Posts by Thomas Greer

On February 12, 2013, I obtained a jury verdict on behalf of my clients for $500,000 stemming from a wreck that happened in 2010.  The wreck occurred when the driver of an SUV lost control and crashed into a column supporting an over-passing bridge.  The crash left the driver and passenger dead.  Unfortunately, the family…

In Tennessee, a driver and passenger of a motorcycle are required to wear an approved helmet. Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-9-302 states:   (a) The driver of a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, as defined in chapter 8 of this title, or motor-driven cycle, and any passenger on any of these, shall be required to wear either a crash helmet meeting…

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s administration is ready to release massive and detrimental changes to the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation System.  Gov. Haslam formally released his proposed changes during his recent “state-of-the-state” address.   Some of the Governor’s changes include: Making the employer less likely to be at fault for an on the job injury Eliminating the right…

Year after year I see cases in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi where a patient falls and sustains serious injuries while in the hospital.  Hospital falls take a heavy toll on patients, especially elderly patients.  You can read about one of these cases I handled here. In 20-30% of the falls the patient suffers severe to…

A mother and her grown daughter are dead after a two-car accident on U.S. 51 in Brighton. The Tennessee highway accident happened on Friday, January 4, 2013, at about 1:15 p.m. Sixty-two-year-old Sherry Claffey, of Atoka, was headed south in the right lane of U.S. 51 when her Ford Explorer struck the rear right corner…

News broke recently of a Memphis woman who was arrested shortly after giving birth to a baby with cocaine and heroine in its system.  Perhaps the most shocking part of this story is that this was the woman's the fourth child to be born addicted to drugs.  One program in Memphis aims to prevent these…

When you buy a car, you expect it to meet certain safety standards. You expect that your car will work as intended, your seat belts will stay fastened in an accident, your airbags will deploy when needed, and the frame will protect while absorbing the impact of an accident through its crumple zones. These are…

Eight-year-old Quindarious McGhay, of Memphis, should have celebrated Christmas with his family, but the young boy was killed in a tragic Christmas Eve traffic accident. The Middle Tennessee car accident took place at 12:13 p.m. on December 24, 2013. Quindarious and his family were travelling on I-40 just west of the Fayette County line. They…

Every emergency room doctor and primary care doctor should be aware of the most common signs and symptoms of an appendicitis.  They include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and fever and chills. But not all patients present with these classic signs and symptoms.  In fact, approximately 30% of patients who are ultimately…

                Most people associate nursing home negligence with bed sores or overmedication.  However, a new study by the Federal Consumer Safety Commission is looking into deaths caused by bed rails.  Bed rails, the same products that are designed to keep the elderly from rolling out of bed, are actually…

A lawsuit recently filed by 8 alleged victims of abuse name a Davidson County pastor as the abuser.  The lawsuit alleges that the pastor of Bethel World Outreach Church, Rev. Larry Tomczak, abused the victims as early as the 1980s. Rev. Tomczak is known for being a believer in corporal punishment.  A book Tomczak sells…

Overexertion is the third leading cause of unintentional injuries in the United States and the leading cause of workplace injury. Overexertion accounts for approximately 25 percent of Tennessee workers’ compensation claims and about 3.5 million emergency room visits each year. Whether you are at home or at work, our Memphis workplace injury attorneys recommend taking…

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 303 children suffer from some type of cerebral palsy.  Cerebral palsy stems from a certain type of brain injury that causes a range of medical conditions that affect the nervous system and brain.  This damage results in a wide variety of disorders, including movement problems, speech…

It is a sad New Year for the Mississippi Choctaw Indian community. Five siblings were killed after an accident in Neshoba County. Their father was at the wheel. Duane John, 34, has been charged with six counts of DUI manslaughter after causing the fatal Mississippi car accident at about 12:35 a.m. on Saturday, December 29,…

                One of the most important decisions parents make for their child is their choice of a child-care provider.  Parents’ worst nightmare is placing their child in the care of someone that does not have the child’s best interest at heart.  Too often, however, children are injured or killed…

Picture from Chattanooga Times Free Press   2012 was a deadly year for motorcycle enthusiasts on Tennessee roadways.  In total, there were 1,019 fatalities involving a motor vehicle; up from 937 deaths in 2011.  151 of these deaths occurred in “District 4” which includes Crockett, Dyer, Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Shelby, and Tipton…

Suppose you had an appendectomy. While you were in the operating room, an operating assistant used sponges to mop up blood and other body fluids that got in the doctors way.  Most of the time, the used sponges were placed on a nearby tray, but the doctor needed a syringe quickly. The nurse placed the…

Are you facing surgery? Your doctor has probably told you that the risks are low. He may have warned you that there is a ten percent chance of infection associated with the procedure, a five percent chance of serious effects like cardiac arrest, and a less than one percent chance of death. But, did he…

One person was killed and four others were critically injured in a car crash that occurred on I-40 in Haywood County on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.  All of the injured and killed are thought to be from the Millington Tennessee area.  News of the incident came from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The report also indicates…

Harrison Kothari was a two-year-old with a sunny smile when he was diagnosed with a benign cyst near the top of his spine. Harrison underwent routine surgery to remove the cyst. Everything was going well when Harrison fell ill. Harrison’s condition quickly deteriorated. On December 1, 2010, Harrison died from a rare form of meningitis…

A study from 2012 published in Health Affairs shows that doctors are often not honest and truthful with their patients.  Moreover, many physicians fell that it is acceptable to mislead or withhold information.  The study was careful to state that “the vast majority of physicians completely agreed that physicians should fully inform patients about the…

James Heflin decided to take a large amount of cash from IberiaBank, formerly Pulaski bank, in March of 2007, fearing that the economy could not be trusted.  When he arrived at home, he was robbed and severely beaten.  The attackers came back at a later date and stole more money ($390,172.63) at gunpoint.  The robbery…

Does your car have a secret past? The auto review website CarGurus conducted a study of 2.5 million vehicles that were sold on its website in 2012. After looking at the vehicle history report for each car, CarGurus found that sixteen percent of vehicles listed on the site had an accident history. This is one…

Every medical procedure has its risks. You’re not a doctor, but given enough information, you are able to weigh the pros and cons of a procedure and make an educated decision about whether a treatment is right for you. This is the premise behind informed consent. “Informed consent” is a legal and medical term that…

Does your mind ever wandering as you drive? I know I do. Although I try to focus on the road, my thoughts naturally drift to my workday to-do list, errands I need to run, and even to what I’d like for dinner that night. I’m not using the phone; I’m not texting, but I’m still…