Posts tagged injury

• Loss of Services of a Homemaker is About $138,095 a Year

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 14, 2007 8:43 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Automobile Accidents
  

  This report published by Rueters says that if "the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as a housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would earn $138,095 a year."This is an important study because the issue often comes up about the value of domestic services in personal injury litigaton. Perhaps this data can be reasonably relied upon by an...

• Tax Liability Arising Due to Confidentiality Clauses in Settlement Agreements

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 10, 2007 9:40 AM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Medical Malpractice
  

  Did you know that a confidentiality clause can have tax consequences? This was the subject of a United States Tax Court opinion in Amos v. IRS (2003), the case where Dennis Rodman kicked a courtside TV cameraman in the groin.The Court held that, if a portion of a settlement is attributable to a confidentiality agreement, that portion is taxable. It is not clear what the long-term effects are...

• Update: Judge may lose his job after suing cleaners for $65,000,000

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 09, 2007 9:54 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Roy L. Pearson Jr. might regret going after a dry cleaners for a lost pair of pants. A panel of four Washington DC officials is considering whether he should return as an administrative law judge for his bringing and maintaining a $65 million suit agaist the cleaners.

• The Case of the Judge Who Lost His Pants, and Then Lost His Mind

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 08, 2007 12:59 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Rarely do I find it necessary to write about cases that should never be filed, after all, there are enough people who love to blog about the absurdities of the law. That being said, the case of the Hon. Roy Person, Jr. versus Custom Cleaners is the single-worst example of abusive litigation that I recall having ever seen or heard of.It is safe to say, the Hon. Roy Pearson, Jr. demands...

• The Advantages Structuring Personal Injury Settlements for Clients Concerned About Child Support Obligations

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 07, 2007 9:41 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Most people do not normally focus on family law issues in personal injury matters, but believe it or not, such issues can make a difference for clients with child support obligations, or even potential future child support obligations. Now, at the outset, let me state clearly that it is every parent's obligation to properly and responsibly care for their children. That being said, divorced...

• Court Holds Evidentiary Hearing to Determine the Amount of a Medicaid Lien, Similar Hearings Are Expected in Other Personal Injury Matters

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 06, 2007 2:15 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  As we have noted in the past, "getting the money and keeping the money" are two different and equally difficult issues in personal injury matters. In many cases, there are liens on recoveries, such as when Medicaid pays all or part of a person's bills.One issue that often arises is the extent to which a third-party can assert a lien. In Arkansas Dept. of Health and Human Servs. v Ahlborn, 547...

• Arizona Public Records Law May Require the Court to Determine the Nature of the Particular Government Document

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 05, 2007 1:41 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  These days, most people know that both state and federal "Freedom of Information Acts" require the dicslosure of public records. After all, such documents technically "belong to the people" and are created in connection with public service. Indeed, ARS 39-121 provides that "public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times...

• What Kind of Lawyer Do You Want for Your Case?

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 03, 2007 9:29 AM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Automobile Accidents
  

  A New York personal injury lawyer was recently disbarred for basically "being an asshole." Although I can hardly endorse his brash style (e.g., telling the judge to "Kiss my tuchis!"), it is interesting what other New York attorneys had to say: "Personally, I find him abrasive, angry, tough, fierce, and frightening," says attorney Ron Kuby. "You know, the qualities you usually want in a...

• Girls Gone Wild Founder No Stranger to Controversy, Litigation or Judicial Outrage

  Geoff Trachtenberg | May 01, 2007 10:22 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild has been in the press lately, mainly because he is reportedly losing it inside prison without his bottled water and anti-anxiety medication. The reason he is behind bars is a little more complicated, but it is basically because he pissed off a federal judge. Never a good move.Anyway, reading about him refreshed my memory that a respected colleague recently sued...

• No Runaway Jury System In Arizona: 2006 Verdicts Are, If Anything, Low.

  Geoff Trachtenberg | April 29, 2007 6:51 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Two days ago I posted the 2006 civil jury awards in Arizona. The thing that I found interesting is the Maricopa County median is a paltry $70,879. By the way, the reported figures are all artifically high because they do not include defense verdicts of zero!Among other things, this makes me recall the pending unconstitutional legislation to allow courts to raise the compulsory arbitration...