Personal Injury & Wrongful Death

Landmark Cigarette Ruling Upheld

Last Friday the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington essentially upheld a landmark ruling that found cigarette makers deceived the public for decades about the health hazards of smoking.
The Court of Appeals upheld the major elements of a 2006 ruling that found the nation’s top tobacco companies guilty of fraud and violating racketeering laws. The ruling said manufacturers must change the way they market cigarettes. It bans labels such as “low tar,” “light,” “ultra light” or “mild,” because such cigarettes have been found to
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Drug Companies Agree To Reimbursement of Taxpayers

The attorney general of Alabama has announced that 14 major drug companies will pay Alabama $89 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of defrauding the state Medicaid agency. This lawsuit brought on behalf of the taxpayers of the state of Alabama is one of many throughout the United States brought by state’s Attorney Generals accusing drug manufactures of overcharging and defrauding states for the purchase of drugs used in state sponsored medicaid and health care programs. The lawsuits essentially allege a pattern of fraud
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Product Liability Claims And Other Claims Related To Dangerous Machinery

Georgia injury lawyers, handling a claim for a catastrophically injured employee or the family of a deceased employee, our investigation will often reveal that the employee received injuries while working on or around a piece of machinery that caused the death, some traumatic amputation or other trauma to the employee. In such a case, the attorney must consider potential product liability claims, such as defective design, manufacture, assembly, testing or failure to warn or misrepresentation. The Supreme Court of Georgia has outlined the
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South Carolina Teenager Seriously Injured After Being Thrown From ATV

Georgia and South Carolina injury lawyers are seeing ATV accidents involving serious injury and sometimes death are on the rise with the return of warm weather. Tragically many, if not most are preventable by using common sense and obeying ATV rules. Just this week, I read about a Summerville, South Carolina teenager who is fighting for her life as a result of being thrown from the back of a fast moving ATV. According to witnesses, neither the 32 year old ATV driver or the
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Brain Death

Our Atlanta based lawyers are constantly involved in cases involving brain injury and brain death. As tragic as these cases are, the families and loved ones are many times faced with the decision whether to cease life support after there has been a medical determination of brain death.
In general, brain death is considered to be the irreversible loss of brain function. The exact definition has changed throughout the years and is still subject to debate. The brainstem controls brain function and is responsible for
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Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Medical Device Safety Act

Defective medical devices can lead to the serious injury or death of innocent people. For this reason Georgia injury lawyers representing victims of defective and dangerous products were dismayed when the Supreme Court decision in Riegel v. Medtronic, held that consumers can’t sue medical device companies over medical devices that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Now, victims of these dangerous products who say they were injured by faulty medical devices want Congress to pass legislation called the Medical
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Workers Compensation Injuries – Is There A Premises Liability and Negligent Security Third Party Claims?

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP who handle workers compensation cases always investigate the possibility that there is a negligent third party who can be sued and held accountable for the client’s injuries and damages. As any injured worker knows, the income benefits available under the Georgia Workers Compensation Act are limited. A worker with serious injuries is never made whole with workers compensation benefits alone. Many serious on-the-job injuries or deaths are attributable to the negligence of someone other
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Congressman’s Death Highlights The Dangers of Operating An ATV

As the popularity of ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles) increases the Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP see more ATV accidents resulting in death and serious injuries each year. Even experienced riders must be very careful when operating an ATV. On April 18th of this year, former Utah Congressman Bill Orton, age 60, died while operating his ATV. According to authorities, he was riding out on the sand and went off a very steep sand dune, and when he impacted the bottom, the front end
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Car Roof Crush Standards Increased

Many automobile crashes which our Georgia lawyers investigate involve serious injury and deaths which are caused by roof collapses in rollover situations. Tragically, many of these victims would have been less seriously injured or survived had the roof of the vehicle not collapsed. For many years, safety advocates have urged auto makers and the federal government to increase the minimal standards for vehicle roof strength.
Now, under pressure from Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued increased roof-strength requirements. The long-awaited federal
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Limiting The Chance For Serious Injury Or Death From Grinding Wheel Explosions

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have previously posted on the danger posed by defective grinding wheels that explode or disintegrate. When a grinding wheel comes apart, it can result in serious eye injury and even death. Although there are several reasons why these wheels fail, it is thought that many of these are inferior, imported products.
To prevent injuries, the following procedures are recommended when using grinding wheels:
* Check the wheel before each use for any cracks or chips. If
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Wrongful Death Compensation: Who Gets What and How It’s Decided

Wrongful death compensation is intended to provide financial stability and legal accountability after a family loses a loved one due to another party’s negligence or misconduct. 

While no amount of money can replace a life, compensation plays a critical role in addressing lost income, emotional suffering, and the long-term impact on surviving family members.

Many families assume compensation is automatically divided equally or paid to a single person. 

In reality, wrongful death damages
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Common Types of Dental Malpractice: Trends, Risks, and When to Contact an Attorney

Common types of dental malpractice form the foundation of many professional negligence claims brought by patients who suffer preventable injuries during dental care. 

From a legal standpoint, these cases are not driven by dissatisfaction or discomfort alone. 

They arise when a dentist’s actions fall below accepted professional standards and cause harm that could have been avoided through proper care.

Modern dentistry has expanded rapidly, with increased reliance on implants, cosmetic procedures, sedation, and
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How Dental Malpractice Lawsuits Succeed in Court

Dental malpractice lawsuits are won in court when attorneys demonstrate that a dentist’s actions fell outside accepted professional standards and caused avoidable harm to a patient. 

From a legal standpoint, these cases are not about dissatisfaction or imperfect results; they are about proving negligence through evidence, expert interpretation, and clear causation.

Dentists are afforded professional discretion, and courts do not second-guess medical judgement lightly. 

For that reason, dental malpractice cases demand careful legal
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Automated Truck Accidents: Attorneys Explain the Risks of Public Road Testing

Automated truck accidents are becoming an increasing concern as self-driving and semi-autonomous commercial vehicles are tested on public highways alongside everyday drivers. 

As trucking and technology companies promote automation as the future of transportation, the reality is that these systems are still experimental and when they fail, the consequences can be catastrophic.

Unlike closed testing environments, public roads present unpredictable variables: human drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, construction zones, weather changes, and sudden traffic events. 

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Different Types of TBIs Caused by Truck Accidents and Your Legal Options

Traumatic brain injuries from truck accidents often leave victims and families overwhelmed, uncertain, and unsure where to turn next.

In our experience as attorneys, many clients come to us not because they immediately wanted to file a lawsuit, but because they needed answers, clarity, and protection while dealing with a life-altering injury.

Truck-related brain injuries are medically complex and legally challenging.

Victims may look fine on the outside while struggling with memory loss, emotional changes, or the inability to return to work. 
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Why Survivors Deserve More Than Silence: The Role of Dash Cam Evidence in Truck Accidents

Dash cam evidence in truck accidents has become one of the most powerful tools survivors have to protect the truth after a devastating collision. 

When commercial trucks are involved, victims and families are often forced to stand alone against trucking companies that control critical evidence, employ rapid-response legal teams, and shape the narrative within hours of a crash. Video footage changes that balance.

Unlike statements that can be challenged or rewritten, dash cam footage captures what actually
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What Are the Risks of Opioids and When Do They Qualify as Wrongful Death Cases?

Opioid wrongful death cases happen when the known risks of opioid medications are ignored, mismanaged, or improperly controlled, resulting in a fatal outcome that could have been prevented through appropriate medical care.

Opioids carry inherent dangers, but the law does not excuse healthcare providers from responsibility simply because a drug is high risk. 

From a legal perspective, these cases focus on whether physicians, pharmacists, or healthcare systems failed to follow established standards designed to protect patients from foreseeable harm.
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Can Prescription Errors Cause Wrongful Death? Drug Negligence Explained

Prescription errors in wrongful death cases arise when a preventable medication mistake directly contributes to a patient’s death. 

These errors create grounds for legal accountability under medical negligence and wrongful death law. 

Prescription medications are not harmless consumer products. They are tightly regulated medical treatments that require careful prescribing, dispensing, and monitoring. When that process breaks down, the consequences can be fatal.

From a legal standpoint, wrongful death caused by medication error is
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Why Insurance Claims Get Denied and How an Attorney Can Help

Insurance claim denied situations can be both confusing and financially overwhelming, especially when policyholders expect coverage only to face delays, disputes, or outright rejection.

Many people assume insurance exists to provide protection during difficult times, yet insurers frequently deny claims based on technicalities, exclusions, or contested interpretations of policy language.

In this blog, we discuss why insurance claims get denied and how legal representation can help. 

We also explain how policyholders can protect their rights, challenge unfair decisions, and
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From Injury to Recovery: Truck Accident Effects and Hiring a Lawyer

Truck accident injuries and recovery often involve far more than short-term medical treatment, as victims may face lasting physical, emotional, and financial consequences that affect every part of daily life. 

Unlike standard vehicle crashes, trucking accidents frequently result in catastrophic harm due to the size, weight, and force of commercial trucks, leaving victims and their families overwhelmed by long-term challenges.

Beyond the immediate shock of the collision, many victims struggle with ongoing medical care, emotional trauma, and
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