November 2015 Newsletter

The Discovery Process By Samuel Frankel, Esq.   As many of our clients know, once a claim is referred to the Office of Administrative Law Judges, it is assigned to a Judge, a Notice of Hearing is issued with a trial date, and the Parties are permitted to begin formal discovery.  The discovery process is something that is part of …

Long-Term Effects of Brain Injury: Misjudgement

An individual’s ability to accurately judge and perceive particular situations is important to his or her personal safety. This holds true for police officers, truck drivers, and those individuals serving in the military, where the ability to make a decision in seconds is often the difference between life and death. New medical research highlights the long-term implications of traumatic brain …

U.S. Embassy Warns of Terror Threat to Foreign Nationals in Bangladesh

This past week, U.S. officials have been warning U.S. military, civilians, and citizens of the heightened terrorist threat posed to Westerners in the country of Bangladesh. The government warned that, “as advised in previous security messages for U.S. citizens, reliable information suggests that a terrorist attack could occur against Westerners in Bangladesh, including attacks against large gatherings at international hotels.”  …

Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

New scientific and medical research relevant to military veterans, civilians, and independent contractors shows that there is a potential correlation between the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The University of Iowa Center for Comprehensive Access and Delivery Research and Evaluation, by way of a recent journal article, has set forth that although there …

Class-wide Tort Claims Not Cognizable Pursuant to the Defense Base Act

Brief Case Background In the case of Brink v. Continental Insurance, 787 F.3d 1120 (D.C. Cir. 2015), plaintiffs comprising thirty-one individuals asserted a class action lawsuit related to worker compensation benefits owed to class members pursuant to the Defense Base Act 42 U.S.C. § 1651 et seq. and resulting from injuries sustained while working as government contractors in Iraq and …