CFP standards could make suing agents, carriers easier

Investors might find it easier to sue insurance agents and carriers, thanks to new standards from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc., attorneys said.

Show the jury 'plain old fraud'

The National Law Journal recently selected Jere Beasley as one of the top 10 litigators in the nation, including him in its special section, Winners. Here, writer Emily Heller profiles Beasley and shares his secrets of success.

Senate Hearing on 'Roof Crush' in Automobile Rollovers

Kevin Moody, a grieving father who lost his son Tyler on January 16, 2003 due to injuries from 'roof crush' has that day forever etched in his memory: "Five and a half years ago, my son, Tyler, was killed in a single vehicle rollover accident in his 1995 Ford Explorer which slid off the road and rolled over at a speed of only 40 miles an hour, into a flat grassy field. The weak roof in his Ford Explorer collapsed and crushed him to death." Since Tyler Moody's death, Kevin Moody has been on a mission to get the roof strength standard, FMVSS 216, upgraded and convince Congress to pass new legislation regulating and mandating a new and adequate roof strength standard beyond what NHTSA, (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) has proposed.

FAA: Side effects of Pfizer's Chantix too dangerous for pilots

The anti-smoking drug Chantix was removed by the Federal Aviation Administration from the list of medications deemed safe for pilots and air traffic controllers. The FAA ban followed a public health advisory issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that contained a five-point safety guide on the severe changes in mood and behavior persons taking Chantix may go through.

FAA bans use of Chantix by pilots, controllers

Pfizer Inc.'s once promising anti-smoking drug Chantix received another blow Wednesday after a nonprofit group's report about serious physical side effects prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ban the drug's use by pilots and air traffic controllers.

Pfizer's Chantix tied to 3,000 side effects reports

Pfizer Inc.'s stop-smoking pill Chantix has been linked to more than 3,000 reports in the U.S. of serious side effects, including suicides, heart trouble and aggression, a study said.

Double-strength digoxin recalled in U.S.

A heart medication sold by Mylan Laboratories in the US has had to be recalled, after it emerged that some doses may contain twice the intended dose of active ingredient. Digitek (digoxin) is used to treat heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, and the risk of adverse events with the drug is so serious that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has take the unprecedented step of asking pharmacists to notify all patients who have been prescribed it.

Extent of Digitek recall remains a mystery 10 days later

News about the April 2008 Digitek recall came first in the form of a brief company press release dated April 25, which was followed by an FDA MedWatch Safety Alert posted April 28 on the agency's web site. As of May 5, ten days later, there had been little additional information from Actavis Totowa, the drug manufacturer, and none from the FDA, about the possible extent of the Digitek recall.

Not every player in the next big tort is representing a client

The Vioxx litigation has attracted big names from the mass tort bar. And, though he’s not among plaintiffs counsel, per se, the lineup now includes Mr. Civil Action. That, of course, is Jan Schlichtmann. The Massachusetts plaintiffs lawyer became nationally known in the 1980s, when he represen…

Alabama Voices: Corporate Crimes

So long as I am attorney general, my pledge to every citizen is the same: No matter how big and rich the bully may be and whether he uses a knife or a complicated Medicaid reimbursement plan as his weapon, the innocent have nothing to fear and the guilty need only fear that justice will be done.