The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck Assists in Obtaining $3.8M Wrongful Death Verdict
Earlier this month, Attorney Stephen M. Reck, in collaboration with friend and colleague Attorney Kevin Ferry of New Britain, prevailed in New London Superior Court in a case arising out of the death of local truck driver George Upton. A UPS tractor trailer driven by Joseph Socha struck Upton's vehicle and sent it off the road, causing Upton to be ejected and killed. The jury returned a verdict of $3,883,132 ( $508,132 in economic damages, $1.5 million in non-economic damages, and $1.875 million to Upton's widow, Julie, for loss of consortium). The case was aggressively defended by UPS, which will appeal. The Day covered the story here. |
|
Study: Multi-tasking Drivers Are Overconfident, Least Capable
 A new study examined the relationship between personality and individual differences in multi-tasking ability. The study, based on surveys and tests of 310 psychology students, aims to understand people's perceptions about multitasking and their skills at it. The study doesn't directly address people's actual abilities to stay focused while driving. But it does suggest something else -- people who multitask tend to do so because they're impulsive, overconfident and seek sensation, not because they're actually good at it. Participants completed measures of multi-tasking activity, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. In addition, the study sought to assess their executive control and actual multi-tasking ability. The findings indicate that the persons who are most capable of multi-tasking effectively are not the persons who are most likely to engage in multiple tasks simultaneously. Read more.
|
Survey: Drivers Who Use Cell Phones Likely to Engage in Other Risky Driving Behaviors
Motorists who use cell phones while driving are more likely to engage in additional dangerous behaviors such as speeding, driving drowsy, driving without a seat belt and sending texts or e-mails, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. More than two-thirds of drivers reported talking on a cell phone while driving within the past month, despite the fact that nearly nine in 10 respondents believe other drivers using cell phones are a threat to their personal safety. Motorists who fairly often or regularly used their cell phones over the past month also reported that they engaged in additional risky behaviors, such as speeding, driving while drowsy and sending a text or e-mail. Read more.
|
Appeals Court Affirms Right to Give Cops 'The Finger'
 Calls it the "Ancient Gesture of Insult"
A passenger in an automobile that was stopped by a police officer who observed the passenger "giving the finger" toward his squad car may go forward with a civil rights lawsuit alleging that he was subjected to an unconstitutional seizure, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Jan. 3. (Swartz v. Insogna, 2d Cir., No. 11-2846-cv, 1/3/13).
In an opinion by Judge Jon O. Newman, the court reasoned that the police were not entitled to qualified immunity because an objectively reasonable officer would not have believed that the rude gesture alone justified a traffic stop. "This ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity," the court explained. The court noted the driver was not speeding and had committed no other traffic infraction.
|
|
Women More Likely to Hit Parked Cars, Men More Likely to Hit Pedestrians
An insurance study in Ireland indicates women drivers are more likely than men to crash into a parked car - but men are more commonly involved in multi-car pile-ups or accidents where someone walking on the pavement is hit. The findings come after European "gender neutral" rules took effect last month, meaning that insurers can no longer take someone's sex into account when deciding how much they should pay. Young women drivers have been among the worst affected by the rule changes, due to the relatively high accident rates of young men. Researchers found that in general, women drivers tend to be involved in low-impact collisions in places such as car parks, while men are more often caught up in "destructive" high-speed crashes. Read more.
|
About Our Firm
 At The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck, justice is our mission. Our firm is well known and well respected for its ability to handle personal injury, wrongful death, and professional malpractice cases in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Call today or visit us on the web at www.stephenreck.com.
The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck, LLC
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Newsletter Archive
New to our mailing list? To read our prior newsletters, click here. | | |
DOJ: Florida Doc Pays $26.1M to Settle Charges
Steven J. Wasserman, M.D., a dermatologist practicing in Venice, Fla., has agreed to pay $26.1 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by accepting illegal kickbacks from a pathology laboratory and by billing the Medicare program for medically unnecessary services. Read more.
|
Recall Central
To read about recent recalls and product safety news from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, click here.
Get the latest recall information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here.
The Dept. of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service regulate meat, poultry products and processed eggs. Check their recalls here.
Click here for Food and Drug Administration recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts.
For updates on the peanut products recall click here. |
Don't Drive Distracted!
It Kills
|
|
|
|
|
Proudly Serving Connecticut and Rhode Island
The trial attorneys at The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck, LLC represent individuals in all types of personal injury cases throughout the state of Connecticut and the state of Rhode Island, including, in Connecticut: New London County, New Haven County, Middlesex County, Hartford County, Tolland County, and Windham County; and in Rhode Island: Bristol County, Kent County, Newport County, Providence County, and Washington County.
Referrals Welcome
| | |
