The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Defective tires are responsible for thousands of automobile accidents that cause serious injuries and deaths every day in the United States. The scope of the defective tire problem in this country is enormous with millions of tires recalled, but still in use on our nation’s highways, maybe on your car, SUV or light truck.

Defective tires cause tread separation, blowouts and tire or rim explosions.
Defective tires have been manufactured by Firestone, Cooper, Dunlop, B.F. Goodrich and tires imported from China. You have a legal right to seek financial compensation for property damage, injuries and the wrongful death of a loved one if a defective tire was responsible for the motor vehicle accident.

The defective tire attorneys at The Cochran Firm have the knowledge and experience to ensure you are compensated for medical expenses, lost wages, the cost of long term care and treatment or rehabilitation, and any other expenses due to the damages suffered as a result of an accident caused by a defective tire.

If you or a member of your family was injured or killed in an accident that was caused by a defective tire and you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, please contact the defective tire attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn how you can get the legal representation that will secure your future and the future of your loved ones.

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The elder abuse lawyers at The Cochran Firm have dedicated themselves to protecting the dignity and legal rights of the elderly. Our lawyers work hard to help nursing home abuse victims receive financial compensation for their physical and psychological injuries suffered at the hands of undertrained, overworked, reckless or careless employees of nursing homes or assisted living centers.

Choosing a nursing home or assisted living center for the care of a family member is a difficult task. You have to put your trust in professional caregivers when you are unable to provide that level of care your family member requires yourself.

Our elder abuse attorneys at The Cochran Firm have encountered various forms of nursing home and assisted living center abuse and neglect including physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse, the withholding of food and water, the use of unnecessary physical restraints, over medication, chronic infections, and bed sores. The abuse almost always results in severe consequences for the vulnerable victims.

Please contact the nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm in Atlanta, Georgia today if you suspect your family member has been the victim of abuse and neglect. Do not let another day of abuse and neglect of your loved one go by without taking the steps to hold those responsible legally accountable for their actions.

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Automobiles with defects that have provoked lawsuits recently have included, but are not limited to gas pedals that stick or are responsible for unwanted acceleration, fuel system defects that cause fires and explosions, wiring and electronic defects that cause multiple problems, brake failures, faulty airbags and vehicle rollovers.

Vehicles with defective parts or a defective design can result in accidents, injuries and fatalities. The individuals legally responsible for damages include the car manufacturer, the parts manufacturer, the distributor of the defective vehicle parts and the car dealership.

The legal issues of liability are complex when an injury or wrongful death is caused by a defective vehicle or defective car part. The experienced defective vehicle attorneys at The Cochran Firm will guarantee you receive excellent legal representation and fair compensation from those responsible for your injuries. An important point to remember is that your vehicle is considered evidence and must be treated as such to be examined by an expert who will be asked to testify to their findings at trial. You have no case if your vehicle evidence is lost to mishandling or ineffective examination.

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area and you or someone you love was injured or killed in an accident caused by a defective vehicle or defective car part, please contact the highly skilled attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights and the interests of those you love.

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Premises liability law is a section of Georgia law that holds property and business owners legally responsible for dangerous or hazardous conditions that may exist on their property.

If you slip and fall on a wet floor in a store, premises liability law may hold the store owner legally responsible for your injuries, depending on the circumstances. Common situations that may cause the initiation of a premises liability claim are falls on wet or icy walkways or stairs, attacks by dogs running loose and not in the control of the owner, exposure to toxic substances, an injury caused by a so-called "attractive nuisance", such as an old refrigerator left unlocked outside, or lack of adequate security measures at an apartment, hotel or mall parking garage that leads to a criminal assault. Premises liability laws also apply to private homeowners and injuries sustained on government properties such as parks and libraries.

Serious injuries can result from accidents on someone else's property including spinal cord injuries, burns, broken bones, head injuries, back injuries that can lead to paralysis and injuries that cause permanent disability or disfigurement.

The experienced premises liability attorneys at The Cochran Firm have accumulated years of knowledge and skill in litigating premises liability claims and will work diligently to successfully resolve your claim.

If you live in Atlanta, Georgia or the surrounding area and you or someone close to you was injured on someone else's property, please contact The Cochran Firm today to learn how to proceed with your claim for financial compensation for your injuries.

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Recent studies have revealed that over one hundred thousand people are injured in this country every year resulting in over five thousand fatalities in accidents involving large trucks More than two hundred of those people lost their lives in Georgia. The massive size and weight of a large truck traveling at highway speeds creates an incredible force in an accident that can cause devastation to people and property.

A truck accident is a frightening event that becomes a complicated event in the aftermath that requires knowledge of trucks, the trucking industry and insurance issues. Truck accidents typically involve multiple vehicles, multiple victims and multiple insurance companies that complicate the resolution of culpability and responsibility further. An experienced truck accident attorney such as those with The Cochran Firm have expertise in all types of truck accidents and are familiar with just how catastrophic injuries and losses can be in an accident involving a truck, with broken bones and severed limbs, internal trauma, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, severe burns, and even death.

Truck accident victims can be financially compensated for medical expenses and lost income, lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering and the loss of your quality of life. In the event of a wrongful death due to a truck accident, survivors are also entitled to financial compensation for their losses brought about by the death of their loved one.

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area and have been impacted by the involvement in an accident with a truck, please contact The Cochran Firm today.

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Defective pharmaceuticals may cause serious injury or death because a pharmaceutical company has decided to place profit above consumer safety. Taking a prescribed medication should not be a risk taking event.

Everyone knows almost all prescription drugs have side effects to some extent, but defective prescription drugs can have life-threatening side effects even when taken as directed by a physician. Defective pharmaceuticals have been known to cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, pulmonary dysfunction, liver damage and death.

Defective pharmaceuticals include medication for arthritis pain, cholesterol lowering medication, diet drugs, oral contraceptives, anti-depressants, vaccines and many other types of drugs. It has become a common occurrence for medications to be recalled due to serious side effects after many patients have been injured and their families tragically impacted.

If you or someone you love has been injured by a defective pharmaceutical, the pharmaceutical company may have failed to deliver a safe product to the consumer and you may be eligible for financial compensation because of the injuries you or your loved one has suffered due to the drug manufacturer’s negligence.

The most important aspect of a defective pharmaceutical lawsuit is proving the drug was defective and responsible for your injuries. The Cochran Firm has the expertise and past history of handling defective pharmaceutical cases to a successful conclusion.

If you live in Atlanta, Georgia or the surrounding area and have been injured by a defective pharmaceutical or know someone that has suffered an injury due to taking a defective drug, please contact an experienced attorney at The Cochran Firm today.

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What is responsible for the recent increases in defective consumer products throughout a broad spectrum of the marketplace? No line of products appear to be free from defects such as automobiles, tires, infant car seats, cribs, strollers, medical devices, dog food, drywall, household appliances, power tools or toys. The list of possible defective consumer products is endless and the possibility of encountering these products in our everyday lives is very probable.

Defective consumer products are responsible for injuries and deaths every day across the country. If you or someone you love has been injured by the use of a defective consumer product, you should consult a product liability attorney as soon as possible to ensure the manufacturer, designer and the distributor of the defective consumer product is held responsible for the injuries suffered.

Financial compensation for injuries suffered may include the cost of medical expenses, rehabilitation expenses, the loss of present and future income, the loss of enjoyment of life and in the case of a fatality caused by a defective consumer product, funeral and burial expenses and survivor benefits. The Cochran Firm is experienced in product liability law and can do whatever is necessary to protect your legal rights.

Please contact the Atlanta, Georgia office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to discuss your options and the possibility of filing a product liability lawsuit so you may obtain justice and compensation to which you are entitled.

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A wrongful death is legal terminology used to describe the death of someone due to the negligence or wrongful actions of another which entitles the deceased's survivors to financial compensation for their loss. Since absolutely nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, the legal system has only one option to bring justice and comfort to the survivors. That one option is in the form of financial damages to be paid by the individual that is responsible for the death.

One of the most common examples of a wrongful death is being killed by a drunk driver. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) is a major cause of automobile accidents with fatalities. Someone is killed every thirty minutes in the United States by a drunk driver. Lives are devastated by alcohol and drug impaired drivers who make the choice to drive while under the influence.

If someone you love was the victim of an alcohol or drug impaired driver, you are entitled to financial compensation for the loss you have suffered from the driver, the bar or restaurant that served the driver or the person or homeowner who provided the alcohol to their guest. You may be entitled to financial compensation for medical, funeral and burial expenses, the pain and suffering of the deceased prior to death, loss of financial support and your pain and suffering due to the loss of your loved one.

We encourage you to please contact the Atlanta, Georgia office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a no cost to you consultation to learn about your legal rights in this situation and obtain the financial compensation you are entitled to.

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As part of a settlement over the illegal promotion of its best-selling drug Zyprexa, drug-maker Eli Lilly has been required to publish payments it made to doctors and others for patient education, healthcare professional education, and advising. The list, which shows payments made to what it calls "faculty" during the first three months of 2009 shows that it paid over half a million dollars to doctors, nurses, and others to perform educational services for the company.

Although Eli Lilly did not admit wrongdoing (other than a misdemeanor guilty plea) as part of the settlement, the Department of Justice forwarded many charges against the company, including that paid consultants were an essential part of the campaign to promote potentially dangerous side effects as benefits. According to DOJ charges, Lilly used a "5 at 5" slogan to promote the drug as a sedative for nursing home patients, making them easier to handle. In some nursing homes, chemical restraints are a common form of nursing home abuse.

In addition, the DOJ charged that Lilly had a campaign to educate primary care physicians to use Zyprexa as an "everyday agent in primary care," even though these physicians are not generally the ones responsible for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Ely Lilly is the first major drug manufacturer to publish fees paid to doctors and others to promote its drugs, but the DOJ has also compelled Pfizer to begin publishing a similar report as part of its $2.3 billion settlement over Bextra, Geodon, Zyvox, and other drugs.

Doctors who take payments and the drug companies that give them claim that they do not influence doctors in prescribing drugs, but it seems unlikely that a corporation would invest over half a million dollars over three months on any practice from which it did not expect to reap some return.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious pharmaceutical injury, the product liability lawyers at the Atlanta, Georgia office of The Cochran Firm stand ready to help. No opponent is too big for The Cochran Firm to oppose in the preservation of your rights. Please contact us for a free consultation today.

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A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that results in a level of loss of function. Frequent causes of damage to the spinal cord are car and motorcycle accidents, knife and gunshot wounds, falls and sports-related injuries. In most people the spinal cord is not totally severed, but damaged enough to result in a loss of function.

The spinal cord is a major bundle of nerves that carries nerve impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body. The brain and spinal cord are the central nervous system.

The effect of a spinal cord injury on the body depends on the type and level of the injury on the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries can be divided into two types of injury, complete and incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury means there is no function below the level of the injury, no sensation or voluntary movement and both sides of the body are affected. An incomplete injury means there is some functioning below the level of the injury. Someone with an incomplete injury may be able to move one limb, may have sensation in parts of the body and may have functioning on one side of the body.

If you live in Atlanta, Georgia or the surrounding area and you have suffered a spinal cord injury, please contact an experienced spinal cord injury attorney at The Cochran Firm's Atlanta, Georgia office today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights.

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Medical malpractice is a legal term that encompasses any wrongdoing that occurs in a medical setting. For instance, when unnecessary surgery is performed, when errors are made in the administration of medications or anesthesia, when a misdiagnosis delays the appropriate treatment or when an infection is contracted in a hospital because of inadequate standards of care and treatment, these are all examples of medical malpractice. It is estimated that over 250,000 people die every year in this country due to the consequences of circumstances brought on by medical malpractice.

Due to the very real possibility you may encounter some form of medical malpractice in your or your loved ones lifetimes, it is important to know that medical malpractice laws are in place for your protection. Although not all medical errors are medical malpractice, medical malpractice may involve hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses or any medical provider of patient services.

Five diseases or medical conditions that are most associated with medical malpractice allegations are breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, heart attack and appendicitis. The misdiagnosis of these diseases can and does cause a delay in treatment, inappropriate treatment or no treatment at all. The result is a poor prognosis or even death.

If you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area and you suspect you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm in Atlanta, Georgia today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights and get you the compensation you deserve.

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Every thirteen seconds someone is killed in an automobile accident. Driver error accounts for ninety-five percent of all motor vehicle accidents. This includes speeding, tailgating, aggressive driving behaviors, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and cell phone use while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports state automobile accidents are the major cause of deaths among people aged three years to thirty-three. Over three million people are killed in over six million automobile accidents every year with over forty-five thousand deaths. Most automobile accidents are caused by distracted drivers, negligence and recklessness.

An automobile accident can have serious consequences for you and your family members, sometimes through no fault of your own. An automobile accident can result in severe injuries or death, and be financially devastating as well. Over eighty percent of people involved in an automobile accident deny any responsibility for the accident.

The Cochran Firm wants you to know we have the knowledge, experience and resources to represent you and protect your legal rights and obtain the compensation you deserve.

If you are an Atlanta resident that has been involved in an automobile accident, please contact The Cochran Firm's Atlanta, Georgia office to schedule a confidential consultation.

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A traumatic brain injury can result from a sudden violent blow to the head. A violent blow to the head causes the brain to collide with the skull causing bruising to the brain, nerve fibers and bleeding.

A traumatic brain injury can occur due to an automobile accident, a fall, a job-related accident or a criminal assault. The area of the brain affected determines the severity of the injury. A mild traumatic brain injury, also known as a concussion, can cause headache and temporary confusion. A severe traumatic brain injury can cause paralysis and is often fatal.

Symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury may include a brief period of unconsciousness, amnesia for events immediately before and after the injury, headache, confusion, dizziness and blurred vision.

Symptoms of a severe traumatic brain injury may include persistent headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, inability to awaken, profound confusion and paralysis. If a person survives a severe traumatic brain injury, their life will never be the same as it was before the injury occurred. A traumatic brain injury is a life-altering event that is physically, emotionally and financially devastating.

If you live in Atlanta, Georgia or the surrounding area and you or someone you care about has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact the Atlanta, Georgia office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you with an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer to protect your legal rights.

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Car accidents are a common occurrence, and car accidents resulting from a collision in an intersection are responsible for 40% of all car accidents. There are many reasons collision in intersections occur. Some of these reasons are:

• The diver making a left turn
• Lane change in the middle of an intersection
• Not stopping at a four way stop
• Running a red light

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Over two million people are killed in automobile accidents each year worldwide. Driving defensively by observing traffic laws, wearing your seatbelts, not drinking and driving or speeding, and being alert to your surroundings, will go a long way to keeping you safe on the highways. However, nothing can keep you safe one hundred percent of the time. Even very careful drivers are involved in accidents.

Many automobile accidents are caused by recklessness, negligence or distracted drivers. Speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, cell phone use and road rage, all contribute to the high rate of accidents on our roads.

Automobile accidents can involve a head-on collision, a rear-end collision, a side-impact collision or a multi-car pile-up. A single vehicle can be involved in a rollover accident or hit a tree or other stationary object. Automobile accidents may also involve a collision with a bicycle, a motorcycle, public transportation vehicles or even a pedestrian.

These accidents can involve serious injury, permanent disability and even death. The resulting consequences of these accidents can be physically and financially catastrophic to the victim and families left behind in the case of a death caused by the accident.

If you live in Atlanta, Georgia or the surrounding area and you or someone you care about was injured or killed in an automobile accident, please contact an experienced automobile accident attorney at The Cochran Firm, Atlanta office to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights and whether you are entitled to compensation.

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