Posts by Robert Alston
Reports of Burns Prompt Coffee Maker Recall
Sunbeam Products, Inc. has announced a recall of over half a million Mr. Coffee brand coffee makers. The recall is in response to reports of a defect that has already caused injury to a number of users. “Product safety recalls are serious business,” said Zephyrhills personal injury attorney Robert Alston. “The media do a good…
Read MoreChild Seriously Injured in Florida Interstate Crash
A 6-year-old boy was seriously injured in an accident on Interstate 10 in Santa Rosa County in western Florida on Friday night. The driver of a Ford F-150 veered off the roadway onto a shoulder to avoid a vehicle directly in front that slowed suddenly. In the process, the truck’s driver from Crestview struck a…
Read MoreRisky Driving Behavior an Indicator of Mortality On or Off the Road
While it may seem obvious that reckless driving can lead to injury or death in an automobile accident, a new study suggests that a record of risky driving is a good indicator of general mortality as well. The study, “More Than Just Data: Motor Vehicle Records as Lifestyle Indicators for Life Insurers,” was completed by…
Read MoreSocial Security Disability Adds 13 Conditions to Compassionate Allowances Program
The Social Security Administration recently added 13 new conditions to the Compassionate Allowances program that fast-tracks disability decisions within the agency. The new conditions were introduced in December as part of an ongoing effort to innovate and streamline the agency’s work, according to Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue. The conditions that were added to…
Read MoreMore Frequent Wage Reporting Would Help Cut Down on SSI Overpayments
The Social Security Administration is calling on private insurers that pay workers’ compensation as well as state and local agencies to report payments to the agency to help cut down on fraud and overpayments. In a recent speech to the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, Carolyn Colvin, deputy administrator for the…
Read MoreSSI and SSDI Could be Revamped
The Social Security Administration is working on new initiatives that could cut down on wasteful overpayments, disincentives to work and costly labor time to investigate payments. The Work Incentives Simplification Pilot is a legislative proposal being considered by Congress that could replace well-intentioned but complicated laws meant to incentivize disability beneficiaries to return to work.…
Read MoreSafety is Critical Now That the Home is Full of Toys
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced late last year that toys were safer for the holiday season then they had been in years, but just because the holidays are over and all the presents are unwrapped does not mean parents can let up paying attention to their children’s playthings. Injuries and recalls of dangerous toys…
Read MoreSocial Security Administration Commissions Independent Study of Judges Deciding Appeals
Federal administrative law judges who hear Social Security Disability appeals have widely ranging records that may indicate unfairness in the appeals process. The Social Security Administration is commissioning a review of the entire disability system to make sure it is not awarding benefits to those who do not deserve it and to make sure the…
Read MoreFlorida Supreme Court Allows Uncapped Damages in Case
By letting a malpractice verdict stand and awarding $10.3 million to a victim’s widow, the Florida Supreme Court kept hope alive this fall for those wanting to remove caps on damages for pain and suffering. The case resolved whether lawsuits from before the caps were put in place by the Florida Legislature in 2003 would…
Read MoreNursing Home Falls Affect Many Seniors
For people over the age of 65, falls cause the most deaths. Fatal falls cost $179 million and nonfatal incidents with injuries total $19 billion in medical bills for seniors each year. Falling can cause hip fractures, head and brain trauma, and, unfortunately, sometimes a seniors’ death. Especially for the elderly that live in nursing…
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