Monthly Archives: September 2005

Link of the Day – Friday Fun

Written On September 30, 2005 By Bob Kraft

I don’t know if the television commercials at this site are real, but they sure are funny. It’s safe to open and play these files.

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Link of the Day – Registered Agents for Every State

Written On September 29, 2005 By Bob Kraft

RegisteredAgentInfo is a Web site maintained by my friend Terry Berger. It has links to the appropriate Web site for registered agent searches in each state. This is very handy when filing suit against an out-of-state corporation.

Posted in Link of the Day

Link of the Day – Federal Tax Forms

Written On September 28, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Most plaintiff lawyers try to avoid giving tax advice. But if one of your clients needs information about a particular tax form, either current, or in the recent past, 1040.com is a great source. Here’s the site’s description:
1040.com is an online tax resource dedicated to helping you find the information, news, and forms you need [...]

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Former Merck Scientist Acknowledges Data Not Made Public

Written On September 27, 2005 By Bob Kraft

A story today by the Associated Press about the current Vioxx trial in New Jersey says Merck’s former research chief acknowledged that data from studies on the effects of the painkiller Vioxx on Alzheimer’s disease patients, showing an increased incidence of deaths, were not immediately disclosed to physicians. When asked by the plaintiff’s attorney if [...]

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims

Link of the Day – Federal Statistics

Written On September 27, 2005 By Bob Kraft

FedStats is a government Web site that acts as a portal to statistical reports from over 100 federal government agencies, broken down by agency and by states. Very helpful.

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Merck Executive Testifies About Battle Over Vioxx Warning

Written On September 26, 2005 By Bob Kraft

As reported in an article at Newsday.com, a Merck executive testified today at the New Jersey Vioxx trial that Merck battled the FDA to determine whether a cardiac risk warning should be prominently placed or hidden in the fine print of the Vioxx packaging. The executive testified that Merck projected a $500 million drop in [...]

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims

Link of the Day – Daubert Testimony on the Internet

Written On September 26, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Daubert on the Web is a helpful site maintained by attorney Peter B. Nordberg. The site is "intended to make information about the law of expert evidence available, for free, to interested persons."
Nordberg also has a Daubert blog, which reports on relevant news and information.

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Link of the Day – Nolo Press

Written On September 25, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Nolo Press has a Web site that contains a lot of self-promotion. But it also contains excellent self-help articles for consumers. The purpose of the site is to empower consumers to handle their own legal problems without hiring lawyers. Of course, I think this is short-sighted, and can cost people far more money than just [...]

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FDA Chief Forced to Resign?

Written On September 24, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford abruptly resigned Friday, according to this Dallas Morning News article. Crawford has been under fire recently for several episodes of questionable judgment. The dangerous drug Vioxx was pulled off the market during Crawford’s reign.

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims

Link of the Day – RefDesk.com

Written On September 24, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Most Internet users are familiar with the terrific research portal refdesk.com. One feature that may be underutilized is the list of dictionaries (scroll down and look on the left side of the screen), including legal and medical dictionaries. This is a great one-stop resource.

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Link of the Day – Friday Fun

Written On September 23, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Do you think President Bush comes up with all those mangled phrases on his own? I used to think that, until I discovered the political genius behind the President’s speeches. Here is his story in video.

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New Jersey Vioxx Trial – Going Well for Plaintiff?

Written On September 22, 2005 By Bob Kraft

A story today at Newsday.com indicates the New Jersey Vioxx trial is still going well for the plaintiff. Of course Merck hasn’t begun to present their case, but if that presentation is as ineffective in New Jersey as it was in Texas, Merck is not going to overcome the plaintiff testimony.

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims

Link of the Day – Oil Rigs in Path of Hurricane Rita

Written On September 22, 2005 By Bob Kraft

RigLogix has an interesting Hurricane Rita Interactive Map site. It shows the location of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and their relationship to the track of Hurricane Rita. You can click on each rig to get a photo and details.

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Merck Attorneys Still Antagonizing Judge and Jury

Written On September 21, 2005 By Bob Kraft

According to an article in the Idaho Statesman (the plaintiff is from Idaho), Merck’s lawyers just can’t seem to understand that you need to get the judge, and especially the jury, to like you and your client. These defense lawyers in the New Jersey Vioxx trial didn’t learn anything from the mistakes of the defense [...]

Posted in Prescription Drug Claims

Link of the Day – Automobile Fair Market Value

Written On September 21, 2005 By Bob Kraft

After a serious automobile collision, our clients usually want to know what their vehicle was worth immediately before the collision. Three good resources are the Kelly Blue Book, the NADA Guides, and Edmunds.

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Link of the Day – Bipolar Disorder Information

Written On September 20, 2005 By Bob Kraft

Many of our Social Security disability claimants over the years have suffered from bipolar disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health has an excellent resource page explaining this disabling condition.

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Link of the Day – Hospital Web Sites

Written On September 19, 2005 By Bob Kraft

HospitalWeb has links to the Web sites of most hospitals in the United States. Very handy.

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New Federal Trucking Rules — Dangerous for Drivers?

Written On September 19, 2005 By Bob Kraft

As reported in Lawyers Weekly USA: "The Bush administration has reinstated rules extending the allowable driving hours for commercial, long-haul truckers, despite a D.C. Circuit decision last July finding the rules "arbitrary and capricious" and a threat to drivers’ health."
The new rules, which go into effect October 1, 2005, increase the legal driving time for [...]

Posted in Vehicle Law or News

Chrysler Recalling 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokees

Written On September 18, 2005 By Bob Kraft

According to an article at FindLaw, Chrysler is recalling more than 100,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs because water contamination of the transmission fluid could lead to fires under the hood. The recall involves 2005 model year vehicles with 3.7 liter engines and automatic transmissions.

Posted in Vehicle Law or News

Link of the Day – SearchGov.com

Written On September 18, 2005 By Bob Kraft

SearchGov.com is a great portal, or starting point, for research into any branch of the federal government, and all federal agencies.

Posted in Link of the Day