WSIB - Workplace Safety - Family Guy
In Iowa construction workers suffer injuries on a daily basis. While no one wants to get injured it is part of the job. When you need help from a workers compensation lawyer call upon Lombardi Law Firm. We've been helping injured workers for over 37 years.

Train hits Truck
How do you avoid being struck by a train at a railroad crossing? What should you do to make sure your children and other passengers safely cross to the other side? LOOK - Otherwise, use crossings with active warnings and clear sightlines down railroad tracks in both directions. LOOK both ways before crossing. Trains can come from either direction. Come to a complete stop at all crossings with passive warning devices (no gates or flashing lights). Use caution and be prepared to STOP at all crossings with active warning devices (flashing lights, gates). When stopped, be sure your front or rear bumper clears the nearest track by at least 15 feet. LISTEN Before crossing, roll down windows, turn off the radio, and listen for train horn.

"It only takes a second" Hilarous Safety video

Lockout Tagout
Electrical workers on a construction site must follow an established set of rules for protecting each other. They are not supposed to be working on energized lines. The rules are known as the “lockout/tagout” procedure rules. (LOTO) The purpose of the rule is to protect workers from energized wires, cables and lines. What most people don’t understand is that workers can be a long ways away from the fuse box where energy to the plant wiring system is controlled. If a worker were to turn on the juice without notifying other workers who had turned it off, those other workers could be killed by electrocution. To prevent a worker who turns off the juice locks the fuse box and attaches his tag to the lock. This system if used properly will prevent electrocutions.

Overhead Crane and Gantry Safety
Using cranes or derricks to hoist personnel poses a significant risk to employees being lifted. To help prevent employee injury or death, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926.550, limits the use of personnel hoisting in the construction industry and prescribes the proper safety measures for these operations. Personnel platforms that are suspended from the load line and used in construction are covered by 29 CFR 1926.550(g). In addition, there is no specific provision for suspended personnel platforms in Part 1910. The governing provision, therefore is general provision 1910.180(h)(3)(v), which prohibits hoisting, lowering, swinging, or traveling while anyone is on the load or hook. OSHA has determined, however, that when the use of a conventional means of access to any elevated worksite would be impossible or more hazardous, a violation of 1910.180(h)(3)(v) will be treated as "de minimis" if the employer has complied with the provisions set forth in 1926.550(g)(3), (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8). The OSHA rule for hoisting personnel is written in performance-oriented language that allows employers flexibility in deciding how to provide the best protection for their employees against the hazards associated with hoisting operations and how to bring their work sites into compliance with the requirements of the standard. This discussion covers OSHA's requirements for hoisting personnel by crane or derrick in the construction industry, prescribes the measures employers must take to bring their work operations into compliance, and describes safe work practices for employees; but it is not a substitute for the actual OSHA rule.

Hand and Power Tool Safety
Hand tools have made life at the worksite and workplace a lot easier. But hand tools used improperly or even properly can cause injury and lead to medical expense, loss time at work, wage loss, reduced earning capacity and amputations. In this video the author brings you safety tips on how to safely use hand tools.

Rescue Crew Worker Safety: Highway collision
A dramatic rescue by fire safety workers freeing a man from underneath a semi-truck that has toppled over sideways onto a passenger car. Rescue workers are multi-taskers needing a variety of skills and are exposed to complicated risks of personal injury.

Workers Safety: Trench Collapses on builder worker
Workers Safety: Trench Collapses on builder worker

Pedestrian Collisions Causing Injury and Death:

Connecticut Pedestrian Struck Gets Caught on Tape
What are the many ways pedestrian’s can be injured or killed? That question comes up more times than you can quickly think of. In this post, which is being turned into a page for our Iowa pedestrian viewers, we examine the infinite number of ways pedestrians can be seriously injured or killed. Many of you want to blame the driver or the pedestrian, depending on the camp from which you start you will draw conclusions based on predetermined and preconceived prejudice. But read through these over the next few weeks and see if you haven’t found yourself or your children in these precarious situations. They aren’t as far fetched or easily avoided as you might think. And again I can’t believe how many there have been in just the past few months. There are more to report on but I grew weary of reading and writing about so many. So sit back, read and be patient. If you find my advice lacking, I invite you to comment to add your own words of advice. As always my point in writing is about safety; and in this instance, pedestrian safety. Go to our blog, The Verdict, and read about pedestrian safety and how you can avoid being struck or hitting someone.

Pedestrian Accidents Come Out of Nowhere
A Mason City, Iowa child was killed while crossing Highway 122 between S. Georgia and S. Jersey. A group of children ran across the street in front of the car being driven by Kyle Leedom (18) when one child stopped and the car struck him. The child was taken to Mercy Hospital in Mason City, where he was pronounced dead. The child is reported to be Darrion Rambo. The accident took place around 9:00 P.M. on a Saturday.

Hire the right lawyer, call Steve Lombardi, 800-383-0331 or 515-222-1110
When considering what to do after an accident your first decision can be the right one. Hire an experienced lawyer to handle your Iowa pedestrian injury-accident. Lombardi Law Firm will assist you by either handling your case or finding you the right lawyer. Call us. 515-222-1110

Pedestrians struck while walking across street
In this video a couple of women are struck by cars and trucks while crossing the street. Luckily they are okay.

NFL Player Hits, Kills Pedestrian in Miami
Police in Florida say Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth struck and killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes with his Bentley while he heading toward the beach. (March 14)

Car and Tractor Trailer Accidents:

Dash CAM catches mini-van crash
In this video a cars dash camera catches the seconds it takes for a sideways sliding mini-van to come across the median and crashing head-on into another car. Watch as this frightening moment is replayed.

Texting While Driving A Car
Here is the teen logic: People make such a big deal about teen’s texting while driving. But really what's the big dah? Think about how stupid you sound complaining. Really! Texting (some dumb and foolish message) to your BFF (who is sitting in front a TV) gets the word out that I’m open for dating or that so-and-so just broke up! It saves time and keeps me connected!

Texting While Driving A Car
Here is the teen logic: People make such a big deal about teen’s texting while driving. But really what's the big dah? Think about how stupid you sound complaining. Really! Texting (some dumb and foolish message) to your BFF (who is sitting in front a TV) gets the word out that I’m open for dating or that so-and-so just broke up! It saves time and keeps me connected! Or does it?

Ford Synch
In this video take a look at the Ford Synch powered by Microsoft.

Tractor-Trailer Accident - Overview
Whenever a potential client calls with a wrong-way turn collision I ask myself a question. Was it booze or drugs, old age, sign pollution, improper sign wording, a language issue, a lighting issue, being in a hurry, being distracted or just inattentiveness that causes someone to turn the wrong way? I’m not talking about falling asleep or a sudden medical condition or any of the causes that makes someone simply cross the center line on an undivided highway. I’m talking about a divided highway where a person turns left immediately rather than continue across the median strip before turning. More often than I like to recall there is another accident where two or more cars collide with one driving the wrong way on the Interstate. Our highways here in Iowa are I- 80, I-235 and I-35. In the recent past there have been wrong-way collisions in Richmond, California, Salem, Oregon and Iowa on I-80.

Crash Test: 2006 Mazda MPV
In this video a 2006 Mazda MPV is crash tested for wrecks at 30 miles per hour (mph). The results show the damage done to the car from both front, rear or back and side collisions. You can only imagine what can happen to the passengers at a higher speed.

Crash Test: 2008 Smart Car ForTwo
In this video a 2008 Smart Car for Two is crash tested for wrecks at 30 miles per hour (mph). The results show the damage done to the car from both front, rear or back and side collisions. You can only imagine what can happen to the passengers at a higher speed.

Crash Test 4x4 vs. Honda Civic Coupe 92
In this video a Honda Civic Coupe is crash tested for side wrecks at 60 miles per hour (mph). The results show the damage done to the car from side collisions. The damage done to the Honda is extensive while the 4 X 4 sustains less damage.

Car Accidents - Text messaging while driving, teens don't know the risks.
Car Accidents - Text messaging while driving, teens don't know the risks.

A public service message about teen text messaging and driving
A public service message about teen text messaging and driving

Driving, not paying attention because of cell phone conversation
If you aren't paying attention to your driving and are talking on the cell phone you are taking a big risk.

SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT- PICK UP TRUCK CRUSHED
HEAVY DUTY CHEVY 2500 PICK UP TRUCK SLAMS INTO THE REAR OF A SEMI TRAILER JOLIET,IL I-80 @ LARKIN AVE BOTH OCCUPANTS SURVIVED THIS HORRIFIC ACCIDENT,THAT IS A MIRACLE AFTER SEEING THE PICK UP TRUCK.

SEMI-ROLLOVER WITH 2 CARS UNDER IT- UCAN MEDEVAC HELICOPTER
SOUTH HOLLAND,IL AMAZING ACCIDENT & EXTRICATION ALL SURVIVED THIS AMAZING ACCIDENT DUE TO THE QUICK ACTIONS OF ALL THE RESPONDERS. FILMED BY TODD SHERMAN

FED-EX SEMI VS. DODGE RAM**HEAD ON ACCIDENT
A pickup truck and semi-truck head-on collision resulting in at least one fatility.

Tractor-Trailer Accidents - Overview
Overview of Tractor-Trailer Accidents includes information about evidence that trucking companies may have after an accident, presented by attorney Steve Lombardi, founder of Lombardi Law Group in West Des Moines, IA. Produced by InjuryBoard.com

Large Damage, Major-Serious Injury and Death Cases:

ATV Accidents - 3/31/08 4 pm: ATV crash kills girl
There is an ATV Safety (having to do with death and injury from ATV’s) page by the government where you can learn about the ATV safety issues, report injuries, find a training course, learn about ATV recalls, use ATV links and read ATV news. Initially the man was not identified. Officials later identified the man as Gregory DeBower of Victor. The Des Moines Register reported on the accidental death. More coverage here, here, here and here.

The Best or the Worst ATV Crashes
If we at the Lombardi Law Firm can assist you to find an ATV injury lawyer outside of Iowa or if we can assist you in Iowa please contact us. Lombardi Law Firm, Three Fountains Office Park, 4200 Corporate Drive, Suite 112, West Des Moines, IA 50266 Toll Free: 800-383-0331 or Phone: 515-222-1110 Part of what we do is help you find the right lawyer; so your case is properly litigated.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized - Part 1
In this video you will begin to understand through this very simple demonstration how the credit crisis began and why it escalated. This is excellent work by Mr. Jarvis and I thought he should get as much exposure as possible with what this project. For more information contact Mr. Jarvis at the email address below. For litigation matters in Iowa contact Stephen D. Lombardi at Lombardi Law Firm.

Death of a Firefighter
Teen drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning and death. At what amount of drinking will you kill yourself and how can you recognize the point where the only thing to do is to call 9-1-1? What should be your action plan?

From axons to tracts: A journey through the brain's wiring
In this video we cover how the brain works.

MRI Scan of Human Head
In this video we learn more about how the brain works so that we can prevent traumatic brain injury.

Spectus3D - MRI head, brain extraction
In this third video we learn more about the brain and how it works to protect ourselves from traumatic brain injury.

How the Body Works : The Regions of the Brain
In this very nice video we learn more about the brain so we can understand how collisions damage the brain and why we should wear a helmet with activities like riding on a motorcycle, ATV, skiing and other collision type sports and activities.

Brain & Spinal Cord Injury - Overview
Brain & Spinal Cord Injury - Overview

Spinal Cord Damage Testimony
Spinal Cord Damage Testimony

Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injury

Cheerleading Safety and the Law of Cheerleading:

Cheerleading is leading cause of catastrophic injury in young women
Cheerleading has become the leading cause of catastrophic injury in young female athletes, says Amy Miller Bohn, a physician at the UMHS department of family medicine. Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that rates of injuries from cheerleading accidents have gone from nearly 5,000 in 1980 to close to 26,000 to 28,000 in the past few years, Miller Bohn says. In addition, the leading cause of catastrophic injuries in female athletes is cheerleading, according to The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research.They account for approximately 65 to 66 percent of all female catastrophic injuries in either high school or college.

Girls' Most Dangerous Sport: Cheerleading
This sport is not regulated and the coaching is not one of set standards. We aren’t here to pick on the sport or to suggest you don’t cheer. We are here to point out how you should be evaluating whether your child is being exposed to unreasonable risk of injury. Remember the Noveske case out of Wisconsin where the Wisconsin Supreme Court required the injured cheerleader and her parents to shoulder the costs of injury and permanent disability. The Wisconsin legislature is free to pass such laws and you the public can demand that negligence laws be changed to make the injured pay for their own damages. But as a parent whose children play high school and college sports you can demand your child not be allowed to engage in activities that expose them to unreasonable risk of catastrophic injury or even death. As a parent you need to insure against those risks the public schools and universities have protection against. These institutions expose your child to unreasonable risk of catastrophic injury and death and then get to walk away from responsibility, while your family and child live in a life of poverty. That’s the nature of layperson legislators with no education or formal training in the law, passing laws that affect you. They seem like a smart political decision and yet the affects on any one individual are life destroying. Taxpayers think they are saving a few bucks on high school liability insurance programs but in the end they get to pick up the tab through governmental medical and subsidy programs along with increased crime and those costs of running the criminal court program. Who wins and who loses? You be the judge.

Groundskeeper and Maintenance Workers:

Snow removal at Iowa State University
In this video ISU Groundskeeper, Ed Johnson discusses winter preparations at ISU.

Blowing snow with ASV Posi-Track and Unimog
Snow removal on a city street

Snowblowing in the Old Port of Montreal

Clearing Snow

Snow removal in Iowa

Airport Snow Removal

Snow Removal in Alaska. Big snow removing machines

What do you do when you've experienced a wrong-site, wrong-patient or wrong-procedure surgical error?:

Understanding Universal Protocol and Wrong-site, Wrong-procedure or Wrong-patient surgical errors
Wrong-site surgery, suicide top Joint Commission sentinel event list Wrong-site surgery, suicide, and operative/postoperative complications topped The Joint Commission’s latest tally of most frequently reported sentinel events, according to the May Joint Commission Online. The accreditor has reviewed 5,901 sentinel events since it began maintaining its database in January 1995 through March 31, 2009. A total of 6,036 patients were affected by the events, with 4,132 (68%) resulting in patient death. The rest of the top 10 sentinel events over the last 14 years are medication error, delay in treatment, patient fall, unintended retention of foreign body, assault/rape/homicide, patient death or injury in restraints, and perinatal death or loss of function.

How to Avoid Wrong Site Surgery Cheaply

Wrong-Site Surgery - A medical student's perspective.
This video by a medical student has what appears at first to be a good message with valuable information, but then quickly deteriorates with his pronouncement these mistakes are no one's fault. Is he kidding? The patient isn't in charge of surgery. He offers that the doctor may just be overworked. So what? If the wage earner whose job it is to manufacture car brakes is overworked and does a bad job, the doctor who crashes his car will certainly blame the worker. Why then is it alright to excuse the doctor and surgical staff? This video will show you what medical students are taught about legal responsibility and how they are excused from the safeguards that protect consumers. It's a good discussion that should put a healthy amount of skepticicm in your before entering the surgical suite.

Wrong-Site Surgery Staff Training Video Kit
There are simple techniques that can be used to prevent wrong-site surgeries. In this one the wrong site and clear communication are discussed. Active communication is perhaps a most important part of the time-out.

ATV, Bike & Motorcycle Accidents:

Ida Grove Iowa Motorcycle Pursuit and Crash
Deputy Randy Petersen was injured after Kody Krager crashed his motorcycle head on into his squad car following a pursuit initiated by the Iowa State Patrol. Krager was allegedly driving recklessly through Ida Grove. In the initial video, Krager appears to be riding alongside another motorcycle. The Deputy had positioned his squad in the middle of the road to force Krager to slow, but Krager impacted the squad head on at approximately 49 MPH, being thrown over the top of the car and into the middle of the highway behind the squad. MORAL: Don't drive like an idiot, and comply with emergency vehicles and pull over. A young motorcyclist's life is cut short over what would have been a simply traffic citation.

Motorcycle Crash of a bank robber having the Spanish police create a roadblock to stop his escape.
In this video clip a bank robber who negotiated for a motorcycle in exchange for two hostages thinks he's going to escape. But the Spanish police have something else in mind. They have a police officer pull out in front of the motorcyclist to stop his progress. This video demonstrates what can happen to the motorcycle rider when a vehicle enters the intersection in front of the m.c. rider, blocking the path and how it can cause the rider to tumble head over heels. If you don't wear a helmet you should.

Motorcycle Crash - Head-on Collision
In this video clip a motorcycle rider attempting to escape the police runs head-on into an oncoming vehicle. The clip is both disturbing and real as to what can happen when you are struck head on while riding your motorcycle. Where a helmet.

Graphic Motorcycle accident....wear your helmet!
A motorcyclist traveling over 100 mph ran into the back of a semi-truck.

What can occur when you're not riding responsibly.
Two motorcyle riders are fooling around and one is pulling wheelie. The other coming from his rear fails to watch where he is going, strikes the one in front and then crashes. Playing around on the interstate highways is never a good idea. Where your helmet.

Construction Site Accidents:

Young construction worker dies from fall

Construction Site #1 - excavator, bulldozer, and dump truck

Four" Safety - Implement OSHA's Four-Step Safety Program
A 28-year old construction worker was crushed and killed while attempting to change a piece of equipment on the job in Prior Lake. OSHA is inspecting. The man, whose name was not released, was trying to change the bucket on a skid loader around 2:30 p.m. when he somehow got pinned between the bucket and the cab of the machine, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Office. He was working at Applied Ecological Services Inc. in the 21000 block of Mushtown Road. There is no time-out from employing the right safety rules at the job site. Construction work is extremely unforgiving and dangerous.

Accidents on the farm
Injuries in Agriculture All farms have dangerous machinery and work situations. People of all ages, who work and live on farms, are at risk of injury. Children are especially vulnerable to hazards on farms because it is their home, as well as, a place of work. Young, inexperienced workers are at a higher risk for injuries than older experienced workers. Performance changes which occur with aging can result in reduced balance and reaction time, vision and hearing impairment. These and other changes affect the aging farmer’s ability to work safely. Working alone and time pressure also increase the risk of injury. When these injuries occur, especially at critical farming times, they can reduce farm revenues. Losing a limb and the resulting loss of productive work time can devastate both the short and the long-term profitability of a farm operation. As of January 1, 2007, the Occupational Health and Safety Act will apply to all workplaces, including farms. The purpose of the Farm Safety Code of Practice is to provide some tools that can help you manage health and safety on your farm and meet your legal obligations. This guide will explain how you can develop and maintain a healthy and safe farm workplace for your workers, your family and yourself.

Deadly New York City Crane Collapse - 4 Dead as Crane Falls
In this video a 24-story crane collapses while lifting a large block of concrete, killing four workers. It's in Manhattan, New York on May 15, 2008.

Crane Disaster in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 14, 1999
The footage is real time and shows the crane crashing down onto a building while attempting to place a large steel structure atop a building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Someone didn't appreciate the weight being lifted and the limits of the crane.

Lock Out and Tag for Safety
In this video lockout/tagout or LOTO procedures are explained. Electrical workers on a construction site must follow an established set of rules for protecting each other. They are not supposed to be working on energized lines. The rules are known as the “lockout/tagout” procedure rules. (LOTO) The purpose of the rule is to protect workers from energized wires, cables and lines. What most people don’t understand is that workers can be a long ways away from the fuse box where energy to the plant wiring system is controlled. If a worker were to turn on the juice without notifying other workers who had turned it off, those other workers could be killed by electrocution. To prevent a worker who turns off the juice locks the fuse box and attaches his tag to the lock. This system if used properly will prevent electrocutions.

Lock Out/ Tag out
With lockout/tagout you get to stay alive. Electrical workers on a construction site must follow an established set of rules for protecting each other. They are not supposed to be working on energized lines. The rules are known as the “lockout/tagout” procedure rules. (LOTO) The purpose of the rule is to protect workers from energized wires, cables and lines. What most people don’t understand is that workers can be a long ways away from the fuse box where energy to the plant wiring system is controlled. If a worker were to turn on the juice without notifying other workers who had turned it off, those other workers could be killed by electrocution. To prevent a worker who turns off the juice locks the fuse box and attaches his tag to the lock. This system if used properly will prevent electrocutions.

Construction Worker Safety: Trench collapse and rescue operations to avoid death of the injured worker
In this video clip you will how many rescue workers it takes to save the life of one construction worker trapped in a cave-in or collapsed trench.

Construction Worker Safety: Trench collapse and rescue operations - new sewer line, worker dies.

New York City Iron Workers
New York City Iron Workers

Ironworkers - What does it takes to be an ironworker?
Ironworkers - What does it takes to be an ironworker?

Ironworkers - Danny on the Trump Tower in Chicago
Ironworkers - Danny on the Trump Tower in Chicago

Trump Chicago Timeline see at www.chicagophotoshop.com
Trump Chicago Timeline see at www.chicagophotoshop.com

Injury - Property Defect-Animals:

Wal-Mart stampede that killed the store employee who tried to control the shoppers when the post-Thanksgiving shoppers trampled him to death. This is certainly a Black Friday of a different sort.

This advertising campaign worked too well
In this video, shopppers trample to death a story employee trying to restrain the Black Friday crowd at a Wal-Mart store. The Blitz Crowd was out of control.

Trench Collapses On Pittsburgh Man
Trench Collapses On Pittsburgh Man as he visits someone in the apartments.

Whistleblowers / Financially Ripped Off?:

Wrong-site or wrong-side surgery
How can a professional ask to be paid for doing the wrong surgery? That is a question I've asked myself time and time again. The first time I came across this type of medical mistake the doctor was mad because the patient challenged his getting paid for the wrong-site surgery. I still don't get it.

Deforming Civil Rights through Tort Reform:

Mr. Fancy Pants
Mr. Fancy Pants is a first-cut of a longer more in-depth short film that looks into the realities of the American Civil Justice System and "Tort Reform." The project, that will ultimately become a series of films, is being produced by InjuryBoard.com.

FOX News Whistle blowers. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Well, it's not really "unbelievable." That's the title of the video. Unless we've been living in a fog of total deception, we know it happens over and over and over -- and not just at Fox News but virtually all our mainstream media and government. We're saturated with lies, half truths, misinformation. What's downright insidious is that the appellate court found that falsifying news is NOT against the law! (at counter 9:28) But besides all that, I'n now a little worried about that glass of milk I just drank. lol

Tort News:

FDA News - Recall of Sprint Fidelis Cardiac Leads

Heart device recall by Guidant and Medtronic
Heart device recall by Guidant and Medtronic

Medtronic Recalls Certain Defibrillators (April 2005)
Medtronic Recalls Certain Defibrillators (April 2005)

Food Poisoning:

PSA: Peanut Butter from Georgia IS the cause of Salmonella related deaths.
Food poisoning from peanut butter paste.

Salmonella and kidney damage.
If you have the symptoms of food poisoning you first need to obtain proper medical care. The doctor will need to diagnose food poisoning by a blood and stool test. Those tests are very important later to proving a case. Without blood and stool test that show the presence of Salmonella it is only your testimony describing symptoms; and that won’t be enough to carry the case of liability.

Peanut butter is in the cross fire for food contamination
Many injured people having been exposed to media criticism of people that file lawsuits have a sense of embarrassment about possibly having to deal with proving a claim. Don’t be stupid and not do what they hope. The criticism is meant to stop as many people as possible from doing what is necessary to prove a claim. If you can’t prove your claim it’s no ones fault but your own. Proving salmonella is the poison is what the law requires you to do. So get over it and save the proof, even if you’re not entirely sure. And get proper medical attention along with the right tests, quickly. Remember, blood and stool sample tests for Salmonella.

Whistleblowers - Fraud:

Medicaid Fraud Costs Millions and No One is Stopping It
False Claims Act

Medicare Fraud Whistleblowers
CBS: Health company Kyphon has been accused of overcharging Medicare by forcing osteoporosis patients to stay overnight in hospitals for a simple one-hour procedure. Sharyl Attkisson investigates.

The False Claims Act
In this video News Channel 5 interviews an attorney who discusses false claims by corporate America with Medicare.

False Claims Act Training Video
In this video they discuss how not to file a false claim.

Practice Tips:

Law Marketing Firm | 6 Power Tips for Creating a Law Firm Marketing Plan: Part 1
Law Marketing Firm | 6 Power Tips for Creating a Law Firm Marketing Plan: Part 1

Law Firm Marketing | 4 Myths that Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral Based Practice
Law Firm Marketing | 4 Myths that Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral Based Practice

Virtual Law Firm
Virtual Law Firm

Lawyer Marketing Podcast - Episode 1
Lawyer Marketing Podcast - Episode 1

Great Legal Marketing Seminar - Ben Glass 1
Great Legal Marketing Seminar - Ben Glass 1

Great Legal Marketing Seminar - Tom Foster 1
Great Legal Marketing Seminar - Tom Foster 1

The Law Offices of Christopher Keane - Foster Web 2
The Law Offices of Christopher Keane - Foster Web 2

Movies - Law Related and Worth Watching:

A Time To Kill Closing Arguement
This first appeared on www.realmoviereview.com I like most of the movies based on John Grishams lawyers-with-capes novels, but this is not one of my favourites. There is a good story and has interesting characters, however there are too many characters to allow for proper development and the screenplay is emotionally manipulative and seems like the powers that be, really wanted to pump up the violence where ever they could. Some movies do benefit from this kind of treatment, and it may improve this film for some, but it detracts from the story. The dialog is uneven and even the strong cast cannot always save it. Samuel L. Jackson is a dirt poor southern farmer named Carl Lee Hailey, whose ten year old daughter is kidnapped, abused and raped. When the two white men accused of the horrible crime appear in court, Carl Lee shows up, as well, and brings along an assault rifle. When the dust clears, the two defendants are dead, a deputy is wounded and Carl Lee is charged with murder and facing the death penalty. Enter Carl Lees friend, lawyer Jake Brigance (Matthew McConaughey) to defend Carl Lee, in the midst of a growing maelstrom of racial violence, led by Freddie Lee Cobb (Kiefer Sutherland). Soon, Brigances wife, played by Ashley Judd has left town, as he faces more and more danger. This movie has too many stars. It doesnt need them all, and several characters could have been combined into one. The escalating violence is overdone and seems cartoonish, but still it has the heroic lawyer lead that Grisham is famous for, and Matthew McConaughey is effective as his aw shucks good old boy character works on the jury. Worth checking out for Grisham fans, but The Firm it is not.

"TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" (1962)
The story takes place during three years of the Great Depression in the fictional "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama. The narrator, six-year-old Scout Finch, lives with her older brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus, a middle-aged lawyer. Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill who visits Maycomb to stay with his aunt for the summer. The three children are terrified of, and fascinated with, their neighbor, the reclusive "Boo" Radley. The adults of Maycomb are hesitant to talk about Boo and for many years, few have seen him. The children feed each other's imaginations with rumors about his appearance and reasons for remaining hidden, and they fantasize about how to get him out of his house. Following two summers of friendship with Dill, Scout and Jem find that someone is leaving them small gifts in a tree outside the Radley place. Several times, the mysterious Boo makes gestures of affection to the children, but, to their disappointment, never appears in person. Atticus is assigned to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman. Although many of Maycomb's citizens disapprove, Atticus agrees to defend Tom to the best of his ability. Other children taunt Jem and Scout for Atticus' actions, calling him a "nigger-lover". Scout is tempted to stand up for her father's honor by fighting, even though he has told her not to. For his part, Atticus faces a group of men intent on lynching Tom. This danger is averted when Scout, Jem, and Dill shame the mob into dispersing by forcing them to view the situation from Atticus's and Tom's points of view. Because Atticus does not want them to be present at Tom Robinson's trial, Scout, Jem, and Dill watch in secret from the colored balcony. Atticus establishes that the accusers—Mayella and her father, Bob Ewell, the town drunk—are lying. It also becomes clear that the friendless Mayella was making sexual advances towards Tom and her father caught her in the act. Despite significant evidence of Tom's innocence, the jury convicts him. Jem's faith in justice is badly shaken, as is Atticus', when a hopeless Tom is shot and killed while trying to escape from prison. Humiliated by the trial, Bob Ewell vows revenge. He spits in Atticus' face on the street, tries to break into the presiding judge's house, and menaces Tom Robinson's widow. Finally, he attacks the defenseless Jem and Scout as they walk home from the school Halloween pageant. Jem's arm is broken in the struggle, but amid the confusion, someone comes to the children's rescue. The mysterious man carries Jem home, where Scout realizes that he is the reclusive Boo Radley. Maycomb's sheriff arrives and discovers that Bob Ewell has been killed in the struggle. The sheriff argues with Atticus about the prudence and ethics of holding Jem or Boo responsible. Atticus eventually accepts the sheriff's story that Ewell simply fell on his own knife. Boo asks Scout to walk him home, and after she says goodbye to him at his front door, he disappears again. While standing on the Radley porch, Scout imagines life from Boo's perspective and regrets that they never repaid him for the gifts he had given them.

Erin Brockovich with Albert Finney and Julia Roberts
The case alleged contamination of drinking water with hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium(VI), in the southern California town of Hinkley. At the center of the case is a facility called the Hinkley Compressor Station, part of a natural gas pipeline connecting to the San Francisco Bay Area constructed in 1952. Between 1952 and 1966, PG&E used hexavalent chromium to fight corrosion in the cooling tower. The wastewater dissolved the hexavalent chromium from the cooling towers and was discharged to unlined ponds at the site. Some of the wastewater percolated into the groundwater, affecting an area near the plant approximately two miles long and nearly a mile wide. The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million, the largest settlement ever paid in a direct action lawsuit in U.S. history.

The Verdict - Paul Newman 1982
In this drama Paul Newman plays the role of a washed up lawyer from Boston whose colleague and friend makes a referral of a case that leads Newman to represent her poor parents and daughter, now in a vegetative state against St. Catherine's Hospital and a very powerful doctor who has committed malpractice but who has all the evidence neatly hidden away; or so it seems.

12 Angry Men - This is how you deal with prejudice.
In this movied a jury's deliberation is examined closely when a young man is accused of murdering his father. Starting off they jury is just one vote short of unanimous to convict, but one jury wants simply to review the evidence. And this movie is a drama about what can happen when prejudice is set aside and the jury process is allowed to proceed.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

You Can't Handle The Truth
In this dramatic courtroom thriller, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a Navy lawyer who has never seen the inside of the courtroom, defends two stubborn Marines who have been accused of murdering a colleague. Kaffee is known as being lazy and had arranged for a plea bargain. Downey's Aunt Ginny appoints Cmdr. Galloway to represent him. Also on the legal staff is Lt. Sam Weinberg. The team rounds up many facts and Kaffee is discovering that he is really cut out for trial work. The defense is originally based upon the fact that PFC Santiago, the victim, was given a "CODE RED". Santiago was basically a screw-up. At Gitmo, screw-ups aren't tolerated. Especially by Col. Nathan Jessup. In Cuba, Jessup and two senior officers try to give all the help they can, but Kaffee knows something's fishy. In the conclusion of the film, the fireworks are set off by a confrontation between Jessup and Kaffee.

The Paper Chase
Plot summary for The Paper Chase (1973) Hart is a confused first year law student at Harvard. He is trying to survive the year under his strictest professer, the legendary Kingsfield. With the help of some of his classmates in his study group, Hart becomes one of the smartest students in his class. His reputation with Kingsfield is diminished, however, when he finds out the girl he has been seeing is Kingfields daughter. Will Hart perform to the best of his ability with Kingsfield watching his every move?

William Shatner & Jessica Walter 1965
David Koster is an obsessive New York City assistant district attorney who gets into trouble because of his passion for justice. His boss, Anthony Celese, tries to keep him under control while New York police detective Frank Malloy helps him solve cases. Koster's wife Jessica is a viola player in a string quartet and her own life's priorities come into conflict with David's.

And Justice for All
Arthur Kirkland, an idealistic defense attorney in Baltimore, cares about his clients and visits his aging grandfather, who put him through law school, every week. Things aren't going well for Arthur: two of his clients are increasingly desperate, neither should be in prison, his partner is behaving bizarrely, he's begun an affair with an attorney who's on the bar's disciplinary committee, his favorite judge may have a death wish, and then, the judge he dislikes most, a by-the-book martinet, demands that Arthur defend him when he's accused of a brutal assault on a young woman. Is there any way to expose real corruption and find justice for all?

My Cousin Vinny - 1992
Two friends from New York are accused of murder while on a cross-country trip through Alabama. Broke and needing a lawyer, they hire one of their cousins, Vinny, to handle their case. What they don't know, though, is that Vinny has only been a lawyer for a few weeks. What ensues is a hilarious comedy about a tough guy from Brooklyn who gets more than he expects, from the trial process to the judge and locals, to the accomodations, all the while with his non-stop talking fiancee in tow (played by Marisa Tomei, who earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role). The laughs just keep on coming as the "fish out of water" tries to survive in the South while handling his 1st murder trial.

A Civil Action - 1998
The plot of "A Civil Action" is based on a true story of the successful personal injury lawyer, otherwise unfulfilled, secretly hoping for that one big case. The case he gets is unexpected and did cost him his livelihood, but in the end he discovers more than just money. The "big case" is that recorded 1981 of the People of Mass. vs. W. R. Grace and Beatrice Foods, who had been dumping a cancer-causing industrial solvent into the water table of Woburn, Massachusetts for many years - more than a decade. Beatrice Foods was the parent company of W.R. Grace, a Long Grove, IL. based chemical invention company, known for mixing chemicals experimentally, as was their charge. I met Jan and have to say he's a very dynamic lawyer with a true sense of right from wrong.

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Crash Test: 2007 Mazda CX-7
In this video a 2007 Mazda CX-7 is crash tested for wrecks at 30 miles per hour (mph). The results show the damage done to the car from both front, rear or back and side collisions. You can only imagine what can happen to the passengers at a higher speed.

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