Miscellaneous

• Crossed Pipes Had Family Drinking Wastewater

  Jenny Albano | July 26, 2007 10:29 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  A family in Raleigh discovered they had been drinking treated wastewater used for watering lawns when workers shut off an irrigation pipe in their neighborhood. All the neighbors had tap water, but their sprinklers were not working. The Jain family had the opposite, they could water their lawn but had no tap water. Somehow their piping got switched.Now officials have been checking other homes...

• Statute of Limitations is Different for Asbestosis and Silicosis

  Brent Adams | July 26, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  The horrible diseases of asbestosis and silicosis have long latency periods. That means that the diseases do not develop until long after exposure to the hazard which caused the condition(s).This latency period is usually ten to fifteen years after exposure.Asbestosis and silicosis are almost always caused by conditions at work. Asbestosis is caused by exposure to a mineral known as asbestos. ...

• Insist on Collecting for Car Depreciation

  Brent Adams | July 25, 2007 9:55 AM | 3 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Insurance adjusters almost never volunteer to pay a car owner for depreciation to their car after it has been wrecked.The depreciation occurs because of the simple fact that a car that has been involved in a collision is not worth as much as an otherwise identical car that has not been involved in a collision.All other things being equal, a person is willing to pay more for a car that has never...

• "Last Clear Chance" Doctrine Saves Case

  Brent Adams | July 24, 2007 9:28 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Under the doctrine of contributory negligence, an injured party cannot recover for injuries caused by the negligence of another person if the injured party is himself negligent to any degree. Under that doctrine, it does not matter how reckless, negligent or careless the defendant may be, the injured party may not recover one dime if there was the slightest negligence on his part.North Carolina...

• Allstate Punished by 1.5 Million Dollar Punitive Damages Verdict

  Brent Adams | July 17, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Allstate Insurance Company, a company frequently accused of engaging in "bad faith" insurance claims practices, has again been hit with a large punitive damages verdict for its failure to treat its policy holders fairly.This latest claim arose out of a hurricane Katrina related lawsuit.Including punitive damages, Allstate will have to pay its insured (who lost his home to hurricane Katrina) more...

• Five Injured in Harnett County Accident

  Brent Adams | July 11, 2007 4:11 PM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  On Tuesday night, a severe personal injury accident on Old U.S. 421 in Harnett County sent five people to area hospitals. There were three vehicles involved in the collision, which occurred just before 7 p.m.Highway Patrol reports reveal that Donald Turlington, 23, was traveling on Old U.S.421 when his vehicle crossed the center line, striking a vehicle driven by Vernon Arnold, 47. A third...

• Fired Workers' Compensation Claimant Recovers $1.9 Million

  Brent Adams | July 10, 2007 11:18 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  A Kentucky coal miner who was fired by his employer has obtained a verdict of 1.9 million dollars in a suit against his employer alleging he was fired in retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim. The coal miner broke his arm in October, 2003 while working in an underground mine. Even though his arm was in a cast, he continued to work for about four months. In March, 2004 the injured...

• Under-Insured Motorist Coverage is Important

  Brent Adams | June 06, 2007 11:35 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Although North Carolina requires motor vehicle owners to have liability insurance on all vehicles, the level of the required coverage is low. The law only requires liability insurance in the amount of $30,000.00 per person and $60,000.00 total for all occupants. With today's high cost of medical care, these limits are simply not enough.Therefore, it is important to have under-insured motorist...

• Compensation for Dog Bites

  Christina Medlin | June 01, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Recently in Detroit a five year old boy was attacked by two pit bulls as he walked down the street with his father. The entire incident was caught on security cameras. The dogs without being provoked or acknowledged appeared and attacked the young boy. The boy's father and the owner of the dogs quickly pulled the animals off, but one of the dogs rushed in again and pounced on the boy a second...

• New Law to Help Those Injured by a Doctor

  Christina Medlin | May 25, 2007 11:53 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  Those injured by the negligence of doctors often can not get a lawyer to take their case if the injuries are not catastrophic simply because the cost to litigate such cases is astronomical! Doctors and Lawyers have debated this issue for years in NC. Now NC Trial Lawyer and Doctors have come to a compromise. Under a bill being considered by the NC General Assembly, plaintiffs and defendants in a...