Almost all of those patients who had been adversely affected by these pain pumps were those who had shoulder surgery. More than half of these patients reportedly required additional surgery including joint replacement. The companies that manufacture the pain pumps are I-Flow Corp and Stryker Corp. In addition to these companies, the manufacturers of the pain killers used in the pain pumps such as APP Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Hospira Inc. will also be required to update their labels to include a warning about the potential for cartilage damage.

Many people develop shoulder pain due to a variety of reasons. There are many causes for acute shoulder pain. People could develop shoulder pain as the result of injuries sustained in a Florida car accident, slip-and-fall injury, a Florida motorcycle accident, or a direct blow to the shoulder. A number of people who suffer from shoulder pain go for joint surgery. However, if you are contemplating joint surgery, please remember that you can suffer adverse effects as a result of these pain pumps that could lead to further problems, complications and even unnecessary surgery.

Florida Personal Injury | Medical Malpractice lawyer James Dodson recently blogged about a Canadian woman who was bringing a medical malpractice lawsuit in Canada for an alleged misdiagnosis of a foot fracture. Her law suit claims she suffered damages of at least $475,000, due to the doctors’ negligence.

This provocative damage allegation, in a story about a lawsuit, would get a lawyer in trouble in Florida! Lawsuits in our state must only allege the minimum requirement, $15,000 in damages, to be entitled to a jury trial in Circuit Court.  Complaints must simply state the injured person has suffered damages in excess of $15,000.

Here it is actually against the law for a lawyer to allege in the complaint the total damages the injured person claims to have suffered.

Florida does not allow lawyers to receive headline news because of damages they allege in their lawsuits until after it has been awarded and proven by a jury.

Why? It is just seen as too sensational!

When these tragedies occur, many families are confronted for the first time with whether they have adequately protected themselves against the negligence of an uninsured or underinsured driver who took the life of their loved one.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to make sure if you own a car, you have reviewed whether you purchased uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in the event you are involved in a Florida accident. Most people are totally unaware of the critical importance of this coverage. They have never been informed that, in addition to protecting themselves if they are injured or killed while occupying a car in a wreck, this coverage also protects them if they are injured or killed by a car in a Florida pedestrian accident or Florida bicycle accident.

All too often, these tragic deaths are caused by a driver with no insurance, or little insurance, to pay for the heartache and damage they inflict on the victim’s family. Uninsured motorist coverage provides this protection not only for the named insured, but relatives residing in their household, as well.

Our personal injury website: www.jwdodsonlaw.com offers valuable resources and free reports concerning Florida pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

You may also request a No Cost copy of Jim Dodson’s consumer guide, “Buying Car Insurance: The Ultimate Guide to Irresponsible Drivers in Florida” and “Survivor’s Guide to a Florida Wrongful Death Claim” on our website.

For additional information, contact us today at 1-888-340-0840.

One of the most common grounds for bringing a wrongful death claim is based on the careless or negligent act of another which results in someone’s death. Familiar examples would include vehicle accidents (cars, trucks or motorcycles), as well as pedestrian accidents, falls, or medical negligence by a doctor, hospital or other health care provider. Negligence may be based not only on something that was done resulting in death, but also on the failure to act. In those cases, when someone had a duty to do something which they negligently failed to do, they may be held responsible for causing the death.

Death claims may also be brought if there was a breach of a contract or a type of warranty. These types of claims are commonly involved where a product was defective (sometimes called a product liability claim). Many products have specific warranties covering the product and its fitness. Others are covered by warranties which are “implied” under consumer protection laws. Common product defect cases include cars, seatbelts, tires, and a host of other consumer products which cause injury and death.

If you or someone you know is confronting the profoundly devastating consequences of the death of a loved one, you owe it to yourself to become informed before you begin making decisions.

Request a copy of  Florida Wrongful Death lawyer Jim Dodson’s free consumer guide, “Survivor’s Guide to Florida Wrongful Death Claims” available on our website, www.JWDodsonLaw.com or by calling our offices at 1-888-340-0840.

According to an Associated Press news report, trauma surgeons are fighting to overturn the state’s helmet law. The Florida Legislature, eight years ago, overturned a 30-year law requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. Now the doctors are asking to make helmets mandatory again because it is a safety issue. They say not wearing a helmet can make an injury motorcycle crash a fatal one.

Motorcycle accident can result in serious bodily injuries including ruptured spleen, broken pelvis, fractures, lost limbs, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Leading trauma centers in the Panhandle have reported an increase in patients injured in motorcycle accidents this year. More than 70 motorcycle accident victims have been seen at the Sacred Heart Emergency and Trauma Center in January alone compared to 35 in 2007. Of those patients, 44 sustained serious injuries and one person died.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that wearing the right helmet can reduce the risk of a head injury by up to 85 percent. Bikers have argued for years that their right to privacy is being violated by helmet laws. They have maintained that wearing a helmet is a question of individual choice. But doctors say that requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets is a matter of common sense. Bikers are currently required to carry only $10,000 worth of bodily damage insurance – an amount that does not even come close to covering medical costs and long time care costs that are often needed after a serious motorcycle accident. If a motorcyclist suffers a serious injury as a result of not wearing a helmet, the costs are passed on to Florida taxpayers.

Despite these doctors’ valid arguments, it appears that for now, helmet laws will remain as they are. State legislators say their priority right now is to fix the state’s budget shortfall. Legislators say they respect motorcyclists’ personal freedom to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. They fear that making helmets mandatory based on cost to society might do away with a number of other freedoms we cherish. As Florida motorcycle accident attorneys, we believe that the helmet laws should be reinstated. Public safety must be a top priority, especially at a time when health care costs are astronomical. Although motorcyclists can choose to wear or not to wear a helmet, Florida taxpayers don’t have a choice when it comes to bearing the cost of serious injuries as a result of someone not wearing a helmet.