Despite all the disclaimers and rhetoric, insurance companies are doing better than ever. Allstate reported a $5 billion PROFIT for 2006, and State Farm's PROFIT increased over 65% for the same year.
A year and a half after Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the insurance companies are raking it in.
Thankfully, scores of lawsuits are settling and going to verdict with the devastated homeowners finally collecting at least some of what they are owed by these behemoths.
Why is it so hard to just do the right thing?
Monday, June 4, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
My First Post In A While
This is my first post in a while. Thankfully, my practice has been very busy lately, and I have been unable to blog.
My goal is to post once a day, but I may not be able to achieve that.
My goal is to post once a day, but I may not be able to achieve that.
Doctors Involved In Huge Fraud Scheme
Calif. doctors charged with surgery scam
© 2007 The Associated Press
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Three doctors were charged with billing insurers for $30 million of unnecessary surgery performed on hundreds of patients recruited from around the country.
Authorities said the patients received money or low-cost cosmetic procedures for participating in the "rent-a-patient" scam at Unity Outpatient Surgery Center.
More than $5 million of the insurance claims were paid, authorities said.
Arrested Wednesday were Dr. Michael Chan, an obstetrician; Dr. William Hampton, a surgeon; and Dr. Mario Z. Rosenberg, a gastroenterologist.
Each was charged with 47 felony counts including conspiracy after billing 19 insurance companies for what authorities said were unnecessary colonoscopies and surgeries on 940 patients. Bail ranged from $1 million to $2.3 million.
Each doctor could face nearly 50 years in prison. The California Medical Board was also pursuing suspension of their licenses.
Fourteen other people — five administrators and nine recruiters — have been charged as part of a four-year investigation.
"Doctors need to know if they commit insurance fraud, they may be trading in their scrubs for prison jumpsuits," District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said.
Chan, 61, was the owner and medical director at Unity. Authorities said he performed 211 unnecessary procedures on 208 patients, billing $9.5 million in claims, of which $1.8 million was paid to the clinic.
Rosenberg, 60, and Hampton, 51, also performed hundreds of procedures, billing insurers $21 million in claims, of which $3.3 million were paid, prosecutors said.
Their first court appearance was pending. It was not immediately known whether any had retained attorneys.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
ANOTHER Beach Boys Lawsuit! Can't These Guys EVER Stop Suing Each Other???
Lawsuit by Beach Boys Mike Love against former band member to proceed to trial
(AP) - LOS ANGELES-A Superior Court judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by the Beach Boys' Mike Love against former band member Al Jardine can proceed to trial.
In ordering that the case be heard by a jury, Superior Court Judge James R. Dunn on Tuesday denied Love's motion to rule immediately in his favor. A trial date was not immediately scheduled.
news230();
Love is seeking $2 million (€1.54 million) in court costs and another $1 million (€770,000) in earnings he said Jardine wrongly was paid for using the Beach Boys' name in connection with other bands in which he has performed.
Love maintains that only he has the rights to perform under the Beach Boys' name, and federal courts ruled in 2003 that Jardine must stop using the name. Jardine had been performing under such names as "Beach Boys Family & Friends," "Al Jardine, Beach Boy" and "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys."
The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Love and Brian Wilson's friend Jardine.
Dennis Wilson died in 1983 and Carl Wilson died in 1998.
Brian Wilson continues to tour and record with his own band, and Jardine recently joined him for a tour featuring performances of the Beach Boys' classic album "Pet Sounds."
(AP) - LOS ANGELES-A Superior Court judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by the Beach Boys' Mike Love against former band member Al Jardine can proceed to trial.
In ordering that the case be heard by a jury, Superior Court Judge James R. Dunn on Tuesday denied Love's motion to rule immediately in his favor. A trial date was not immediately scheduled.
news230();
Love is seeking $2 million (€1.54 million) in court costs and another $1 million (€770,000) in earnings he said Jardine wrongly was paid for using the Beach Boys' name in connection with other bands in which he has performed.
Love maintains that only he has the rights to perform under the Beach Boys' name, and federal courts ruled in 2003 that Jardine must stop using the name. Jardine had been performing under such names as "Beach Boys Family & Friends," "Al Jardine, Beach Boy" and "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys."
The Beach Boys were founded in 1961 by brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Love and Brian Wilson's friend Jardine.
Dennis Wilson died in 1983 and Carl Wilson died in 1998.
Brian Wilson continues to tour and record with his own band, and Jardine recently joined him for a tour featuring performances of the Beach Boys' classic album "Pet Sounds."
Alabama May Tighten Teen Driving Laws
Alabama Considers Tougher Teen Driving Laws
January 30, 2007
A state committee looking for ways to save lives on Alabama highways wants to get young drivers off cell phones and put new restrictions on how many passengers they can carry.
The State Highway Safety Coordinating Committee is working on a package of bills for the legislative session starting March 6, said the chairman, state Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Springville.
The package won't just address teens. It will include bills affecting drunken drivers, seat belt use, and drivers with no insurance.
One bill in the package would toughen the state's graduated driver license law, which limits 16-year-old drivers to carrying no more than four passengers, excluding parents or legal guardians. McClendon's committee wants to reduce that to one passenger, and he cites a fatal wreck in Shelby County as a reason.
In November, a sports utility vehicle driven by a 16-year-old collided with a train at a crossing on Shelby County Road 377, killing one teen and injuring five others. The driver told troopers he had stopped at the crossing, but during an argument over an iPod, he started forward and the accident occurred.
A 15-year-old girl, who was sharing a seat with another student, was not properly restrained. She was thrown from the vehicle and killed.
"We had that terrible accident in Chelsea where there was a carload of kids with a kid driving,'' McClendon told The Birmingham News. "Plus it has been recommended at the federal level that a teen driver have only one other teen passenger.''
The committee's other proposals would:
rescind a law that bars police forces in towns with populations of less than 19,000 from patrolling interstate highway.
prohibit those 18 and younger from using cell phones while driving.
create a "super drunk'' law providing higher penalties for people arrested for driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher. Alabama's drunken driving law currently applies at 0.08 percent blood alcohol level.
clarify a gray area in state law to make sure drunken driving convictions more than five years old are admissible in court.
toughen penalties for people caught driving without a license or insurance.
increase the penalty for not wearing a seat belt from $25 to $50 and require adults in the back seat of vehicles to buckle up. Adults in back seats are not currently covered by the law.
January 30, 2007
A state committee looking for ways to save lives on Alabama highways wants to get young drivers off cell phones and put new restrictions on how many passengers they can carry.
The State Highway Safety Coordinating Committee is working on a package of bills for the legislative session starting March 6, said the chairman, state Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Springville.
The package won't just address teens. It will include bills affecting drunken drivers, seat belt use, and drivers with no insurance.
One bill in the package would toughen the state's graduated driver license law, which limits 16-year-old drivers to carrying no more than four passengers, excluding parents or legal guardians. McClendon's committee wants to reduce that to one passenger, and he cites a fatal wreck in Shelby County as a reason.
In November, a sports utility vehicle driven by a 16-year-old collided with a train at a crossing on Shelby County Road 377, killing one teen and injuring five others. The driver told troopers he had stopped at the crossing, but during an argument over an iPod, he started forward and the accident occurred.
A 15-year-old girl, who was sharing a seat with another student, was not properly restrained. She was thrown from the vehicle and killed.
"We had that terrible accident in Chelsea where there was a carload of kids with a kid driving,'' McClendon told The Birmingham News. "Plus it has been recommended at the federal level that a teen driver have only one other teen passenger.''
The committee's other proposals would:
rescind a law that bars police forces in towns with populations of less than 19,000 from patrolling interstate highway.
prohibit those 18 and younger from using cell phones while driving.
create a "super drunk'' law providing higher penalties for people arrested for driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher. Alabama's drunken driving law currently applies at 0.08 percent blood alcohol level.
clarify a gray area in state law to make sure drunken driving convictions more than five years old are admissible in court.
toughen penalties for people caught driving without a license or insurance.
increase the penalty for not wearing a seat belt from $25 to $50 and require adults in the back seat of vehicles to buckle up. Adults in back seats are not currently covered by the law.
PA Couple Awarded $1.5 Million Against Drug Maker Wyeth
Pa. Couple Awarded $1.5 Million Against Hormone Drug Maker Wyeth
By Maryclaire Dale
January 31, 2007
A couple who contended that a hormone-replacement drug caused the woman's breast cancer was awarded $1.5 million (euro1.16 million) this week in a jury verdict in Philadelphia against drug maker Wyeth.
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The jury also found that Wyeth acted with malice or reckless disregard, prompting a hearing on possible punitive damages.
The Philadelphia jury awarded $1 million (euro770,000) in compensatory damages to plaintiff Mary Daniel and $500,000 (euro387,000) to her husband, Tom, a courtroom clerk said.
Mary Daniel, 60, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, developed breast cancer after taking the Wyeth drug Prempro -- a combination of estrogen and progestin -- every other day for about 16 months to relieve hot flashes.
Daniel had two surgeries and underwent chemotherapy and radiation following her July 2001 diagnosis. She has since been cancer-free.
Her lawyer said Wyeth knew of research indicating a link between Prempro and cancer, but put profits ahead of patients.
"Wyeth has known for decades that postmenopausal drugs cause breast cancer, but the company deliberately failed to do studies to understand or quantify that risk,'' lawyer Zoe Littlepage said. "Wyeth protected their bottom dollar instead of protecting the patients.''
At its height, Wyeth sold $2 billion a year in drugs that treat menopausal symptoms, including Premarin and Prempro. But many women stopped taking them after the federal Women's Health Initiative study in July 2002 found higher rates of breast cancer and heart problems in women who took estrogen-progestin pills.
Wyeth spokesman Christopher Garland declined to comment after Monday's verdict, citing a request by the trial judge.
In closing arguments, Wyeth denied any malice and noted that doctors still prescribe Prempro for some women. Lawyer Peter Grossi suggested that Daniel's breast cancer was caused by other risk factors, including the density of her breasts and a family history of cancer.
The jury deliberated for about two days following a three-week trial.
Daniel's lawsuit is the third of about 4,500 against Wyeth to reach a jury.
Wyeth won its first trial in Arkansas in August, and a mistrial was declared in the second trial in Philadelphia in October.
Other suits are pending in the courts.
By Maryclaire Dale
January 31, 2007
A couple who contended that a hormone-replacement drug caused the woman's breast cancer was awarded $1.5 million (euro1.16 million) this week in a jury verdict in Philadelphia against drug maker Wyeth.
Advertisement
The jury also found that Wyeth acted with malice or reckless disregard, prompting a hearing on possible punitive damages.
The Philadelphia jury awarded $1 million (euro770,000) in compensatory damages to plaintiff Mary Daniel and $500,000 (euro387,000) to her husband, Tom, a courtroom clerk said.
Mary Daniel, 60, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, developed breast cancer after taking the Wyeth drug Prempro -- a combination of estrogen and progestin -- every other day for about 16 months to relieve hot flashes.
Daniel had two surgeries and underwent chemotherapy and radiation following her July 2001 diagnosis. She has since been cancer-free.
Her lawyer said Wyeth knew of research indicating a link between Prempro and cancer, but put profits ahead of patients.
"Wyeth has known for decades that postmenopausal drugs cause breast cancer, but the company deliberately failed to do studies to understand or quantify that risk,'' lawyer Zoe Littlepage said. "Wyeth protected their bottom dollar instead of protecting the patients.''
At its height, Wyeth sold $2 billion a year in drugs that treat menopausal symptoms, including Premarin and Prempro. But many women stopped taking them after the federal Women's Health Initiative study in July 2002 found higher rates of breast cancer and heart problems in women who took estrogen-progestin pills.
Wyeth spokesman Christopher Garland declined to comment after Monday's verdict, citing a request by the trial judge.
In closing arguments, Wyeth denied any malice and noted that doctors still prescribe Prempro for some women. Lawyer Peter Grossi suggested that Daniel's breast cancer was caused by other risk factors, including the density of her breasts and a family history of cancer.
The jury deliberated for about two days following a three-week trial.
Daniel's lawsuit is the third of about 4,500 against Wyeth to reach a jury.
Wyeth won its first trial in Arkansas in August, and a mistrial was declared in the second trial in Philadelphia in October.
Other suits are pending in the courts.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
How This Will Work
Hey everyone, I am fairly new at blogging, so this may be an "adjust as you go" proposition.
I hope to put items of interest regularly, including:
Tips on what to do when hiring a lawyer.
What happens after your case gets filed.
What insurance companies will try to hide from you.
Whatever else strikes my fancy.
Also, please feel free to ask any questions you may have on any subject.
I hope to put items of interest regularly, including:
Tips on what to do when hiring a lawyer.
What happens after your case gets filed.
What insurance companies will try to hide from you.
Whatever else strikes my fancy.
Also, please feel free to ask any questions you may have on any subject.
JOKE OF THE DAY
Money Goes To ChurchA well-worn one dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.
The twenty dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the county. "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean."
"Wow!" said the one dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!"
"So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your lifetime?"
The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church ...."
The twenty dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"
The twenty dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the county. "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean."
"Wow!" said the one dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!"
"So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your lifetime?"
The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church ...."
The twenty dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"
Monday, January 15, 2007
Hello! This is a new blog.
Hello Birmingham! I am Bobby Lott, and I have just started this blog.
I hope to be able to bring you legal tips, news, and who knows what on a daily (or at least regular) basis.
I hope to be able to bring you legal tips, news, and who knows what on a daily (or at least regular) basis.
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