Finch McCranie, LLP

How Do I Find An Experienced Lawyer And Attorney

We have blogged before about the need for consumers to protect their interests when trying to retain an attorney. Truck accident cases present many obstacles for attorneys who do not regularly practice in the area. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations oftentimes control this type of case and yet many attorneys are not familiar with the requirements imposed by federal law. Additionally, the technology available on trucks that can be downloaded by experts with proper computer software may present different evidentiary and investigative challenges
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Georgia Uninsured – Underinsured Coverage Changes

Georgia law relating to uninsured automobile insurance has changed effective January 1, 2009. We have previously written about the importance of uninsured/underinsured (UM) coverage. Essentially this is coverage which protects you and your family if you are injured in a wreck caused by a person with no or low limits of insurance. Unfortunately there are many of these drivers on the roads in Georgia.
Under the new law the major changes relate to the ability to purchase increased coverage. This is best understood by way
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Unethical Health Insurance Practices

Our Atlanta, Georgia lawyers see health insurance companies deny valid claims on a daily basis, depriving policyholders of necessary medical care to which they are entitled. Now, a California health insurer has been caught red handed. The insurer, Health Net, has agreed to pay as much as $14 million to settle a pair of lawsuits brought on behalf of 800 former policyholders whose coverage was dropped after they submitted substantial medical bills.

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Contaminated Peanut Salmonella Cases: A Georgia Scandal

The more one reads about the problems with the products distributed by the Peanut Corporation of America, the more one realizes that there were serious management problems with that Company’s plant in Blakely, Georgia. According to published reports, when federal and state inspectors went to the plant, they found evidence of mold, leaking roofs and other unsanitary conditions. According to an FDA report, not only was there mildew on the ceiling roof of the storage room, there was also evidence of infestation by cockroaches
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“How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?”

The above questions are often asked by clients who have been seriously injured in an automobile case or a trucking collision. Regrettably, there are some attorneys out there who will give unrealistic “pie in the sky” answers to such questions, usually for the purpose of trying to convince a client to retain their services. A good lawyer, however, will usually not provide a response to these questions until he or she has fully investigated the case and has access to all of the
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Legionnaires Disease At Atlanta Hospital

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease has been confirmed at Atlanta, Georgia’s Grady Memorial Hospital. Water tests confirmed today that two units at Grady Memorial Hospital were the source of the bacteria that caused Legionnaires. Four patients have been sickened by the disease.
A Grady spokesman claimed this was the first time in Grady’s history that the Downtown Atlanta hospital has been the source for disease in patients. The two Grady patient units consisting of and 80 beds have been closed since last week. The Grady
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Georgia Parents and Children Affected By Vaccine Rulings

Many Georgia parents, and thousands of parents across the country who have children suffering from autism, received bad legal news today. They had claimed that childhood vaccines had caused their children to develop autism.
In a long awaited decision, a special court rejected their claims and ruled that they are not entitled to federal compensation. The decision in three test cases is a severe blow to a national movement that has argued that childhood vaccines have been responsible for the surge in autism diagnoses in
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Finding The Right Georgia Lawyer For Your Case

On the way to work today I saw an automobile accident that had just occurred. A lady had been rear-ended by an automobile on the interstate highway. The cars were very badly damaged and it was clear that one of the drivers was injured. The ambulances had not yet arrived.
As I drove by the accident scene, I thought to myself, “I wonder how this unfortunate lady will find a competent Georgia automobile accident attorney to represent her interests effectively, competently, honestly, ethically and
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Georgia Drivers Beware: Uninsured Drivers On The Increase

We heard a radio piece on National Public Radio the week before last about the rise in uninsured motorists nationwide. It is now estimated that as many as 16% of the motoring public are driving without insurance. In today’s tough economic times, people are failing to pay not only their house bills, which has lead to the mortgage crisis, but also their car insurance bills. This means that many motorists are endangering the lives of their fellow motorists as they drive. Obviously, they are hoping that they will not be involved in an accident. If they are, it is not the driver who causes the accident which is at risk, it is the innocent victim of their reckless conduct.

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Hospitalized Patients Cannot Identify Treating Doctors

Our Atlanta lawyers interview potential clients on a daily basis concerning their injuries and hospitalizations. Many times, potential clients, even those who have been hospitalized for long periods, cannot tell us the name or names of the doctors who treated them in the hospital. Now, a recent survey has shown that this is a common occurrence. According to the survey, hospital patients are rarely able to identify their doctors by name or to describe their roles in the patients’ care.
Researchers at the University of
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Raptiva Withdrawn From Market

Raptiva, a drug manufactured by Roche HoldingAG’s Genentech Inc. and marketed for the treatment of psoriasis has been linked to a rare but often fatal brain disorder. As a result of these findings, Genentech has issued a voluntary recall of the drug.
Genentech previously disclosed that three cases of the disorder, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, had turned up in patients taking Raptiva since October of last year. Two of these cases were fatal. A fourth patient died of unknown cause after developing neurologic symptoms. All
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Physical & Sexual Abuse At Georgia Day Care Centers

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have represented, and continue to represent, victims of day care child abuse. The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative; however, abusers include daycare workers, healthcare providers, mental healthcare workers and others who care for children on a daily basis.

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GM Recalls Dangerous Cars

Many Georgia residents may be driving General Motors cars which have a dangerous propensity to ignite in flames. General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced yesterday that the possibility of engine fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003.

The recall covers certain mid- and full-size passenger sedans under GM’s Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands.

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Defective Cardiac Defibrillator May Result in Death

The Georgia injury lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP have represented many victims of defective products which have caused serious injury and sometimes death. Recently, there was a recall on a device meant to save lives, a defibrillator. Each year 250,000 to 450,000 Americans suffer a sudden heart stoppage or cardiac arrest due to a rhythm disturbance or silent coronary artery disease, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. About 95 percent of those people die. A defibrillator delivers a shock which
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Trial Techniques – The Art of Cross-Examination Part VI

Rule No. 2 of 12: The successful cross-examiner always has a purpose for each question that is asked or not asked.
When preparing a cross-examination of any particular witness, counsel has to consider what they want to say about the witness in closing argument. Sometimes, if a witness does not hurt your client’s case, the best cross-examination is to ask no questions at all. The general rule is “no harm no foul,” therefore, if a witness is called against your client and ends up testifying
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Deadly Reverse Car Accidents

The news media in Georgia frequently reports on tragic accidents in which young children are killed by cars traveling in reverse. Many times these accidents occur when a parent is backing out of a driveway or garage.
According to data from a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shifting into reverse may be more dangerous than previously thought. According to the first study conducted on the issue, 221 people were killed by vehicles backing up in 2007. That is more than 4
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Trial Techniques – The Art of Cross-Examination – Part V

In our prior four (4) entries, concerning the art of cross-examination, we have discussed the objectives of cross-examination and have suggested that there are four (4) alternative purposes for successful cross-examination that should be considered by trial counsel. In this article, we are going to address techniques involved in successful cross-examination. Any experienced trial counsel will recognize these rules as being fundamental to a truly successful cross-examination of any material witness.
Rule No. 1 of 12: The successful cross-examination is well prepared in advance of
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Car Accidents In Small Vehicle Increase Dangers

Our Georgia automobile accident attorneys often review crashes involving very small cars, sometimes referred to as “micro cars.” We have frequently noticed that there seems to be a correlation between the severity of injuries suffered in car accidents and the size of the vehicles involved. Now, a study by the Insurance for Highway Safety has confirmed our observations.
In crash tests released this week, the Institute found that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart “fortwo,” Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris face significant leg and
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Trial Techniques – The Art of Cross-Examination Part IV

In this our fourth entry, we discuss again the objectives of cross-examination. We have talked about obtaining evidence which is favorable to one’s case, impeaching or corroborating the testimony of another witness in the case and discrediting the testimony of the witness through proof of prior convictions, inconsistent statements or prior writings. In this entry, we address another alternative to cross-examination and that is “to appear to be cross-examining a witness without really doing so” because counsel really does not have anything that can be
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Trial Techniques – The Art of Cross-Examination – Part III

The third alternative objective of cross-examination is to discredit the testimony of the witness being called by your opponent. This can be done in several ways. The most traditional way is to impeach the witness by proof of conviction of a crime. Another manner is to prove a prior inconsistent statement, most often taken from prior sworn deposition testimony. However, proof of a prior inconsistent statement may also be offered through an inconsistent statement given to an investigator or other third party witness. Additionally, prior
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