Hospital burn units treat 2000 patients with work-related electrical burn injuries every year.  Many of these same patients will not be able to go back to their same jobs if the electrical burns caused a disabling personal injury. 

Workers’ compensation may not cover all the lost wages related to a personal injury accident.  It is also common for an employer’s insurance company to offer a personal injury settlement that does not include future medical expenses.

In order to receive reasonable reimbursement for a personal injury, an electrical burn victim may need to hire a personal injury attorney to file a suit against the responsible parties.

Employees tend to relax at company-sponsored holiday parties and some may act inappropriately.  An employee may verbally or physically harass another employee or drive drunk and cause a personal injury automobile accident.  Company owners, managers and supervisors should make sure employees know they are expected to drink alcohol in moderation at the holiday party.

It is up to company executives and supervisors to set the tone for a holiday party and prevent incidents which could lead to a personal injury lawsuit.   The company may be held liable for a personal injury incident involving employees during or even after the holiday party.  Company parties can be alcohol-free or provide transportation arrangements for employees who drink too much to safely drive home after the party.

Roger Barnett, who is widely considered responsible for the current vigilante border patrol movement, took his role too far when he pointed his AR-15 assault rifle at a group of hunters near his property and threatened to shoot them.  The Mexican American hunters filed and won their personal injury claim citing assault, false imprisonment, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress by the Southwest Arizona ranch owner. 

Barnett, who boasts of intercepting more than 10,000 immigrants illegally crossing the Mexican border, still has more Arizona personal injury cases pending against him which were filed by immigrant-rights groups.  The groups are accusing him of unlawfully imprisoning and harassing illegal immigrants who trespass on his ranch.

Three children recently suffered intestinal perforations after swallowing multiple magnetic pieces from Polly Pocket toys.  Mattel recalled 4.4 million Polly Pocket sets sold between May 2003 and September 2006 which have tiny magnets that can come loose and cause a fatal personal injury to a child if more than one is swallowed.

Back in March of this year, a similar recall was made by Mega Brands Inc after one child died and three others were seriously injured when they swallowed pieces from magnetic building sets.  Parents and caregivers can find out more information these and other recalls at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The site also provides valuable tips on ways to avoid toy-related personal injury accidents.

A federal court jury made the Oklahoma personal injury award this week after determining the Ford Explorer’s roof was too weak to withstand the rollover that killed Tyler Moody in 2003.  Ford plans to appeal this personal injury award claiming the accident was caused by Moody’s unsafe driving not a product defect in the Ford Explorer.

Attorneys for Ford in the Oklahoma personal injury case argued that Moody’s reckless driving, not a product defect, caused the death of the 18 year old.  Moody was driving 70 mph around a curve with a speed limit of 35 mph when the Ford Explorer rolled over and the roof collapsed killing Moody.  This Oklahoma personal injury verdict is the fifth largest product defect claim award this year.

The five largest product defect claim awards in 2006 were all against Ford Motor Company.  Ford is still facing several hundred more personal injury suits this year for product defect claims related to Ford Explorer rollovers.

Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP reached a settlement against Ephedra manufacturer and distributor Metabolife.  The $56 million personal injury settlement will be distributed to non-insured and under-insured tort claimants. 

Metabolife now known as MII Liquidation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2005 after the FDA banned the Ephedra product in 2004.  The personal injury settlement includes a plan to liquidate Metabolife’s creditors as well as settle the numerous worldwide tort claims against the company.

After 14 years off the market, silicone breast implants are now available for women aged 22 or older as well as those undergoing reconstructive breast surgery.  The FDA declared silicone-gel implants reasonably safe and effective allowing two California companies to produce and sell the implants.  As a condition of the FDA approval, Allergan Inc. and Mentor Corporation are required to study leaks on women who already have the implants as well begin a new study on 40,000 other women receiving the silicone implants.

The FDA originally placed the ban on the silicone implants in 1992 when huge numbers of women complained that the implants leaked causing severe pain and infection.  In 1995, implant manufacturer Dow Corning was named in 19,000 personal injury lawsuits alleging the implants were defective.  Dow was forced into bankruptcy and later emerged from it after setting up a $2.35 billion fund to settle the personal injury claims.

Approximately 291,000 women received breast implants last year made out of materials other than silicone.  Tens of thousands of women were waiting for the silicone implants to come back on the market.  The women who will receive the newly approved silicone breast implants are required to undergo regular MRI test to check for leaks.  Opponents say the implants are still defective products and should not be on the market.

The Delaware Supreme Court denied an appeal by Beebe Medical Center and its insurance carrier for the compensatory damages in the wrongful death case brought by Julie Bailey’s family.  Julie Bailey, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, was released from the Beebe Medical Center in 2003 to the nearby Lewes Convalescent Home and walked directly into a food freezer at the home.  She became trapped and suffered frostbite which led to her death. 

The Delaware personal injury suit originally brought by Ms. Bailey’s family went to court in 2005 to argue for both punitive and compensatory damages.  The medical center took responsibility for the negligence and agreed to $5 million in punitive damages.  Beebe then appealed the compensatory damages to the Supreme court arguing that evidence related to the punitive damages should not have been included in the court’s consideration for the compensatory damages.  The court upheld the $13 million verdict for the compensatory damages and is the largest ever Delaware personal injury settlement for this type of case.

Clifton Oliver and Donald Creigan were 2 of 3 people arrested in connection with the 2002 explosion at Jacob’s Field in Cleveland, Ohio.  An explosive device burned 4 people and shocked many other fans when it went off in the ninth inning.  The two men were held in the Cuyoga County Jail along with the man later found guilty of the crime.

In their Ohio personal injury suit,  Oliver and Creigan alleged that they endured inhumane conditions.  Both men sued the city for malicious prosecution, false arrest and emotional distress.  A jury award each man $1 million to include $400,000 in compensatory damages and $600,000 in punitive damages for the Ohio personal injury claim.

A Simi Valley California personal injury court ruled Vons Supermarket must pay James Stevens $16.73 million in punitive damages and $1.672 million for emotional distress and economic loss for the sexual harassment inflicted on him by a female supervisor.  In his personal injury case testimony, Stevens alleged Laura Marko harassed him from 2001 to 2002 and was himself transferred when he complained of the harassment.  Von’s fired Stevens shortly after he filed the complaint and Marko never received any discipline or counseling for her actions.

On August 10, 2002, Jeffrey Klein(17) and Brett Birdwell(17) climbed atop a Norfolk Southern train car parked on an urban Amtrak train track and suffered electrical burn injuries from electrical wires above the trains.  There were no warning signs on the trains, tracks or wires to prevent the personal injury accident. 

A Federal court in Pennsylvania found Amtrak 70% responsible and Norfolk Southern 30% responsible for the boys railroad injuries.   Personal injury lawyers for the boys proved both railroad companies were aware that parked trains under catenary wires posed a personal injury risk to juveniles.  The Federal Railroad Administration issued a report to congress in 1971 recommending the railroads put warning signs near the wires to warn the public about the danger of electrocution.

Jesse Branham III was 12 when the Ford Bronco II his mother was driving rolled over and left him with serious brain injuries.  A South Carolina State Court Jury found Ford 55% responsible for the personal injury accident because the Bronco has a high center of gravity causing it to rollover during tight maneuvers.  

State law will require Ford pay for the entire South Carolina personal injury award which includes $15 million for punitive damages and $16 million for actual damages.  The second largest automobile maker in the US will appeal the verdict on the grounds that Mrs Branham admitted she turned her head to talk to the kids in the back seat and allegedly did not make sure they had their seat belts on right.

American Family Mutual Insurance failed to offer Michael Whitehead enhanced personal injury coverage with his last automobile insurance policy renewal before he broke his neck in a automobile rollover accident.  A Denver, Colorado jury found the insurance company liable for not offering Mr. Whitehead optional no-fault personal injury coverage as required by state law. 

The award consists of $1 million for punitive damages and $250,000 for pain and suffering.  The automobile accident left Michael Whitehead paralyzed and he is expected to need expensive medical care long into the future.  American Family is also ordered to pay an estimated $250,000 for medical expenses and interest.

Many other drivers have filed lawsuits with Colorado personal injury attorneys against American and other insurance companies for the same type of negligence.

Colorado policyholders can expect to save an average of $50 per year on their car insurance when State Farm cuts rates this month. The tort reform enacted in 2003 requires only the insurer of the driver at fault to pay for damages in a Colorado personal injury automobile accident. Previously, Colorado had a more typical “no fault” personal injury payment system where the insurance companies for each person injured were required to pay the expenses no matter who was at fault in an automobile accident.

State Farm says expenses decreased steadily after the tort reform legislation went into effect three years ago.

Oceanside, California Officer Tony Zeppetella was shot and killed three years ago during a routine traffic stop, when a shooter’s bullet penetrated his supposedly bullet resistant vest.  Second Chance Body Armour Inc., maker of the vest,  agreed to pay $2.3 million to Jamie and Jakob Zeppetella, the wife and son of the officer.

A jury verdict last month awarded the family $2.5 million but they chose to take the slightly lower settlement  to avoid years of appeals in California personal injury courts.