The salad that 79-year-old Ellen DiStefano consumed one night killed her. It was contaminated with Listeria bacteria which invaded her body putting her into a coma. Dole’s Springfield, Ohio plant was identified as the source of the Listeria tainted salads. The plant was shuttered for three months to deal with the issue.
DiStefano’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dole alleging gross negligence, malice, recklessness and wanton/willful disregard for the public. It was the second suit filed in relation to the outbreak and it alleges that Dole did not have a system in place to prevent contamination. It further alleges that the company knew about the Listeria contamination prior to the outbreak, as far back as 2014.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dole’s product showed signs of Listeria during swab rests in 2014, yet they continued to ship their salads throughout the United States and Canada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that at least 19 individuals were seriously affected by the tainted salads and one man in Michigan died. In Canada, there were 14 reported cases in five provinces and three deaths that may be linked to the Dole salads. It is anticipated that there will be more lawsuits filed in the months to come.

In order to pay all the medical bills incurred while Mrs. DiStephano was in hospital for a month, the family may have needed a source of income other than their jobs. One solution would be litigation funding, also referred to as a lawsuit loan.

A litigation funding company provides an immediate cash advance to fund a lawsuit using a very simple three-step, no risk process. Plaintiffs fill out an intake form, as well as the lawyer questionnaire form, and send in the relevant paperwork. Once approved, plaintiffs can receive their fast cash in as little as two days.

There is no longer any need for plaintiffs to settle for pennies on the dollar. Litigation funding allows the plaintiffs to let their lawyers do their jobs and the cases to run their course to a fair and equitable conclusion. Do not agree to an unfair settlement because you are strapped for cash. A lawsuit loan can level the playing field between you and the insurance company.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit http://www.litigationfundingcorp.com/.

The change will affect all K-1 approved petitions that the National Visa Center receives after March 31, 2016.  The U.S. post in Vancouver will process and interview all approved K-1 petitions which it receives before that date.

This was the conclusion gleaned from the largest, federally-funded study in the U.S., the results of which were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reported that in the early 2000s, drivers in the U.S. had a per-mile fatality rate that was better than the vast majority of developed countries.

Today? We are ranked No. 17 out of 29. In terms of roadway fatalities, our per-mile death rate, as compared to other countries is:

• 11.4  in the U.S.
• 3.7 in the United Kingdom
• 6.8 in Canada
• 9.1 in the Philippines
• 6.8 in Brunei

The researchers opine that perhaps the biggest problem is the fact that U.S. drivers are consumed with their cell phones. They cannot get enough of them.

Study authors tracked the driving habits of 3,500 drivers over the course of three years. With permission from the participants, of course, researchers affixed cameras, sensors and radar inside the vehicles. They tracked the drivers’ behavior with every mile they drive. Participants were fully aware they were being watched, though the results were anonymous. In all, researchers were able to analyze data from some 35 million miles traveled.

What they discovered: Drivers in the U.S. are using their phone in some way for 50 percent of the drive.

Now, we all know the public warnings about how unsafe texting and driving is and most states have even passed laws in this regard. Still, the cell phones appear to be a central part of travel for most U.S. drivers.

Texting itself wasn’t actually all that common. Researchers saw drivers texting about 1.91 percent of the time. However, the drivers who did text increased their odds of a crash by 6-fold, as compared to those drivers who were 100 percent sober, alert and attentive.

Dialing a number was less common – observed just 0.14 percent of the time. And yet, researchers found that it was correlated with a 12-fold increase in car accidents.

Talking on the phone was more common, with researchers observing this behavior 3.24 percent of the time. However, just this act alone doubled the odds a driver would be in a crash.

Reaching for a phone – this seemingly innocuous act – increased the risk of a wreck by five times.

But phones weren’t the only culprit, and there were a few findings that surprised researchers.

For one, it’s been believed that while teen drivers were greatly distracted by teen passengers, adult passengers (for all drivers) were actually beneficial. The thinking was that adult drivers are paying attention to the road and may be like an extra set of eyes for the driver – even if the two were engaged in a conversation. However, researchers found that conversations with an adult passenger were associated with a 1.4-fold increase in car accidents.

Eating, drinking and applying makeup didn’t seem to make much difference in driver performance. However, driving while emotionally distraught had a huge impact. Although it was only observed to occur about 0.2 percent of the time, someone who was extremely emotional or agitated resulted in a 1,000-fold increased risk of a crash.

If you have been a victim of a traffic accident, call Chalik & Chalik at (954) 476-1000 or 1 (800) 873-9040.

Additional Resources:

U.S. Drivers are Distracted More Than Half the Time They’re Behind the Wheel, March 8, 2016, By Aarian Marshall, CityLab

More Blog Entries:

NHTSA: More Americans Wearing Seat Belts, March 2, 2016, Miami Car Accident Attorney Blog

Toronto City Police have come up with a campaign that grabs attention. It involves a hearse, and so far, it has started a buzz on social media that has put the topic of distracted driving front and center.

The campaign is dubbed “That Text or Call That Could End it All,” and distracted drivers can expect to be ticketed by police riding in a hearse. It is certainly an unusual way to capture people’s attention and bring home the seriousness of texting while driving. No one wants to think about getting a ride in a hearse, and if that motivates people to not text while driving, the campaign will have done its job.

Toronto drivers caught talking on their mobile device without a hands-free Bluetooth or those using a cell phone while driving were handed heavy fines ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 and faced being assigned between three to six demerit points.

Serious issues usually call for serious responses. The person who texts while driving is responsible for not only his or her life, but the lives of the other vehicles that may be involved in an avoidable collision.

It should be pointed out that distracted driving does not just involve texting, talking or using e-devices while driving. It also includes grooming, eating, talking to passengers, reaching into the back seat to tend to children, shaving, putting on makeup, smoking and drinking liquids. Whatever it takes to educate drivers about the risks of distracted driving (much like drinking and driving campaigns), it needs to be done. Using a hearse is a graphic way to show people where they may end up if they text and drive.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury attorney or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.800.8000

We all see humorous commercials all the time, meant to drive home a particular point. Sometimes the commercial is a bit “over-the-top” or extreme, in that in no common-sensical way can be believable in the sense of human dignity. Or indignity, if you will.

But when it comes to taking care of elder parents or grandparents, can a line be crossed when it comes to “over-the-top” depictions? Should something that may be viewed as “elder abuse” be fodder for the sake of advertising? When does dignity get trampled on, and when does humor prevail when the tongue is implanted firmly in the cheek?

KAYAK.com Gets Nailed by Canada, Eh?

Recently, the travel website KAYAK.com unveiled a 30-second commercial on television and its YouTube page that got a lot of attention in Canada – so much so that the country’s governing body of advertising standards cited the company due to several complaints about its “stairlift” ad, which can be seen and described here.

In short, while the commercial can be seen as humorous in some circles because of its outlandishness, there were some among our northern neighbors who complained that the commercial seemed to show “elder abuse,” and that was no laughing matter. With the finding by the Canadian ad standards agency, KAYAK gave in to the pressure and removed the ad from its YouTube channel and from television.

The debate over the commercial does lead to a question about how to best care for an elderly family member, and what could constitute abuse. At the heart, was due diligence to care for this family member in the commercial achieved with the installation of the stairlift? Taking care of an elderly family member does go beyond just legal issues; it goes to quality-of-life issues as well.

Elder Abuse, What Do You Think?

After looking at the commercial, what do you think? Is it depicting “elder abuse,” or do you think it is just an over-the-top joke and people need to develop a sense of humor? We are not here to say whether this commercial is funny or disgusting, but we do want to use this as an example of the importance of elder care and how the charge of “elder abuse” can be very serious – just a serious as child abuse. We should always look to take care of our loved ones who may not be able to care for themselves. Whether it is installing a stairlift in your home (and not for you to use!), putting him or her in a proper care facility and/or making sure the estate is up to date with health-care directives or powers of attorney.

And if you are in Michigan, and especially around the Brighton area, it behooves you to sit with a good estate planning attorney to get some advice not just about legal matters but also about how to make the best life for your elder family members so their last days are happy and harmonious. There is no need to be left up a creek without a paddle. So to speak.

The post Elder Abuse: Was Kayak Up a Creek With It’s ‘Stairlift’ ad? appeared first on The Elder Care Firm.

We all see humorous commercials all the time, meant to drive home a particular point. Sometimes the commercial is a bit “over-the-top” or extreme, in that in no common-sensical way can be believable in the sense of human dignity. Or indignity, if you will.

But when it comes to taking care of elder parents or grandparents, can a line be crossed when it comes to “over-the-top” depictions? Should something that may be viewed as “elder abuse” be fodder for the sake of advertising? When does dignity get trampled on, and when does humor prevail when the tongue is implanted firmly in the cheek?

KAYAK.com Gets Nailed by Canada, Eh?

Recently, the travel website KAYAK.com unveiled a 30-second commercial on television and its YouTube page that got a lot of attention in Canada – so much so that the country’s governing body of advertising standards cited the company due to several complaints about its “stairlift” ad, which can be seen and described here.

In short, while the commercial can be seen as humorous in some circles because of its outlandishness, there were some among our northern neighbors who complained that the commercial seemed to show “elder abuse,” and that was no laughing matter. With the finding by the Canadian ad standards agency, KAYAK gave in to the pressure and removed the ad from its YouTube channel and from television.

The debate over the commercial does lead to a question about how to best care for an elderly family member, and what could constitute abuse. At the heart, was due diligence to care for this family member in the commercial achieved with the installation of the stairlift? Taking care of an elderly family member does go beyond just legal issues; it goes to quality-of-life issues as well.

Elder Abuse, What Do You Think?

After looking at the commercial, what do you think? Is it depicting “elder abuse,” or do you think it is just an over-the-top joke and people need to develop a sense of humor? We are not here to say whether this commercial is funny or disgusting, but we do want to use this as an example of the importance of elder care and how the charge of “elder abuse” can be very serious – just a serious as child abuse. We should always look to take care of our loved ones who may not be able to care for themselves. Whether it is installing a stairlift in your home (and not for you to use!), putting him or her in a proper care facility and/or making sure the estate is up to date with health-care directives or powers of attorney.

And if you are in Michigan, and especially around the Brighton area, it behooves you to sit with a good estate planning attorney to get some advice not just about legal matters but also about how to make the best life for your elder family members so their last days are happy and harmonious. There is no need to be left up a creek without a paddle. So to speak.

The post Elder Abuse: Was Kayak Up a Creek With It’s ‘Stairlift’ ad? appeared first on Estate Planning Lawyers | Elder Law Attorneys | Brighton | Novi | Livonia Elder Law Attorneys.

Gold has long been the safe haven of choice for Indians looking for a place to park their cash and a way to avoid the uncertainties that swings in the stock market or currency fluctuations have presented. In recent years, investment in the United States, particularly in real estate, has appealed to foreign buyers looking for a similarly conservative, yet profitable, option. And as the bottom dropped out of many real estate markets in the United States during the recent recession, current purchase prices are very appealing.

A more price-compelling U.S. real estate market has been reflected in the number of foreign buyers, Indians included, who have closed escrow for property in this country. A National Association of Realtors survey estimated that from April 2013 to March of this year, total sales to buyers from abroad stood at $92.2 billion, which represents a 35 percent increase over the previous year. As a result, foreign buyers now constitute 7 percent of all existing-home sales.

Among existing-home sales closed by foreign buyers, China accounted for the largest share of international buyers at 24 percent, followed by Canada at 15 percent, with India and the United Kingdom tied for third with a 6 percent share of the total each. Indian buyers spent $5.8 billion in the U.S. real estate market over the last measured year, up from $3.9 billion over the 12-month period before it.

The figures cited do not distinguish between immigrant buyers and international buyers of U.S. real estate who retain their foreign domiciles. While many international buyers invest in U.S. real estate due to political instability or a restrictive business environment in their home countries, Indian buyers more frequently invest with a longer-term or more practical perspective in mind.

Middle-aged Indians with children current comprise the largest demographic looking to purchase property in this country. Indian families most often invest in residential housing, either multi-unit buildings or single-family dwellings.

With the significant number of students from India who are studying stateside, the investment scenario becomes all the more compelling: families secure living quarters for their children while they are at college or, subsequent to graduation, working in America, and thereafter, either rent out the unit or retain it as a residence if the family chooses to immigrate to the United States.

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an attorney, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at http://www.visatous.com.

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Rabinowitz & Rabinowitz, PC. is an immigration law firm representing businesses and foreign nationals in employment-based visa cases. To learn more or to contact a Dallas immigration lawyer, visit http://www.rabinowitzrabinowitz.com.

The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation recently featured a study arguing that the homeless who suffer TBI have a strong, negative impact on public expenses. Homeless and unsafely housed individuals who have suffered damaging blows to the head are more likely to frequent ER departments for health care, to fall victim to assaults, to have done jail time and to have been arrested.

The Canadian article argued that traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, are approximately seven times more common among the homeless. TBIs may manifest themselves in mental health issues, in alcohol or drug abuse and in physical symptoms, including seizures.

The study stretched over four years, and 61 percent of its participants reported having sustained a TBI in survey. The figures were roughly consistent across Canada. Homeless individuals with a history of TBI were 1.5 times more likely to attend an ER due to the long-term side effects of their brain injury.

These individuals were also almost twice as likely to have spent time in jail or to have been arrested by police within the previous year — usually as a result of personality disturbances or impaired mental abilities as a result of a TBI. The homeless with brain injuries were almost three times more likely to be assaulted than other, similarly situated individuals.

Increased screening and condition-management assistance could help control the higher level of health care required for homeless TBI victims. Unfortunately, prospects for this kind of action remain weak in the face of more dominant health care priorities.

Perlmutter & Schuelke, LLP is one of the premier trial firms in Austin Texas. Contact a personal injury attorney by calling 512-476-4944 or learn more at http://www.civtrial.com/.

The study included nearly 5,000 public school students from 11 to 20 years old in Ontario, Canada. The students were asked whether they had ever suffered TBI (defined as a head injury that resulted in at least five minutes of unconsciousness or at least one overnight stay at a hospital). Their mental and emotional health was then assessed with a questionnaire on symptoms of anxiety, depression and social dysfunction. They were asked whether they had ever considered or attempted suicide, contacted a crisis hotline or been prescribed medication for anxiety or depression.

Twenty percent of students reported TBI to the researchers. Compared to those who did not report TBI, those who did were more than three times as likely to have attempted suicide, nearly twice as likely to have thought about suicide and 2.45 times as likely to have been prescribed psychotropic medication.

Currently, modern medicine has very little ability to treat concussions directly and only moderate ability to treat the lasting debilitating symptoms. Our best weapon is prevention. Make sure your children wear helmets while riding bicycles. If they engage in high-impact sports, make sure they wear helmets when appropriate. Consider speaking with athletic officials about their policy concerning TBI prevention and response.

If you need to speak with a brain injury attorney or lawyer, Call Joyce & Reyes at 1.888.771.1529 or visit more of http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/.

These are very serious charges as a DUI carries a number of penalties and can affect your employment, car insurance, criminal record, and result in a license suspension.  Possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) is a felony that can result in the person being a convicted felon, losing their civil rights, and a two (2) year driver’s license suspension if convicted.  For an NHL player it can have even more severe consequences because BOTH of these crimes are considered felonies in Canada.  Canada’s government DOES NOT grant a U.S. citizen entry into Canada for four (4) years if convicted of a crime that Canada considers a felony.  So this could really have an adverse affect on Malone’s NHL career.

No details of the arrest have been released yet.  Usually a DUI arrest in Hillsborough County is videotaped including the suspect’s driving pattern and performance on Field Sobriety Tests (FST’s).  This will be a key piece of evidence whether he did the exercises or refused to perform FST’s.  The other key pieces of evidence will be whether he took the breath test or refsued the breath test.  The DUI officer may have also requested a urine sample to determine if there was any cocaine or other controlled substances in his system.  There is no “per se” level for a DUI drug case like the 0.08 level in alcohol cases.  Driving the Influence of Drugs (DUID) is becoming much more common in Florida and throughout the United States.  They often involve a DUI police officer with additional training who is called a “Drug Recognition Expert” or “DRE”.  An experienced DUI defense attorney such as myself knows these officers are not experts and how to defend these cases.  That includes knowing whether the drug analysis was done correctly by the lab.

That’s why it is extremely important that you retain a DUI lawyer with experience in DUI and DUI drug cases.  DUI’s involve a lot of science and you need an attorney who studies the latest technology, gas chromatography, and has successfully tried cases to a jury verdict like I have in DUI and DUI of  a controlled substance cases.  I am a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and recently attended an NCDD seminar dealing with these exact issues.

If you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or a Controlled Substance,

call and speak to a member of the National DUI College.

Thomas C. Grajek – 863-838-5549 cell

You only have 10 days from your DUI arrest to request a Formal Review or a Hardship License!

NCDD

Irish researchers conducted the study, which appeared in BMJ Open on July 18. The researchers reviewed over 7,000 journal papers regarding medical malpractice claims, focusing on claims filed against primary care physicians, as that is who provides initial line of care to patients.

The researchers found 34 journal articles relevant to their research, from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia and Canada. The study found that the most commonly reported claims of medical malpractice were those involving missed diagnoses. Depending on the study, missed diagnoses were found to account for between 26 and 63 percent of the total. Death occurred in between 15 and 48 percent of the missed diagnosis claims.

The researchers from Trinity College Dublin and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical School found that heart attack and cancer were the most common missed diagnoses, followed by appendicitis, bone fractures and ectopic pregnancy. In cases involving children, cancer and meningitis were the most common missed diagnoses.

After missed diagnoses, medication errors were the most common medical malpractice claim. Such errors were seen in between 6 and 20 percent of the cases, and involved drugs including antibiotics, anticoagulants, steroids, antidepressants and antipsychotics.

The study found that the number of medical malpractice claims filed against primary care physicians in the United States has not changed significantly in the past 20 years.

Bob Briskman is a Chicago malpractice attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

According to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), more highly-skilled workers may be able to become employed in the U.S. in a shorter time frame – within a year. That could happen if immigration reform becomes a reality. Hatch joined a roundtable discussion on immigration reform, where he acknowledged that workers who travel to the U.S. for higher education degrees often want to stay in the U.S. and work at high tech and other high-skilled companies and in high tech industries, only to have to move back to their home countries due to visa restrictions.

Hatch said that there was an ongoing push to change outdated U.S. policies on high-tech immigration issues. Meanwhile, business leaders across the country have expressed their frustration attempting to hire more high-tech skilled workers for their firms.

Sen. Hatch has co-sponsored the Immigration Innovation Act of 2013. The Act hopes to raise the highly-skilled worker visa cap from 65,000 annually to 115,000 annually, though business leaders say even that is not a large enough number of visas for their job opportunities. The capped amount would have some flexibility, allowing for as many as 300,000 H-1B visas annually, if there is a proven need for that increase.

The visa expansion debate was part of larger immigration reform battle in Washington earlier this year. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act was hammered out for months and finally passed this June in the Senate. It is currently still waiting for approval in the House. But House Republicans have been combing over the Act, taking apart the pieces they do not ant and attempting to stitch together their own version, which would put a greater emphasis on border patrols, specially the U.S. /Mexico border.

Senator Hatch stated that there was a sort of “de facto amnesty” currently at work – people are being employed if they are a good fit, regardless of their citizenship status. Hatch has stated that U.S. citizens are encouraged to contact their congressional representatives with support for immigration reform.

A. Banerjee is a Houston immigration lawyer in Texas. Before selecting an attorney, contact the Law Offices of Annie Banerjee by visiting their information filled web site at http://www.visatous.com.

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There is only one palliative care specialist for every 20,000 older adults living with a severe chronic illness.

Currently there’s a shortfall of up to 18,000 physicians focused on palliative care and hospice care. According to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine there are 5,150 hospice programs and 1,635 hospital palliative care teams in the U.S. today.

That equates to one specialist for every 20,000 older adults living with a severe chronic illness.

(Related: Duke Medicine Study Supports Family History and Risk for Alzheimer’s)

“There have to be more people for whom this is a specialty,” says Dr. Thomas Smith, director of palliative medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “If you don’t have enough people to be out there practicing and showing people a better way to communicate, a better way to relieve pain, a better way to help people’s distress, it won’t happen.”

Patients turn to palliative care with a number of different illnesses, ranging from chronic to life-ending. The specialty also covers psychological counseling, help family conflicts and spiritual support.

(Related: The Benefits Of An Ira Trust)

The American Board of Medical Specialties describes the subspecialty as “Hospice and Palliative Medicine.” While hospice tends to be a home-care service, palliative care is more common in hospitals or outpatient clinics.

“In Europe or Canada or Australia, hospice care and palliative care are the same thing,” says Dr. Porter Storey, executive vice president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. “But in this country, the Medicare hospice benefit has defined hospice care as a wonderful set of services, but only for people in their last six months of life.”

Smith says that a combination of palliative care and usual care is now the accepted best practice.

“You can show that people live longer, people probably do live better, and their relatives — if they happen to die — do a lot better if you get palliative care involved,” he says. “If you have these conversations, people are less distressed and less depressed.”

(Related: Where Does Michigan Stand on Medicaid Expansion?)

Nurses play a critical role on palliative care teams. And while there is limited data on the short supply of nurses in the area, Storey says that the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses is “certifying lots more people than we are.”

Hoping to get more doctors and nurses into the field, Storey hopes Congress can lend a hand with the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, which Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jack Reed, D-R.I. introduced last month.

Advocates say the case for expanding palliative care is now clear. “We’re going have to pay attention to the most expensive patients and our previous structure has basically rewarded doctors for just doing more and more and more and more stuff,” Storey says. “We’ve now got very good research to show that just doing more procedures and tests on people in their final months of life isn’t better. They don’t live longer, they’re not more comfortable and often the opposite is true.”

Read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/03/176121044/as-palliative-care-need-grows-specialists-are-scarce?ft=1&f=1001&sc=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The lawsuit by the landowners is an obstacle for the phase of the pipeline that is planned from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf coast of Texas. Another phase, from Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska, has been delayed by environmental concerns and still needs government approval. The finished pipeline will transport tar-sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas coast.

The lawsuit is being heard in the Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont, Texas, after District Court Judge Tom Rugg ruled against the landowners in September. A number of similar cases are making their way through the courts.

The landowners are hoping to build on the precedent of Texas Rice Land Partners Ltd. v. Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas LLC, a 2011 Texas Supreme Court case that opened the door for challenges to common-carrier status. In the Denbury case, a pipeline company tried to establish its status as a common carrier of carbon dioxide by filing an application with the Texas Railroad Commission. Landowners refused Denbury Green entry onto their land, and argued successfully in court that the company must do more to prove that it would be operating a pipeline that would be available for public use.

The website, located at www.bbb.org/smartinvesting, combines the consumer outreach of BBB with the extensive knowledge of FINRA.

Gerri Walsh, FINRA Foundation President, said that the campaign would help investors protect themselves from fraud.  The website offers resources to help investors detect investment scams.

Investment fraud causes serious harm in North America.  Consumers in the United States and Canada were defrauded of over $1.5 billion by scammers in 2011, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.  FINRA conducted a telephone survey that found that many investors show overconfidence about their ability to detect fraud.  This was especially true of investors in the baby-boomer generation, who are often the target of scams.  The telephone survey found that 92 percent of respondents said they were “somewhat” or “very” confident about their financial management skills, but only 44 percent were able to pass a test of basic financial knowledge.  The BBB Smart Investing website hopes to provide people with that basic financial literacy.

Carrie Hurt of the Council of Better Business Bureaus said that the FINRA Foundation’s message of  “Ask & Check” is what consumers should consider before making decisions about investments.  According to Hurt, scams have become more common as retirees attempt to manage their retirement funds on their own.

The latest in kid’s accessories to be recalled is a single and double stroller made by B.O.B. The recall affects 337,000 rigs in the U.S. and roughly 20,000 in Canada. This is a massive recall, but given the reason for it, strangulation hazard, it makes sense that the whole run would be called back to the maker.

As it turns out, the drawstring on the stroller can get wrapped around a child’s neck. It is always better to be safe than sorry when your child’s life is at stake. What is troubling is that there were that many strollers on the market and no one knew this was a problem. It makes you wonder who tests these things.

There are 11 models in all being recalled of the B.O.B. single and double strollers. They are easy to spot, as they have an orange/yellow drawstring at the back of the canopy, designed to gather up the loose fabric when the canopy is pulled back. The recalled units all have serial numbers on the frame or a white label on the right leg of the rig. You can find the names of all of the recalled models on the company website.

While recalling these units was the right thing to do, there is always the distinct possibility that someone will not know or hear about the recall. If that is the case and parents of a child discover their baby or toddler strangled to death in the stroller, they would be entitled to file a product liability lawsuit/wrongful death lawsuit, whether or not there was a recalled issued.

If they did choose to file a lawsuit, they would still have to deal with their usual expenses and any related medical expenses to the death of their child, as well as funeral and burial costs. In addition, product liability cases tend to take awhile to get through court. In order to deal with their financial pressures, they would need access to instant cash; fast cash in the form a legal funding.

Litigation funding is an emergency lawsuit loan given to the plaintiff in advance of their expected verdict or negotiated settlement. It allows them to put the lump sum lawsuit cash advance in the bank and then access it when they need to pay their bills. It is one of the least stressful ways to deal with financial difficulties when waiting for justice.

Pre-settlement funding also lets the plaintiffs turn down cheap offers from insurance companies who are looking to get them to settle quickly for a ridiculously low amount. Applying for a lawsuit cash advance is easy and may be done online or by phone.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.