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Personal Injury
Sometimes automobile or light truck accidents occur when there is only one car involved and no surviving witnesses to testify as to what happened or at least no other driver to testify as to what caused the accident. The victims of these accidents often do not pursue any claim because they assume there was no one at fault except the driver of the single vehicle involved in the accident. Occasionally though, there is a party at fault besides the driver.
The issues that surface in such cases involve the crashworthiness of the vehicle involved or sometimes the roadway itself. Regardless of what caused the accident there is a question of what caused the driver's injuries. Were the injuries caused by the accident itself or by a failed seat belt, collapsed roof, unsafe design, or some other such thing? These questions can even arise when the accident involves two or more vehicles and the injured person appears to be at fault in the accident.
Cases such as those I just described are expensive to investigate and litigate and in order to justify the out of pocket costs the injury must be severe, i.e. resulting in death or life changing injury such as paralysis, severed limb, etc.
If you or someone you know has been involved in such an accident, The Law Offices of Darrell L. Castle & Associates would like to investigate for possible crashworthiness issues. There is no charge for the consultation.
BYETTA: PRESCRIPTION FOR KIDNEY FAILURE AND ACUTE PANCREATITIS
Posted by: Darrell Castle
December 31, 2009
Patients with type 2 diabetes who have been prescribed Byetta should be aware of recent FDA warnings of potentially fatal health risks related to kidney failure and pancreatitis associated with that drug. The FDA has required warning revisions for the drug and even issued alerts to healthcare providers and patients.
Byetta was introduced to the market in 2005 and since then more than 6.6 million prescriptions have been written. The type of pancreatitis experienced by Byetta patients appears to be a different, more lethal form than ordinary pancreatitis. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis or necrotizing pancreatitis where pancreatic cells are actually destroyed by the disease rather than only damaged is statistically elevated among Byetta uses over the population at large.
Byetta patients should look for symptoms of : persistent, severe abdominal pain without other explanation; accompanied by vomiting but not in every case; swelling in the extremities without other explanation; dull ache in mid to lower region of the back; changes in urine color, frequency, or amount of urination; changes in blood pressure. Patients should seek medical attention for these symptoms especially if using Byetta.
If you have suffered acute pancreatitis or kidney failure caused by Byetta, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult the advice of an experienced legal professional such as those at Darrell Castle and Associates.
BYETTA?PRESCRIPTION FOR KIDNEY FAILURE AND ACUTE PANCREATITIS
Posted by: Darrell Castle
December 31, 2009
Patients with type 2 diabetes who have been prescribed Byetta should be aware of recent FDA warnings of potentially fatal health risks related to kidney failure and pancreatitis associated with that drug. The FDA has required warning revisions for the drug and even issued alerts to healthcare providers and patients.
Byetta was introduced to the market in 2005 and since then more than 6.6 million prescriptions have been written. The type of pancreatitis experienced by Byetta patients appears to be a different, more lethal form than ordinary pancreatitis. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis or necrotizing pancreatitis where pancreatic cells are actually destroyed by the disease rather than only damaged is statistically elevated among Byetta uses over the population at large.
Byetta patients should look for symptoms of : persistent, severe abdominal pain without other explanation; accompanied by vomiting but not in every case; swelling in the extremities without other explanation; dull ache in mid to lower region of the back; changes in urine color, frequency, or amount of urination; changes in blood pressure. Patients should seek medical attention for these symptoms especially if using Byetta.
If you have suffered acute pancreatitis or kidney failure caused by Byetta, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult the advice of an experienced legal professional such as those at Darrell Castle and Associates.
RISING DISABILITY CLAIMS DRIVEN BY UNEMPOLYMENT
Posted by: Darrell Castle
December 17, 2009
MSNBC news reported today Thursday, December 17, 2009 that applications for social security disability are up nearly 30% in the last two years. The rising number of claims are taxing an already severely overburdened system and extending the time of payment of successful claims further and further into the future. According to the Social Security Administration, which runs the two main federal disability programs, disability claims are expected to rise another 10% in 2010, to 3.3 million new claims. "These applicants aim to join the roughly 12 million Americans who received disability benefits at a total cost of $161 billion in fiscal year 2009, according to the latest figures from Social Security.
The rising numbers of claims are being driven by two main factors says MSNBC, the aging of the baby boomer generation and the slumping economy. The average age of disability claimants is now 50 and with baby boomers reaching their peak years of eligibility, claims have been soaring. The social security system is having trouble handling all the claims which causes the average wait time to back up, sometimes for years. States that have the worst economies also have the most difficult problems with the disability system.
Many people who have recently lost their jobs are coming to grips with the fact that they may never be able to find a job again, especially at their former pay level. For example; a man in his fifties who has worked in the same factory most of his life and finally has his pay up to $20 per hour is let go by the factory. He has worked for years with several lingering injuries, probably due to hard work, and maybe a nagging illness as well. He now finds that his home with first and second mortgages totaling $150 thousand is now only worth about $100 thousand and he can't sell it even at that price because he is not the only one let go by the factory. This man and his family are going to have a very difficult time in the years between now and age 65 when he is eligible for social security. He will probably lose his home, and his health insurance, need food stamps, and other public assistance. His life will never be the same or even close to it again.
In reality, people in this situation are disabled. Using the standards of our modern society, with its out sourced factories and dead retail sales, there is no substantial gainful activity that he can perform. Why not allow a bankruptcy judge to write down his mortgage to the real value of his home and re-amortize his payment accordingly? Why not put him back to work in a job where he can have his dignity back and something useful is actually produced? Jobs in the production of energy to fuel the American economy could be abundant and well paying if the forces driving it all would concentrate more on our typical man and his family and less on banks and Wall Street.
DILANTIN LINKED TO STEVENS JOHNSON SYNDROME
Posted by: Darrell Castle
December 02, 2009
Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a serious disorder affecting the skin and mucous membranes of both men and women of all ages, even children. In most cases SJS is a severe reaction to a drug such as the anticonvulsant Dilantin. Sometimes SJS can be caused by a reaction to a severe infection. Symptoms to watch for, especially if you are taking Dilantin include: painful red or purple skin rash that spreads and blisters and sometimes looks like boils; blisters in the eyes, nose, mouth, throat or genital area; fever; peeling and shedding of the skin.
SJS can have very severe complications including: secondary skin infection which is acute and can be life threatening; sepsis occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and this can also be life threatening; eye problems resulting in blindness; internal organ damage; and permanent, severe skin damage.
If you are taking Dilantin and are having any of the above symptoms, by all means seek medical attention immediately if you have not done so. Consider calling the Law Firm of Darrell L. Castle and Associates for a free appointment to discuss your possible personal injury claim.
