The Illinois Personal Injury Weblog of Schaeffer & Lamere P.C.

Governor's Drug Import Plan Is Not Yet Popular

From the Associated Press via the Alton Telegraph: "1,200 sign up for drug import plan in first 2 months," by John O'Connor--

Only 1,200 people have signed on to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s program to help residents in Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri import prescription drugs from Europe and Canada, but the governor’s aides say they’re happy with the progress.

The"I-SaveRx" program offers residents access to lower-cost prescription medication from pharmacies and drug wholesalers in Canada, Britain and Ireland, promising savings of as much as 50 percent on about 100 prescription drugs.

But two months after the program’s launch, only 1,206 people had enrolled and ordered medications.

Lessons from the Vioxx Fiasco

From Business Week Online: "Lessons from the Vioxx Fiasco."  The article attempts to answer the following questions:

• What drugmakers, the FDA, doctors, and patients need to do;
• How did this happen?
• Who is responsible?
• Are these issues unique to Vioxx?
• Are there solutions?

If you have other questions about Vioxx or are looking for a Vioxx lawyer, you can call my law firm, Schaeffer & Lamere, for a free consultation at (618) 467-8200 or (888) 783-9679 (toll free) if you used Vioxx and suffered any of the following side effects:

• Heart attack;
• Stroke;
• Blood clots;
• Deep vein thrombosis;
• Pulmonary embolism.

You can also send an e-mail telling us what went wrong (click the "e-mail" link). We are attorneys who have had years of experience with pharmaceutical litigation like lawsuits against Merck. As your Vioxx attorneys, we can help!

David Graham Seeking Legal Help

Dr. Graham of the FDA is one of the doctor's who reportedly "blew the whistle" on Merck and its Vioxx problems.  According to this article from the New York Times, Graham "feared being fired and had sought legal help from a group that protects whistle-blowers. " There's more in the article.

Barbie, Middle-Aged

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Barbie goes through a midlife crisis," by Alex Veiga--

Though the Barbie brand generated $3.6 billion in global retail sales this year, according to manufacturer Mattel Inc., Barbie has seen sales slide over the last seven quarters. In the last few years, rivals like the edgy Bratz dolls have upstaged her.

To re-energize its flagship brand, the world's largest toymaker set out to cast Barbie and her pals in a series of books, magazines and animated films, hoping the story lines would drive sales of the doll and her accessories.

New Trial Court Administrator for the Illinois 3d Circuit

From the Alton Telegraph: "3rd Circuit gets new trial court administrator," by Josh Stockinger--

An administrative assistant with nearly 10 years’ experience in a chief judge’s office has been promoted to trial court administrator in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.

Teri Picchioldi of Edwardsville is replacing Donna Embry Schumacher as trial court administrator, effective Nov. 1, Chief Judge Edward C. Ferguson announced Monday. The 3rd Circuit includes Madison and Bond counties.

Picchioldi will oversee associate judges’ schedules in domestic violence, traffic and orders of protection divisions, among others, and will supervise bailiff operations.

Happy Thanksgiving

No posts today . . . This weblog is on vacation.

Beware Holiday Scams

From the Arkansas Newport Independent:  "Attorney General warns of holiday scams"--

Each year, an increasing number of holiday shoppers use the Internet to buy gifts. While many Arkansans take advantage of the convenience of online shopping, Attorney General Mike Beebe wants to remind all consumers that scam artists also take advantage of the Internet in order to steal people's money or their identities.

"The online scams we expect to see during the holiday-shopping season are similar to ones we see the rest of the year," Beebe said. "However, we believe the volume of these scams will multiply to coincide with the increase of Internet use for holiday shopping. The best way to foil these opportunities for Cybercrime is to be a savvy Internet consumer."

This advice is as applicable in Illinois as it is in Arkansas.

Stop Credit Card Thieves

From MSN Money: "22 ways to foil credit card thieves," by Liz Pulliam Weston--

In some ways, credit card fraud isn’t the problem it’s often made out to be.

Visa says fraud accounts for about 7 cents of every $100 spent on its credit cards, an all-time low and about half the rate of 10 years ago. Add to that the fact that the major credit card companies have “zero liability” policies, which means the vast majority of consumers who are victims don’t wind up paying a dime out of their own pockets.

Why, then, should you worry?

Well, for one, credit card fraud is a hassle. You often need to have your account closed and a new one opened, which can leave you without a card for a week or more. That’s inconvenient, and it can mess up any automatic payments charged to that card.

For the tips, follow the link to the article.

Dangerous Candy

From the Rockford Register Star: "Lead-tainted candy pulled," by Corina Curry--

It’s hot and spicy, and state officials say it’s so packed with lead that ingesting enough of this Mexican candy over time could cause brain damage in children.

Local officials, working with investigators from the Illinois attorney general’s office and the Department of Public Health, cleared retail shelves of the Lucas-brand products last week after state officials learned that they were being sold despite the manufacturer’s assurances that it would pull them voluntarily.

Lucas Limon, Super Lucas, Lucas Acidito and Lucas Limon con Chile are produced by a subsidiary of Mars Inc. They allegedly contain twice the allowable amount of lead in candy as dictated by federal guidelines, which is 0.5 part per million.

More Tips for Lowering Your Heating Bill

From the Greenwood Democrat: "Winter Heating Tips Offered."  According to the author, "Heating oil and gasoline prices are soaring higher than even some experts predicted, and that could very well lead to much higher bills for homes heated by natural gas, oil, or electricity." 

Follow the links for the tips.