Welcome! We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting the Brad Hendricks Law Firm Blog. We have created this site in an effort to better serve you by providing information about our firm, recent developments in state and federal law that might impact you, and other information that might be of interest to the public. We welcome your comments and questions and hope that this site is helpful to you. If you would like to submit a private inquiry or comment, please feel free to do so here. Again, thank you for visiting our firm's blog and if we can be of service to you, please let us know.

RECENT POSTS

Greater Access to Medical Malpractice Information: Perhaps Arkansas Will Follow the Leaders

December 15, 2009

What would you do if you could look up your medical provider to determine whether he or she had ever committed medical malpractice? Would you utilize the service? If the information were readily available, many people would. Unfortunately, in Arkansas, such information is not readily available to the public. Other states have much more transparency when it comes to the medical providers licensed to perform services in those states. For example, in North Carolina, the public now has access to information related to "malpractice settlements or judgments and criminal records for its 35,000 licensed physicians and physician assistants," according to the Raleigh News & Observer. Read More

How Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella Cause Heart Attacks

November 20, 2009

In a previous post, we at the Brad Hendricks Law Firm expressed a desire to help those who might have been harmed by the birth control drug known as Yaz or Yasmin, or by its generic counterpart, Ocella. One harmful side effect of the drug referred to in that previous post was the serious risk of heart attack. You might be wondering how the drug might cause a heart attack? For more nformation, we recommend an article posted online that answers the question: Why does Yaz cause heart attacks?Read More

Bankruptcy Filings Led by Middle Class Homeowners

November 19, 2009

According to a recent USA Today article, a new study, "The Vulnerable Middle Class: Bankruptcy and Class Status," reveals that bankruptcy filings have "become a largely middle-class phenomenon led by filers who are college-educated and owners of homes." Read More

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella

November 2, 2009

The Brad Hendricks Law Firm wants to help if you or a loved one has been harmed by Yaz (also known as Yasmin and by its generic name "Ocella"). Originally developed and manufactured by Berlex Laboratories, these medications are referred to as "combination birth control," which contain the hormones estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drospirenone or "drsp"). Yasmin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on May 11, 2001. Read More

Book Review: Polarizing the Case

October 30, 2009

Polarizing the Case should be required reading for every plaintiff's lawyer. Not only does Rick Friedman do a masterful job of formulating and describing a cogent, well-rounded and effective strategy for aggressively defeating the malingering defense, he shows the reader how to go about doing it in the real world. The reader understands immediately that the author has been in the trenches and is speaking from that experience rather than from an ivory tower. Read More

Negotiating Health Care for the Uninsured

October 29, 2009

"Despite the talk in Washington about health care reform, which could potentially provide health insurance to millions of uninsured Americans, legislation to be enacted in the future does not help if you are uninsured now. If you are not covered by any current health insurance carrier or are worried about losing employer-based or university-subsidized health insurance, there is something you should know. Read More

When Should Your Client File Bankruptcy?

By Lyndsey D. Dilks, Bankruptcy Attorney, Brad Hendricks Law Firm, P.A.

October 12, 2009

We, as attorneys, are accustomed to getting a bad rap based on the sole fact that we are lawyers. Who among us hasn't heard the joke: "What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of the sea?" I won't insult you with the punch line. But, you get my point. We are out there busting our humps, helping our fellow humans, and, yet, we are subject to such ridicule. Read More

Estate Planning Services Now Offered

October 8, 2009

The Brad Hendricks Law Firm is now offering general estate planning services, including vital documents that form the basis of every estate plan-wills, durable powers of attorney, and living wills and powers of attorney for health care. Depending on your particular needs, more sophisticated planning might be required. The importance of an effective estate plan can not be stressed enough-for anyone who is 18 years or older. Read More

Recent accomplishments in effort to protect the civil justice system

October 6, 2009

The American Association for Justice's mission "is to promote a fair and effective justice system-and to support the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America's courtrooms, even when taking on the most powerful interests." Read More

A Petition Against Tort Reform

September 24, 2009

Health care reform is the issue of the moment. It is an important issue. With estimates for deaths caused by medical errors ranging from 98,000 to 195,000 per year, and astronomical costs passed on to the consumer, it is easy to see why this is an issue in which everyone wants a say. Read More

Two Top Attorneys Weigh In On Tort Reform With CNN

September 23, 2009

In a recent CNN piece narrated by Gary Tuchman, two lawyers, Les Weisbrod and Todd Smith, two past presidents of the American Association of Justice, discuss tort reform, including capping damages, with CNN, arguing that it is unconstitutional, that verdicts in favor of plaintiffs are not out of control, and that punitive damages are much more rare than people are led to believe. Read More

Tort Reform vs. Health Care Reform: The Two Should Not Be Intermingled

September 22, 2009

Anthony Tarricone, the current President of the American Association for Justice, published an article today on the Huffington Post website. In the article, he discusses the argument by some that tort reform should be included in the health care reform that is currently the subject of intense debate in Washington, D.C.

"Tort reform," Mr. Tarricone wrote, means "taking away the legal rights of patients, injured through no fault of their own, and preventing them from obtaining legal recourse." Tort reform is primarily sought by the insurance industry, "the same people who have hijacked our health care system." Read More

Litigation, Tort Reform, and the Cost of Health Care

September 2, 2009

Frivolous malpractice lawsuits and excessive jury awards are not significantly adding to health care costs, says a prominent tort-reform critic in the following article that appeared in the New York Times on August 31, 2009. Read More

New Credit Card Law: What Does it Mean for You?

August 20, 2009

Changes in the credit card industry have been demanded by consumers for years, as interest rates and finance charges have soared. Recently, President Barack Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act into law. The first phase of this law goes into effect August 20, 2009, but before credit card companies have "hiked interest rates, closed accounts, increased minimum payments and fees, reinstituted annual fees and slashed credit limits - partly because of the souring economy and rising loan defaults and in anticipation of tough new credit card billing restrictions," according . . . Read More

Bankruptcy Filings Increase By 35%

August 13, 2009

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) announced today, August 13, 2009, that 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases were filed during the 12-month period that ended June 30, 2009. For the same time period ending June 30, 2008, 967,831 cases were filed. That is an increase of 35 percent. Of the 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases filed, 1,251,294 cases were "non-business" filings, as opposed to the 55,021 "business" filings that occurred . . . Read More

Keep Your Toddler Safe: Use Rear-Facing Car Seats Until Age 2

August 4, 2009

No one wants to be involved in a motor vehicle accident, but the simple fact of the matter is that accidents do happen. We, as individuals faced with the potential risk of a car accident, can take certain steps to minimize injuries that might occur to the occupants in our cars. This includes our younger occupants, our children. Previously, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended keeping infants in a rear-racing car seat until they were eat least 1 year old and weighed no less than 20 pounds . . . . Read More