Newsletter Navigation
- Keep Your Family Safe
- Hill Boren And Justitia Represent Justice For All
- Injuries And Dangerous Conditions Abundant In Poultry Industry
- Ann Burns - Volunteer And Dedicated Professional
- Recent Settlements
Keep Your Family Safe
In our last issue, we warned our readers about space heater safety. The potential for fires and burn injuries is great. We are sad to report that shortly after our last issue was published, a mother, son and granddaughter tragically perished in Gibson County from a space heater fire. Soon after that, another area family survived but lost their home to a similar fire. We urge you to practice your family's fire escape plan and have annual safety checks of all heating equipment.
We strive to keep you up-to-date on the latest in product warnings or recalls in order that you may protect yourself and your family from harm. Visit our website at www.hillboren.com for additional newsletters with warnings.
Two commonly prescribed medications, one for lowering cholesterol and the other an arthritis painkiller, could lead to illness or even death. Take a moment and review this information on Baycol and Vioxx.
Baycol - One of the most popular cholesterol lowering drugs has been linked to serious side effects and over 100 deaths. Baycol has now been withdrawn from sale. Problems reported by patients who took Baycol include muscle pain, liver and kidney problems, and heart failure.
It is believed that Baycol gave rise to a rare muscle-wasting condition, rhabdomyolysis. This disease can lead to life-threatening kidney failure. Symptoms include muscle pain, weakness, tenderness, fever, dark urine, nausea, and vomiting. The pain may involve specific muscles or may be throughout the body. Most common are aches in the calves and lower back.
Vioxx - The use of Vioxx, a popular arthritis painkiller, is being questioned by the Food and Drug Administration because of a possible increase in the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Kidney damage is another possible risk. The American Heart Association, the National Stroke Association and the Arthritis Foundation asked Vioxx' manufacturer, Merck & Co., to do further testing. The FDA Advisory Panel has suggested to Merck that Vioxx should carry a warning label.
If you or a family member is taking one of these medications, please discuss the potentially lethal side effects with your physician. If someone you know has experienced any of the symptoms described here, you can contact us at Hill Boren. Prompt action is required. We are currently investigating cases like these and would like to help you and your family.
Hill Boren And Justitia Represent Justice For All
Meet Justitia. Hill Boren's new symbol is actually a centuries old Roman Goddess of Justice. Dressed in flowing robes and wearing a blindfold, she carries a sword and the scales of justice. Justitia is the symbol of fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, prejudice or favor. Justitia is completely incorruptible so she has been worshiped by defendants as well as judges.
The legend of Justitia is as ancient as the many civilizations that struggled for justice. The Egyptians called her Maat. The Greeks called her Themis. Over the years, artists have created their version of justice in the female form in statues, drawings, paintings, seals and logos across the country and the world. Some famous renditions of Justitia can be found in the United States Senate, The Supreme Court and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Injuries And Dangerous Conditions Abundant In Poultry Industry
Millions of pounds of chicken, the most sought after meat in the United States, are processed each week and workers are injured in the process.
One In Six Injured
According to the U.S. Labor Department, one in every six poultry workers suffers a work-related injury, twice the rate of the manufacturing industry. As consumers continue to demand chicken in mass quantities, laborers work extra long hours to fill this demand. Because the profit in chicken is just a few cents a pound, the amount of money made depends on how fast the workers move.
Lines Stop Only For Equipment Failure
Line speed in chicken processing plants is monitored only for food safety; not worker safety. As a result deaths, accidents and serious injuries have occurred in chicken processing plants across the country. Injuries range from deep cuts made by the claws of live chickens, to torn ligaments from repetitive lifting of the birds. The repeated lifting is especially straining on the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. A worker will lift thousands of the four to six pound birds at a speed of 21-23 chickens per minute onto a line moving 210 birds per minute. The lines stop only for equipment failure.
Workers Frequently Miss Work Due To Injury
With these dangerous conditions in mind, it's no surprise that poultry workers miss more days than other workers. An OSHA survey found that poultry worker's missed days were for injuries and illnesses caused by unsafe working conditions and related hazards. Repetitive stress injuries caused by making the same motion over and over again, can last for years. For example, a person working as a shoulder cutter on a breast deboning line is required to make about 1600 slices an hour. Some workers have had repeated surgeries, each time returning to work until another injury sends them for more surgery.
Death And Maimings Not Uncommon
Unfortunately, death or maiming is not uncommon. One worker was killed by churning paddles when he fell into a vat. Another worker lost his leg when he slipped and fell feet first into the moving blade of an ice crusher. Closer inspection revealed there was no button to turn off the power to the ice crusher.
Dangerous Conditions Can Cause Permanent Damage
The constant roar inside the processing plant can damage hearing, requiring workers to undergo annual hearing tests. Through the continuous din of noise, workers try to navigate on surfaces and concrete floors that are always wet and slick with water, ice and blood. The Department of Labor has even divided the many injuries of the poultry processing industry into categories that include "slips, trips and falls" and "struck by, struck against and caught in."
Immigrant Workers Unaware Of Rights
These dangerous and difficult jobs are often filled by recently-arrived immigrants who are unaware of their basic rights. The issues are so serious that the Catholic Church has sent pastoral letters published in English and Spanish asking for justice for poultry workers. The National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice points out that workers have been harassed or fired for complaining about working conditions or participating in union organizing activities.
Hill Boren Can Help And We Know How
If you or a family member has been injured as a result of work at a chicken processing plant, contact Hill Boren immediately. We will be glad to investigate and determine whether that accident or injury could have been avoided. If we believe you should be compensated for those injuries and loss of income, you can trust that we will work to obtain justice for you. Your consultation is free and your conversation with us is strictly confidential. Please contact us immediately.
New Home Made Possible By Hill Boren Gift
Hope bloomed into reality this spring at the Thomas "Tip" Taylor Memorial Habitat for Humanity House funded by Hill Boren.
Homeowner Kim Snipes and her four children moved into their first home, made possible by a donation of $16,000 from Hill Boren. The house is at 36 Courtney Cove in East Jackson.
Beginning with the framing and roofing in March, Hill Boren attorneys and staff, First Presbyterian Church members and the homeowner provided the construction labor. Building continued in April with the trim and soffitt, siding, completion of interior work and yard seeding. In this home, a central hallway joins the the eat-in kitchen and a living room with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Ann Burns - Volunteer And Dedicated Professional
Hill Boren's Ann Burns has held every office except secretary on both the local and state level of the Tennessee Paralegal Association (TPA). Currently out-going president of the West Tennessee Chapter, Burns is the state parliamentarian and a 20-year member.
A paralegal is someone with the education and experience in the legal profession to assist attorneys. They do a variety of legal work including drafting documents, research and interviews. "We are the right arm of the attorney," she said.
Besides monthly meetings, which provide both networking and educational opportunities for area paralegals, the WTPA assists with Law Day, an annual recognition day for the legal profession. Each Law Day, they sponsor the Ernie Gray Paralegal Utilization Award for attorneys supportive of the paralegal profession. This year a spring seminar in Jackson provided discussion and education on several topics to offer continued professional training for paralegals.
The TPA is an affiliate of the National Association of Legal Assistants, an organization of 18,000 paralegals. For more information visit www.nala.org.
Recent Settlements
James Krenis settled a case for an injured passenger of a collision involving four vehicles in Jackson for $50,000, the available insurance limits of the defendant.
Jeffrey P. Boyd settled a workers' compensation case involving a 33-year-old employee of a large company. She sustained serious neck and right shoulder injuries resulting in major surgeries. Case settled for $63,297.
Chris Taylor recently tried an automobile accident in the Circuit Court of Shelby County. The client had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and post-traumatic stress disorder. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the client, assessing damages at $125,000.
Chris Taylor also settled a suit against the State of Tennessee for failing to maintain its highways. In this case, water was allowed to pool on the highway, causing cars to lose control. The client was killed when an oncoming driver went through the collected water, lost control and struck the client. The Commissioner entered a judgment for $299,000. The maximum for awards against the state is $300,000.
Ricky L. Boren represented a surveyor who suffered pelvic, ankle and foot injuries in an accident resulting in surgery and permanent physical impairment. The client and a co-worker were traveling in a vehicle struck by a drunk driver. This claim was brought under his employer's uninsured motorist policy. There was a set-off for the workers' compensation benefits he had previously received in the amount of approximately $225,000. A settlement was reached for an additional $635,000.
Mr. Boren represented a traveling insurance salesman who was injured when a municipal pick-up truck was left parked in neutral and rolled downhill into his vehicle. His resulting chronic low back pain was permanent, making it difficult for the client to hold a job that involved long driving and getting in and out of his car multiple times per day. The Circuit Judge tried this case under the Governmental Tort Liability Act and awarded a judgment of $73,500.
Ricky L. Boren represented a Kentucky truck driver who stopped at a Tennessee truck stop. He was injured when he stepped into a puddle not realizing there was a hole underneath the water. The client twisted his ankle and fell, sustaining a significant injury to his knee. A physician testified that the client would not be able to return to his previous job as a truck driver. This case was settled at mediation for the payment of $282,500.
