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Exposure to Asbestos Can Lead to Asbestosis

If you have been exposed to asbestos, you may be concerned about the long-term health effects.  Asbestosis is a natural mineral product that was previously used in products such as insulation, cement, vinyl flooring and fire-resistant materials.  It was popular in the past due to its resistance to heat and corrosion.

The problem with long-term asbestos exposure is that it can take anywhere from 20 to 30 years to realize the effects.  One of the serious disorders associated with asbestos exposure is known as asbestosis.  It is a breathing disorder resulting from inhaling asbestos fibers.  Scarring of lung tissue and shortness of breath can occur as the fibers accumulate in the lungs.

Symptoms of asbestosis don’t usually develop until there is damage and scarring of the lungs.  Asbestosis symptoms typically include shortness of breath, decreased ability to perform physical activities, coughing, chest pain and finger deformity, known as clubbing.

You should seek medical attention if you have been exposed to asbestos for a long period of time, especially if you are experiencing any of the signs of asbestosis.   If your condition was caused by someone else’s negligence, such as in the case of a negligent vessel owner, you may be able to hold that person liable for you illness.  Contact attorney Steve Lee for legal advice at 713-921-4171 or 800-232-3711 today.

How Does Your Insurance Company Perform?

You should always bear in mind that the cheapest insurance is not always the best insurance.

Those companies that offer such cheap rates are often able to do so because of the way that they treat their policyholders when they file a claim.

A company called AM Best bases ranks insurance companies, but does not base the rankings on their profitability, or the amount of money that they spend on advertising. Rather, AM Best ranks insurance companies based on their willingness and ability to pay out claims.

This is the best way for you to figure out which insurance policy is the best for you. Go to their site and see where you insurance company is on their lists.

As always, if you have been injured in a Houston car accident, contact Attorney Steve Lee for a free legal consultation today.

NHTSA Offers Safety Recall Text Message Notices

The NHTSA is offering a service that will automatically text message your phone or PDA with information regarding tires or child car seats.

We recommend signing up for this service as soon as possible, especially if you have children.

Practical Ways to Save Money on Car Insurance

According to an article at Insurance.com, insurance rates have risen 1.05% this quarter, and will probably be rising even more for the rest of the year. Since we're all paying more at the pump, higher insurance rates are the last thing any of us need.

If you follow the link, you will find a USA Today article that gives you six different ways to save money on your car insurance.

Just bear in mind that skimping on your car insurance costs can come back and haunt you if you have to file a claim. And as always, if you find yourself injured in an accident and the insurance company is denying your claim unneccesarily, contact our offices for a free legal consultation today. 

Texas Tort Reform: Two Views

The article linked above is from the Wall Street Journal, and it is describing how doctors can't wait to come down here to practice medicine. The reason? Tort reform.

In case you weren't aware of it, the State Legislature in Austin placed caps on non-economic damages to $250,000. So no matter how egregiously a doctor screws up and no matter how much of a loss that costs your family, the highest amount that you can get is $250,000.

Dead child? $250,000.

Husband ends up in a wheelchair? $250,000.

It's also interesting to notice that now the doctors are complaining about the medical board that has increased scrutiny of medical practicioners as a compromise for enacting caps. Which begs the question: Are the doctors that are in such a hurry to get down here coming because they want to, or because they know that they will get sued for less?

There is another side to these caps, as well.

An attorney from Dallas named Bob Kraft gives a perfect example of how the rights of victims have been completely trampled upon thanks to the new rules. Follow the link to the article below.

http://www.injury-and-disability.com/2008/05/yes-it-really-i.html

Again, The Problem is Not Doctors or Lawyers, It's Insurance

A great article in The New York Times outlines one of the major obstacles to quality healthcare in America.

It isn't the lawyers, or the doctors that people have to worry about. It's the insurance companies micromanaging and denying perfectly reasonable prescriptions, tests and procedures in order to save a buck.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/views/17essa.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1214579785-WPnNSyO0eNOhEfVFAY/6oA

NHTSA Releases 2007 DUI Fatality Statistics

The NHTSA has just released their 2007 statistics of DUI fatalities by state, and the good news is that Texas' rate has dropped considerably.

To read the report, follow the link below.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811016.PDF

More NHTSA Statistics

It's good news for Texas all around, as our traffic fatality rate has dropped 4.8%. For whatever reason, it seems that Texans are taking safety a little more seriously these days.

To read the report, follow the link below.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811017.PDF

Get Ready for Insurance Company Hassles

Hurricane Ike has really done a number on Houston, and while the damage wasn't nearly as bad as it was in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina, we can expect some similar behaviors from the insurance companies.

The link below leads to an article that gives you some very good advice on how to get your claim moving efficiently. A lot of it is common sense, like keeping a record of any and all correspondence with your insurers, and to make sure that you don't rush it when it comes to having your property inspected. Remember, once you accept a settlement from an insurance company, they are usually under no real obligation to come back and take a second look.

http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/3901

Hurricanes are always tricky, in that insurance companies are always looking for an excuse to claim that the damage was caused by water and not wind. But you are not required to just passively sit there and accept whatever decision the insurance company comes to.

Banks Aren't the Only Ones getting a Bailout

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aMf_JWeNUttU&refer=us

State Farm Wants Whistle Blowers Fined

The two sisters who exposed State Farm's behavior in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are coming under fire by the insurance giant.

The Rigsby sisters were State Farm employees who made copies of internal memos, and then handed these copies over to an attorney. These memos described in detail State Farm's plan to deny Hurricane Katrina claims by blaming the majority of the damage on flooding (which is not covered) as opposed to winds (which is covered.)

While it appears that there was some unfortunate conduct by the attorney that was initially representing the Rigsby sisters, it pales in comparison to the conduct by State Farm, who made blanket denials of claims without even bothering to really see what caused the damage.

A judge that allows the financial punishing of whistleblowers is setting a dangerous precedent. Lets hope that the judge who is presiding over this case comes to the same conclusion.

Medical Helicopters: Are They Really Worth It?

An article in the Houston Chronicle recently brought up an interesting point. It turns out that an ambulance can get an injured patient to the hospital just as fast as a medical helicopter. This is something worth thinking about considering that there have been three medical helicopter crashes this year.

If time isn't necessarily a factor, then maybe the use of these helicopters should be reserved for when they are truly needed, such as when the accident occurs in an out of the way place.

Crane Collapse Epidemic Hits Home

A crane collapsed in Houston, killing four people. This is a tragedy, and is also incredibly frustrating, as I wrote about this epidemic last month. There needs to be some manner of intense regulation with these machines.