News Blog
March 31st, 2012
The Georgia Senate voted nearly unanimously on Monday to pass legislation that would allow dog owners to be charged with a felony when their pets commit a second attack on a human. According to the Savannah Morning News, the bill was introduced by the House in response to recent reports of children in Atlanta and Savannah being bitten by dogs that had committed prior attacks on people.
Existing legislation allows a court to declare a dog as “vicious” following a first attack on a human, but House Bill 685 will toughen the law, increasing penalties for attacks on humans committed by dogs that had already been classified as vicious. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that under the new bill, the owner of a dog who attacks a human on two occasions may face a minimum of one year in prison and at least a $5,000 fine.
The bill also stipulates protocol for owning vicious dogs, including keeping the dogs muzzled and requiring a secure, enclosed habitat. Owners of dogs that have been declared vicious must also carry $50,000 in insurance, and keep a microchip inserted in their pet.
The bill passed in the Senate by a landslide of 50-1 votes, after it was amended to exempt animals designated as “working dogs.” Read the rest of this entry »
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March 27th, 2012
A state inspection of the Nassau coliseum in New York State commenced on Friday, after maintenance employees complained that many of the building’s indoor work areas were covered with what appeared to be asbestos, according to NBC New York News.
About a dozen workers spoke with NBC anonymously for fear of losing their jobs and expressed that they were worried about their safety. The workers voiced concerns that the suspected asbestos in the coliseum may have played a role in the development of mesothelioma and cancer in two of their longtime colleagues. “Sometimes we have to drill into it and the fibers fly everywhere,” said one worker. “We’ve raised questions about it for years and were always told it was nothing,” said another.
But plans may already be underway to sue Nassau County, which owns the coliseum. According to the attorney representing one of the workers, samples of the suspect material collected by his client earlier this year revealed hazardous levels of potentially airborne asbestos in several areas of the coliseum. While some affected areas, like the coliseum’s boiler room and loading docks, were only accessed by employees, others areas, such as stairwells, were open to the public as well. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 22nd, 2012
A young Quebec man recently published text messages that he shared with his girlfriend moments before she died, following the discovery that the automobile accident that killed her was the result of her distracted driving. Mathieu Fortin has created a facebook page to post his heartbreaking final correspondence with Emy Brochu, 20, who died on January 18 when she crashed her car into another moving vehicle in Victoriaville, Quebec. 
According to the New York Daily News, Fortin created the Facebook page in hopes that he could get the word out as a warning to other drivers who may be tempted to text while behind the wheel. “The police investigation showed the use of a cellphone while driving was the cause of the accident,” Fortin posted on Facebook. “The conclusion came as a shock because during the tragedy, I was in conversation with her.”
In his final texts with his girlfriend, Fortin told her that he loved her. She replied, “I love you too, and I’ll try to do all that I can to make you happy, Mr. Fortin.” That text message was the last that Fortin heard from his girlfriend, who—shortly afterward—rear-ended a tractor-trailer as it merged onto the freeway. The proceeding texts that Fortin published on the Facebook page show the young man growing increasingly worried when he does not hear back from Ms. Brochu.
“An accident can happen quickly,” Fortin says. “I hope every time you look at your cellphone while you’re driving, you think of Emy and those who loved her. At what time is a text or an email more important than life itself? At what point is something on your phone more important than the people you love?”
Sobering Statistics Illustrate Cell Phone’s Threat to Drivers
In 2009, distracted driving killed 5,474 Americans and injured an additional 448,000. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 19th, 2012
A Clayton County Sherriff’s Deputy had been stabilized, but remained in critical condition on Wednesday night, following a motorcycle accident from the previous weekend. Deputy Amy Kemper was struck by a suspected drunk driver in a head-on collision on Saturday, March 10. 
Deputy Kemper was off-duty, riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Ga. 29 near Lake Ridge Way in Coweta County when she was struck by an SUV driven by Christopher Lynn Brown of Hogansville, GA. Channel 2 News reports that Brown’s vehicle had crossed the center lane, left the road and plowed down a mailbox before returning onto the road and crashing head-on into Deputy Kemper on her motorcycle.
Brown reportedly left the scene of the accident, driving nearly a mile before his damaged Chevy Blazer broke down. The 26-year old driver is being held without bond, and faces charges of DUI, leaving the scene of a serious accident that caused injury, reckless driving and serious injury by vehicle charges.
Kemper was airlifted to the Atlanta Medical Center, where she has received multiple surgeries and is reportedly on the path to recovery. According to Kemper’s co-worker, Deputy Keith McLaughlin, Kemper is in critical but stable condition. “Doctors say all of the signs look good and that she’ll be recovering well from the surgeries that she’s had,” McLaughlin reported.
Don’t Let Drunk Driving Ruin Your Life
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving claimed one life every 51 minutes in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 12th, 2012
St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that can be more fun than a barrel of leprechauns. In the United States, it is often associated with wearing green, hitting the bars, and for some folks, getting very intoxicated.
While many holiday revelers act responsibility and assign a designated driver or arrange for alternative transportation, disturbingly, others do not. Holidays are notorious times for the roads to be teeming with drunk drivers.
Although we can’t tell you where to find the leprechaun’s gold, we can help keep you safe on St. Paddy’s day this year. Do your part by always staying sober if you plan to get behind the wheel, and follow these simple tips for preventing accidents with drunk drivers on the road:
Drive Defensively
- Avoid driving at all, if possible, on holidays that involve excessive drinking, such as St. Patrick’s Day, the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years Eve.
- Avoid driving late at night. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers involved in fatal car accidents in 2009 were four times more likely to be intoxicated at night versus during the day.
- Be prepared for the unexpected, especially when driving at night or on the aforementioned holidays. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 9th, 2012
This time of year brings a lot of rain to Georgia, and unfortunately with it, automobile accidents. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s Road Weather Management Program, one quarter of all accidents in the United States (or 1.5 million per year) are weather-related, with the majority occurring on wet pavement and/or in the rain.
Wet driving conditions can be hazardous for a number of reasons. Roads that are wet from the rain build up a film of water and grease that make it more difficult for tires to gain traction. Additionally, driver visibility decreases greatly in rainy conditions.
While most of us cannot avoid driving in the rain altogether, we can take extra precautions to be vigilant and practice the best road safety when we do.
Below is a selection of expert tips for avoiding accidents while driving in the rain, from AAA, SmartMotorist.com, and the Texas Department of Insurance
10. Engage in regular auto maintenance. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 1st, 2012
Many metal hip implant patients may need to undergo lifelong annual monitoring, following the announcement of some disturbing evidence this week in Great Britain. 
A joint investigation, conducted by the BBC and the British Medical Journal (BMJ), warned that recipients of large-head metal-on-metal hip replacements may be at an increased risk of medical complications, including toxicity, muscle and bone degradation and even cancer.
The report prompted the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Great Britain’s government health regulator, to declare that approximately 49,000 British patients with large-head all-metal hip implants were in a high-risk category that would require regular monitoring.
Why are All-metal Hips Dangerous?
The primary concern with metal-on-metal artificial hips is that with the continued rubbing resulting from normal use, they produce metal shards that can enter the bloodstream. This metal debris is toxic to the body, and can destroy muscle and bone and cause inflammation.
Internal documents from a leading manufacturer of the all-metal hip replacements revealed that there is even concern that the debris may be carcinogenic. Read the rest of this entry »
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February 28th, 2012
Warning Issued About Injury-Inflicting Toothbrush
Could your toothbrush actually cause you injury? As ridiculous as this may sound, if you are the owner of an Arm and Hammer Spinbrush electric toothbrush (formally called Crest Spinbrush), the answer might be yes.
A warning issued by the FDA late last week alerts consumers that this particular electric toothbrush contains parts that have been reported to pop off during use. Sometimes, these pieces fly off at considerable speed. Consumers have complained of renegade toothbrush pieces causing a range of injuries including chipped teeth, cuts to the inner mouth, injuries to the eyes and face, as well as posing a choking hazard.
According to the FDA warning, the Spinbrush adult toothbrushes have removable heads that are meant to stay attached during brushing. However, the FDA received numerous reports of the heads detaching during use, causing direct injury and simultaneously exposing metal parts of the brush that were also capable of inflicting wounds.
The Spinbrushes that fall under the FDA warning include: Read the rest of this entry »
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February 24th, 2012
Atlanta Falcons athletes visited the state capital earlier this month in support of the “Georgia Return to Play Act” of 2012. Among the football stars were former linebacker Buddy Curry, current kicker Matt Bryant, offensive lineman Andrew Jackson and wide receiver Kevin Cone. Speaking before the Health and Human Services committee of the Georgia State Legislature, Curry and Bryant expressed their own, as well as their team’s support of the bill. “The most important thing in all of this, anything that you can do to improve the safety for the kids, (…) you find a way,” Bryant said.
A Bill to Protect Georgia’s Youth from TBI
The purpose of the bill, supported by Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone Mountain, is to decrease the incidence of long-term brain injury following sports-related concussions. This goal would be achieved by requiring that information be provided to young athletes, parents, coaches and others about how to recognize and treat these commonplace but potentially fatal head injuries. Similar laws have been passed in 31 states and the District of Columbia.
Kenneth Edmonds, the NFL’s director of government relations and public policy, was also present. The NFL is currently being sued in a number of concussion-related cases. “The NFL, as well as the Atlanta Falcons, strongly supports the Georgia’s Return to Play Act of 2012,” Edmonds said. “We feel that it will help to prevent brain injuries and help make the recreational activities safer for young athletes throughout the state.”
Not All Fun and Games: Traumatic Brain Injuries in Youth Sports on the Rise
According to the CDC, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from sports and recreation activities are on the rise:
- Trips to emergency rooms due to sports-related TBIs including concussions, have increased by 60 percent in the last decade.
- Every year, an estimated 173,285 children and adolescents (up to 19-years-old) are treated in emergency rooms with sports and recreation-related TBIs.
- Two to five high school football players die each fall as a result of on-field brain injuries. Read the rest of this entry »
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February 17th, 2012
Super Lawyers is a rating service of attorneys that uses strict criteria to select lawyers with the highest ethical standards, achievement and peer recognition. Super Lawyers Magazine features Childers Schlueter & Smith, L.L.C. in the following article:
The Dangerous Drug and Product Lawyers
Childers, Schlueter & Smith, L.L.C. has quickly become Georgia’s go-to firm for plaintiffs’ pharmaceutical, mass tort and medical products liability cases.
Since its formation in 2001, Childers, Schlueter & Smith has been recognized in the legal community as a preeminent national practice driven by years of collective experience and exceptional results. To date the firm’s lawyers have successfully resolved thousands of individual cases for their clients, and they continue to represent those in need throughout the country.
“We take great pride in protecting our clients’ rights and strive to exceed their expectations in every case we take,” says partner M. Brandon Smith. “That dedication and persistence has helped us become the best possible advocates we can for our clients.”
The lawyers at Childers, Schlueter & Smith are devoted to helping victims throughout the country receive justice for their losses. They do whatever is necessary to ensure that their clients can get back to their lives as quickly as possible. “Every day we litigate against the largest pharmaceutical, medical device and product manufacturing companies in the world, not only to recover damages for our injured clients, but also to try to ensure that those companies improve the safety of the medications and products used by our families and friends,” says partner C. Andrew Childers.
Click here to view the original article.
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