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Arbitration is a form of resolving civil disputes privately, outside of the actual court system.  Instead of taking their case to court and having it decided by a jury or judge, both parties voluntarily agree to have the case heard and decided by a private arbitration panel.  Arbitration is different from court litigation in a number of significant ways.  It offers many advantages compared to a trial in the court system. But it also has a number of drawbacks.  This article summarizes both the perks of arbitration and the drawbacks as compared to the traditional method of litigating in the court system.

We do not arbitrate as many cases as we did ten years ago.  Why?  First, we handle more malpractice cases than we ever have and malpractice does not lend itself to arbitration.   But I honestly think there are not as many good arbitrators for serious personal injury cases as there once were.  Most arbitrators also do mediations.  Anyone would rather do mediations than arbitrations because when you make a final call, someone is usually unhappy.   So it seems like every time a new mediator/arbitrator comes on the scene and is well received, they soon are no longer doing arbitrations. Also, many arbitrators are retired judges who are close to retiring again.

Anyway, if you are considering arbitration, here are some pros and cons to consider.

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Pharmacies serve a critically important function in our health care system as prescription medication use is more widespread than ever.

Around 5 billion prescriptions get filled every year in the U.S.  The average pharmacist fills hundreds or even thousands of prescriptions every day and this responsibility involves more than just counting out pills.

There are more prescriptions than ever.  There are also more medication error mistakes and lawsuits in Baltimore than there have ever been.  This post gives you the inside story of what you can expect in pharmacy error lawsuits in Baltimore.

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In a personal injury lawsuit, plaintiffs are entitled to get compensation for the economic losses resulting from their injury including lost earnings.  So if you’re not able to work for an extended time because of the injury, you are supposed to get money to compensate for the income you lost.

If you file a lawsuit and ask for lost earnings, you don’t simply tell the court how much you lost.  Damages for lost earnings must be calculated based on evidence.  If you are a W-2 employee with a salary, lost earnings calculation is easy.  You just present documentation from your employer stating what your lost wages were. There may be a battle over whether the employee needed to take off work.  But the calculation itself if very simple.

Self-Employed Calculations Are More Complex

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Burns and Allergic Reactions to Just for Men Hair Dye

Just for Men pitchmen like Keith Hernandez may quip “Go from Grey to Great” but some are finding an unpleasant catch to the inexpensive hair and beard dye. Specifically, customers are complaining of painful reactions after using the product to clean up their patches of grey.

Just for Men’s manufacturer, Combe Incorporated, hasn’t issued a recall of any of their hair dye products and most negative reactions to the products are usually temporary. But for many middle-aged men hoping to hold onto that youthful look a little longer, Just for Men’s potential for skin irritation and other issues may do more to harm than help.

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If you are having back pain after a car crash, you are not alone.  Our law office represents hundreds of victims every year who have suffered back pain – typically low back pain — from a car accident.  I’m hoping this post answers a lot of questions you might have if you have suffered a back injury from a car accident.

What is causing lower back pain after a car accident?

Being involved in a car accident can lead to a wide variety of injuries from bumps and bruises to broken bones and even death.  We have handled all of these types cases too many times. But of all the case we see, back injuries and the subsequent pain are common consequences of car collisions. If you were involved in a car accident, you may have wondered what caused your lower back pain.

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Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (also known as perinatal asphyxia) is a type of brain injury that results when the supply of blood and oxygen to a baby’s brain is temporarily cut off during childbirth.

What is Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)?

Encephalopathy is a medical term used to describe various conditions or diseases that result in damage to the brain. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an injury to the brain specifically caused by a combination of (a) an interruption or reduction in oxygen supply (hypoxia), and (b) a reduction of blood flow (ischemia). With perinatal HIE the reduction of blood and oxygen flow to the baby’s brain takes place during or immediately after childbirth. HIE is a very dangerous condition that requires an emergency response by doctors and hospital staff. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is one of the leading causes of infant deaths during childbirth. HIE is also a leading source of very severe and disabling brain damages.
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Our law firm handles cerebral palsy lawsuits in Baltimore.  There is confusion about CP lawsuits and about cerebral palsy in general.  This post hopes to help some clear up some of the confusion and get a clear picture of the landscape of cerebral palsy in general and the litigation landscape of in CP birth injury suits.

Some lawyers and defense experts in birth injury cases want the jury to think the cerebral palsy is a disease. Cerebral palsy is not a disease.  Rather CP is a group of disorders in which the brain is unable to control muscle movement, coordination, and balance.  The term cerebral references the brain and palsy is a medical term that refers to paralysis or weakness.  CP is caused by a particular type of damage to the brain during developmental stages.

CP and its physical symptoms can vary significantly. Individuals with relatively minor cases of CP might just walk with a slight limp or awkward gait.  I have one friend who has CP who got off to a tough start but does really well and, at this point, no one knows she has CP.   A severe case of CP might leave the person completely unable to walk at all.

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Medical malpractice is when a physician, or other professional, renders substandard medical care resulting in harm to the patient.  Professional malpractice is a civil wrong or “tort” for which injured patients can be entitled to legal compensation.  The damages caused by medical malpractice can be very significant.

Poor medical care can easily result in debilitating physical harm and even death.  In fact, a recent study by Johns Hopkins estimated that medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. each year.  Baltimore has some of the best hospitals and doctors in the entire country.  But medical malpractice occurs even at places like Johns Hopkins.

Everyone always talks about how fortunate we are to have such great hospitals in Baltimore.  I’ve said that myself and felt blessed to have the treatment options I have had.  Yet Maryland ranks 48th in hospital safety in Maryland and Baltimore hospital play a big role in that ranking.

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Last week, the Baltimore City Department of Transportation announced that it is pushing its chips to the center of the table when it comes to speed and red light cameras.

Baltimore has a program called the City’s Automated Traffic Violation Enforcement System (ATVES).  Not so much to me because I’ve seen too many people’s lives ruined by speed and running red lights, but ATVES sounds very Orwellian to many Baltimore City drivers. ATVES is in charge of the automated speed trap and red light enforcement cameras in Baltimore City.

ATVES also does something that troubles people less, particularly those who have seen truck accident statistics in this country. It has a Commercial Vehicle Height Monitoring System Camera Program to enforce violations of commercial vehicles traveling on truck restricted roadways in Baltimore City.  We got a million dollar verdict in a case a few years back in no small measure because the jury was annoyed that the truck was in a place that it clearly should not have been.   This system definitely uses some bring brother technology,  using the truck’s height to determine whether the vehicle is over ¾ of a ton).

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A disc herniation is a type of disc injury that is frequently caused by car accidents.  The impact of a car accident often exerts significant force and pressure on the spine.  This pressure can cause a tear and rupture or bulge of the spinal discs, which act as pads or cushions for the spine.  This injury is referred to as a herniated disc.

Our firm has handled scores and scores of herniated disc injury cases.  Our first trial at Miller & Zois was a herniated disc verdict in 2003.  Our doors had been open for about a month.  The defendant offered $25,000 to settle a no property damage herniated disc injury case where the most aggressive treatment was steroid injections.

Laura Zois and I tried the case and we got a $300,000 verdict.  Our firm has handled these cases ever since.  We have earned millions in settlements and verdicts in herniated disc injury cases.

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