Brooks Law Firm

Brooks Law Firm Sponsors Rivers Rock! Benefit

Patrick Mickler — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:06:33 +0000

Brooks Law Firm is a proud sponsor for Rivers Rock!, a benefit for the Ogeechee Riverkeepers, and urges your support for this watchdog group that seeks to insure the continued environmental quality of a great resource, the Ogeechee River. On October 6th, supporters will meet at the Moon River Brewing Company for some fun all to support a great cause. The evening will include the following:

Silent Auction

Live Acoustic Indie Folk Music by Asheville NC’s Now You See Them

Craft beer by Moon River Brewery

Low Country Cuisine Buffet

The Ogeechee River is a 294 mile long river that runs throughout the state. The river’s history runs deep with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto crossing it during his explorations of the south in 1541.

Check out the Rivers Rock! website for more information on this great event!

Firm Supplying Newspapers for St. Andrew’s Students This Year

Patrick Mickler — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:05:59 +0000

Brooks Law has joined with Savannah Morning News by providing funds for daily newspapers for students at St. Andrews School for the next year. Located on Wilmington Island, St. Andrew’s is known for challenging and nurturing young people in Pre K 3 through Grade 12 and has been designated an International Baccalaureate World School offering the Diploma Program. This distinction and the variety of offerings for students truly set St. Andrew’s apart from other independent schools in the region.

“Every child should always have the opportunity to read their local newspaper and we’re happy to assist with this project,” said Gene Brooks.

Brooks Law Joins The Injury Board

Patrick Mickler — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:05:48 +0000

We are proud to announce that the firm has joined The Injury Board, a nationwide network of plaintiff attorneys, safety industry experts, and consumer advocates committed to making a difference by helping people avoid injury, and to helping those who are injured get the assistance they need to move on with their lives after an accident. Injury Board member firms strive to follow the Radius of Influence (ROI) approach, a word-of-mouth marketing approach specifically designed for plaintiffs’ law firms. ROI principles include excellence in the practice of law, superior client care and service, and charitable contribution and volunteerism within the local community.

We are proud to join this outstanding organization and hope through our association, we will grow our reputation through good works in the community and making client care our top priority.

Mistakes in Methadone Administration

Brooks Law Firm — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:18:41 +0000

Methadone is often prescribed for pain control. One problem with methadone is that it has a narrow therapeutic window. If a patient is given too much, particularly during the first week, the methadone can cause fatal respiratory depression. Patients who have been overdosed on methadone typically die in their sleep. An autopsy with toxicology report is usually necessary to prove cause of death. Since everyone metabolizes methadone differently, it is best to start at low dose until the patient’s body becomes used to the medication.

For more information, please visit this page.

Opiates and Painkillers

Brooks Law Firm — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:52:29 +0000

Many medications prescribed for pain have turned out to be dangerously addictive and potentially deadly.

Derivatives of opium, these powerful painkilling medications can lead to addiction caused by permanent changes in the brain. The drugs have also caused respiratory depression which can cause death and permanent changes in the brain when they are improperly prescribed.

Contact our office if you believe you may have a personal injury claim regarding:

Oxycontin
Methadone
Fentanyl
Oxycontin
Hydrocodone
Morphine
Percocet
Lortab

SSRIs & Birth Defects

Brooks Law Firm — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:43:58 +0000

Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) and Birth Defects

SSRIs are a class of drugs including Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft. These drugs have been associated with birth defects when taken by pregnant women during the first and third trimesters. During the first trimester, the heart is developing. The SSRIs cross the placental barrier and have been associated with increased heart defects. The heart defects most commonly seen are atrial and ventricular septal defects [ASD/VSD]. Other defects associated with SSRI during the first trimester are Gastroschisis (intestines protruding outside of the umbilical cord), disfigured skull, and club feet.

The primary birth defect associated with SSRI use during the third trimester of pregnancy, when the lungs are developing, is Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn [PPHN]. Typically, a child born with PPHN will appear to have cyanosis (lack of oxygen) and will be admitted to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit [NICU]. The affected child will appear to recover and developmental problems will not arise until the child is between the ages of 2 and 5. Development delays may worsen with age.

In December 2006, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG] recommended that SSRI’s be avoided in pregnant women if possible. The warnings on the SSRIs have been inadequate until recently to warn mothers or doctors of the birth defects associated with SSRIs during pregnancy. Legal actions are presently being filed against the drug manufacturers for failure to warn of the potential for birth defects.

Workers’ Compensation – Frequently Asked Questions

Brooks Law — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 19:02:16 +0000

Q. What should I do if I am injured while on the job?
A. If you are injured while on the job, you should notify your employer immediately about your injury. If you fail to notify your employer of your injury within 30 days, you may lose your right to workers’ compensation benefits.

Q. Who is responsible for paying my benefits?

A. Your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if it has 3 or more employees. All benefits for your job related injury will be handled through your employer’s insurance carrier.

Q. What benefits are available to me if I am injured while on the job?

A. There are two types of benefits available under the Workers’ Compensation system:

Medical Benefits

Workers’ compensation insurance will cover any medical expenses that you incur as result of your work related injury.
Workers’ compensation insurance will provide you with a list of physicians. You must seek treatment from a physician on this list, or your treatment may not be covered.
Workers’ compensation insurance will pay for your travel expenses to and from the doctor. Our firm will provide you with a form to record your mileage.

Loss of Income

Workers’ compensation will pay you “weekly benefits” during the time you are injured and unable to work.
These weekly benefits will continue until you return to work or your doctor releases you to return to regular work.
If your doctor determines that you are permanently partially disabled, additional benefits may be available to you.

Q. What should I do if my employers’ insurance company calls me and wants to settle my claim?

A. You should never attempt to settle your claim with an insurance company without first consulting an attorney. It is important to realize that once you settle a claim, the insurance company is no longer obligated to provide any more benefits (medical or income). It is in your best interest to have an attorney review your claim to make sure a potential settlement provides for all the benefits you are entitled and adequately provides for all potential future expenses.

Q. When will my claim be settled?

A. Our law firm can you help you settle your claim, but only if you AND the insurer are willing to settle. We cannot force an insurer to settle just as they cannot force you to settle.

Attorney Eugene C. Brooks is a certified trial specialist who has both lectured and written extensively on toxic exposures and other personal injury topics. Mr. Brooks has practiced law in Georgia for more than 25 years and has represented clients in Savannah, throughout Chatham County and Coastal Georgia and around the state.

If you have questions about a legal issue, please feel free to contact us at one of the numbers below. You can also complete our contact form to contact us by email. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

Brooks Law Firm
313 West York Street
Savannah GA 31401
800-296-7983 Toll Free
912-233-9696 Phone

Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS)

Brooks Law — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:22:52 +0000

Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (or RADS) is an asthma-like illness that can occur “after a single exposure to high levels of an irritating vapor, fume, or smoke. In most instances, the high level exposure was the result of an accident occurring in the workplace or a situation where there was poor ventilation and limited air exchange in the area. In all cases, symptoms developed within a few hours and often minutes after exposure.” Symptoms include: coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath (dyspnea).

RADS is considered to be different than occupational asthma. While studying this condition, Drs. SM Brooks, MA Weiss and IL Bernstein wrote, “this investigation suggests acute high level, uncontrolled irritant exposures may cause an asthma-like syndrome in some individuals which is different from typical occupational asthma. It can lead to long-term sequelae [after-effects] and chronic airways disease.”*

RADS may lead to extended medical disability and lifestyle restrictions.

*SOURCE: CHEST, the official publication of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), September 1985, vol 88. no. 3, 376-384

Mesothelioma

Brooks Law — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:14:51 +0000

Mesothelioma - A cancer of the pleural lining of the lung is incurable. This asbestos-related cancer takes about 30-40 years to become apparent. It cannot typically be removed by surgery, and is usually treated with chemotherapy. The first symptoms that can be expected are chronic shortness of breath and chest pain. The doctors will typically order CT scans and MRI images of a patient’s chest. If the findings are positive, then a biopsy will likely be taken and sent to a pathologist for review. In these types of cases, a second opinion on the pathological diagnosis is recommended because the defendant is sure to dispute the first pathological finding.

A person who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma should write down the times that he or she was potentially exposed to asbestos. This exposure could occur in a work setting or at home, if living with a parent or spouse who worked in or around asbestos products.

Brooks Law Firm
313 West York Street
Savannah GA 31401
800-296-7983 Toll Free
912-233-9696 Phone
Directions

Asbestosis

Brooks Law — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:12:23 +0000

Asbestosis - This lung disease is only caused by asbestos, hence its name. It is diagnosed by x-ray and imaging studies that show fibrosis in the lungs. This is condition in which the asbestos fibers have caused the lungs to become fibrous and lose their elasticity that is so important to the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs. A person with asbestosis will experience increasing shortness of breath. Often, the x-rays will show pleural plaques on a person’s lungs. Pleural plaques are most significant as a biological marker for significant asbestos exposure. In these cases, a second opinion by a radiologist that specializes in reading x-rays of occupational disease should be obtained because the defendant is certain to dispute the radiological findings.

When a person has been diagnosed with asbestosis, then he should write down all the times that he or she would have been exposed to asbestosis. Asbestosis can take decades to surface as a problem. However, a person only has two years to file a lawsuit after the person learns of the diagnosis.

Many of the companies that made asbestos products have gone into bankruptcy, but some are still in business. Some of the companies have set up settlement facilities with certain criteria that must be met before payments can be made.

Brooks Law Firm
313 West York Street
Savannah GA 31401
800-296-7983 Toll Free
912-233-9696 Phone
Directions