Cochran Firm Wisconsin Legal Blog

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2010-04-26T08:32:00.001-07:00

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Avandia

2010-03-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

When the U.S. Senate released a report late last month about the popular type 2 diabetes drug, Avandia, being linked to tens of thousands of heart attacks, it was really just the latest chapter for the defective drug.

GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, is alleged to have known that the drug was dangerous to patients who take it. Up until the Food and Drug Administration slapped a black box warning on Avandia in 2007, there were an estimated 80,000 heart attacks, many of them fatal, that are believed directly linked to the drug. It is also alleged that a panel of independent experts voted 8-7 to keep Avandia on the market rather than recall it.

Avandia (rosiglitazone) works by helping diabetes sufferers regulate their natural insulin. It is prescription only and can be taken in addition to insulin. It has been on the market since 2000, but some of the heart attacks tied to the drug occurred in 1999. Almost immediately following Avandia’s release to the market, the Food and Drug Administration required a warning label of potential side effects.
These side effects include:

Dangerously low blood sugar
Eye swelling, known as macular edema
Recurring ovulation in women who have stopped menstruating, but do not use birth control and have not reached menopause
Hepatitis leading to liver failure
Congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular problems

Symptoms tied to these side effects include

Low red blood cell count
Flu-like symptoms and colds
Headaches
Bone fractures

However, it is the heart attacks that have kept Avandia in the news.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to Avandia in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, please contact the experienced defective drug attorneys at the Cochran Firm Wisconsin for an initial case evaluation.

Questions about Aviation Accidents

2010-01-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

Aviation accidents can be devastating for victims and their families. Injuries are often severe or fatal and in some cases multiple family members are injured or killed in the same crash.

Why do I need an experienced aviation accident attorney to represent me?
Aviation accident lawsuits are very complex. State, federal, and international laws may apply in your case. Different types of regulations can apply depending on whether the aircraft was privately owned or a commercial carrier. In order to win your case you need to work with someone who has extensive knowledge in these very unique areas of the law

Investigation and interpretation of the evidence can be very complicated. Proper examination of all of the facts by someone who understands aviation accidents and their causes is absolutely critical to determining who was responsible for your accident.

Why is it so difficult and important to determine the exact cause of the crash?
Safe air travel depends on the proper actions of everyone involved in the flight including the pilot, flight station employees, maintenance crew, air traffic controllers and more. It also depends on the aircraft being designed, built, and maintained properly. Any flaw in the entire system can cause an accident. What may seem obvious can actually be very misleading. Faulty equipment can cause an accident that initially appears to be pilot error. Even the nature of the wreckage itself can make it difficult to determine the cause.

The cause of the accident is an important part of determining who is responsible for your injuries and loss, and can even make a difference in how much compensation you can receive.

Please read more questions about aviation accidents and contact The Cochran Firm Wisconsin, serving all of Wisconsin, to learn more about aviation accidents and how we can help.

Questions about ATV Accidents

2009-12-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

All terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents have become frighteningly common, and all too often children are the victims.

How can a vehicle so small be so dangerous?
ATVs may look small, but they are still heavy enough to crush and kill someone in an accident. They require considerable skill and strength to handle and control. When an ATV rolls over it can cause fatal injuries. It can cause crush injuries serious enough to lead to amputation. While they may seem like something that a child could operate safely, ATVs should never be treated like a toy.

Do you need a license to drive an ATV?
Since ATVs are operated off road you do not have to have a licenses or insurance to operate one. That means that drivers may or may not have the needed training. In off road situations there are almost never any police to curb reckless behavior and excessive risk taking or to enforce age limits. Since you do not need a license, many consumers believe that ATVs are much safer and easier to operate than they really are.

Who is responsible when an ATV accident occurs?
That depends on the cause of the accident. When an accident is caused by a defective ATV the manufacturer can be held responsible in a product liability suit and sometimes the dealership that sold the vehicle may be held responsible as well.

If the ATV was used in an inappropriate fashion it can be more difficult to determine who is to blame. In some cases that will be the obvious fault of the driver, but it can also be due to inappropriate marketing and failure to provide the proper instructions and safety warnings on the part of the manufacturer or rental center.

To learn more about ATV accidents, please take a look at our ATV accident page and contact us today. The Cochran Firm Wisconsin serves all of Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Mequon, West Bend, Brookfield, Green Bay, Fox River Valley, DePere, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Waupun, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Madison, Janesville, Beloit, Kewaunee, Sturgeon Bay, Neenah, Menasha, Shawano, Waupaca, La Crosse, and Wausau.

Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

2009-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Nursing home abuse is unforgivable. And make no mistake about it, neglect in a nursing home is abuse and can be deadly. We entrust our loved ones in their most vulnerable state to the care of nursing homes because they need constant supervision and care, above and beyond what we can provide for them ourselves. When nursing homes fall down on the job, loved ones can die or suffer life-changing consequences from which they never fully recover.

Why nursing home abuse and neglect happen
There are many reasons why nursing home neglect and abuse occur. Not all of it is intentional, but that does not make it acceptable. When nursing homes are understaffed or staff members are overworked individual employees may not even be capable of providing adequate care. Nursing homes have a responsibility to maintain an adequate staff to resident ratio.

Inadequately trained or poorly skilled staff members can also be part of the problem. Nursing homes have the responsibility to properly screen, train, and supervise their staff.

What you should do if you suspect neglect or abuse
You must take action quickly. It can be a matter of life or death. Physical abuse poses obvious dangers, but even unintentional neglect can cause problems such as dehydration or accidents due to lack of supervision that can turn deadly fast.

If you suspect that your loved one is in an unsafe situation move them to another facility right away. Contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney. You may be entitled to compensation. Taking legal action can also stop the abuse that other residents are living with and save lives.

To learn more please read our Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse page and contact the nursing home abuse lawyers at The Cochran Firm Wisconsin today.

Construction Accidents

2009-10-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

If you are a construction worker a construction accident can put you out of work at the same time that you medical bills start stacking up. You need help fast, before your financial problems become overwhelming. If you are a bystander, visitor, or pedestrian involved in a construction accident your injuries can still be devastating and you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Construction sites are typically environments ripe for accidents. They are noisy, there is constant activity, heavy equipment is in use, the structure is in a state of constant change, messes are being made, and heavy objects are being moved around. That is no excuse for running an unnecessarily dangerous site. In fact, it is why strict attention must be paid to safety and there regulations for maintaining the safest environment possible.

Construction workers who are injured on the job may be confused about Workers' Compensation, whether or not they should file a claim, and whether or not they can pursue a personal injury lawsuit. The first thing that you need to know is that only workers who are classified as employees are eligible for Workers' Compensation benefits.

Non-employees, including workers who are not employees, bystanders, visitors, pedestrians and others will need to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Some employees may also have a third party lawsuit against someone other than their employer such as an equipment manufacturer if defective equipment was to blame for the accident.

The Cochran Firm Wisconsin can help you figure out just what type of case you have and how to get your income flowing again. Please contact us today to learn more about how we can help you and your family.

Wrongful Death as a Result of Medical Malpractice

2009-09-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

One of the most painful ways to lose a spouse, child, or parent is as a result of medical malpractice. Any loss of a loved one is devastating, but knowing that it did not have to happen and could have been prevented only makes it more difficult to endure. Right now the issue of access to healthcare is a hot topic in the news. They say that lack of health insurance is killing people. Unfortunately, that discussion is overshadowing the ever-present fact that medical malpractice is still the third leading cause of death in this country after heart disease and cancer.

If you have lost a loved one to medical malpractice you may be entitled to compensation. No amount of money can replace a spouse, but a wrongful death lawsuit can help with the medical bills and funeral expenses. If your spouse was the breadwinner, it can help you and your family stay in your home and keep food on the table. If your spouse was not the breadwinner, it can mean being able to hire help for childcare and other household needs, so that you can start picking up the pieces. A parent can never be replaced, but a child can be compensated for many of the financial benefits the deceased would have provided, such as the opportunity to go to college.

At The Cochran Firm Wisconsin we understand that the last thing you want to think about while you are still grieving is facing a legal battle. However, you must act quickly before it is too late. Please, do not let medical malpractice go unchecked. Take action today. It can help you and your family get back on your feet and may even save lives in the future.

The Cochran Firm Wisconsin serves communities throughout Wisconsin. Please, contact us today to find out how we can help.

Defective Products and the Harm They Can Cause

2009-08-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

The general American public has a vast array of easily available products they can choose to buy. We assume that they are all safe to use and will do the job they are marketed for. Many are made in another country, often China, and may or may not have to conform to certain standards for marketing in the U.S. All products should be accompanied by labeling, and perhaps a user manual, that gives all relevant information for safe and effective use.

Perhaps product standards are not strict enough, or not enforced strictly enough. Perhaps there are other requirements that should be tightened. Despite the precautions taken for public safety, defective products are withdrawn from the market every week, perhaps every day. Some recent examples are:

Baby cribs made in China with a railing that creates a space between itself and the mattress, causing some babies to suffocate
Child car seats with breakable plastic handles that injury the child
Pre-school toys containing small magnets which can fall out and pose a choking hazard for children
Radial tires made in China with tread that separates, causing auto accidents
Heparin (a blood thinning drug) containing contaminated elements from China that cause illness and death
Peanuts and peanut butter harboring mold, insects, or foreign plant materials, all of which can cause illness
Bagged spinach contaminated with salmonella or E. coli
Toothpaste made in China found to contain diethylene glycol which can cause kidney and liver damage
Cat and dog food found to contain rat poison

You can read about another example on our Defective Roofing page.

Many of the products withdrawn from the market are defective medical devices prescribed for a patient's use by their doctor. Examples of recently withdrawn devices are joint replacements, pacemakers, and heart valve implants. Far from helping patients recover their health, such defective products further impair health and may endanger the patient's life.

If you have been badly injured by a defective product, or if you have lost a loved one that way, please contact our office. We will be happy to schedule a free consultation for you with a defective product attorney. You can get clear answers your questions and learn more about your legal situation.

Techmeier Law Firm is now The Cochran Firm Wisconsin

2009-07-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Techmeier Law Firm is now The Cochran Firm Wisconsin! The Techmeier Law Firm decided to merge with the Cochran Firm to take advantage of the firm’s nationally recognized name, as well as access to lawyer who specialize in new fields, like environmental law and pharmaceutical law. Techmeier will be the managing partner of the Cochran Firm Milwaukee office and will provide expertise to the entire firm on mass tort and class action cases.

Will Techmeier has been practicing law in Wisconsin for 30 years. If you or a loved one has been injured, please contact The Cochran Firm Wisconsin today for a free consultation.

Read more about the merger with The Cochran Firm here.

Welcome

2009-06-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Cochran Firm Wisconsin Legal Blog. Please check back frequently for news and articles pertaining to personal injury, product liability, premises liability and mesothelioma.