Archive for July, 2009

The Wide Scope of Investment Fraud

While many people tend to think that investment fraud is all about stock and securities fraud, it actually has many other facets. Be alert to scams.

It’s likely that not many people have heard of invention scams or even rare item investment scams, but they exist and they are every bit as sneaky and underhanded as stock and securities fraud. Scams are on the rise, which makes sense in this dismal economy, and as a net result, millions of dollars is fleeced from customers every year.

To be on the alert and get wise to investment frauds/scams there is some warning flags that should go up that would hint that a person may be dealing with a potential scam. Of course, the first one is predicated on that old chestnut, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it likely is.”

Red flag number two would be a high-pressure sales person trying to use strong-arm tactics to get the potential investor to invest immediately if not sooner. If someone calls and starts a spiel about an investment opportunity when no one in the house requested information, it’s time to hang up. Some scam artists also have the nerve to ask for credit card information or even social security numbers. It goes without saying that this information needs to be kept close to the vest and not shared with anyone.

Although people are able to get fraud and scam information from the Federal Trade Commission and the state securities regulator, if common sense is utilized in a prudent manner, most scams of this nature may be avoided. On the other hand, if a scam was successful, and some of them are due to their very crafty believability, the victim needs to act fast to remedy the situation.

Don’t waste two seconds thinking that some fraudster took advantage of you and ripped off money or vital personal information. Just pick up the phone and call the police, the fraud has to be stopped in its tracks before someone else gets taken in. Give them as many details as possible about who called, how the contact was established, how any investments purchased were funded, and any information that might help. No detail is too small to mention.

The next person on the list to call would be a lawyer familiar with stock and investment fraud. It’s their job to assist in building a case against the person who perpetrated the fraud. It’s also their job to answer any questions about stock and investment fraud, how it works and what the chances are of recovering any money.

To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyerLittle Rock accident lawyerLittle Rock person injury lawyer,Little Rock malpractice lawyerLittle Rock injury attorneyLittle Rock wrongful death attorney, visitArkansaslawhelp.com.

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Monday, July 20th, 2009 Investment Fraud No Comments

Injuries at Birth May Be Cause for Medical Malpractice

The very act of giving birth is often fraught with many dangers where something may go horribly wrong. One thing may be birth injuries.

Delivering a baby isn’t always a stress free job, particularly if there are problems that develop during the birth. If the doctor and medical staff do not take the appropriate action or delay taking action, the consequences may be birth injuries to the baby and possibly the mom.

One situation that has the potential to cause shoulder dystocia is when the baby’s shoulders are folded inward during the birth process, otherwise called mal-positioned. When that does happen, it makes delivery that much more difficult because it ripens the conditions for dystocia to take place. Mal-presentation, in other words, not presenting with the head down, is also a critical situation that may cause shoulder dystocia if something isn’t done to attend to this situation.

While the mother is in labor, there may be a good reason to give her an epidural – either at her request or at the discretion of the doctor. This of course is an anesthetic that helps with labor pains, but the contractions still happen, it’s just that they’re mostly pain free. The epidural causes the mom to lose all sensation of being able to push. This means pushing is not done in a natural way, which may cause the baby to descend improperly – a situation ripe for an impacted shoulder.

Birth injuries may also happen as a result of the improper use of forceps. Generally speaking, the forceps are used to help the baby be born. This instrument that looks like a pair of tongs, normally grips about the infant’s head to help with the birth. Although forceps do have their place in deliveries, if they’re used incorrectly, this causes problems. It may for instance turn the baby’s head in the wrong direction, impacting the shoulders, or they may wind up squeezing the baby’s head too tightly, thus causing injuries.

Also be aware that the incorrect use of a vacuum extractor has the potential to go wrong. In an ideal situation, the cup at the top of the extractor is attached to the baby’s head. The physician then uses vacuum pressure to get the baby into the right position to deliver. There is a risk of applying too much pressure and thus causing nerve damage that could result in brachial plexus palsy.

Anyone of the above situations may result in the parents of the baby filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Speak to a highly qualified attorney who will assist in building the case for compensation.

To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyerLittle Rock accident lawyerLittle Rock person injury lawyer,Little Rock malpractice lawyerLittle Rock injury attorneyLittle Rock wrongful death attorney, visitArkansaslawhelp.com.

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The Challenges of TBI

Many people don’t understand or realize that a person doesn’t always lose consciousness when they’ve sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Generally speaking, the major cause for traumatic brain injury is car crashes, but this isn’t to say that other accidents might not happen that would also cause a TBI – for instance, slip and fall and hitting one’s head, diving, some form of sports, injuries sustained in a war zone and so on.

In some respects, a TBI is almost what might be called a silent injury, as no one “sees” it, often until it is too late. When someone sustains a traumatic brain injury, immediate medical assistance is crucial to deal with the consequences of a coup and contre coup injury.

In most cases, there are short and long-term symptoms to deal with daily. Thankfully, the short-term effects are mercifully short lived and may last only as long as a few hours to a few months, but do disappear. Unfortunately, long-term effects may last for years or ultimately wind up being permanent. The difficulty with TBI is that it is literally impossible to figure out which symptoms will last until a great deal further down the road.

The length of time for injuries like this to last is a major consideration when contemplating a personal injury claim. This is why it is best to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to handle a complex case such as this. Damages in cases like this may run quite high for the simple reason that the injury is long-term and care ongoing.

When dealing with the symptoms of a TBI, the usual one that most people notice is they will suffer from amnesia for a variety of things, and they may even forget about their accident. This shouldn’t be too surprising, since the brain tissue has taken a hard knocking about and the memory will be affected.

TBI victims may feel very dizzy, nauseated and perhaps be disoriented as well. While the dizziness may recede, it may also hang on long enough to occur intermittently. This would largely have to do with how serious the injury happens to be. It also isn’t much of a surprise that memory loss is a long-term effect. Of course, the most common problems happen to be severe headaches, sensory changes and as we already mentioned, memory loss.

If you suspect or know that you have sustained a TBI, consult with a highly skilled personal injury attorney to discuss the merits of your case and what the potential is to recover damages to pay for inevitable long-term treatments.

Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyerLittle Rock accident lawyerLittle Rock person injury lawyerLittle Rock malpractice lawyerLittle Rock injury attorneyLittle Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.

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Friday, July 10th, 2009 Personal Injury No Comments

To File or Not to File a Med Mal Suit

It’s not always easy to tell if you were the victim of a medical malpractice situation, unless it happens to involve a medical error, surgical error, or a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis.

Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is a matter of personal choice, and whether or not the patient genuinely feels they have been the victim of medical malpractice. There are times when a patient gets to a point with their illness, or other medical situation, and looks back at how they got there and wonders what went wrong.

The first answer to come to mind doesn’t always happen to be medical malpractice. In fact, many people don’t even blame their doctors for making mistakes or figure no one could prove they made an error anyway, so why waste time filing a lawsuit?

While it’s true that proving medical malpractice is difficult, it is not impossible and this largely depends on the nature of the case. There are countless numbers of ways that things may take a turn for the worse when in medical situations and that would include the fact that different people react differently to various medical procedures as well as medications.

The simple fact here is also that physicians must make decisions based on what evidence they are able to see at the time, and then make decisions instantaneously. It’s not an easy job being a doctor.

Despite the difficult tasks doctors face, the mistakes they and other medical personnel have made are proven to be of significant harm or death to patients. Patients who have suffered at the hands of a medical mistake have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit (medical malpractice). The families of those who have lost a loved one also have a right to seek redress from the courts as well.

Those victims of med mal that are faced with long-term suffering should be able to seek compensation through the courts to be able to deal with the consequences of their injuries. This is actually one of the main reasons why people file med mal lawsuits – the financial difficulties a family will face trying to provide care for a patient who was a victim of a medical error. Money like that does not come from standard health insurance.

If you think you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, medical error, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, contact a skilled personal injury attorney to take on your case.

Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyerLittle Rock accident lawyerLittle Rock person injury lawyerLittle Rock malpractice lawyerLittle Rock injury attorneyLittle Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.

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Friday, July 10th, 2009 Medical Malpractice No Comments