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I have never advertised my legal services on television, so I admittedly have no idea what is considered effective TV advertising. However, I do know what I find to be the most entertaining…and a Rap Video Lawyer Ad certainly fits that description.

This Ad is certainly a lot more fun than most of what I see on TV. Although not rapping himself, the guy wearing sunglasses in the sport coat appears to be the actual Georgia lawyer the ad wants you to call to “get that settlement check.” I was a little disappointed there wasn’t a line about getting the client diminished value for the shinny Hummer in the background, that would really have put it over the top. As silly as this ad seems, I would not be surprised if it is effective in attracting new clients. If TV advertising didn’t work, I probably would not be inundated by lawyer ads whenever I have the misfortune of watching daytime television.

The above video illustrates why we need government watchdogs, consumer advocates and Georgia trial lawyers fighting for the constitutional right to a jury trial. If you watch the video you will understand why the American System of Civil Justice should be protected from the insurance companies. We continue to pray for a favorable ruling from the Georgia Supreme Court to return Georgia to a place where judges and juries decide what is appropriate compensation for medical malpractice victims.

ARC.jpgMost of us are familiar with the heroic efforts of the American Red Cross in responding to catastrophic disasters across the world. When earthquakes hit, we know the Red Cross will be there shortly to protect life and alleviate human suffering. However, the Red Cross doesn’t get nearly enough publicity for their amazing humanitarian efforts in our community.

In September of last year, the Atlanta metro area experienced the worst flood in over 100 years. More than 60 roads were washed out and even major interstates were shut down. Families in 23 counties were displaced by the rising waters. Many died, thousands were in need. The Atlanta chapter of the ARC was on the ground helping displaced families, with food, water, clothing, and shelter, before the Governor had even declared a state of emergency. Cobb County was one of the hardest hit and the American Red Cross transformed the Cobb Civic Center into refuge of hope for hundreds of flood victims. The Red Cross literally saved the day right here in our community.

If you would like to donate to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, please click on the American Red Cross banner on the bottom right hand side of the page.

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chrysler.jpgWhen it comes to vehicles, there are some dangerous and defective products on the market right now. A good source of vehicle safety and recall information is the Consumer Reports car blog. Today Consumer Reports posted an informative piece on the latest recalls concerning the following vehicle: Acura, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Saab, and Toyota. If have one of these vehicles, or are considering buying a new or used car, it is worth a read.

Last week tragedy struck south Georgia when five people were killed and one person seriously injured when a 2002 Toyota collided head-on with a van near Rochelle, Georgia. The Georgia State Patrol is still investigating what caused this crash that took the life of a mother and her three children, ages, 4, 7, and 9, as well as the life of the 68-year-old passenger of the van. The Red Cross is notifying the childrens’ father currently serving overseas with the U.S. Navy. The driver of the van was seriously injured and taken to Macon hospital.

There have been no reports as to the cause of the collision at this time. However, Georgia product liability lawyers and other consumer advocates will be watching closely to see if the investigation reveals whether there were any defects with the Toyota that caused this tragic collision. At least 34 deaths have been linked to Toyota unintended acceleration problems. With more information becoming available about Toyota defects every day, more law enforcement and family investigations are looking to the vehicles for answers in these unusual tragic collisions.

Yesterday, a Clear Creek District Court awarded an $18.5 million dollar verdict to an Idaho Springs man for the catastrophic personal injuries he suffered in a automobile collision with a drunken driver. On the date of the accident, Paul Savage was at his home in his driveway changing the oil in his car when he was crushed by a jeep owned by Justin Guy and driven by Kevin Ruszkowski. Mr. Ruszkowski and Mr. Guy had been driving on mountain roads after a day of drinking and smoking marijuana. Mr. Savage is confined to a wheelchair due to his paralysis and incurred $4.3 million dollars in medical bills and is expected to have another $4.9 million dollars in future medical bills.

Included in the verdict was an assessment for punitive damages against Ruszkowski, which were assessed for “driving the Jeep while drinking and smoking marijuana and for fleeing the scene of a collision amid the screams of his victims.” As is common in cases like this, Mr. Ruszkowski escaped with very little criminal punishment. After pleading guilty he was sentenced to 4 years of probation following completion of boot camp.

As a DUI Victims lawyer, I was pleased to see the victim obtain such positive civil justice. Hopefully, this verdict will help mend the physical, emotional, and financial harms Mr. Savage and his family have suffered and will likely continue to suffer into the future.

Product Liability Lawyers, research groups, and the federal government have been closely following consumer complaints, injuries, and deaths resulting from Toyota unintended acceleration problems. Toyota claims the multiple recalls for floor mats and gas pedals will fix the problem. However, there is compelling data linking these acceleration incidents to the electronic throttle control systems. I anticipate there are more Toyota vehicle recalls in our future.

illinois.gifProponents of civil justice are celebrating and insurance companies are fuming in the wake of yesterday’s decision by the Illinois Supreme Court. Illinois’ highest court ruled capping damages for victims of medical malpractice violated the State Constitution’s separation of powers clause by imposing decisions reserved for judges and juries. That is a huge win for the citizens of Illinois.

I’ve defended a huge number of doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice lawsuits, I have doctors in my family, and I have a really high opinion of the medical profession. As a Georgia medical malpractice lawyer, I recognize healthcare is a problem in our country. However, caps on medical malpractice damages are not the answer. Unless the question is how do we further victimize those that have been catastrophically injured by medical negligence.

For those that don’t know, medical malpractice caps mean this: No matter what a doctor or hospital does to you. No matter how egregious the malpractice. No matter if the consequence is death, dismemberment, or disfigurement. You CANNOT recover what the judge and jury think your case is worth if it exceeds the arbitrary cap. In Georgia the cap is $350,000. If you are a housewife, retired, or unemployed and killed by a doctor’s negligence the judge and jury cannot decide what your life is worth, $350,000 is the max. If a checked-out doctor cuts a baby’s penis off during circumcision, refuses to acknowledge her mistake, and the baby is forced to live a life disfigured, the jury’s verdict will be reduced to the arbitrary cap. Caps on damages were created by insurance companies to erode the civil justice system of trial by jury. For all its flaws, the American system of justice is still the best system in the world.

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