The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

We like to think the medications our doctors prescribe for us are safe and will serve their intended purpose. In most cases, prescription drugs do their job and do not cause any adverse side effects. However, there are those instances that a drug will make its way to the consumer and cause serious side effects and even death. Wellbutrin (generic bupropion) is manufactured by drug giant, GlaxoSmithKline, and has been on the market since 1985. Wellbutrin is an anti-depressant but is also prescribed for ADHD, sexual dysfunction, obesity, and smoking cessation. Wellbutrin may be a dangerous drug, and if you’re taking this drug, you may want to ask your doctor about its safety.

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved Wellbutrin, it has also approved variations of the drug including Wellbutrin XL and Wellbutrin SR. It has now been discovered that Wellbutrin has been known to cause serious side effects including:

• Depression
• Psychological disturbances
• Mania
• Memory problems
• Changes in personality
• Psychosis
• Severe allergic reactions
• Seizures
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors

The product liability attorneys at The Cochran Firm’s Birmingham, Alabama office are now accepting Wellbutrin injury cases. Product liability cases are complex and require a great deal of knowledge and resources. A strong legal team is an absolute necessity in order to collect monetary compensation.

Our defective drug attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and resources to get you the compensation you deserve following any harm suffered due to the dangerous drug Wellbutrin. Please contact our Birmingham, Alabama Cochran Firm office today to schedule a no-obligation, confidential consultation. We work on a contingency basis, which means we do not collect any money until we win your case.

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Birmingham, Alabama roads have become increasingly safer since 2008 due to the Take Back Our Highways campaign started by Governor Bob Riley. The numbers of fatalities that have been a result of auto accidents and motorcycle accidents have decreased all over the state of Alabama. This is due, in large part, to the fact that law enforcement has engaged in more intelligent means of targeting dangerous drivers.

The Department of Public Safety has reported a steady decline of fatalities over the past couple of years. In 2008, 828 deaths were reported. The report also indicates that, for the first 3 quarters of 2010, there have been fewer than 375 fatalities. This decline in loss of life can also be attributed to drivers getting the message of the importance of driving safely.

Speeding, changing lanes abruptly, and driving while distracted are three of the most common causes of auto accidents. Accidents involving both automobiles and motorcycles in Birmingham, Alabama generally occur because drivers do not give motorcyclists adequate room on the road. Other issues than can lead to serious injuries or death include:

• Driving under the influence
• Driving without corrective lenses
• Driving unsafely in bad weather conditions
• Driving while sleep deprived
• Driving while distracted
• Not giving enough room between the vehicle and the motorcycle
• Changing lanes too closely in front of a motorcycle
  

A motor vehicle accident can result in serious personal injury or wrongful death. If you or someone you love has been in a motor vehicle accident in Birmingham, Alabama, please contact the Cochran Firm today to schedule a consultation with a Birmingham auto accident attorney. You have rights and we will help you protect those rights.

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A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur when a sudden violent blow to the head causes damage to the brain that can range from a mild concussion to coma and death. A traumatic brain injury can also be caused by medical malpractice and negligence due to a physician’s or medical facility’s failure to diagnose or properly treat a medical condition or injury. In addition a traumatic brain injury can be caused during a fall, a car accident, and sports-related or work accidents. Tragically, criminal physical abuse is the number one cause of traumatic brain injury in children.

A traumatic brain injury is often referred to as an invisible injury because at times there are no visible signs of trauma and brain injury symptoms may be subtle and not immediately apparent to the casual observer.

A traumatic brain injury can manifest as memory loss, loss of smell or taste, confusion, headache, blurred vision, impaired judgment, violent behavior, paralysis and other serious physical and emotional disabilities. Over five million Americans live with the long term and permanent disabilities of a traumatic brain injury and need assistance to perform the various tasks involved in daily living.

The Cochran Firm's experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys will evaluate your injury and protect your legal rights as we work toward obtaining a fair and just financial compensation for the injuries you have suffered.

If you live in Birmingham, Alabama or the surrounding area and you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact the experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys at The Cochran Firm who look forward to helping you get the legal representation you need and deserve.

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Thousands of people are killed in trucking accidents every year in the United States. The trucking industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that is regulated by both state and federal laws that are meant to promote safety.

The majority of truck accidents are the result of driver error involving the dangerous combination of excessive speed and driver fatigue. When sharing the road with the intimidating presence of these enormous vehicles that are everywhere it is important to remember to keep a safe distance between you and a truck, be alert to what is happening around you at all times, and be extra cautious during inclement weather and after sundown.

The experienced truck accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm have a history of successful litigation and negotiation when dealing with trucking companies, their insurance companies and their teams of lawyers who line up to minimize the trucking company’s responsibility for the accident and prevent you from receiving fair and just financial compensation for your injuries and losses.

You deserve to be financially compensated for your medical expenses, lost income and lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering and any other expenses you had to incur as a result of the truck accident.

Please contact the experienced truck accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm in Birmingham, Alabama today to protect your legal rights and get the financial compensation you are entitled to for the injuries and losses you have suffered.

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Millions of elderly Americans depend on others for their daily basic needs and reports indicate that these vulnerable elderly people are often victims of abuse and neglect at the hands of the very people entrusted with their care. In nursing homes and assisted living centers across this country our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are suffering emotional, verbal, physical and sexual abuse by uncaring, overworked and inadequately trained staff at these facilities.

Some frequent signs of elder abuse and neglect are poor personal care, chronic sores and infections, unexplained bruising, the use of sedation medication when unwarranted, and the unnecessary use of physical restraints. The unseen effects of verbal or emotional abuse and intimidation are just as damaging to the residents of nursing homes and assisted living centers who are often either unable or unwilling to tell their families about these abuses that are perpetrated on a daily basis for fear of further abuse.

The nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm are eager to investigate and evaluate cases of nursing home abuse and neglect and will work diligently to ensure those responsible for these injustices are held accountable. Our attorneys have successfully litigated cases of nursing home abuse and neglect and have secured residents' legal rights to be treated with dignity and respect under the law.

If you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area and someone you love has been the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, please contact the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to learn how to proceed so this abuse is stopped and never happens again.

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Police brutality refers to the excessive use of force, physical, verbal or psychological, by a police officer. In some instances, the use of excessive force is triggered by so-called "contempt of cop", a perceived disrespect and disregard for the authority of the police.

Police brutality is just one of various forms of police misconduct which may include false arrest, intimidation, racial profiling, political repression, surveillance abuse, sexual harassment, and police corruption.

Studies have shown most police brutality cases go unreported and undocumented. Police brutality is often associated with racial profiling, differences in religion, politics or socioeconomic status. Some police officers view certain sections of the population as generally deserving of punishment and certain sections of the population view the police as oppressors.

Although the use of force by the police is certainly warranted at times, there are instances when the police may step over the line and take advantage of their authority and cause undue harm to an undeserving victim. The very ones we depend on for protection from the criminals in our communities should never become the criminals themselves.

If you live in Birmingham, Alabama and you or someone you know has been the victim of police brutality in the form of physical, verbal or psychological abuse, please contact the experienced police brutality personal injury attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to protect your legal rights.

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Slip and fall accidents are common occurrences that take place frequently, usually as a result of unsafe conditions or negligent maintenance on someone else’s property and are known in the legal community as premises liability cases.

Slip and fall injuries can be negligible, but are often severe, resulting in great pain and suffering for the victim, requiring substantial medical care and treatment, the loss of the ability to work and the possibility of confronting a permanent disability.

Slip and fall accidents are responsible for over sixteen thousand deaths annually in those over sixty-five years old. Slip and fall accidents can be the result of a slippery floor in a restaurant, a poorly lit stairway in a parking garage or a cracked walkway outside a department store or shopping mall.

The experienced slip and fall attorneys at The Cochran Firm have been protecting the legal rights of seriously injured slip and fall accident victims throughout the state of Alabama for many years and have recovered substantial settlements for our injured clients.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for the injuries you have suffered for medical expenses, lost wages, long term medical care and rehabilitation and any other expenses incurred as a result of your injury.

Please contact the slip and fall accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm today if you reside in the Birmingham, Alabama area and have been injured on someone else’s property to protect your legal rights and learn how to receive compensation for your injuries.

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Thousands of people are injured, scarred and even die as a result of medical malpractice and negligence before, during and after surgery.

Surgical errors can occur during preoperative and post-operative care as well as during surgery. Surgical errors include inadequate pre-operative evaluations, anesthesia errors, surgery on the wrong body part or wrong side of the body, wrong organ and even the wrong person.

Inadvertent puncturing of internal organs during a surgical procedure that goes undetected and causes a life-threatening infection and retained surgical instruments and materials are other common surgical mistakes that often lead to serious complications, intense pain and suffering and wrongful death. Failure to monitor vital signs adequately after surgery also causes some people to suffer complications and die following a surgical procedure.

The medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm believe victims of surgical errors deserve to be financially compensated and have been very successful in litigating claims against surgeons for damages for your pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills and any other expenses incurred due to the error made by the surgeon. Our medical malpractice attorneys will work with you to determine exactly how you were affected and what fair financial compensation you should receive.

If you live in the Birmingham, Alabama area and you or someone you love has been the victim of a surgical error, please contact The Cochran Firm today to protect your legal rights and get the financial compensation you deserve.

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Automobile accidents caused by drivers operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medications (DUI) are responsible for the death of an American every thirty minutes of every day.

Substances that affect your coordination impair or distort your vision, and slow normal reaction times when behind the wheel such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin or prescription medications such as sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and other depressants cause many motor vehicle accidents that are responsible for serious injuries and deaths.

Alcohol and drug impaired drivers make a choice to drive under the influence that impacts the lives of countless innocent people every day. Car accident-related fatalities of one in five young people under the age of fourteen can be attributed to alcohol and drugs as a causative factor.

The trauma sustained in an automobile accident involving alcohol or drugs is often devastating to the spinal cord or head because along with the alcohol and drugs, excessive speed and head-on collisions are typically implicated. Victims of impaired drivers suffer a physical, emotional and financial toll that demands financial compensation for their suffering.

The automobile accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm have years of experience handling DUI cases for their clients and will work diligently for you to protect your legal rights and obtain the justice and financial compensation you deserve to help you cope with the challenges you may face in the future.

If you have been victimized by an alcohol or drug impaired driver, please contact the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today.

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Medical malpractice leaves stunned families feeling unbearable grief, wanting answers to probing questions. Medical professionals do make mistakes that can cause permanent disabilities and even deaths, but not all bad medical results are caused by mistakes.

Medical malpractice can occur in your doctor's office, in an emergency room, during surgery, in the labor and delivery room, a laboratory or a nursing homes. Medical malpractice can even occur in a hospital waiting room when a delayed diagnosis or treatment results from a long delayed assessment of your medical problem.

Medical malpractice is alleged when injuries or wrongful deaths occur as a result of negligence or medical errors by doctors, residents, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, nursing homes, hospitals or other healthcare providers or institutions. Medical malpractice may involve an error in the diagnosis, treatment or management of an illness, a surgical error, a prescription error, a birth injury or other negligent action by a medical professional or institution.

Medical malpractice laws are there to protect your right to pursue financial compensation if you are injured as a result of medical negligence or error, but medical malpractice lawsuits are complex and costly.

If you think you are the victim of medical malpractice, you should consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney without delay, because there are time limits involved in how long someone may wait to bring a medical malpractice claim. The medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm can evaluate your case, determine if you have a legitimate claim, and work conscientiously to bring your case to a successful conclusion.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of medical malpractice, please contact the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today.

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A "wrongful death" occurs when an individual dies as a result of the negligence or misconduct of another person, company or entity. Pursuing a wrongful death claim for financial compensation can never replace the loss of a loved one, but it will provide for lost income, medical and funeral expenses and the pain and suffering caused by the finality of your loss.

Wrongful deaths can be the result of medical malpractice, fatal car or truck accidents, construction fatalities, deaths caused by defective products or defective drugs, drowning or fire-related deaths and those killed as the result of a violent act. Losing someone you love is heartbreaking, but when that loss was avoidable and caused by the negligence or misconduct of another, the loss somehow seems more difficult to endure.

The only method available for measuring the cost of the loss of a loved in a court of law in a wrongful death case is by determining the financial loss that the death caused to the victim's survivors and beneficiaries.

When that loss is measured, the money the deceased earned, could have earned had they lived and how financially dependent the survivors were on the support of the deceased is taken into account. Medical, burial and funeral expenses are also taken into consideration.

Please contact the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today if you have lost a loved one to a wrongful death to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights and get you the financial compensation you so rightfully deserve.

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The spinal cord is a part of the central nervous system and its function is to relay messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Injuries to the spinal cord are life-altering and life-threatening, often causing permanent paralysis and death.

Many spinal cord injuries are the result of automobile accidents or sports-related trauma and injuries sustained in the workplace. Although accidents are the primary cause of spinal cord injuries, medical conditions and medical procedures can also cause injury to the spinal cord. Trauma to the spinal cord, an infection, a herniated disk, tumors, abscesses, blood clots, a spinal tap procedure or surgical mistake also contribute to the incidence of spinal cord injuries.

A spinal cord injury is a medical emergency requiring immediate stabilization and treatment to minimize damage and prevent permanent disability or death. A spinal cord injury has overwhelming emotional, physical and financial consequences for most victims. Full recovery from a spinal cord injury is a rare occurrence and constant rehabilitation efforts are necessary just to maintain whatever function remains. With proper care and support systems in place, rehabilitation efforts offer hope for coping with the reality of living with a spinal cord injury.

The attorneys at The Cochran Firm will ensure you receive the financial compensation you need to make your quality of life as comfortable and manageable as possible by working together as a highly skilled team to protect your legal rights and obtain justice for you and your family.

Please contact an experienced spinal cord injury attorney in the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today if you or someone you love has suffered an injury to your spinal cord.

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All law enforcement officers take an oath and promise to serve and protect. At times in the course of carrying out their promise, the excessive use of force, false arrests and similar forms of abuse of power enter into the equation.

Police brutality refers to any inappropriate use of force out of proportion to the situation or threat posed by another person to the police. Some examples include injuring or killing an individual by unwarranted use of a firearm or arresting someone without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The overuse and misuse of stun guns by law enforcement is a growing concern in communities across the country.

The use of force by the police is definitely required in certain situations, but there is no denying there are times when a few police officers step over the line and use their authority to do harm to an undeserving individual. Many cases of police brutality go unreported and can include instances of racial profiling, sexual harassment and intimidation and corruption.

If you live in Birmingham, Alabama or the surrounding area and you feel you have been the victim of police brutality, please contact the experienced attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to protect your legal rights and learn what you can do to fight police brutality and obtain justice for yourself and make your community a better place to live at the same time.

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There are over 2.5 million rear end collisions nationwide annually, making rear end collisions the most common type of automobile accident. The bumper system on a car is an important safety feature that is capable of absorbing the force of a low speed collision, but at times the impact of the collision is absorbed by the occupants of the automobile instead.

A low speed, rear impact collision, although resulting in minor damage to the automobile, can result in serious injuries to the occupants of the vehicle. Whiplash is the most common injury sustained in a low impact rear end collision and is the result of a sudden, violent, and involuntary back and forth motion of the neck. Whiplash is soft tissue trauma to the muscles and ligaments of the neck that results in pain, swelling, stiffness, headache, nausea, numbness and loss of balance.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a rear end collision car accident you should protect your legal rights by consulting with a rear end collision car accident lawyer who has experience in this field of law. You deserve to be financially compensated for your medical expenses, lost wages and possible loss of future income, due to the injury you have suffered because of someone else's negligence.

Please contact the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today and learn how to obtain the financial compensation you are entitled to for the injuries suffered in a rear end collision.

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The pharmaceuticals industry has sales totaling hundreds of billions of dollars annually, yet recalled pharmaceuticals dominate the news every day. Every year, defective pharmaceuticals cause injury and death for thousands of unsuspecting consumers in the United States.

In many cases, pharmaceutical manufacturers ignore the safety of the consuming public in an effort to rush new drugs onto the market while failing to conduct adequate testing that could have alerted them to real dangers inherent in their product.

Injuries and deaths occur even when these defective pharmaceuticals are used according to the directions given by the pharmaceutical company. These defective drugs often cause liver and kidney damage, damage to the heart and pulmonary dysfunction, stroke and heart attack.

Drug categories often involved are arthritis medications, cholesterol lowering drugs, diet drugs, anti-depressants and vaccines. Although side effects are a common occurrence when taking medications of any kind, defective pharmaceuticals cause life-threatening and often fatal results. The consumption of defective drugs causes great pain and suffering for many and lawsuits with damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

If you live in Birmingham, Alabama or the surrounding area and you or a loved one was injured or died as a result of consuming a defective pharmaceutical, please contact an experienced defective pharmaceutical attorney at the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm if you would like an evaluation of your case at no cost to you so you can obtain the compensation you are entitled to.

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utomobile accidents, falls, sports-related injuries and criminal assaults are the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries. In children and adults over 75 years of age, falls are a major cause of traumatic brain injuries.

Traumatic brain injuries contribute to many cases of permanent disability and deaths every year in the United States. The signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may be subtle or catastrophic. Some common signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury are headache or neck pain, confusion, dizziness, loss of balance, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of consciousness. The severity of symptoms can range from mild to severe.

A traumatic brain injury can cause a wide range of functional changes that affect thinking, sensation, emotion and language capabilities. Traumatic brain injury can cause epilepsy, and an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other brain disorders.

If you live in Birmingham, Alabama or the surrounding area and you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer at the Birmingham, Alabama office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights and whether you are entitled to compensation for the injury you or your loved one has suffered.

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