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

Financial Tips for Unmarried Couples

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:  "Five questions to ask ... about finances for unmarried couples," by Jack Naudi."

For the tips, follow the link to the article.

How Fast Should Trucks Travel on Rural Roads?

From the Alton Telegraph: "Go slow on trucks, governor urges," by Steve Whitworth--

Despite Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pleadings, the Illinois House could act as early as today to speed up trucks on interstate highways in rural areas of the state.

The House will consider an override of the governor’s veto of a bill to increase the truck speed limits from 55 mph to 65 mph. The state Senate overrode the veto last week.

The Democratic governor vetoed Senate Bill 2374 after it was passed earlier this year by the Illinois General Assembly. He also vetoed a similar bill in 2003.

Can the MLK Bridge Be Made Any Safer?

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Fatalities cause inquiry into bridge," by Michael Shaw--

The Illinois Department of Transportation is taking a fresh look at making the Martin Luther King Bridge safer in the wake of a fatal crash last week that left four people dead.

Officials will consider simple upgrades like warning signs to more drastic measures, such as reducing the bridge from four lanes to three.

Past evaluations concluded that safety upgrades would be ineffective or would cause more problems than they fix, said Jeff Keirn, operations engineer at the department's regional office in Collinsville.

Quit Smoking: 20 Tips

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Put the cigarette down and nobody will get hurt," by Kathleen Nelson--

Since 1977, the American Cancer Society has scheduled the Great American Smokeout, a challenge to Americans to quit smoking for one day. The big day is Thursday. The hope is that one day could lead to two, which could lead to a week, then to a month, then ...

Instead of preaching or wagging our fingers about how smokers SHOULD quit, we'll offer gentle suggestions. 

The tips follow in the article.

Tips to Lower Your Utility Bills

As winter approaches, here are some tips for lowering your utility bills.

More on Vioxx from the New York Times

From The New York Times: "Despite Warnings, Drug Giant Took Long Path to Vioxx Recall"--

Merck decided not to conduct a study solely to determine whether Vioxx might cause heart attacks and strokes - the type of study that outside scientists would repeatedly call for as clinical evidence continued to show cardiovascular risks from the drug. Instead, Merck officials decided to monitor clinical trials, already under way or planned, that were to test Vioxx for other uses, to see if any additional signs of cardiovascular problems emerged.

It was a recurring theme for the company over the next few years - that Vioxx was safe unless proved otherwise. As recently as Friday, in newspaper advertisements, Merck has argued that it took "prompt and decisive action'' as soon as it knew that Vioxx was dangerous.

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!

SIUE to Have New School of Pharmacy

From the Alton Telegraph:  "Prescription for education SIUE breaks ground on new School of Pharmacy"--

A drug information and wellness center that will offer public health screenings and immunizations will be part of a new, $3.2 million pharmacy building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, officials said Friday at a groundbreaking ceremony.

The center will be housed in a 15,000-square-foot building in University Park, expected to be complete in July. The building will contain the only pharmacy school in Downstate Illinois.

"This school is going to develop professional leaders in the School of Pharmacy, there’s no doubt about that," SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift said at the groundbreaking.

Report: Doctors Should Apologize for Mistakes

From Law.com:  "Doctors Advised: An Apology a Day Keeps the Lawyer Away," by Lindsey Tanner--

It's a lesson children learn even before their ABCs -- say you're sorry when you hurt someone. But it's now being taught in the grown-up world of medicine as a surprisingly powerful way to soothe patients and head off malpractice lawsuits.

Some malpractice-reform advocates say an apology can help doctors avoid getting sued, especially when combined with an upfront settlement offer.

The idea defies a long tradition in which doctors cultivated a godlike image of infallibility and rarely owned up to their mistakes.

The softer approach, now appearing in some medical school courses and hospital policies, is drawing interest as national attention has turned to reducing both medical errors and the high cost of malpractice insurance, which has been blamed for driving doctors out of business.

New Search Engine from Microsoft

From the Associated Press via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Microsoft unveils new Web search engine as Google ups ante," by Allison Linn--

Microsoft Corp.'s Web-search technology made its official debut today, hoping to challenge Google Inc.'s dominance of the field with results tailored to a user's location and answers from its Encarta encyclopedia.

Google signaled that it is ready for a fight, announcing Wednesday that it would nearly double the number of Web pages available to search through its site.

The Microsoft search engine, offered in 11 languages, initially will be available on a special test site.

Gradually, some users visiting Microsoft's MSN site may find that the existing search bar uses the new search engine, said Adam Sohn, a director with the company's online division. But a full rollout, perhaps with new features, isn't expected until early next year.

Report: Vioxx Should Never Have Been Marketed

From Bloomberg.com: "Merck Debt Rating Lowered by Moody's on Vioxx Risks."  According to the article, "Vioxx was never more than a defective product" and "should never have made it to market."

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!