Study Finds Simple Doctor’s Exam May Predict Stroke Risk: Checking Posture, Reflexes Could Detect Neurological Problems

A simple doctor’s examination for subtle problems such as reduced reflexes or unstable posture could help predict which healthy elderly people are at the highest risk of death or stroke, researchers said. Those with more than three of these abnormalities, which include tremors and differences in hand strength, were more likely to die, according to an Italian study conducted over an eight-year period. “A simple neurological examination seems to be an additional prognosticator of hard outcomes, particularly death above and beyond other measures used in clinical practice,” Marco Inzitari of the University of Florence and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.Please click on the link below to read the msnbc.com article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25345434/

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.

Miami Cardiovascular, Univ. of Miami to Research Medical Devices

Miami Cardiovascular Innovations and University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine have agreed to collaborate in research efforts in the development of biologically engineered medical devices, including coronary stents to overcome late stent thrombosis. Miami Cardiovascular said the biologically engineered stent can be implanted via a minimally invasive procedure. The agreement will use Miami Cardiovascular’s stem cell-based stent design and the University of Miami’s research laboratories and staff to conduct testing. “I am delighted to have such a prestigious partner in developing this new, ground-breaking medical device technology,” Miami Cardiovascular President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Avellanet said in a news release. “Our know-how, combined with the Miller School of Medicine’s expertise, will ensure the successful outcome of our collaboration and will allow us to quickly bring this new life-saving device to market.”

Please click on the link below to read the South Florida Business Journal article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/06/16/daily25.html?f=et81&ana=e_du

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.

Study: “Early Offer” Has its Advantages in Injury Cases

A new study concludes there are advantages to an “early offer” system in business-related personal injury cases, including per-claim savings and getting payments to claimants faster than the existing court-based system. The study, by University of Virginia Law School professor Jeffrey O’Connell and professor Patricia Born of California State University-Northridge, tested the early-offer concept by analyzing settlements in Texas and Florida personal injury cases involving businesses between 1988 and 2004. O’Connell has helped craft no-fault auto insurance laws and took part in a similar study regarding the effect of early offers in medical malpractice cases. The study tested a plan that would pay medical expenses and lost wages promptly, but eliminate payment for pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages. It concluded that such a system would reduce general-liability claim costs by an average of $114,000, up to $670,000 for more severe injuries. The researchers determined that an early-offer system would save an average of $32,000 in legal costs, about $211,000 in severe-injury cases. As explained by O’Connell, in such a no-fault system, a business would have the option of offering, within 180 days after a claim is filed, periodic payments toward a claimant’s medical expenses and lost wages, plus 10 percent for attorney fees. The claimant could turn down offers only in cases where the defendant’s conduct was the result of gross misconduct, provable beyond a reasonable doubt. Noneconomic damages could be sought in what O’Connell has called “clear cases of aggravated error.” The study concluded that only 4 percent of business liability cases allege gross misconduct.

Please click on the link below to read the Journal Record article:

http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=89984

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.