By: Darrell Castle Surely you’ve heard the term “bankruptcy.” But do you really know what it means? I often find that people don’t really know what it means. They don’t take the time to learn about it before making judgements. It’s actually a really powerful tool that helps millions of people. What is bankruptcy? Bankruptcy is a fresh start for people struggling with debt they can’t pay. Bankruptcy is a way of relief. Bankruptcy is a chance to take bad misfortunes or decisions of your past and start new. Bankruptcy is hope. Bankruptcy brings joy. Call our bankruptcy attorneys today. Are there different kinds of bankruptcy? There are many different chapters of bankruptcy. Here at Darrell Castle & Associates, we
Car crash fraud is a crime in which a scammer fakes or stages an auto accident in order to collect compensation for injuries. To make their case more believable and to win the largest settlement possible, the criminal also uses phony clinics to bill insurance companies for medical costs that don’t actually exist. Car crash fraud harms both drivers and insurance companies. Sometimes everyone’s rates increase to cover the losses from fraud, and even after increases some insurance companies can’t stay in business. Plus you can be the victim of a staged car crash – a costly hassle since the scammers will come after your insurance. Another driver might purposefully cause the accident, but then claim it was your fault.
We know credit is important, but what is it really? By: Darrell Castle Video Transcript Hello, this is Darrell Castle. I’m an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and this is the first in a series of videos I’m planning to do about credit, and today in this first video, I’m just talking basically about what credit is. And of course credit is the ability to use someone’s money to buy something right now that you don’t have the money to completely pay for, or you don’t want to use your own money to completely pay for it. That is true if you’re getting a mortgage on a house, or buying a car or using a
What is Fresenius? Fresenius SE is a German medical equipment company that owns a smaller division called Fresenius Medical Care. Fresenius Medical Care is a publicly traded company that specializes in kidney dialysis supplies. As a company dedicated to dialysis, Fresenius Medical Care not only makes a dialysis concentrate; it also supplies that concentrate to patients at Fresenius dialysis clinics. In addition, it sells the concentrate to other doctors and clinics. Fresenius Medical Care brought in over $2 billion in revenue in 2010. Fresenius Internal Memos on GranuFlo and NaturaLyte In 2010, executives at Fresenius were made aware of increased risks associated with their dialysis products – namely, cardiac arrest, stroke, and death. Internal memos show that Fresenius
Granuflo is a powder used in dialysis. Drug company Fresenius manufactures and distributes it. Fresenius describes GranuFlo as “the most widely prescribed dry acid product” in the industry. It has a unique set of ingredients that dialysis patients convert into bicarbonate. In regular use, many physicians and facilities prefer GranuFlo because it prevents injury to themselves and other workers. It keeps clinicians from having to use liquid acid, which can be very dangerous. It’s also lightweight and easy to transport. Its smaller size saves storage space. However, studies have shown GranuFlo used in the last few years was not necessarily safe for the patients. Internal memos from Fresenius admit the concentrate had a higher amount of acetate and was raising
Mandatory arbitration is a clause used in contracts that waives the right to a jury. So when you sign a mandatory arbitration clause, you agree to take your disputes to an outside person – a person who looks at the case and decides who owes money, and how much. This person is not a jury, so he or she will typically try to see both sides of the argument and make a fair deal for the two parties. And that’s sort of the problem with mandatory arbitration: it’s not a jury of your peers. A jury will usually be more sympathetic to injured people and not care so much about being “fair.” That means more money for victims. Mandatory arbitration
What is medical malpractice? By: Darrell Castle Video Transcript Hello, I’m Darrell Castle, an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and on this video, and a series of videos in the future, I’m going to be talking about medical malpractice and medical negligence. And today on this first video, let’s talk about what medical malpractice really is, and to start off, I’m going to tell you what it isn’t. It is not bad bedside manner. It is not rude or discourteous conduct by a doctor or nurse of some hospital employee. It’s not something as simple as a routine traffic accident – a fender bender if you will. What medical malpractice really is, is conduct by
What is myopathy? What are the symptoms? How is it treated? “Myopathy” refers to muscle disease. It is a group of disorders that affect the functioning of muscle fibers and, as a result, cause muscular weakness. Because myopathy includes multiple disorders, symptoms can vary from temporary muscle cramps to total paralysis. The most serious symptoms of myopathy are: difficulty swallowing paralysis of toes or feet muscle weakness in feet or legs muscle twitching of the tongue or arms and slurred speech Other symptoms include spasms, swelling, and stiffness of the muscles. If you suspect severe or recurring symptoms of myopathy, get medical care immediately. Treatment, when possible, can include splints and braces, medication, physical therapy and surgery.
The Basics of Personal Injury Personal injury, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “an injury affecting one’s physical and mental person as contrasted with one causing damages to one’s property.” Basically, if someone else’s negligence causes your injury, then that’s personal injury. If someone ran a red light and slammed into your car — injuring you — then that’s personal injury. If you slipped and injured yourself on water in a restaurant, then that’s personal injury. If your elderly mother was abused and injured in a nursing home, then that’s personal injury. And there are many other types, which I’ll talk about in a bit. Why Should Make a Personal Injury Claim? When you’re injured in an accident, you’ll likely
What is Pradaxa? Pradaxa is an anticoagulant, or blood thinning, medication that doctors prescribe to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke – in particular in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). NVAF is is a common heart arrhythmia, affecting one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in 10 people over the age of 75. It is a common risk factor for stroke. Pradaxa received FDA approval in October 2010, and between that time and August 2011, approximately 371,000 patients were prescribed Pradaxa in the United States. The medication is available as 75 mg and 150 mg oral capsules. Pradaxa’s chemical name is dabigatran etexilate mesylate. Boehringer Ingelheim manufactures the drug. Its competitors include other