Personal Injury & Wrongful Death

In An Accident While Traveling Out Of Town: What Law Controls?

We are often called by clients who have traveled through the Atlanta area only to be the unfortunate victim of a third party’s negligence. Calls usually come from those in car accidents or tractor-trailer collisions. Sometimes a slip and fall is involved or a defective product. These innocent persons sometimes are hospitalized following the incident in Georgia and then sent back to their home states for follow up treatment. When they reach out to an attorney the usually are being overwhelmed with medical
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Wrongful Death Cases: Who Has The Claim?

It is not unusual for our firm to be contacted by family members who are bereaved over the death of a close family relative. Oftentimes the individual is killed through the negligence of a third party and the family member simply wants to understand the law that pertains to the claim. Sometimes, however, family members can get in an argument among themselves as to who has the right to pursue the claim for the wrongful death. While Georgia, like many states, has a statutory scheme
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Structured Settlements In Serious Injury Cases

In any serious injury case involving permanent or lifetime injuries, careful consideration should be given to whether a structured settlement should be part of any settlement of such a case. A structured settlement agreement is a device whereby if the overall lump sum amount can be agreed upon, a certain percentage of it can be set aside and invested in an annuity that will pay benefits over the victim’s lifetime, usually on a monthly basis. Such benefits are extremely important for people who are disabled because it provides them a safety net and allows them to pay rent and other necessary living expenses as they grow older. Particularly in those cases where a victim is incapacitated and unable to work, a structured settlement agreement can provide a lifetime of revenue for necessary living expenses.
One of the main advantages of a structured settlement agreement is that the benefits are not taxable. As an example, if someone were to settle a personal injury case for $500,000.00 and allocate $200,000.00 for a structured settlement annuity, any benefits generated from the structured settlement annuity would be non-taxable. However, if the settling individual were to receive the entire amount in cash and then invested a portion of the money and made the same monthly interest, taxes would have to be paid on the interest earned, assuming that there was enough income otherwise generated to be subject to taxation.

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Hospital And Medical Liens: What Should A Victim Do?

In a serious injury case the victim is usually overwhelmed with medical expenses, lost wages, terrible pain and suffering, and a total disruption in their personal, family and home life. If they are fortunate enough to have good counsel and they are fortunate enough to get a good settlement from the third party responsible for inflicting the injuries upon them, it will not be uncommon for such a victim to have to deal with a host of medical lien issues. The most common medical liens
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Implantable Defibrillators Frequently Used In Inappropriate Cases

More than 20% of patients who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator — a high-tech device that produces electrical impulses to regulate heartbeats and prevent life-threatening arrhythmias — in recent years were not good candidates to receive the device, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Duke University looked at more than 111,000 patients who received ICD implants between 2006 and 2009. More than 25,000 of those patients did not meet evidence-based criteria for receiving the device, according to the study.
The risk of dying in the hospital
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Inhalers Recalled Due To Mislabeling

The Food and Drug Administration is also concerned that hospital, med-center and emergency patients may be given the higher dose, as correctly labeled outer packaging is generally discarded.
Health care providers seeing only the mislabeled bottle would be very likely to give the wrong dose, especially since the two solution strengths are distilled in equal sized bottles. The .05 mg/3 ml bottles look just like the 2.5 mg./ 3 ml bottles. Only the strength differs.
Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation is sold in single use dosage bottles,
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Subrogation Claims In Personal Injury Cases

In car accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, medical malpractice or other serious injury cases, in the event a settlement is reached, there is always the possibility of a subrogation claim being asserted by a third party against the settlement proceeds. Subrogation claims are usually claims held by insurance carriers that have paid medical benefits. The victim who was injured by the negligent truck driver, for example, may have incurred hundreds of thousands in medical bills for expensive surgery. If a third party health insurance carrier pays these
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Food-Borne Safety Bill Signed But in Trouble

Each year, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, 48 million people, that is one in six Americans, are sickened by food-borne illnesses. Of those, 180,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
The first major overhaul of the nation’s food-safety infrastructure since 1938 was signed into law yesterday by President Obama.
The Food Safety Modernization Act moves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) away from its early-20th-century role of responding to adulterated food to a more modern one of requiring companies
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Electric Adjustable Beds Singled Out For Dangers

Electric adjustable beds have been singled out for causing serious injuries and death. Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to Invacare Corp. for failing to report and address malfunctions with its electric beds, including electronics that allegedly caught on fire causing injury and death.
The FDA posted a warning letter to the Ohio-based company Tuesday morning. Invacare makes a variety of medical equipment, including wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and electric beds.
In its Dec. 15 warning letter, the FDA said the company
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Settlement Releases In Personal Injury Cases

Anytime a serious injury case is settled for a particular amount of money, the insurance company for the at fault third party involved will insist on a Release of all claims, not only against their insured responsible for the damages but also for the insurance company issuing the check on their behalf. This is standard as part of any serious injury or personal injury case whereby monies are paid as consideration for a settlement. In all such cases, counsel should be conferred with because the
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How Weather Conditions Influence Truck Accident Liability: What Victims Should Know

Weather is a major factor in road safety, especially for large commercial trucks.

Even mild rain, fog, snow, or wind can turn routine driving into a serious hazard—and complicate questions of legal responsibility.

Truck drivers must be trained to adapt to these conditions, yet many accidents happen because of poor decisions or company negligence.

Proving liability in weather-related crashes is challenging, but with fast action and deep legal knowledge, it’s possible to hold the right
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What Truck Accident Victims Should Know About Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Data

One of the most devastating events on our roadways is a truck accident.

These collisions frequently cause serious injuries or fatalities because of the size and weight of commercial vehicles.

In the aftermath, victims and their families are left not only coping with trauma and medical bills but also searching for answers: What caused the accident? Could it have been prevented? Who is liable?

More precise and fact-based solutions to these problems are now feasible
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Is There a Cap on Wrongful Death Compensation? What Families Should Know About Limits

One of the most terrible things a family can go through is losing a loved one because of the carelessness of another person.

Knowing your legal rights and alternatives becomes crucial during this extremely taxing period, particularly with regard to wrongful death compensation.

Is there a cap on wrongful death damages? This is a question that many families have.

The answer isn’t simple and varies widely depending on where you live and the specifics of your
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Legal Rights of Parents in Unborn Child Wrongful Death Cases

It is an unfathomable sadness to lose an unborn child as a result of someone else’s carelessness.

In Georgia, parents have legal avenues to seek justice and compensation through wrongful death claims.

However, these cases are fraught with complexities, and understanding the legal framework is crucial.

Understanding Wrongful Death in the Context of Unborn Children

Georgia law allows parents to pursue wrongful death claims for the loss of an unborn child, provided certain conditions are met.

Usually at 24 weeks of gestation, the fetus
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Medical Malpractice Settlements vs. Jury Trials: Which Is Right for You?

When a medical procedure goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating—emotionally, physically, and financially.

Victims and families often face a whirlwind of pain, confusion, and legal questions.

One of the most important decisions you’ll face in a medical malpractice case is whether to accept a settlement or pursue a jury trial.

Each path comes with its own risks and rewards, and making the right choice could shape the outcome of your entire case.

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Who Can File a Medical Malpractice Claim? Understanding Your Rights

You may be able to file a medical malpractice claim when you or a loved one experienced harm as a result of a medical professional’s carelessness.

Many people aren’t sure whether they have the right to file or if their situation qualifies as malpractice.

As seasoned medical malpractice attorneys at Finch McCranie LLP, we believe understanding your legal rights is the first step in holding healthcare providers accountable and seeking the justice you deserve.
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How Settlements Work in Medical Malpractice Cases

Without competent legal assistance, allegations of medical negligence can be difficult to handle due to their complexity, emotional content, and difficulty.

It’s essential to understand how settlements in medical malpractice cases work if you or a loved one experienced harm as a consequence of a healthcare provider’s negligence.

Many parties prefer to settle their cases out of court, but it’s crucial to understand what that process involves, what to anticipate, and how an experienced medical malpractice
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What Evidence Is Critical in Truck Accident Injury Lawsuits?

Truck accidents frequently result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities, making it one of the most damaging categories of personal injury incidents.

A accident between a commercial truck and a smaller vehicle can have serious financial, psychological, and physical repercussions.

In the aftermath, pursuing legal action may be the only way for victims to secure the compensation they deserve.

But not every claim is successful. The quality and extent of the evidence acquired nearly totally determines
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The Role of Expert Witnesses in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

In medical malpractice trials, expert witnesses are essential because they help the court make sense of complicated medical data.

With a background in healthcare, they analyze medical records to identify whether the standard of care was breached and explain how such breaches caused harm.

Their evidence enables the holding of negligent medical professionals accountable by translating medical jargon into English that juries and judges can easily understand.

Having worked both as a nurse and now
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How a Surgical Negligence Lawyer Can Help If You Suspect Malpractice

Surgical procedures, regardless of complexity, require absolute precision, coordination, and adherence to medical protocols Patients entrust surgical specialists with their trust and even their lives.

But what happens when that trust is broken? When a routine or high-risk surgery results in unexpected harm, and the cause seems to stem from something more than chance?

If you suspect that your injuries, complications, or unexpected outcome after surgery are due to negligence, it’s essential to take proactive steps.

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