The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck Sues Stonington, First Selectman Over Transmission of Graphic Photos

Camassar Offers Town a Way Out of Suit

A Pawcatuck woman has sued Stonington First Selectman Edward Haberek for causing emotional distress and an exacerbation of migraine headaches after he sent her sexually graphic photos of himself in January 2010.  The Day of New London, which unsuccessfully sought to obtain the State Police investigation reports of the incident, has followed the story closely with extensive coverage of the suit.  The Town and its First Selectman have opposing interests ever since Attorney Scott Camassar offered to drop the Town from the suit if Haberek either 1) immediately turns over the subject photos or 2) consents to and pays for an analysis of his computer and Blackberry by a forensic computer expert; consents to the release of the State Police file; and consents to an attachment of his property unless he can show proof of adequate insurance coverage.  The Day even published an editorial urging Haberek to accept these conditions to let the Town off the hook.  To date there has been no response to the offer. 

Family of Murdered Agent Files $25M Claim Against ATF

Gov't Looks to Save Money By Denying Compensation to Military Dependents for Medical Malpractice

The Supreme Court's 1950 Feres decision has prevented active-duty troops from suing for injuries due to malpractice in military medical facilities, but now, as reported in the Army Times, "government lawyers in Florida are seeking to expand that restriction to include the spouses and children of service members." Jimmy German, an active-duty Navy mechanic, sued when the Jacksonville Naval Hospital failed to diagnose his wife's soon-to-be fatal cerebral hemorrhage, but the government is seeking dismissal, saying under the Feres doctrine, whether or not Navy doctors committed medical errors, "troops should not be allowed to sue for negligent care provided to their dependents." Although the government has settled many cases involving injured military family members, this new interpretation, according to George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley "is a very clear effort to establish the rule that children and spouses are equally barred from tort recovery from negligence."  It's one thing to bar troops from suing for things arising out of their active duty service, but why should a similar restriction be placed on their spouses and children?   

Feds Paid Over $3 Billion in Settlements Last Year 

The National Law Journal, after analyzing payments from the federal government's Judgment Fund, reported it "shelled out more than $3 billion in taxpayer funds last year to resolve lawsuits against the federal government -- more than twice as much as in 2010, and the most in at least five years." The largest outlay, over $1.3 billion, came from the Department of Energy, which "in 2011 quietly settled a series of breach-of-contract suits with utilities over the storage of spent nuclear fuel, resulting in a $1 billion spike in legal bills compared with 2010." The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, spending $698 million and $403 million respectively; both "settled megacases involving Native Americans in 2011." The article noted that critics have raised "objections on the dearth of information about where the money goes -- the fund database reveals payment dates and amounts, but little else."

Gulf Oil Disaster Drove 2010 Increase in Tort Costs

The Insurance Journal reported that the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 "were the key drivers in the 5.1 percent increase in US tort costs in 2010, according to a new report. The 2011 'Update on U.S. Tort Cost Trends' from global professional services company Towers Watson found that without the costs from that Gulf event, tort costs would have shown an overall decrease of 2.4 percent for the year, the findings indicated. In a previous report, Towers Watson found that tort costs fell by 2.7 percent in 2009." According to the study, in 2010, the US tort system cost a total of $264.6 billion, equivalent to $857 per person, compared with $820 per person in 2009. Of that amount, personal tort costs comprised $96.7 billion, and commercial tort costs $168 billion. 

Traffic Camera Shows Danger of Even Light Snow

The city of Overland Park, Kansas posted footage on its Facebook page from area traffic cameras following a recent light snow. The footage reveals just how easy it is to crash with even a light dusting of snow on the roads. With plenty of winter ahead, it's an excellent reminder to drivers to use caution during winter driving. More here.

Report: CT Hospital Errors Persist

A new report by the State shows bed sores, wrong-site surgeries and other surgical errors reported by Connecticut hospitals have increased in the last five years, despite numerous efforts to reduce them.  Read more. 

Technology Combats Distracted Driving 

Distracted Driver Causes Horrific Crash

A snowplow operator who took his eyes off the road struck a 19-year-old on the side of the road who was refueling his car, amputating the young man's legs and leading to his death. Read more.