The Stanley Law Offices

Wearing a helmet is good advice whenever you operate a motorcycle ,ATV, or bicycle. A recent accident shows what happens if you do not. The benefits of wearing safety equipment are always more obvious after the accident. Remember to be safe when you start out.

The FDA is reminding prescibers and patients that certain osteoporosis medications may be associated with severe or incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain. FDA advises that these side effects may develop days, months or even years after starting the drug and may persist despite stopping the medication.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors side effects of drugs that are currently on the market by way of a program known as MedWatch Prescribers provide voluntary reports to the FDA advising them of issues with various prescription drugs and devices. If there are, what FDA considers, a substantial number of reports an action may be taken. On January 7 the FDA issued an Alert to health care providers and patients concerning biphosphonates, a class of prescription medications used to treat osteoporosis and certain other conditions. These drugs are marketed as Actonel, Actonel+Ca, Aredia, Boniva, Didronel, Fosamax, Fosamax+D, Reclast, Skelid, and Zometa.
FDA is reminding prescibers and patients that these drugs may be associated with severe or incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain. FDA advises that these side effects may develop days, months or even years after starting the drug. Risk factors for development of these side effects is unknown and the frequency with which they might occur is unclear. Although these are known side effects FDA is concerned that they might be overlooked or attributed to another disease causing a delay in diagnosis. Diagnostic delays might lead to prolonged pain requiring additional medications. Of course, any time additional medications are used, the risk for more side effects or adverse reactions occurs. Diagnostic delays might also cause functional impairment involving the ability to work or engage in other activities of daily living.
Some patients have reported prompt resolution of the pain after stopping the medication but other reports suggest that there may be only a partial recovery, even after halting the drug.
It is important for patients to maintain ongoing communication with their physician. If you develop any new symptoms or if you fail to improve with treatment be sure to contact your doctor promptly. You must act as your own advocate. Do not be put off by abrupt, rude or busy office staff. It is important for your concerns to be heard and acted on. If you believe your healthcare provider is not responding to you in an appropriate or timely fashion a second opinion or a visit to the emergency room is in order.

Many people have heard that New York is a No-Fault State and interpret that to mean that it does not matter whose fault the accident was in seeking recovery. However, this is only partially true. Regardless of fault you are entitled to recover for medical expenses, lost wages up to $2000 a month and some minimal additional expenses. However fault is required to be shown against the other driver to recover for pain and suffering. In addiiton, fault will still determine who receives a ticket, who pays the property damage and whose insurance premiums will increase.
If you have been involved in a car accident and have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Few people are aware that when an injury occurs on a construction site their may be compensation available in addition to Workers Compensation benefits. In New York Labor Law 240(1), 241(6) and 200 have been enacted to protect workers in the event that they are injured while engaged in certain activities.
Recently, a roofer fell from a roof located on Erie Blvd. in Syracuse. This type of fall would likey be covered by labor Law 240(1) and that roofer would be entitled to collect workers compensation benefits as well as have a claim against the owner of the building for any additional lost wages as well as pain and suffering.
If you or someone you know has been injured while at work please do not hesitate to contact our office as we can answer any questions you may have regarding your rights.

Being attacked by a dog can be a traumatic event however unfortunately the law makes it very difficult to recover for your medical expenses or for the injury itself. The first hurdle is findling someone with insurance. This is difficult if the owner does not own a home but rather rents. In those circumstances the landlord can only be held responsible if the attack occurs on his property and he is on notice of both the dogs presence as well as that the dog had prior aggressive tendencies. These issues are difficult to prove and require immediate investigation. If you have been attacked and have any questions please do not hesitate to contact our office.

School Districts have a special responsibility to take care of our children. They sit in the shoes of parents during the school day. Parents need to work with their school district to keep our children safe. Children are at risk for falls , bus accidents, and attacks from other students. If any thing goes wrong much sure a report is filed. Claims against school districts generally require immediate legal help. so dont be afraid to call a lawyer for help

The facts about medical malpractice need to be told. Most of the information that people believe are myths generated by the health care industry. The facts are astounding. Currently, attorneys and patients have no way of knowing who these bad doctors are because the National Practitioner Data Base's public use file conceals practitioners' personal information. Public Citizen urged Congress to lift the veil of secrecy which is used to hide doctors who are frequently accused of medical malpractice, especially considering the small percentage of doctors responsible for the majority of the malpractice committed in the United States. While 82% of doctors had not made a medical malpractice settlement payment since 1990, 5.9% of the others accounted for 57.8% of all medical malpractice payments since 1991. The "Truth" needs to be spread about all lawsuits and people need to be made aware of the myths and hoaxes that affect us all.

New York state appeals court has ruled a seven-year-old girl can file a lawsuit against the city of Brooklyn for injuries that she sustained while she was an unborn child. This is a landmark ruling that is an important decision regarding the rights of unborn children.

The new year brings an opportunity to review all your insurance issue. Examine you car insurance to make sure you have the right amount of coverage and that you have the maximum uninsured motorist coverage. This will protect you and other if you are involved in a car crash. Make sure your homeowners coverage has sufficient policy limits so year are covered for any slip and falls or other accidents. Think about health care proxies. Update your will. Be safe in the new year