Personal Injury & Auto Accident Info

Auto Crash Personal Injury Claims

Brakes put on auto crash personal injury claims - Massachusetts Personal Injury
By Thor Jourgensen February 17, 2005

LYNN-Insurance investigators hope a reduction in fraudulent accident claims in Lawrence and surrounding communities is duplicated in Lynn.

     Auto accident claims are down significantly in Lawrence and several other Merrimack Valley communities after a 16-month crackdown on auto insurance fraud.

     The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts forecasts $25 million in savings for 2004 in Lawrence alone, based on lower claims for personal injury, property damages and other claims for the first nine months of last year, compared with the same period in 2003.

     Working with the Fraud Bureau beginning last year, Lynn police and the Essex District Attorney's office began cracking down on local auto accident and pesonal injury fraud cases in 2004.

Mesothelioma Personal Injury Attorneys

Mesothelioma Attorneys

Mesothelioma attorneys Lewis & Scholnick specialize in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits based on asbestos exposure.

Each year over 3,000 people will suffer and die from asbestos exposure. Asbestos, a known toxin since the 1930's, is an inexpensive fibrous material that is extremely durable and heat resistant. Because of these properties it was heavily used in industry throughout the United States. After its carcinogenic (asbestos cancer-causing) properties were discovered many industries irresponsibly continued to use asbestos, putting the public, their workers and families at risk.

Even today asbestos-containing products still remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments and continue to expose the public to this extremely dangerous material. The EPA has stated that asbestos "presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health;" even low levels of asbestos exposure can trigger mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural disease and lung cancer, diseases that are almost exclusively caused by asbestos.

The Law Firm of Lewis & Scholnick has specialized in handling mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease lawsuits, for personal injury and wrongful death, since 1981. With a winning record, mesothelioma attorneys Lewis & Scholnick have participated in lawsuit settlements totaling over $50 million, including recent lawsuit cases that settled for over $3 million each.

Asbestos Cancer Claims & Mesothelioma

Asbestos settlement payouts:

Halliburton Co. is gearing up to distribute $2.78 billion in cash and 59.5 million shares to thousands of asbestos and silica claimants, inching closer to leaving those inherited liabilities in the past.

The Houston-based oil services conglomerate said Tuesday that final installments of the cash portion of the settlement have been placed in trust. Last week the company issued the shares. Together, along with notes with a net present value expected to be less than $100 million, the payouts will settle all current and future asbestos and silica claims.

Asbestos Cancer, or Mesothelioma claims were inherited when the company acquired Dresser Industries Inc.

Structured Settlement Definition

Wikipedia.com's definition of Structured Settlement

A structured settlement is a financial or insurance arrangement, including periodic payments, that a claimant accepts to resolve a personal injury tort claim or to compromise a statutory periodic payment obligation. Structured settlements were first utilized in Canada and the United States during the 1970s as an alternative to lump sum settlements. Structured settlements are now part of the statutory tort law of several common law countries including: Australia, Canada, England and the United States. Although some uniformity exists, each of these countries has its own definitions, rules and standards for structured settlement. Structured settlements may include income tax and spendthrift requirements as well as benefits. Structured settlement payments are sometimes called “periodic payments”. A structured settlement incorporated into a trial judgment is called a “periodic payment judgment”.

Structured Settlements

What is a Structured Settlement?
A structured settlement is a method of payment that breaks up a cash settlement into smaller payments. The payments are spread out and paid over a period of time.

A Structured settlement can pay for several types of structured settlements such as insurance settlements, and personal injury settlements.

How can Note Buyers help my structured settlement?
Lenders who can give you cash for your structured settlement payments.

Lenders to purchase settlement payments from you and give you a lump-sum cash payout.

Why should I sell my structured settlement?
Selling your structured settlement lets you free up the cash so you can have it right away, instead of waiting for the payments. You can use the money to pay off medical bills, start a business, eliminate debt, or to pay for a college education. There are many great reasons to cash in your structured settlement today.

How much will I receive for my structured settlement?
You can sell a whole structured settlement or partial settlements. The amount of money that you will receive in exchange for this service is a percentage of the structured settlement's total worth. The amount of the percentage that is taken is dependent upon how much time will elapse before we get the money back.

A present value calculation of the structured settlement's future value worth will help you kjnow what is fair. You receive the money immediately following approval, and the structured settlement buyer waits to receive the payments according to the original structured settlement schedule.

Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Asbestosis Claim

In an asbestos claim a San Francisco jury unanimously awarded damages of $1.25 million to a retired pipefitter who developed asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease due to his on-the-job contact with asbestos (mesothelioma).

(PRWEB) February 11, 2005 -- A San Francisco jury unanimously awarded damages of $1.25 million for an asbestos claim to a retired pipefitter who developed asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease due to his on-the-job contact with asbestos.

Advocate Mines, Ltd., the defendant, supplied asbestos fiber for Transite asbestos-cement pipe. It did not provide any warning to consumers about the asbestos fiber and continued to sell the product even though its miners had asbestos–related health problems. The jury concluded that the company acted with “malice” or “oppression.”

Asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease are serious, debilitating illnesses caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestosis scars the lungs; asbestos pleural disease damages the membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity (the pleura). Both diseases reduce lung capacity, restrict breathing, and reduce the victim’s ability to transfer oxygen from the air into the blood. About one in seven people who suffer from asbestosis eventually develop lung cancer.

Mesothelioma Lawsuit

W.R. Grace Faces Asbestos Charges related to Mesothelioma

W.R. Grace and seven top executives conspired to release asbestos and to hide health problems at its asbestos–contaminated vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

(PRWEB) February 11, 2005 -- A grand jury indictment accuses the company of exposing its employees to asbestos cancer, failing to disclose air monitoring results, interfering with an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and giving away asbestos–containing materials to schools and local residents. Charges include clean–air act violations and wire fraud as well as conspiracy.ted into a type of insulation that may be contained in millions of homes.

“The situation in Libby provides an example of the shameful treatment that many workers have received from asbestos-related industries,” said Alan Brayton, founding and senior partner of Brayton Purcell, a law firm representing asbestos victims. “Many people are not aware of the extent of the damage caused by asbestos. It is responsible for an aggressive cancer known as mesothelioma as well as for asbestosis, which is a painful scarring of the lungs. These diseases take decades to develop, and we may only be seeing the beginning of the problem.”

What is Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare form of cancer. There are an estimated 2,000 - 3,000 new cases per year in the United States.

i-Newswire, 2005-02-03 - Approximately 7-13 per one million male patients with a history of asbestos exposure contract mesothelioma. Diagnosis usually occurs 20-40 years after initial exposure to asbestos. For these reasons, it is important for American males to understand the basics of this disease.

The Mesothelioma Reporter has announced the launch of a special report, "What Is Mesothelioma?’. The report is available online at http://www.mesotheliomareporter.org/2004/03/what_is_mesothe.html at no cost. The information within explains the basics of pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pericardial mesothelioma, and describes the symptoms related to this asbestos-related disease.

The guide was edited by Jimmy Atkinson of The Mesothelioma Reporter (  http://www.mesotheliomareporter.org  ). "Mesothelioma is a deadly disease, so if someone has asbestos exposure-related symptoms, it is important that they understand the importance of seeking medical help quickly,’ said Atkinson.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you are considering pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, you should definitely find and a personal injury attorney who has the legal expertise, experience, and skill needed to help you build your case and win the compensation you deserve. However, be aware of the statute of limitation of laws in your state. Every personal injury claim must be filed within a certain amount of time or it will expire; if a claim expires, it will be barred forever and you will lose your chance to collect compensation.

Personal Injury Attorney

Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a personal injury attorney. Simply attending law school and passing the bar does not necessarily qualify an attorney to handle your personal injury case.

1. How long has the attorney been in practice?
2. Does the attorney have experience in similar cases?
3. How successful has the attorney been at recovering damages for clients?
4. Does the attorney take cases on a contingency basis, and does his personal injury attorney firm have the financial resources necessary to do so?