professor Mark Grady said "I'd be worried that medical errors would become a bigger problem if 'health courts' forgave medical errors so long as the doctors and hospitals used the 'best practices.'"  Reid added, "The panel doesn't seem to address what many perceive as the underlying purpose of medical malpractice liability, which is to prevent errors and thereby prevent many lawsuits."

Happy Holidays!

Read our December newsletter here.

Settlement: $845k for Wrongful Death of 75-Year-Old Man

The estate of a 75-year old Groton man settled its wrongful death claim for $845,000 against the ambulance company that brought him to and from dialysis and the apartment complex where he lived, after eight days of jury selection and intense negotiations.  Pedro Vasquez died January 16, 2009 after ambulance employees dropped his wheelchair two days earlier while trying to carry him in it up stairs into his apartment after a dialysis appointment.  The wheelchair rolled down five steps and tipped back, causing Mr. Vasquez's head to strike a concrete step, resulting in a traumatic brain injury and massive hemorrhaging.  The image shown here depicts the normal brain anatomy on the left and the results of the 1/15/09 CT scan of Mr. Vasquez's brain on the right.  In addition to the negligence of the ambulance, the Estate claimed that the stairs were unsafe and lacked functional handrails.  The Estate also claimed that the apartment complex denied numerous requests to put in a wheelchair ramp.  All defendants denied negligence and claimed that Mr. Vasquez had no more than two years of life expectancy given his age and health problems.  Attorney Scott D. Camassar handled the case for the Estate.  The settlement is contingent upon probate court approval.

Just in Time for the Holidays

Get AAJ's new report on dangerous toys and the importance of the civil justice system.