A motorcyclist who was participating in a protest ride against helmet laws died after he flipped over the bike’s handlebars and hit his head on the road. Philip A. Contos, 55, lost control of his bike, smashed his head on the pavement and died near Syracuse, N.Y. “The medical expert we discussed the case with who pronounced him deceased stated that he would’ve no doubt survived the accident had he been wearing a helmet,” said state Trooper Jack Keller.
Read more: dailymail.co.uk.
Trucking expert witnesses may write reports and testify on federal motor carrier safety regulations, the truck manufacturing industry, qualifications of truck drivers, and related topics. Transport Topics offers trucking and freight transportation news and this week reports:
A new, higher speed limit in Kansas could cause safety problems if trucks are governed at lower speeds than the new limit, the head of the state’s trucking association said. Kansas set a new 75 mph speed limit on rural stretches of some interstate highways and other freeways effective July 1, its Department of Transportation said in a release.
The new limit applies to all vehicles on the highway, though trucks with speed limiters would still travel slower than other highway traffic, said Tom Whitaker, executive director of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association.
Insurance expert witnesses may write reports and opine on property insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and insurance companies. President Obama has nominated an insurance expert to further fill out the new Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). The White House announced Friday that the president intends to nominate Roy Woodall, a former state insurance commissioner and Treasury Department official, to serve as an insurance expert on the council.
Read more: thehill.com.
Texas justices seated on the Ninth Court of Appeals recently affirmed a lower court’s order rejecting Pinnacle Healthcare’s argument that the plaintiffs’ medical expert reports are inadequate.
Delores Calvin and Herman Johnson sued The Oaks at Beaumont and one of its doctors in June 2009, alleging their mother died from shock after being given incorrect dosages of anticoagulants.
Read more: setexasrecor.com.
Trucking expert witnesses may write reports and testify on federal motor carrier safety regulations, the truck manufacturing industry, qualifications of truck drivers, and related topics. Transport Topics offers trucking and freight transportation news and this week reports:
The National Labor Relations Board has proposed changes to federal rules governing union organizing elections, including limiting the time employers have to fight representation votes, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
“The proposed amendments are designed to fix flaws in the board’s current procedures that build in unnecessary delays, allow wasteful litigation, and fail to take advantage of modern communication technologies,” a statement on NLRB’s website said.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has called on a national construction expert to lead an independent review of the costly and long-running improvements project on the I-287 Cross Westchester Expressway.
Cuomo on June 8 said Peter M. Lehrer, chairman of Lehrer L.L.C., a leading New York City construction consultant, will work on the project pro bono, with other experts to be retained as needed.
Read more: westfaironline.com.
U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell thinks he might have an answer to the erosion problems that threaten to wash away Tangier Island: anchor old barges along the shoreline, without any cost to taxpayers. The fishing mecca in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay is losing between 4 and 12 feet a year to rising sea levels, exposure to storms, and sinking land. Scott Hardaway, a coastal engineering expert with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, said the Eastern Shore already has marine vessels acting as breakwaters – concrete ships anchored off Kiptopeke State Park.
Read more: hamptonroads.com.
A state review of the historic Tumwater brewhouse property found that some ground on the old Olympia Brewery site is contaminated beyond levels allowed for its mixed-use zoning. George Heidgerken, an owner of the property, has applied for a voluntary program to clean up the contaminants, which include lead and arsenic, said Scott Rose, a unit manager for the Washington State Department of Ecology. Heidgerken said he has hired an environmental expert and that he wanted to rid the site of contaminants.
Read more: http://www.theolympian.com.
Clincaladvisor.com reports that two new bills addressing malpractice reform issues have been passed by the Florida legislature.
Among the new provisions contained in HB 479 is the requirement that physicians (MDs or DOs) and dentists licensed in another state must obtain an expert witness certificate before providing expert testimony in Florida, and that experts witnesses (whether licensed in the state or those with an expert witness certificate) may be disciplined by the Boards of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Dentistry if they provide deceptive or fraudulent testimony.
Read more: clinicaladvisor.com.
Insurance regulations expert witnesses may may be relied upon to testify on insurance companies, insurance claims, property insurance, and more. Christian R. Cámara, Florida Insurance Project Director, Heartland Institute writes:
The editorial “Property-insurance reform package could harm consumers” (OrlandoSentinel.com, Feb. 5) is a reminder of an alarming fact: Despite five hurricane-free years, Florida’s insurance market is still in shambles.
More than half the property insurers are losing money even without hurricanes, fewer insurance companies are competing, financial stability is reduced, and the state-owned property insurance company has grown to be the largest insurer in Florida.
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