Tag: wrongful death

Cases with unanswered questions are the ones you hear about often on the news

Cases with unanswered questions are probably more common than you think. You hear about someone’s loss on the news and a list of possible suspects. Too often, the true suspect is not found. In a wrongful death or personal injury case, the lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work hard to find answers. We help you get closure so you can recover and move forward with your life.

What cases have unanswered questions?

There are two that recently came to my attention in the news. The first story we’ll look at comes from New York City. In November 2006, 23-year-old Sean Bell was killed while two friends were injured just outside a club. Bell was unarmed and police fired 50 shots. You might recall a similar case with unanswered questions from 1999 where police fired 41 shots at Amadou Diallo. Rock icon Bruce Springsteen wrote a song about it called “American Skin (41 Shots).” For many years, legal experts have been scratching their heads about a 1986 shooting investigation.

These cases left unanswered questions. Why were so many shots fired? Why were shots fired at an unarmed civilian? What really happened that night? For those who are mourning the loss of a loved one, closure is the most important thing that we can offer as lawyers. Nothing can bring that person back, but we promise to make sure you get the compensation and closure you deserve.

My case has unanswered questions. How can you help me?

This is what we do. We provide answers. At the Mininno Law Office, we’re very selective about the cases we take. We don’t take something on unless we can commit 100 percent and put our heart and soul into it. It wouldn’t be fair to you. We can’t begin to imagine what you’re going through, but we can help you through this most difficult time. It’s a long process, and we can help you take the steps you need to find answers as you mourn your loved one.

Do you have a question about wrongful death? We can help

If the worst should happen, you’ll need assistance from the best team you can get. At the Mininno Law Office, our civil trial lawyers deal with cases with unanswered questions all too often. If you’re mourning the wrongful death of a loved one and you have a question for our attorneys, please let us know. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

Concussions in young athletes might be detectable by performing a simple test

Back in January, we wrote a blog on the Star-Ledger’s series on concussions in young athletes. We talked about how important our kids are to us and how much we want to see them succeed. Above all, we want to make sure our children are safe wherever they are.

The Star-Ledger series on concussions in young athletes covered the impact and dangers of head injuries, and what’s being done to protect our kids. If you haven’t read it yet and have kids who play sports, I highly recommend you to take a look. Meanwhile, a new report has been released that I’d like to tell you about.

What’s new with concussions in young athletes?

Research has just come out that shows a cheap, simple test may be able to detect a concussion in a young athlete. The idea for the study is based on reaction time: After a head injury, reaction time is usually slower. When it’s serious, reaction time can be slow for several days afterward. Until now, tests of reaction time have been computerized, which is usually not an option for a game situation. Dr. James T. Eckner of the University of Michigan and some of his associates have developed a simple test that evaluates reaction time.

What’s the test that can detect concussions in young athletes?

The test takes a rigid cylinder and attaches it to a weighted disk. The device is released and the player has to use reflexes to make the catch as quickly as he or she can. The test is still in experimental phases and will be presented in April.

Do you have questions? We can help

Although some head injuries are more serious than others, there is no such thing as a “little head injury.” The effects of even a small head injury can be severe, such as memory loss or depression. In some cases, head injuries can even lead to a wrongful death. New Jersey lawyers can answer your questions about personal injury and a number of other topics. At the Mininno Law Office, we have experienced NJ trial attorneys who have dealt with these cases all too often. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have or offer any help you need. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

Series on concussions in kids in Star-Ledger teaches us all a very important lesson

All parents are their kids’ biggest fans. We watch, cheer and root for their teams. We worry about them getting hurt, but rarely do we even consider that they could suffer a long-term injury. Until now. With all the recent media attention, it is now beyond dispute: A kid’s concussion can be a lifelong injury.

Athletes are at a high risk simply because of the competitive, physical nature of the sports they play. It’s the reason many athletes have short careers and an unfortunate cause of brain problems later in life.

With concussions in kids, the danger is even bigger. A child’s brain is more fragile than an adult’s, and in the current day and age, youngsters are more competitive and daring. The stakes are higher.
In a three-day series by the New Jersey Star-Ledger, staff writers raised the issue of concussions in kids. The series took a thorough look at a serious problem. Here’s a breakdown.

Kids and Concussions: Part One

In the first part of the series, Mr. Matthew Stanmyre and Ms. Jackie Friedman of the New Jersey Star-Ledger tackled the impact of head injuries on young athletes, what’s being done to protect them and what else can be done to protect them.
Fact: More than 400,000 concussions occurred in high schools nationwide during the 2008-09 academic year.

Why does this happen? Some reasons might be coaches lacking medical experience, athletes playing through pain and parents rushing their children back onto the field too soon after an injury. If your child were injured, how soon would you bring him or her back into play?

Kids and Concussions: Part Two

In the second part, Mr. Stanmyre and Ms. Friedman looked at the dangers of competitive cheerleading. Do you think cheerleading is safe? Think again. It may seem like the safest kind of physical competition, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Cheerleaders undergo a tremendous amount of training to be able to lift each other in the air and land safely, but accidents can happen.

Kids and Concussions: Part Three

In the third article, we learn the answer to the most important question: What is being done to protect our children, especially at the local level? The answer is that doctors and trainers are working endlessly on just that. The article points to a Rutgers S.A.F.E.T.Y. course that gives coaches basic teaching and safety knowledge.
In high schools, a neuropsychological exam called “ImPACT Testing” is given to athletes after a head injury.

Do you have questions? We can help

Although some head injuries are more serious than others, there is no such thing as a “little head injury.” The effects of even a small head injury can be severe, such as memory loss or depression. In some cases, head injuries can even lead to a wrongful death.

New Jersey lawyers can answer your questions about personal injuries and a number of other topics. At the Mininno Law Office, we have experienced NJ trial attorneys who have dealt with these cases all too often.
We’d be happy to answer any questions you have or offer any help you need. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

Spend time with loved ones and savor the time you have with them

Happy Holidays!

As we spend time with loved ones, we look back on the past year and look ahead to the next. This past year has been challenging, there’s no doubt about it. The struggling economy and nationwide recession brought us job losses and companies going out of business. It seems that things got harder for many people.

Looking back

While we spend time with loved ones, we think about families who have been through hard times. For families who have lost loved ones or who have faced their own illness, disability or injury because of medical negligence, 2009 has been a very difficult year. We have heard from hundreds of people this year who have suffered some kind of injury, illness or death from medical malpractice or nursing home neglect.
To those families, we again extend our sympathies. I am sure many in our community are glad to see the year end. Many people are looking forward to a new year and an opportunity to start over.

Moving forward

As we spend time with loved ones, we realize how much we still have. Despite everything we’ve been through, it’s important not to lose hope. No matter what we’ve been through in 2009, we can still look to 2010 to bring us happiness, prosperity and success.

Spend time with loved ones

The people we love the most never really leave us. They’re always in our hearts. But whether it’s your parents, your children, your brothers and sisters, or your best friends, take the time to tell people how much you care. Life is too short. It is in this time of giving and holiday cheer that we send this message to you. We hope you can share the holidays with someone special. If you have questions, we can help.

No matter what you’re going through, there are resources and people out there who can help you get through it. I can be one source of guidance. If you’re dealing with a wrongful death or a personal injury case, I know how hard it can be.

At the Mininno Law Office, our number one priority is our clients. Our New Jersey lawyers would be happy to answer any questions you have or offer any help they can give you. Call (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Pennsylvania.

AIG – Arrogant, Ignorant, and Grossly Immoral

We have all read the headlines over the past months worthy of making an individual sick. Constantly we are told of how drastically irresponsible some insurance and financial institutions have been with the bailout money they have received from the Federal Government. At the top of that list sits AIG.

You may remember this, from an article in the Washington Post, dated October 8th, 2008:

Only one day after it was revealed that AIG had sprung for a $440,000 spa vacation shortly after getting an $84 billion government-loan bailout comes this report: The government is loaning AIG another $38 billion.

If that wasn’t enough to make you gag, wait until you hear this. While spending exorbitant amounts of taxpayer dollars on pedicures and vacations, AIG has been simultaneously dragging a suffering family through the mud for over a decade. After a fatal fire killed two Brooklyn firefighters in a, “fireproof,” building insured by AIG, the families of Lt. Joseph Cavalieri and Christopher Bopp were awarded several million dollars in damages by a unanimous jury decision.

AIG however, has continued to refuse to pay. By exploiting the appeals system of the courts, AIG has dodged payment for over 10 years.

“How do you possibly appeal something like this?” Mother of Christopher Bopp, Deloris Bopp recalled saying when she first heard of the appeal. Indeed, it seems hard to find grounds on which to appeal when the jury only needed an hour to award the families with $10 million dollars.

As the appeal was moving forward, the wheels began to fall off the oversized AIG corporate machine. When Ms. Bopp found out that AIG would be receiving $85 billion in bailout money, she became furious, and rightfully so.

How can a company pay millions of dollars in bonuses and all expenses paid vacations for its employees, while denying payment of the $10 million dollars that is rightfully owed to the victims under their policy? Easy: by taking massive amounts of taxpayer’s dollars and ignoring all moral responsibility to the public.