The Republican majorities in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly have now passed Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) and Governor Kasich has signed it into law. The bill, as most of you know, dramatically reduces the rights of public employees in Ohio to bargain collectively with their members’ employers. Reduced to its simplest form, [...]
Apr
5
2011
5
2011
Mar
26
2011
26
2011
Physician Immunity Bill Bad For Ohio
Last week legislation was introduced in the Ohio Senate (Senate Bill 129) to grant immunity to physicians for malpractice committed by them in emergency rooms all across the state. Even though medical errors cost this country $4.4 billion annually (statistics from U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services), the senators who introduced this bill evidently [...]
Mar
16
2011
16
2011
Despite Big Business’ Objections Consumers Will Now Have Access to a Vast Database of Unsafe Products
Despite significant opposition by GOP house members and lobbyists for the manufacturing industry, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has successfully launched an online database that will allow the public to search for consumer complaints about the safety of everyday products. This past Friday, the CPSC unveiled SaferProducts.gov which has made public previously undisclosed injury and [...]
Mar
10
2011
10
2011
Crash Worthiness: How does a highly rated car stack up against a semi truck?
A recent article by AOL Auto Correspondent Kevin Ransom highlighted an ongoing highway safety issue. According to recent statistics, crashes between a passenger car and the “underride guards” on the backs of tractor-trailers prove fatal at even lower speeds. These rear guards are the primary countermeasure for reducing deaths and injuries when a passenger vehicle crashes [...]
Mar
7
2011
7
2011
Check Your Pantry: Skippy Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter Recall
According to the Associated Press, the company that makes Skippy peanut butter is recalling two of its spreads that may be contaminated with salmonella. No illnesses have been linked to the recall of the Skippy reduced fat creamy and reduced fat chunky brands. Unilever United States Inc. did not specify how many jars have been [...]
Mar
1
2011
1
2011
Low Cost Heaters Recalled Due To Fire Hazard
Continuing on the topic of a recent post concerning winter hazards with space heaters, this space just noticed a CPSC recall of 92,000 TrueLiving Heater Fans and Portable Quartz Radiant Heaters, all  manufactured by Atico International USA and sold exclusively at Dollar General Stores this past fall. CPSC has warned consumers to stop using these recalled products [...]
Feb
10
2011
10
2011
Set for Kick-Off: Political Football with Victims’ Rights
Elections have consequences. How many times have we heard that recently? Amid front-burner discussion topics such as the national debt, health care, and foreign affairs, Congress has already begun singing one of its favorite refrains: we need to end “frivolous” lawsuits to bring health care costs down. According to The Hill, the House Judiciary Committee is [...]
Jan
31
2011
31
2011
Winter Safety with Space Heaters and Furnaces
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a reminder for everyone to be mindful of the hazards that accompany the use of household fixtures and appliances that keep us warm in the cold months. Furnaces, space heaters and other heating devices–and even fireplaces,which carry their own risks of fire and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning–can be operated worry-free [...]
Jan
25
2011
25
2011
What do Super Bowl Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a middle aged football fan and an 85 year old grandma have in common?
If one of them gets into an auto accident the at-fault driver will be liable for the full extent of their injury, even if the victim suffers from a pre-existing weakness or medical condition. Ohio law follows the well-established “Egg Shell Plaintiff†doctrine. This means that even if a person’s body is as delicate as [...]
Jan
19
2011
19
2011
Does My Auto Insurance Policy Cover Medical Payments?
We have talked about uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage here before. Many people also pay a premium to their auto insurer for medical payments coverage. This sort of insurance pays medical expenses on behalf of a covered individual injured in an auto accident. Covered people typically include anyone in the covered vehicle at the time of the [...]