As if we didn’t already know this, a study shows that “among people with health insurance, more than 20 percent had trouble paying for basic necessities. More than a quarter had bills in collection, and 13 percent had borrowed money as a result of their illness.” A lot of our clients know this first hand. A… Read more »
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Injury Survivors and Money. You and #6.
Most Mainers don’t have a lot of money saved for the day a distracted driver injures them. But the medical bills pour in, and the paycheck is on hold, and the wrongdoer’s insurance company says “Tough-We don’t think you’re really hurt.” A Justia article lists the six features that sociologist Nils Christie indicates folks consider before… Read more »
“Causation” in Maine Motorcycle Accident Cases
In Maine, a motorcycle accident or “negligence” case is made up of four elements: (1) a duty of care, (2) breach, (3) injury, and (4) a finding that the breach caused or partly caused the injury. Motorists in Maine owe a duty of care to others driving on the road, including motorcyclists. While duty is… Read more »
Paying More for Less: How DRGs Hurt Patients
It’s no secret: health insurance has made everything more complicated and more expensive. Most of the time, we just pay our deductibles and our co-pays and let the insurance take care of the rest. But behind the scenes, a whole host of tricks and tactics take place between health insurers and providers that most of… Read more »
Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse: The Sad Reality
Many seniors are nervous about going to a nursing home, and understandably so. But it can be hard to tell the difference between nervousness about being in a new environment, unfounded fears related to age-related changes in mental status, and signs that something is actually wrong in the nursing home environment. In our line of… Read more »
Domestic Assault and Loss of Parenting Rights
The clock started ticking on losing their child when the Maine State Police arrived. Well, actually, it started before that. During the course of “a physical altercation between the mother and the father” in front of their one year old son, the mom hit the father and knocked out one of his teeth. (In Re B.P.,… Read more »
Umbrella Insurance Policies in Maine and Underinsured At-Fault Drivers
In most states, including Maine, uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory. Uninsured motorist coverage is an exception to the basic idea in insurance and tort law that an injured person’s damages should be paid by or on behalf of the at-fault party. In Maine, the amount of uninsured motorist coverage that must be provided depends on… Read more »
Can a Prelitigation Screening Panel’s Findings Be Used As Medical Malpractice Evidence in Maine?
In the recent Maine Supreme Court case of Estate of Nickerson v. Carter, a man’s wife appealed from a judgment in favor of a doctor and a primary care facility after a jury found that the doctor was negligent, but that his negligence was not the legal cause of the man’s death. The estate argued… Read more »
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