Posts by Thomas Greer

A Tennessee fatal accident near Iron City took the lives of two men on June 7, 2012. According to Tennessee Highway Patrol Officers, Stacey O. Short, 38, of Iron City, and Jayson L. Bechtold, 36, who lived just outside Iron City, were both killed in a one-car accident – the third fatal wreck in the…

Tyler Brock, 21 of Corbin, Kentucky, has pleaded guilty to the death last year of a resident of a group home operated by Community Ties of America, a Tennessee-based company. Brock, a former employee of the group home, was indicted on June 12, 2012 on one count of murder after prosecutors stated that he had…

While mistakes in anesthesia are rare, they do happen and nothing is more frightening than when a patient finds him or herself awake during a surgery. And “anesthesia awareness” does happen. Consciousness while under general anesthesia happens in about one or two of every 1000 cases in which general anesthesia is used. Consider the following…

The statistics say it all: In over 50% of fatal motorcycle accidents the operators had less than five months of experience in 2010. 90% of riders either taught themselves how to operate a bike, or were taught by a family member. The more training a motorcycle operator has, the less chance he or she has…

In May 2012, two separate Johnson City area motorcycle accidents resulting in fatalities have caused the Johnson City police concern for safety. On May 24, Burrell Mitchell was killed on his motorcycle when a pickup truck turned left in front of him at the corner of West Walnut Street and State of Franklin. Mitchell, 39,…

Over 15,000 deaths are caused each year by slips and falls. And, over eight million people are treated annually for fall-related injuries. In fact, falls are the leading cause of accidental injury in the United States, and one of the most common places to fall is the stairway. Stairs that are poorly designed, badly lit,…

When you are seriously injured on-the-job, most of your energy goes into healing and getting the bills paid. So understandably, you expect your employer to support your Tennessee workers’ compensation claim. But the sad truth is that some insurance providers will go to great lengths to save themselves some cash. And one tactic involves hiring…

Esther Congdon, 79, and her husband, Richard Congden, 79, of Knoxville, Tennessee, were both fatally injured in a Tennessee car crash on Interstate 40 Sunday, June 3, 2012. Mrs. Congden, the driver of a Ford Taurus, was traveling East on I-40, between Papermill Drive and the I-640 interchange, when her vehicle began to swerve erratically.…

The Tennessee Association for Justice (TAJ) held elections on June 8, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee at its annual convention.  Bryan Capps of Knoxville was elected president of the organization.  Bryan Smith of Memphis advanced to president-elect.  The association also elected three vice presidents from each grand division of the state, including Thomas Greer of Memphis,…

J&N’s Ethicon division is halting sales, world-wide, of Gynecare TVT Secur, Gynecare Prosima, Gynecare Prolift and Gynecare Prolift+ mesh products.  These surgical meshes are among a class of products made by various companies whose safety and effectiveness were the subject of an FDA “Public Health Notification” on October 20, 2008, and an updated PHN on…

If you have hired a Tennessee lawyer to handle any kind of legal issue, you must be able to trust that he or she will represent your interests ethically. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and you stand a lot to lose. If your lawyer fails to act ethically, you should report the problem. Some…

Michael Brandon Barber of Shelby County, Tennessee, was suspended on April 26, 2012 for five years for neglecting the representation of five former clients. He was also ordered to pay a restitution of $3,436.50 to the plaintiffs. In addition, Barber was ordered to pay all the expenses and costs of the disciplinary proceedings and to…

According to a May 21, 2012 Times Free Press news article, hundreds of Tennessee and Georgia residents are involved every year in officer-involved car crashes. And an average of two to three people, either officers or other drivers, are killed annually in both states. The article cites the February accident in Georgia that killed Leon…

Four men were killed and one woman seriously injured when their 1968 Cessna model 401 aircraft crashed into a Kansas cornfield this month. All five were on their way to a May 2012 Christian youth rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The pilot, Luke Sheets, 23, and passengers Garrett Coble, 29, Stephen Luth, 22, and Austin…

Because of the 1987 federal Nursing Home Reform Law, every Tennessee nursing home resident has legally protected rights that are designed to protect him or her from abuse. Unfortunately, these rights are not always upheld and the result can be devastating to both the residents and their families. So, what do you do if your…

This month the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) released a disturbing report concerning the horrible conditions endured by the residents of three Georgia nursing homes. And the blame has fallen squarely on the shoulders of the owner. The May 2012 report centers on the case of George Dayln Houser who was convicted of defrauding Medicare…

Every operating medical team goes into surgery with the best of intentions. And most every patient trusts that each team will do their very best to be successful. However, surgical errors do happen, and when they do, the results can be harmful – or even fatal. As Memphis MedMal lawyers, we know just how devastating…

If you are injured on-the-job in Tennessee, the Tennessee worker’s compensation insurance program is designed to help you. Through a federally mandated program, every employer in the state with five or more full or part-time employees is required to carry workers’ comp insurance. This insurance is also mandated for all employers in the construction or…

A Canadian doctor recently mistakenly removed the lymph nodes from a patient who was only supposed to have a routine lumpectomy. But the hospital administrator is taking the blame. According to CEO David Musyj, the Windsor Regional Hospital’s pathology department mixed up the test results of two women – one healthy and one in an…

You hired an attorney to represent you. You expected the best and got the worst.  Your lawyer made mistakes and now you are left with an empty wallet and little recourse. Sound familiar? Maybe you are one of the unlucky ones – a victim of Tennessee legal malpractice. But don’t despair; you need to move…

Last month, the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) held its annual meeting at a Nashville airport area hotel, and a major topic of discussion was national healthcare reform. At the April 2012 meeting, doctors were said to be keeping an eye on the current healthcare reform actions in Washington. The TMA’s executive vice president Russ Miller…

A very troubling study released by The Journal of the American Medical Association found that only half of medications which are commonly prescribed to children contained information about pediatric use.  Although there has been an improvement since this issue was first researched in 1975, when only 22% of medication was properly labeled, the current ratio…

If you are one of the many women who have received a mesh implant to deal with organ prolapse, or urinary incontinence, and are experiencing significant complications, then you should know that litigation against the companies that made and distributed these devices is proceeding.  We are representing dozens of clients suffering from failed mesh devices,…

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, we like to think that drug has been rigorously tested and deemed safe for us to use. Unfortunately, that is very often not the case at all. Too many times, prescription drugs are inadequately tested, rushed to market before they are fully understood and information…

In an April 2012 news release, the San Francisco Chronicle details the dangers and recent litigation surrounding the diabetes drug, Actos. According to the Chronicle, a whistleblower lawsuit against Actos manufacturer, Takeda Pharmacies, is being heard in the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts by Judge F. Dennis Saylor. This lawsuit names Helen Ge as…