The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

The unexpected and sudden death of a family member can leave the survivors traumatized, disoriented, confused and paralyzed by grief. You may feel unable to think clearly and make the important decisions needed at this tragic time in your lives. The wrongful death attorneys at the Las Vegas office of The Cochran Firm have helped many families in and around Las Vegas deal with the aftermath of a wrongful death, and we can help you, too. While you grieve and try to move on with your lives, we want to take care of the legal aspect of your loss, so you don't have to worry about anything but taking care of yourself and your family.

If you have lost a loved one in an automobile accident, due to medical malpractice or negligence, or because of someone else’s wrongful actions, choosing a wrongful death attorney to protect your legal rights and obtain justice for the deceased is one of the most important decisions you will ever have to make.

The wrongful death attorneys at The Cochran Firm believe every human life has not only a value as a treasured family member, but a financial value as well. Losing that loved one will impact remaining family members who depended on the deceased for comfort and support. As a survivor, you have the legal right to be financially compensated for medical expenses incurred prior to death, funeral and burial expenses, lost income and lost future earning potential had your loved one lived.

If you live in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and you have lost a family member to a wrongful death, please contact the experienced wrongful death attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to protect your legal rights and secure your future.

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A Las Vegas plaintiff was awarded $500 million for punitive damages received after he contracted hepatitis C from an endoscopy center that was reusing needles and medicine vials. This amount is believed to be the largest amount a Nevada jury has awarded to a victim in the history of Nevada.

This medical malpractice lawsuit is the first in a line of 250 lawsuits where residents contracted hepatitis C from two endoscopy centers in Las Vegas. Law officials shut down the two centers in 2008 because of their unsafe medical practices. Two pharmaceutical companies have been targeted in the case because they manufactured and distributed a generic anesthesia medication that the two clinics used. The two pharmaceutical companies are Baxter Healthcare Corp. and Teva Pharmaceutical Ltd.

In this first medical malpractice lawsuit against the two companies, the jury found that both Baxter Healthcare Corp. and Teva Pharmaceutical Ltd. were responsible for the plaintiff’s infection because they manufactured single dose needles and vials that were reused on multiple patients. The jury declared that the two companies endangered patients.

If you or someone you love has been injured due to the negligence of a medical professional in Las Vegas, please contact the Cochran Firm today to discuss your medical malpractice case with our Las Vegas medical malpractice attorneys.

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In the aftermath of an unexpected automobile accident in Las Vegas, whether you are one of the forty million visitors to Las Vegas every year or a resident, you are often confused, hurt and do not know what to do next.

Being involved in an automobile accident can happen to anyone; even the most careful and law-abiding drivers are not immune to being in a collision that is no fault of their own. The experienced automobile accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm are here to help you cope with the aftermath of an automobile accident that can leave you injured both physically and psychologically and financially devastated and overwhelmed.

It is essential to have an experienced automobile accident attorney who is licensed in the state of Nevada if you are visiting from another state and are involved in an automobile accident in Las Vegas or the surrounding area. You need a Las Vegas attorney familiar with Nevada state laws to battle the insurance companies that routinely deny or delay legitimate automobile accident claims or just refuse to honor a valid claim.

If you live in Las Vegas, Nevada or are visiting Las Vegas and you were involved in an automobile accident, please contact the experienced automobile accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to get the assistance you need to protect your legal rights.

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When you are unable to care for elderly family members, nursing homes and assisted living centers represent themselves as good alternatives to that personal care you cannot provide. However, incidents of emotional, physical and sexual abuse by nursing home and assisted living center caregivers are becoming more frequent.

Several factors contribute to the abuse and neglect of the elderly residents of these facilities and include poorly trained and unqualified staff, staff with a history of violence, understaffed, overworked and poorly paid caregivers, the isolation of the residents and their reluctance to report the abuse for fear of making the situation worse.

Specific examples of nursing home abuse and neglect may include the presence of bedsores and open wounds, chronic infections, unnecessary physical or medical restraints, and inadequate personal hygiene care.

The nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm have decades of experience in handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases and will fight to make sure your elderly family member is treated with respect and dignity while pursuing all legal options available to hold those responsible legally and financially accountable.

If you live in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and you suspect your elderly loved one is suffering abuse and neglect at the hands of a caregiver, please contact the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to take the necessary action to make the abuse stop.

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When a doctor, hospital or other healthcare provider makes a mistake, it can't be erased or deleted. The consequences of an irreversible medical error include possible permanent disability, additional pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of the ability to earn an income and provide for your family and in some cases, even death.

Some common forms of medical malpractice often include failure to diagnose an illness or medical condition, surgical or anesthesia errors, medication errors, labor and delivery mistakes that can lead to birth injuries, life-threatening infections contracted during a hospital admission and many other instances where a patient's life is put in jeopardy by the negligent behavior of a healthcare provider.

If you or someone you love has suffered due to injuries inflicted as a result of medical malpractice or negligence, the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm can help you pursue justice and the recovery of financial compensation. We have the resources necessary to assist victims of medical malpractice and negligence and we are prepared to fight for your legal right to recover financial compensation for your injuries.

If you live in Las Vegas, Nevada or the surrounding area, and you or someone you care about has been a victim of medical malpractice or negligence, please contact the knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to begin the process of obtaining the financial compensation you deserve for the injuries you have suffered with the help of our compassionate attorneys by your side every step of the way.

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Most people are not aware of the abuse and neglect that happens on a daily basis in nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the country. With over 65 million people over the age of sixty-five years nationwide, nursing home and assisted living abuse and neglect should be a subject we are all aware of.

Sometime soon you or someone you are close to may find themselves in a precarious position as far as health and the ability to care for themselves is concerned. Hopefully, you will encounter a positive experience and find a facility staffed with hardworking, dedicated and caring people. More than likely, you will encounter facilities staffed by uncaring, undertrained and frustrated staff.

The signs of physical abuse in a nursing home or assisted living setting are relatively easy to recognize, such as open sores, cuts, bruises, malnutrition, and poor hygiene. Emotional abuse behaviors such as continuous rocking, agitation and depression are also less recognizable signs of abuse and neglect.

Visiting family and friends find the nursing home and assisted living residents reluctant to speak out about the abuse or unable to communicate their concerns. Residents of these facilities are guaranteed certain rights under the law and at the very least should be treated with respect and dignity in a safe and clean environment.

If you suspect someone you care about is a victim of nursing home or assisted living abuse and neglect, please contact the Las Vegas, Nevada office of The Cochran Firm today to protect their legal rights.

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Defective consumer products can cause serious injuries and even death. Product liability laws are designed to help those who have been harmed by a defective consumer product by holding manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and retailers legally liable for the injuries and deaths their defective products have caused.

Defective consumer products have been known to cause traumatic brain injuries, amputations, severe burns, debilitating illnesses, permanent disabilities and fatalities. Some common defective consumer products include, but are not limited to, baby slings, strollers, cribs, tires, airbags, automobiles and automobile parts, toys, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and even pet foods.

The defective consumer product attorneys at The Cochran Firm will obtain the maximum financial compensation possible through our efforts and perseverance for our clients injured or killed by a defective consumer product. We will recover damages for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, your lost wages and lost possible future earning potential because you unknowingly used a defective product. There is a time limit involved in filing a defective consumer product claim and they vary from state to state.

If you live in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and you have been a victim of a defective consumer product, please contact The Cochran Firm today so our defective consumer product attorneys can protect your legal rights and get you the financial compensation you deserve.

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Surgical errors are responsible for an excessive number of deaths in operating rooms in the United States each year. A surgical error occurs when a surgeon or other member of a surgical team fails to provide an accepted standard of care and treatment which results in injury or death.

Surgical errors are responsible for 50% of all medical malpractice lawsuits in this country annually. Surgical errors can occur pre-operatively, during surgery and post-operatively. Some typical surgical errors involve surgery on the wrong person, surgery on the wrong body part, anesthesia errors, medical instruments and materials left inside the surgical site and the failure to recognize when a surgical procedure is going terribly wrong. Post-operative infections are becoming one of the most common problems in hospitals across the country today due to negligence and carelessness on the part of hospital staffers.

The medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm have many years of experience handling surgical error cases for our clients and have a reputation for dealing with medical malpractice insurance company attorneys’ attempts to limit blame and financial compensation to patients with determination and strength of purpose.

If you live in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and you or someone you care about has been the victim of a surgical error, please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at The Cochran Firm today to protect your legal rights and learn how you can hold those responsible for your pain and suffering legally accountable.

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All property owners are obligated by law to provide a safe environment for the public and premises liability laws are meant to enforce this legal liability if someone is injured in an accident on their property.

Some examples of accidents that come under premises liability laws include slip, trip and fall accidents, criminal assaults caused by a lack of adequate security, injuries sustained in a fire in a hotel or other public building, being struck by a falling object in a retail store or injuries sustained on an escalator in a shopping mall.

A determining factor for legal responsibility for your injuries is whether or not the owner of the property was aware of the dangerous or hazardous condition which caused your accident, and whether a realistic effort was made to correct that hazard, or a reasonable assumption that the owner should have been aware of the hazardous condition and failed to correct it.

The premises liability attorneys at The Cochran Firm have extensive experience in investigating and evaluating premises liability claims and in securing financial compensation for their clients that may include payment for current and future medical expenses, income losses and pain and suffering.

Please contact the Las Vegas, Nevada office of The Cochran Firm today if you have been injured in an accident on someone else’s property to learn how to proceed to protect your legal rights.

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Many intersections in Las Vegas are equipped with video cameras, so in many instances an accident at an intersection is recorded. One third of all car accidents occur at an intersection and typically involve left-turning vehicles attempting to cross on-coming traffic, failure to yield, and failure to obey stop signs and traffic signals.

Other factors that contribute to the high incidence of car accidents at intersections may include faulty design of the road or faded or missing stop signs and defective traffic lights. It is important to have an experienced automobile accident attorney working for you to investigate the circumstances of your accident to protect your legal rights and get you the financial compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and also is a very popular tourist destination; as a result, Las Vegas roadways are congested and present drivers with many challenges, especially those unfamiliar with the city.

The Las Vegas automobile accident attorneys at The Cochran Firm are experienced in handling a wide variety of claims involving automobile accidents and there is never a fee charged to consult with an experienced car accident attorney at The Cochran Firm.

If you have been involved in a car accident at an intersection in Las Vegas, Nevada, please contact The Cochran Firm today for help with your claim with a quick evaluation of your case and fair compensation for your accident.

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A fully loaded18-wheeler traveling at interstate speeds can cause terrible injuries and death in a collision with an automobile. Speeding, distractions, fatigue, an alcohol or drug impaired driver, a poorly maintained truck, are all typical reasons why trucks crash.

Other truck accidents involving delivery or commercial trucks on city streets that do not involve speed, but entail pulling out into traffic without maintaining the proper lane, running over pedestrians or bicyclists, failing to see a motorcycle rider or sideswiping a car, can also cause serious injuries.

Due to the weight and speed of these trucks, the injuries are often catastrophic. Spinal cord injuries for example can result from these accidents and require multiple surgeries, or result in paralysis and require a lifetime of medical care, expenses and limitations.

When you are the victim of a truck accident you have inadvertently entered into an adversarial relationship with a trucking company and team of lawyers working to deflect blame for the accident and distance themselves from any legal responsibility for your injuries. An experienced truck accident attorney at The Cochran Firm will make sure you are fully compensated for your medical expenses, pain and suffering and any expenses you incur as a result of your injuries.

Visitors and guests injured in a truck accident while visiting Las Vegas should consult with The Cochran Firm whose attorneys have the experience and knowledge of trucking industry law and insurance issues to make certain you receive adequate financial compensation.

Please contact The Cochran Firm today in Las Vegas, Nevada if you have been the victim of an accident with a truck and make sure you receive the financial compensation you deserve.

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Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms. The physical abuse and neglectful care that leaves bruises and physical damage are more noticeable than another form of abuse that occurs frequently in nursing home facilities every day in the United States, and that is the financial exploitation of the elderly.

Financial exploitation of the elderly happens when a person entrusted with the care of that elderly and vulnerable person steals, withholds or misuses their money, property or valuable possessions for their own advantage or profit without permission.

Some examples of financial exploitation involve taking money, property and valuables without the elderly persons' permission or awareness, borrowing money with no intention of ever paying it back, giving away the elderly persons’ possessions without permission, misusing their credit cards or ATM cards without their knowledge. Suspicious signatures on checks, missing funds and belongings and a sudden interest in the personal finances of the person entrusted to their care should alert family and friends to possible financial exploitation of the nursing home resident.

The caregiver will often use deceit and intimidation to achieve their goal of controlling the assets of the elderly, promising life-long care in return for financial control of a joint bank account or being beneficiary to an insurance policy.

If you suspect someone you care about is being financially exploited without their knowledge and you live in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, please contact an experienced attorney at The Cochran Firm today to protect the legal rights of that individual.

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If you are one of the millions of people who have suffered an adverse side effect from a prescription medication, you may be entitled to financial compensation from the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Even if you have not yet experienced an adverse reaction to a medication, you may still be entitled to compensation because of the possibility of serious or deadly side effects in the future.

The list of defective pharmaceuticals is too long to list but includes Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptives, Gardasil vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer, Byetta an injectable medication for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, Digitek to treat heart failure, and Raptiva to treat psoriasis. The list includes medications for arthritis, cholesterol lowering drugs, diet drugs and anti-depressants. No segment of the population is safe from the possibility of using a defective pharmaceutical.

The Cochran Firm is in the forefront of battling the pharmaceutical giants for their clients and has the expertise of highly skilled attorneys with a history of handling defective pharmaceutical lawsuits successfully.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a defective pharmaceutical and you reside in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, please contact The Cochran Firm today and schedule a consultation with one of our defective pharmaceutical attorneys to protect your legal rights and get the financial compensation you deserve.

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Somewhere near 50% of all automobile accidents are reportedly caused by driver distractions. Driver distractions are cell phone use and texting, driver fatigue, passenger behaviors that interfere with driver concentration, reading, and adjusting dashboard controls for the various functions displayed.

Other major causes of automobile accidents are driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding and adverse weather and road conditions. There are over six million car accidents nationwide annually with over three million injuries and over forty-five thousand deaths, so it makes sense to be prepared for the eventuality of a car accident. Car accidents are unexpected, stressful and frightening occurrences that often happen to very cautious drivers who have the misfortune to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

It is important to have an experienced automobile accident attorney on your side to deal with insurance companies that routinely deny or delay legitimate accident claims or refuse to settle your claim fairly and honestly.

If you live in Las Vegas, Nevada and you or someone you care about was involved in an automobile accident and you are getting no satisfaction from the insurance company involved in your claim, please contact the Las Vegas, Nevada office of The Cochran Firm today to obtain the help you need to protect your legal rights and get the financial compensation you are entitled to.

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On Monday morning, a school bus headed to Valley High School in Las Vegas was involved in a low-speed collision. The bus hit a stopped BMW sedan while turning into the school parking lot. There were 67 children on board. Many of them were thrown from their seats, and five of them were sent to a nearby hospital with what were described as scrapes and bruises.

Fortunately, none of the children were seriously hurt, but that even such a minor collision can injure children reminds us that children are at risk every time they get on a school bus. Most bus drivers are safe, careful drivers, and school bus crashes are rare, but school buses are not equipped with any kind of safety restraints for children. When you put your child in the car, chances are you fasten them into their child seat or booster seat. Or if they are older, you ask them to fasten themselves in. But most children don't even have the option of a safety restraint in a school bus.

If your child suffered school bus accident injuries that might have been prevented by the installation of safety belts, The Cochran Firm can help you get compensation for your child's injuries and fight to protect other children from similar injuries. Please contact the Las Vegas personal injury lawyers of The Cochran Firm today to learn how we can help you.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death in people under the age of forty-five. A traumatic brain injury occurs every fifteen seconds in this country, with estimates over five million people suffer from some form of traumatic brain disability at this point in time. The leading causes of TBI are automobile accidents, falls and sports-related injuries.

A traumatic brain injury is the result of the brain being injured or damaged by a force such as a blow to the head or a gunshot. Traumatic brain injuries are either classified as a closed head injury, in which the skull and brain are left intact, or a penetrating head injury, in which an object enters the skull and brain. Traumatic brain injuries are also classified by the severity of the injury such as mild, moderate or severe.

The symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include a brief period of unconsciousness, headache, slight confusion and dizziness, blurred vision and difficulty concentrating. A moderate to severe traumatic brain injury may reveal a persistent headache, nausea and vomiting, seizures, an inability to awaken, weakness of the extremities and profound confusion. Victims of a severe traumatic brain injury will require months and perhaps years of physical, emotional and financial support to overcome the lasting effects of their injury.

If you reside in Las Vegas, Nevada or the surrounding area and you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact the experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers at the Las Vegas, Nevada office of The Cochran Firm to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your legal rights and obtain the representation you need to recover damages suffered due to your injury.

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A claim for wrongful death makes the assertion someone has died as a result of the negligence or actions of someone else, and the survivors of the victim are entitled to monetary compensation because of the death.

Monetary damages in a wrongful death claim may include compensation for medical and hospital expenses, funeral and burial expenses and compensation for the deceased's pain and suffering prior to death. The survivors may claim compensation for loss of financial support, loss of companionship and pain and suffering due to the absence of the deceased.

A wrongful death can result from a car accident, a criminal assault, medical malpractice, the use of a defective product or pharmaceutical or a death from a slip and fall injury. An experienced wrongful death attorney will be able to obtain the information necessary to advance your case, such as medical evidence, police reports and expert testimony.

Every state has statute of limitations laws that differ. That time usually varies from one to three years. Wrongful death laws are very complex, every wrongful death case is unique and must be fully examined in detail and investigated thoroughly by professionals.

If you live in Las Vegas, Nevada or the surrounding area and someone you love has died due to the negligence or actions of someone else, please contact an experienced wrongful death lawyer at The Cochran Firm's Las Vegas, Nevada office today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to protect your rights.

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Medical malpractice refers to any errors that occur in a medical setting. For instance, medical malpractice can mean unnecessary surgery, botched surgery, medication administration mistakes, infections contracted while in a hospital, errors committed by hospital staff and delayed or misdiagnoses.

Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in this country, trailing only heart disease and cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports 250,000 people die annually because of the consequences of medical malpractice.

The top five diseases or conditions often related to medical malpractice allegations are breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, heart attack and appendicitis. Misdiagnosis is often the allegation in these instances. Of course, a misdiagnosis causes a delay in the proper treatment and the result is often permanent disability or death.

Compensation in medical malpractice cases may include payment for medical bills, lost income, lost future earning potential, long term care costs and pain and suffering. If the medical malpractice results in death, the survivors are also eligible for compensation.

If you live in Las Vegas, Nevada or the surrounding area and you or someone you love has been the victim of medical malpractice, please contact the Las Vegas, Nevada office of The Cochran Firm today to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to protect your legal rights.

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Over 8,000,000 people are injured in slip and fall accidents every year in this country. Falls are the leading cause of injuries due to accidents. Property owners have a legal obligation to maintain their properties so they do not present a hazard to the public.

Fall-related injuries are a real concern for senior citizens. Over 16,000 older adults die each year from fall related injuries. Almost 2,000,000 people age 65 or older are treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries annually with half that number being hospitalized.

Some conditions that could present a hazard are poorly lit walkways or stairs, uneven sidewalks, slippery or wet floors, and torn or rippled carpeting. The injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident can range from scrapes and bruises to broken bones, brain and spinal injuries that cause permanent disabilities and even death.

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses involving medical expenses, lost income, lost potential for future income, rehabilitation costs and pain and suffering.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in Las Vegas, Nevada you should contact the Las Vegas office of The Cochran Firm to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you to learn about your legal rights.

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In May of 2007 a man and his wife were enjoying a vacation at a Las Vegas timeshare resort when they were attacked by several robbers. The man and wife both sustained serious injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital where the man died of his injuries.

Now the man's relatives have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the resort's owners, Consolidated Resorts Inc. of Las Vegas. The premises liability suit claims that the resort owners provided negligent security and are partly responsible for the man's death. According to the lawsuit, there had been other similar assaults in the recent past on the resort's property, creating an imminent threat that should have been addressed by the property owners. In addition, the property owners did not warn people at the resort about the history of assaults.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of an attack that could have been prevented, those who provided negligent security can be held accountable. At The Cochran Firm, our Las Vegas personal injury lawyers will fight for your rights, seeking the full measure of compensation possible. Get a free case evaluation today.

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