Florida Teenage Driver Killed In BMW M5 High Speed Crash

Posted on January 30, 2008 by - Car Accidents

Less than 12 hours before he died, Joshua Ammirato was posting messages on an Internet message board seeking advice about how to drive his 2008 BMW M5 faster. Ammirato, 18, logged onto M5board.com Thursday and Friday, asking other M5 drivers how to shift smoother in the 500-horsepower machine.
“The problem is when I’m going pedal to the metal pushing 140 and upshifting, there tends to be thud noise with the gear change,” he wrote in one post. Ammirato and four other young Marion County men were killed at about 3:45 a.m. Saturday, when the BMW M5 he was driving sailed off the end of the Greystone airstrip in Anthony and crashed into a tree. Messages on the board devoted to M5 enthusiasts show Ammirato logged on shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday as “AmericanM5.” Read more about this tragic car accident.

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Bacteria-Tainted Syringes Causing Serious Injury To Patients

Posted on January 28, 2008 by - Defective Products, Hot Topics, Legal News, Unsafe Drugs

More lawsuits have been filed over bacteria-tainted syringes. Sierra Pre-Filled of Angier, North Carolina makes the syringes, filled with heparin or saline are used to flush IV or catheter lines. In December, bacteria-contaminated pre-filled syringes sickened 20 outpatients of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. 14 of those patients required hospitalization from five to nine days. All already have compromised immune systems from cancer and other ailments and many were undergoing chemotherapy. Quick investigative work linked the syringes to the bacteria,?Serratia marcescens.  On December 20, 2007, the FDA announced AM2 PAT, Inc., initiated a nationwide recall of one lot of Pre-Filled Heparin Lock Flush Solution USP (5 mL in 12 mL Syringes), Lot # 070926H. Then the FDA in January expanded the recall to include all lots and sizes the company makes of heparin and saline pre-filled syringes after finding they too were contaminated with Serratia marcescens. The heparin IV flush syringe contamination was later confirmed by the CDC after checking several unopened syringes of this product.

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Over-The-Counter Drops To Soften Ear Wax Causes Ear Damage

Posted on January 28, 2008 by - Hot Topics

A new study said that some over-the-counter drops meant to soften ear wax can damage the ear and shouldn’t be used. “Patients often complain that wax is blocking their ears and is causing discomfort and sometimes deafness,” said Dr. Sam Daniel of the Montreal Children’s Hospital. He said they can cause severe inflammation and damage to the eardrum and inner ear. “Because some of these products are readily available to the public without a consultation with or prescription from a physician, it is important to make sure they are safe to use. Our study shows that in a well-established animal model, one such product, Cerumenex, is in fact, toxic to the cells of the ear,” Daniel said.

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Bypass Surgery Remains Best Option For Patients With More Than One Clogged Artery

Posted on January 23, 2008 by - General

Bypass surgery remains the best option for heart patients with more than one clogged artery, according to the first big study to compare bypass with drug-coated stents. The new research dims hopes that the less drastic stent procedure would prove to be just as good for people with multiple blockages. In the study, heart attack and death rates were lower among people who had surgery than those given artery-opening balloon angioplasty and stents  mesh cylinders oozing drugs to keep vessels from reclogging.

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90 Day Written Notice Requirement For Slip And Falls In Municipal Sidewalks

Posted on January 23, 2008 by - Hot Topics, Legal News, Slip and Falls

Cases involving falls on defective city or town sidewalks have short notice periods for any claim against the city. Under Connecticut General Statutes Section 13a-149,written notice with certain required information must be given to the clerk of the city, town or borough responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, within 90 days of the incident. Because of the short time deadline, it is important to retain an attorney immediately. If proper written notice is not filed within 90 days from the date of the injury, you will be prohibited from bringing a lawsuit against the responsible town or city.

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