Preparedness Helps Protect Families, Pets and Properties During Hurricanes
Tropical Storm Isaac is on track to become a hurricane by Monday. At the current time, the path is projected to hit the border of Alabama and Mississippi. Forecasters warned residents of Florida and Texas to remain vigilant for Isaac’s path once it hits the warm waters of theGulf of Mexico. Caribbean island nations are currently taking the brunt of the tropical storm causing 10 foot waves in Puerto Rico and threatening an already decimated Haiti.
After two years of heavy hurricane activity predictions, this year’s prediction for the Gulf coast was average to below average. The Weather Service has published a list of items and contact information to keep on hand from the beginning to end of hurricane season. The complete list may be found here: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php. Things like food, water, batteries, flashlights and cell phone with external charger are all items to have ready now. Many people may recall the difficulty obtaining food and water before Ike and after the storm knocked out power over a large portion of southeast Texas. A full supplies kit list can be found here: http://www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit.
Hurricane season does not end until November leaving the Gulf coast with a few more months of watching and waiting. For Texas residents, it is not a case of if, but rather when a major hurricane takes aim. Preparedness helps protect families and pets during an emergency or disaster situation.
Mike Doyle and Jeffrey Raizner Selected By Their Peers For Inclusion In The Best Lawyers in America® 2013
Mike Doyle and Jeffrey Raizner, lawyers from Doyle Raizner, were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
Both lawyers have appeared on the list in the past. Mike Doyle was named to The Best Lawyers in America® list in 2009 for Admiralty & Maritime Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Transportation Law. Jeffrey Raizner was selected for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in 2010.
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 36,000 leading attorneys cast almost 4.4 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Doyle Raizner Sponsors HTLF Bayou Ball
Doyle Raizner is a Patron level sponsor of this year’s Bayou Ball hosted by the Houston Trial Lawyers’ Foundation. The event will take place on September 22, 2012 at Scott Gertner’s at the Houston Pavilions. The event benefits Shriners Hospital for Children®- Houston & Galveston.
The Houston Trial Lawyers’ Foundation is a public charity helping local children and families in need. Through the years, the foundation has provided local underprivileged children with school uniforms and supplies in addition to a yearly holiday toy drive. The foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization connected to the non-profit group, Houston Trial Lawyers Association. Jeff Raizner is president-elect of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association.
To purchase tickets for the Bayou Ball or to donate, please visit http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1061199. Each ticket holder will have an opportunity to win a 2013 Bentley Continental GT courtesy of Post Oak Motor Cars, LTD.
For more information on ShrinersHospitalfor Children®, please visit www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.
Doyle Raizner Shareholder Jeff Raizner Will Speak At NAPIA Conference
Jeff Raizner is a scheduled speaker at this year’s First Party Claims Conference taking place October 15-17. Doyle Raizner is also a sponsor of the event. The annual conference is being held in Warwick, RI and focuses on educational events for professionals from all aspects of the first party property insurance claims community.
Pradaxa® Maker’s Profits Not Harmed In First Six Months of 2012
Despite pending litigation, bad PR, accusations of over zealous marketing and hundreds of deaths linked to the drug, Pradaxa® maker Boehringer Ingelheim reported 6.8% sales growth for the first six months of 2012. Pradaxa® sales accounted for $617 million of the company’s profits.
Boehringer Ingelheim is a family-owned company based inGermany. The company is comprised of human and veterinary medicine research, devolpment, production and marketing. Key members of the organization Andreas Barner, chair of the board, and Hubertus von Baumbach, finance head, both cautioned about the next six months of the company’s financial growth. Among the reasons listed were the European debt crisis and weak economic growth in theUnited States. Neither made mention of the pending Pradaxa® litigation against the company.
The Southern District of Illinois will be the venue for the argument of Pradaxa®’s reality versus what the parent pharmaceutical company disclosed about the drug. All actions pending outside the Southern District of Illinois will be transferred to the Southern District of Illinois. All future filings will be filed in the Southern District of Illinois.
Doyle Raizner represents dozens of Pradaxa® patients throughout the country. The firm is committed to helping those who have suffered serious and life-changing effects caused by Pradaxa®.
Doyle Raizner Files Jones Act Suit Against Kirby Inland Marine
Doyle Raizner has filed a Jones Act suit against Kirby Marine on behalf of an injured seaman. The seaman was injured while on Kirby’s vessel offshore near the coast of Texas.
The case falls under the Jones Act and maritime law due to the employment of the injured party as a seaman permanently assigned to the vessel and/or fleets of vessels of his employers. The case is also brought under general maritime law for denial of maintenance and cure. Maintenance refers to the responsibility of a shipowner to provide medical care to an injured seaman until he has reached maximum medical care. Cure is the obligation of a shipowner to pay for medications and medical devices necessary to improve the injured seaman’s condition.
Kirby was negligent by failing to provide a safe working environment for their crew, which resulted in the dangerous conditions leading to the seaman’s injuries. Kirby’s vessel was unseaworthy due to the lack of non-skid surfacing on the vessel, which caused the seaman to fall down stairs.
Doyle Raizner stands with the injured seaman against Kirby to recover the maintenance and cure and other damages owed to the seaman.
Southern District of Texas Court Denies KBR Motion to Dismiss
In an important ruling on August 16, 2012, Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas denied KBR’s Motion to Dismiss in the matter brought against KBR by U.S. and British servicemen who suffered from exposure to sodium dichromate while guarding KBR’s Qarmat Ali water treatment plant during the Iraq War.
KBR had sought to dismiss on the grounds that the plaintiffs’ claims were barred by the Federal Tort Claims Act, which provides immunity for lawsuits brought against the U.S. government. KBR also argued that the claims should not be heard because they were political in nature and because they were acting on behalf of the U.S. government to restore oil production in Iraq.
KBR’s arguments were
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rejected by the Southern District of Texas because KBR was not acting in direct connection with hostilities in Iraq.
The ruling paves the way for trial in this matter, which is currently set for later this year.
Doyle Raizner is lead counsel for the plaintiffs in this matter, styled McManaway, et al. v. KBR Inc., et al., No 4:10-cv-01044.
Doyle Raizner Files Workers’ Compensation Bad Faith Lawsuit Against Colorado Casualty
Doyle Raizner has filed a workers’ compensation insurance bad faith lawsuit against Colorado Casualty Insurance Company and its adjuster on behalf of an employee who was injured while working inArizonain 2010. Colorado Casualty is part of the Liberty Mutual Insurance conglomerate of companies
Colorado Casualty and its adjuster failed to properly and timely pay the injured employee the financial benefits that he was due, even after signing agreements and promising to deliver the uncontested benefits. As a result, the injured employee was forced to have the Arizona Industrial Commission review his case and issue a citation against Colorado Casualty for its bad faith actions.
The case was filed inSuperior Court of Maricopa County, Arizona. Doyle Raizner stands with this injured Arizona worker in seeking justice against Colorado Casualty for its bad faith actions.
Doyle Raizner Files Bad Faith Insurance Suit Against Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas
On August 7, 2012, Doyle Raizner filed a bad faith insurance claim against Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas, on behalf of a mother who was denied payment for emergency medical care owed to her under her insurance policy. Despite the plain language of the insurance policy issued by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas, as well as the opinion of the Texas Department of Insurance, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas has refused to pay or reimburse doctors for necessary, emergency medical treatment provided during the delivery of her child.
Doyle Raizner frequently handles claims arising from the denial of medical care or payment related to a personal health or life insurance policy. Doyle Raizner stands with our client in seeking payments owed to her pursuant to the insurance policy that she purchased with her
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Doyle Raizner Files Suit Against Helix Energy Solutions
Doyle Raizner has filed a Jones Act lawsuit against Helix Energy Solutions on behalf of a seaman who suffered a serious injury to his hand while working aboard a pipe-laying vessel in the Gulf of Mexico on February 17, 2010. Unfortunately, the vessel was not properly maintained by Helix, leading to unsafe working conditions. As a result, the seaman slipped and fell down a staircase, causing him to severely injure his left hand.
