Austin Personal Injury Lawyer Blog Page

Johnson & Johnson Pays Texas $158 Million to Settle Fraudulent Drug Marketing Case

msingley — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:40:54 +0000

The State of Texas brought a case against Johnson & Johnson for defrauding the State Medicaid program, claiming that J&J marketed its antipsychotic drug Risperdal for unapproved uses, including for children. The case started trial in Austin last week, and the settlement was reached during the trial. A lawyer in the case described the settlement as the largest ever in a Medicaid fraud case, according to an article in Bloomberg:

The same article describes a company memo introduced in the case that pushed salespeople to “flood clinics with Risperdal stuff” in a 2004 campaign to boost prescriptions for children and adolescents.

Truck Driver Safety and Cell Phones – U.S. Gov’t Bans Hand-Held Cell Phone Use by Truck Drivers

msingley — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:52:01 +0000

Last week, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation announced a new federal safety rule for interstate truck drivers, prohibiting their use of hand-held cell phones. Approximately 4 million commercial drivers are affected by this safety rule. Mundy & Singley applaud the government’s ongoing efforts to improve trucking safety and reduce distracted driving by truck drivers.

The Department of Transportation issued a press release on the rule, at this web site:

Article – Texas Workers’ Compensation – “Insult to Injury”

msingley — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:18:01 +0000

An article in the American Bar Association Journal describes the Texas Workers’ Compensation law and the opinions of many experts that it allows insurance companies to be unfair to workers. According to the article, even when workers have completely legitimate cases, all too frequently they don’t get the medical care they need in a timely fashion. The article highlights the case of a deputy sheriff shot on the job, who was given the runaround by the insurance company when he sought medical care under workers’ compensation. Mundy & Singley have seen our clients’ difficulties with insurance companies in the workers’ comp system and the problems it causes for getting reasonable and necessary medical care. Mundy & Singley believe that hard-working Texans deserve to have the medical care they need, when they need it, after an on-the-job injury. That is the whole point of the system – to take care of injured workers fairly. It is unfair to have a law that lets insurance companies have the upper hand and deny or delay medical care just to help the bottom line.

The article can be found on the internet at this link:

Congratulations to Robert Pitman, Our New U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas

msingley — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:19:06 +0000

Mundy & Singley, LLP congratulate Judge Robert Pitman on his confirmation to be the new United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. While we regret the loss of a fine federal judge on the bench in Austin, this is a high honor and we know the U.S Attorney’s office will be in capable, experienced, and fair hands.

Happy Labor Day, and Drive Safely – Avoid Car Wrecks and Do Not Drive Drunk!

msingley — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:46:07 +0000

Labor Day is especially important to Mundy & Singley – we salute the working men and women who have built this country. Be sure to celebrate responsibly, drive carefully, and have a designated driver if you will be drinking. You can best keep the spirit of Labor Day by remembering that safety comes first behind the wheel just as it does on the job.

Unfortunately, you can’t control what other drivers do. The Austin American Statesman just reported that Austin has some of the most congested roads in Texas. If you are injured this holiday weekend in a car wreck by the fault of a drunk driver or any other driver, please call us for a free consultation about your case. We hope you have a safe weekend, but if not we are here to help.

“Hot Coffee” Movie – The Truth About the McDonald’s Coffee case

msingley — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:25:28 +0000

Everyone has heard about the “McDonald’s Coffee” case. Opponents of the jury trial system claim it is the ultimate “frivolous lawsuit,” and many comedians have made fun of the case. A new documentary movie called “Hot Coffee” reveals what really happened. The truth will surprise you. Arm yourself with the facts about Stella Liebeck, her injuries, and her case and then ask yourself whether the claim of “frivolous lawsuit” is fair. The next time someone tells you a case is “frivolous,” ask them about the facts and how much they know about the case. When you get all the facts, the claim of “frivolous lawsuit” very often melts away in the light of the truth.

Federal Trucking Agency Considers New Safety Rules

msingley — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:36:55 +0000

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the U.S. Government agency that regulates the safety of commercial trucking and truck drivers. The FMCSA has proposed new rules to increase safety by reducing the “Hours of Service” for truck drivers. The rules are being considered but have not yet been finalized. Mundy & Singley support rules that improve safety requirements for truck drivers.

The rule proposals can be found at the FMCSA web site:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos-proposed/hos-proposed.aspx

U.S. Supreme Court Closes the Courthouse to Generic Drug Cases

msingley — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:05:51 +0000

In an unfortunate ruling for consumers this week, the United States Supreme Court ruled that people harmed by generic prescription drugs due to inadequate warnings about the hazards cannot have their day in court. Although the lower courts had said the consumers could pursue their cases, the Supreme Court held that the federal FDA law forbids such cases completely. Mundy & Singley believe that all people should have access to the courts to pursue cases against companies that manufacture dangerous products, and thus we urge you to ask your member of Congress and Senators to change the FDA law so that it will allow injured people to have their day in court on these cases.

The Court’s opinion can be found on its website:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-993.pdf

Department of Labor Sues Texas CPS for Failure to Pay Overtime

msingley — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:06:36 +0000

The United States Department of Labor filed a federal case in Austin, Texas, seeking payment of overtime allegedly owed to employees of the Texas Department of Child Protective Services. The Department of Labor claims that the CPS employees were forced to work “off the clock” and thus were shortchanged on overtime because not all of their hours were credited:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7601193.html

Mundy & Singley applauds the Labor Department’s commitment to worker overtime rights and this action to ensure that every employee is paid overtime as required by U.S. law.

If you feel that your employer has failed to pay overtime required by law, please contact Mundy & Singley for a free consultation.

Robinson Mesothelioma Case – Texas Supreme Court Rejects Defendant’s Motion to Rehear the Case

msingley — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:04:13 +0000

Mundy & Singley previously received a favorable opinion from the Texas Supreme Court, granting a day in court against Defendant Crown Cork & Seal to the family of mesothelioma victim John Robinson and other families in similar circumstances exposed to asbestos products for which Crown is responsible. Crown asked the Texas Supreme Court to rehear the case and change their mind, and thus prevent the Robinsons from having their day in court. Mundy & Singley are proud to announce that the Texas Supreme Court today denied Crown’s request for rehearing. This ends the appeal and allows the Robinson family to finally go forward to a jury trial against Crown, Cork & Seal.