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The Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck Settles Sexual Abuse Claim Against State DCF
After almost five years of litigation, the Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck has reached a settlement with the State of Connecticut for $150,000 on behalf of two girls, now 12 and 14, who claimed to have been victims of physical and sexual abuse by their foster mother and her minor son. The State denied any wrongdoing and defended the case claiming the Dept. of Children and Families had no notice of the alleged misconduct, and obtained counseling for the girls once it learned of the abuse claims. The settlement agreement requires approval of the Probate Court. Attorney Scott D. Camassar handled the case.
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Claims Commissioner: Chimp Attack Victim Can't Sue State
The Conn. Law Tribune reported that "A Connecticut woman disfigured by a friend's pet chimpanzee in 2009 was denied permission [this month] to sue the state for $150 million on her claim that officials knew the animal was dangerous but didn't do anything about it."
The 200-lb. animal ripped off parts of the victims face and both hands after she went to the owner's home to try to help lure him back inside. The chimp "had previously bitten another woman's hand and tried to drag her into a car in 1996, bit a man's thumb two years later, and escaped from [the owner's] home and roamed downtown Stamford for hours in 2003 before being captured." Several months before the attack, a state biologist warned state officials that the chimpanzee could seriously hurt someone if it felt threatened, calling it "an accident waiting to happen.''
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Chicago Hospital Accused of Performing Unnecessary Tracheotomies to Defraud Medicare, Medicaid
An FBI affidavit describes allegations that a pulmonologist at Chicago's Sacred Heart Hospital "kept patients too sedated to breathe on their own, then ordered unneeded tracheotomies for them -- enabling the for-profit hospital to reap revenue of as much as $160,000 per case." Read more
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Young Women More Likely to Die in Car Crashes than Men
A recent study found that women drivers in the 21-30 age group have a 25.9% higher risk of dying in a car crash than men that age. Female passengers in that age range also die in greater numbers: NHTSA reported that they have a 29.2% higher risk of dying in a crash than young men. The agency speculates that in this age bracket, men tend to be larger and stronger than women, thus more likely to survive crash injuries. Read more.
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Study: Young Drivers' Crash Risk Increases with Less Sleep
A study by Australian researchers suggests less sleep per night is associated with a significant increase in the risk for motor vehicle crashes for young drivers. On average, individuals who reported sleeping 6 or fewer hours per night had an increased risk for crash compared with those who reported sleeping more than 6 hours. Less weekend sleep was significantly associated with an increased risk for run-off-road crashes. Read more.
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Injuries Climb for Distracted Pedestrians
Pedestrians are putting themselves at risk by sending messages and talking on phones, according to a new survey by insurer Liberty Mutual. One quarter of people say they text or send e-mails while crossing the street and 51% talk on the phone. Three-quarters of respondents said they didn't consider it dangerous to have a phone conversation while crossing. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of U.S. pedestrian deaths climbed 3% in 2011 from a year earlier to 4,432, even as driver fatalities fell for a sixth straight year. Read more.
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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
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Newsletter Archive
New to our mailing list? To read our prior newsletters, click here. | | |
New Distracted Driving Infographic
The National Safety Council's new infographic outlines four myths surrounding distracted driving:
- Myth 1: Drivers can multitask.
- Myth 2: Talking to someone on a cell phone is no different from talking to someone in the car.
- Myth 3: Hands-free devices eliminate the danger of cell phone use during driving.
- Myth 4: Drivers talking on cell phone still have a quicker reaction time than those who are driving under the influence. Check it out here.
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Photo-ID Databases: Bonanza for Police
The Washington Post reported that "The faces of more than 120 million people are in searchable photo databases that state officials assembled to prevent driver's-license fraud but that increasingly are used by police to identify suspects, accomplices and even innocent bystanders in a wide range of criminal investigations." 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
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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
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