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Drywall From China Causes Concern Over Sulfur Odor In Homes

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:51:33 GMT

MARY WOZNIAK (mwozniak@news-press.com) and DICK HOGAN (dhogan@news-press.com) reported on December 20, 2008 that drywall from China in 2004 - 2005 has has been creating noxious sulfur odors and potential health problem. A Florida family had to move out of their new home at the home builder's expense while the problem - and a solution - is investigated.

The Environmental Protection Agency confirms there is a problem with drywall, but says the breadth and severity of that problem are unknown.

“It is the drywall, and from what I gather it is causing a problem with copper and, specifically, air conditioning units,” said Dawn Harris-Young, spokeswoman from the EPA’s Region 4 in Atlanta.

After new home buyers in Fort Myers Florida complained about the sulfur odors, the builder had the Chinese drywall tested and determined that it was the problem. The builder replaced the drywall in one house and used ozone, fogging and barrier paint in the other.

Florida health department officials have received over 50 complaints from around the state about these problems and is investigating the problem:

“It certainly does raise concerns,” said Dr. David Krause, toxicologist for the state Health Department. “There may be a direct health threat.”

At highest risk for health problems are children and the elderly. People with asthma and chemical sensitivity are at even higher risk. The Chinese drywall that came into this market three to four years ago often was of poor quality being very brittle.

Doug Hoffman, executive director of the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, said he has been getting a lot of reports about the Chinese drywall recently from his members — mainly in the Southeast.

“What they’re finding is that the drywall being shipped over from China is emitting much higher levels of sulfur, methane and other volatile organic compounds” than is considered healthy.

This drywall problem highlights the problem of foreign made products. We cannot control what foreign product manufacturers do and with US health and safety regulation having been substantially dismantled by the Clinton and Bush Administrations the public is being subjected to an epidemic of health threats from foreign products. I have written before on this problem in regard to Melamine in baby formula and defective foreign products. Another interesting article on this subject is "Food and Toy Safety: China's refusal to allow free speech increases our risk of exposure to melamine and lead" by prominent consumer advocate Steve Lombardi from Des Moines, Iowa. Higher profits at the expense of public health is at the core of these issues. The American civil justice system protects the public when corporations and government fail in their duty to do so. In China there is no effective system of courts, citizen juries and the Rule of Law to stop these practices. Unfortunately politicians in Hawaii and across the country are at work stripping American's of the protections of the courts, so Hawaii defective products lawyers cannot protect your family. Don't let it happen in in Hawaii or any community.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Medical Device Safety Act would allow state suits, but some lawmakers oppose it.(2)

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:01:49 GMT

The Greenville News (5/24, Osby) reported that the "Medical Device Safety Act of 2009... would reverse the high court's decision" and would allow patients to sue Medtronic under state law. Don Fernbach, who was one of the patient's shocked by a defective lead said, "As long as victims of defective medical devices can't sue...these companies have no impetus to do the right thing." However, "U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., said manufacturers should take reasonable steps so their products are safe, but shouldn't have to be 'guarantors' of good outcomes, or product development would be suppressed." Inglis "added that while accountability through litigation is the best argument for the bill, FDA has a 'rigorous' system for approving devices, and it would drive up costs." In addition, "U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint opposes the bill for the same reasons."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Lawsuit Abuse? Medical Malpractice Crisis? Shame on Doctors and the AMA!

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:33:01 GMT

Headline news: Medical Malpractice Payments Fall to Record Low, Public Citizen Study Shows:

Medical malpractice payments were at or near record lows in 2008, but the decline almost certainly indicates that a lower percentage of injured patients received compensation, not that health safety has improved, Public Citizen reported in a study released today.

Medical malpractice is so common, and litigation over it so rare, that between three and seven Americans die from medical errors for every one who receives a payment for any malpractice claim, Public Citizens analysis of medical malpractice payment data and the best available patient safety estimates indicate.

For the third straight year, 2008 saw the lowest number of medical malpractice payments since the federal governments National Practitioner Data Bank began tracking such data in 1990. The 11,037 payments in 2008 were 30.7 percent lower than the average number of payments recorded by the NPDB in all previous years. Ratios of payments per capita and per physician have fallen even lower compared to historical norms. There were 13.5 payments per million physicians in 2006 (the most recent year for which the number of physicians is available), which is 29.2 percent lower than the average in previous years. The value of payments in 2008 (as distinct from the number of payments) was the lowest or second lowest on record, depending on the method used to adjust for inflation.

The sad history of doctors, the AMA and their insurance companies - along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - trying to fool the American public has been highlighted once more by the facts. I am waiting to see a doctor tell me that he is not on the side of the medical and insurance company scam. Lawsuit Abuse is a fiction. I am sick and tired of the Big Lie. I am trial attorney and I am proud of what I do.

The Public Deserves The Truth About Lawsuit Abuse and Medical Malpractice

Rather than spend millions to deceive you folks about lawsuit abuse why isn't the medical profession trying to find and weed out careless doctors? When did they ever do that?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Merck, Schering agree to $41.5 million settlement of Vytorin, Zetia suits.

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:26:55 GMT

The New York Times (8/6, B4, Shih) reports, "Merck and Schering-Plough agreed Wednesday to pay $41.5 million to settle class-action lawsuits that accused them of withholding unfavorable results of a clinical trial of the cholesterol drugs Vytorin [ezetimibe and simvastatin] and Zetia [ezetimibe]." In January 2008, the companies "released a study -- completed nearly two years earlier -- that showed that the medicines, the work of a joint venture, were no more effective in unclogging arteries than a pre-existing and less expensive cholesterol treatment." The agreement "resolves more than 140 claims filed by consumers and insurers who bought, used or paid money toward the purchase of Vytorin and Zetia."

The Wall Street Journal (8/6, Loftus) reports, "Some suits alleged the drugs caused personal injuries, or sought a court order that the companies pay for medical monitoring of users and drugs." For their part, "the companies have said data-quality problems with the study required repeated analyses, and that top company officials didn't know the results until shortly before they were released." Merck and Schering also "agreed to pay $5.4 million and comply with certain rules" last month, settling "a probe by 35 US states and the District of Columbia into whether their handling of the...study violated consumer-protection laws."

But, the companies "did not acknowledge any wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlement," the AP (8/5, Johnson) reported. Bruce N. Kuhlik, executive vice president and general counsel at Merck, noted that "these agreements will allow the companies to avoid continuing defense costs and remain focused on discovering, developing, and delivering novel medicines and vaccines." Currently, "Merck is in the midst of a $41.1 billion buyout of" Schering in a deal that is "set to close in the fourth quarter."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Chronicles: Innovative Solution for Crosswalk Safety

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:39:15 GMT

A primary mission of these articles is to promote safety and make Hawaii a safer place for all of us. Everyone in the Islands is concerned about crosswalk deaths and pedestrian injuries. I have come across an innovative system that may help prevent these tragic events: In-Roadway Warning Light (IRWL) systems.The system is called Smart Crosswalk™ and it looks pretty good to me. Motorists don't hit people in crosswalks on purpose, nor do pedestrians step in front of cars on purpose. On both sides of a crosswalk collision is a person who is not paying attention to some degree. So how do we get both the driver and the pedestrian to be more alert? This article focuses on the inattentive driver. Yes, I'm talking about cell phones, Ipods, French Fries and bad street lighting.

It used to be that crossing the road was as simple as looking both ways before stepping out into the street. Often it seems that the only option is to dash and pray. But these days there are a myriad of technologies available to aid this passage from one side of the road to the next.

There are flashing beacons placed at the side of the road or positioned in an overhead mast. There are countdown signal signs letting you know how long you have to make it across the street. Some cities have even resorted to handing out bight yellow pennant style flags you can wave as you make your crossing.

Although these technologies may help to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities, those fatalities remain a serious concern. For example, according to the National Pedestrian Crash Report, June 2008, in Hawaii, from 1997 to 2006, there were 276 pedestrian fatalities with 37% of these occurring in Honolulu.

An AARP Hawaii survey of more than 50 of the state's busiest intersections confirms what many residents have suspected for years: Hawaii is one of the most dangerous places in the nation to be a pedestrian.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser "By The Numbers":

“For every pedestrian killed in Hawai'i, about nine others were hospitalized and as many as 80 were treated in emergency rooms. Ages of those killed ranged from infancy to 94, but 60 percent were 65 or older, even though that age group represents only 11 percent of the state's population.”

Fortunately, advances in technology and American ingenuity have come together with the invention of In-Roadway Warning Light (IRWL) systems, now federally approved for use on our streets and highways. They were invented by Michael Harrison in 1993, a former corporate pilot and President of LightGuard Systems, Inc. of Santa Rosa, California. In 1995, he received a US Patent for IRWL enhanced crosswalk systems (Patent Number 6,384,742 B1).

These systems, now called the Smart Crosswalk™, are in-pavement signal lights embedded across the lanes of traffic approximately two feet in front of a crosswalk. When not flashing, they are virtually invisible to the approaching motorist.

When a pedestrian activates the devices, either manually or by automatic detection, the lights begin flashing outward toward the approaching motorist in a bright amber color. The system is designed specifically not to be seen by the pedestrian to avoid the potential for inducing a false sense of security.

The in-pavement signal lights flash in just such a pattern and rate that they capture and hold the attention of the approaching motorist. This flash pattern/rate, called the Enlighten 1™, was developed in cooperation with the University Vision Detection Laboratory in Berkeley California.

These signal lights from the Smart Crosswalk™ system are designed to merge in a “zone of convergence” at the eye level of the approaching motorist. When this Enlighten 1™ light enters into the eye, it travels to the primitive part of the brain that notices motion and movement.

Even inattentive motorists will “notice” something has changed and bring their attention to wards the in-pavement lights.

LED enhanced signs are recommended to be installed along with the Smart Crosswalk™. These illuminated signs provide a full array effect, adding to the effectiveness of these in-pavement signaling systems.

Multiple independent studies have shown these IRWL enhanced crosswalk systems are highly effective in reducing motorist/pedestrian crosswalk conflict. “Sensibility in the streets” is a phrase that comes to mind when walking through one of these illuminated pedestrian crosswalks.

I have been writing on crosswalk injuries and deaths in Hawaii for months and seeking ideas for a solution:

Hawaii Pedestrians Face Crosswalk Threats by Wayne Parsons

Another Pedestrian Death In Beretania Street Crosswalk by Wayne Parsons

Honolulu Alert: Another Pedestrian Struck Down In A Crosswalk by Wayne Parsons

And Hawaii isn't the only place where these horrible tragedies happen:

Wichita Teen Killed; Sun May Be Factor In Crash by Chrissie Cole

Hawaii journalists report on the deaths and injuries on the nightly news and the newspapers like I have done in my articles. Perhaps we all should focus on preventing these injuries and deaths by asking why innovative solutions like Smart Crosswalk™ aren't being used in Hawaii? I am hoping to hear from Hawaii legislators, State and County employees and safety experts in Hawaii about whether systems like Smart Crosswalk™ might save lives and make our streets safer. Have they been considered by the state and county governments? Are journalists aware of these devices?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Jim Dean and Democracy For America Identify Democrats in Congress Who are Cutting Deals With The Insurance Industry

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:28:17 GMT

Meaningful Health Care Reform is being sabotaged by democrats who have close ties to the insurance industry. I have written about this before as have others and I encourage all Americans to look closely at what is happening in Congress and to speak up. Here is what the public wants:

72% support a government-administered public plan, according to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll. The Employee Benefits Research Institute – a group funded by the likes of JPMorganChase, Wal-Mart, General Dynamics, Morgan Stanley, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, and United Health – found 83% in support of the public plan option.

I am a fan of Jim Dean at Democracy for America and his recent email to those of us who support the Public Plan as opposed to the Insurance Plan really focused me on who is doing what in Congress. I am copying his message here so my readers can get the message. Today he focuses on Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. Please get behind those who want President Obama and Congress to deliver a true Public Plan for health care reform, not a plan that leaves the insurance industry and its bonus happy CEO's at AIG and other huge corporations in charge of your health and with a stranglehold on doctors. Here is the message from Jim Dean at Democracy For America:

Yesterday, we asked you to help us escalate our campaign against roadblock Democrats like Senator Mary Landrieu in Louisiana and DFA members nationwide delivered.

We heard your message loud and clear: You want to turn up the heat on Insurance Industry Democrats who are trying to kill real reform.

WATCH THE AD AND FUND OUR CAMPAIGN AGAINST ROADBLOCK DEMOCRATS

From the Washington Post to the White House press pool, everyone is talking about this campaign and our hard hitting new ad. In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, Landrieu spokesman Aaron Saunders refused to respond to the ads then reiterated whose side Sen. Landrieu is really on:

"She is currently reviewing all of the reform proposals, but does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. Senator Landrieu supports a predominantly private system..."

In the New Orleans' leading paper, The Times-Picayune, President Obama had this to say in response to a question about our joint campaign with MoveOn-org and ChangeCongress-org:

"I can't answer for all the ads that are being run on both sides of the debate... some of the resistance here is the result of many years of panic-peddling when it comes to health care and gets caught up in old ideological debate..." But, Obama said, "If we know that the status quo is not working for the people of Louisiana, then the way to persuade the Louisiana delegation to support it is coming up with a plan that is going to be good for the people of Louisiana, and then my hope is that (the Louisiana delegation) is responsive to the needs of the people."

The President went on to make a strong case for a public healthcare option that is supported by 76% of America. It's up to us to make sure Insurance Industry Democrats feel the heat if they stand against the President and work to kill real reform.

CONTRIBUTE $50 RIGHT NOW TO TURN UP THE HEAT

Working together, we will guarantee healthcare for all. Thank you for everything you do.

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Risky Drivers Don't Just Drive Drunk and Speed - They Often Don't have Insurance

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:09:51 GMT

Today I am looking at the drivers who cause the injury and death that plagues our interstate highways from Hawaii to North Carolina and everywhere between. Getting inside the head of the bad drivers is the first step to preventing them from doing the harm they do. So I looked at articles across the country about specific things that these folks do and I think I have a common thread that leads to the subject of this article: uninsured motorists.

Let me start at the beginning. Steve Lombardi from Des Moines, Iowa writes about distracted driving in a recent article, A Distracted Driver is More Likely to be a Dead Driver. Others have written about how speed on our interstate highways kills and about DUI and tragic consequences on the highways.

The Interstate Highway Graveyard, “Speed Kills”, Steve Lombardi, August 28, 2009

Why Speeders on the Highway Cause More Serious Accidents, Devon Glass, August 28, 2009

Death and Injury On Interstate Highways Increase With Higher Speed Limits, Wayne Parsons, August 29, 2009 2:31 AM

Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006, Wayne Parsons, August 31, 2009 12:16 AM

Interstate Highways Are No Place For Drunk Drivers Over The Labor Day Weekend Wayne Parsons | September 01, 2009 4:36 PM

I noted something about each of the subjects _ DUI, speed, driving distractions _ as I read the introductory paragraph on Steve Lombardi's post because he described a common thread in all of these articles:

If you teach your teenage driver anything teach them not to driver distracted. Yesterday I’m sitting at the light and beside me in the turn lane are a young driver and two passengers. The front seated passenger is watching the light for the driver while he sits there sending a text message. I wondered why cell companies or car makers don’t come up with a way to block Texting when in a car. Really is there any reason why anyone needs to send a text message while driving or riding in a car? If the parents of this driver could only see him they’d be consequences to pay.

Driving while distracted is at epidemic proportions. Here are a few examples from Iowa. Mind you, every one results in at least one fatality. That’s where the title comes from.

Each driver made a bad decision. Each driver engaged in high risk behavior. Each one was reckless or at least careless about getting into a car and operating it on an interstate highway.

That level of irresponsibility often exists and leads to tragic consequences when it comes to drivers buying insurance for their car. Over 140,000 drivers on roads in Hawaii have no insurance. They are violating the law. Automobile Insurance is mandatory in Hawaii. If caught they will be cited by the police. They are law breakers. But the uninsured driver is not just violating some law that may result in a ticket. They are every bit as dangerous to everyone on Hawaii roads as the wrong way drivers that Steve Lombardi has written extensively about in Iowa:

Twenty-Six More Wrong-Way Interstate Highway Drivers by Steve Lombardi | August 18, 2009 9:44 AM

Wrong-Way Accidents - Complete Recap of All July 2009 Collisions by Steve Lombardi | August 15, 2009 10:28 PM

The wrong way driver may ruin someone's life in a crash. The speeder and the person who is Texting on their cell phone at the wheel may ruin someone's life. The drunk may collide with another car and ruin someone's life. The uninsured driver may _ in any of the above situations _ may make it worse by not being able to repay the victims for their losses.

And I don't think its a stretch to say that the drunks and speeders and text messages and the wrong way drivers are exactly the type of person (i.e. irresponsible) who will not have insurance at all, or will have minimum coverage on their car.

Obviously we should all buy insurance on our cars and most of us do. But what about the drivers out their with no insurance, What if the persons causing the car crashes, deaths and injuries that Steve Lombardi, Devon Glass, Mike Bryant, Pierce Egerton, Rick Shapiro and I are writing about this month, don't have insurance to pay for the hospital bills and lost income of the victims of their driving? Let's look at two types of car insurance, that every driver should buy that will protect against the uninsured or underinsured driver.

Well, I just said the magic words:

Uninsured Motorist coverage

Underinsured Motorist coverage.

It does exactly what it says.

UM: If the driver who causes an accident and injury has no insurance, your Uninsured Motorist coverage will take care of you. The good news. Its cheap. You can afford to buy a lot of coverage and you need it. A broken leg will run $30,000 dollars and a head injury with some ICU time will run $200,000.

UIM: If the driver who causes an accident and injury has inadequate insurance coverage to pay for your losses, your Uninsured Motorist coverage will take care of you. In Hawaii the minimum automobile insurance is $20,000. If the driver that hits you only has $20,000 of coverage what do you do if you have $100,000 of medical bills and are out of work for 6 months? The answer is easy. You go on public assistance _ welfare. And you don't get all of the medical care you need.

In his article on uninsured drivers, Pierce Egerton from North Carolina gives a good summary of what every driver needs to do in terms of buying insurance to protect their family: Uninsured Drivers: Who Are These People? by Pierce Egerton:

A growing number of these uninsured motorists are people hit hard by the economic downturn. These are folks who can’t make ends meet and let their insurance coverage lapse.

A lot of them, however, are among the most dangerous drivers on the road -- people whose licenses were revoked after convictions for offenses such as DWI and Careless & Reckless driving. According to government estimates from 2004, uninsured drivers are ten times more likely to have DWI convictions and six times more likely to have convictions for driving an unsafe vehicle.

Wayne Parsons posted an eye-opening piece yesterday outlining how serious the threat from drunk driving really is. What we often don’t hear about drunk driving is that innocent people are often victimized twice at the hands of the drunk driver. The victims suffer not only the horrific physical injuries inflicted in the crash, but they also suffer a devastating financial blow when the drunk driver is also uninsured.

I highly recommend reading the entire article, but if you do nothing else follow the sage advice that Pierce Egerton ends with:

Call Your Agent

Before you head out onto the interstates and highways this Labor Day weekend, make sure your auto policy covers you against the risk of being hit by an uninsured driver. Give your insurance agent a call. Ask whether you have Uninsured and Underinsured coverage and what the limits of the coverage are

And before you call your insurance agent read the list of things to ask in the article on insurance by Rick Shapiro from Virginia: Uninsured Motorist Car Insurance: It's Your Most Important Car Insurance and Here Is Why - by Rick Shapiro from Norfolk,Virginia:

The uninsured motorist law is a quite complicated beast and the car insurers fight these cases big time. They hate having to pay you but they make money collecting premiums, and should have to pay valid claims irrespective of the type of coverage if the uninsured driver causes your injury. It takes an experienced injury lawyer to explain all the fine points. Be advised however that you want your uninsured motorist coverage to always be as high as your general liability insurance limits--so check your existing policy coverages. (General liability limits protect you up to the liability coverage amount if you are careless or negligent in a car accident, so be sure your uninsured motorist coverage is equal to the liability coverage amount). So, next time you get mad about uninsured motorist coverage, remember that its your most important car insurance you have.

It is impossible to avoid all accidents and prevent all injuries. At least be prepared by having adequate insurance to protect you and your family.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Recall of Chinese Drywall? Don't Hold Your Breath!

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:32:22 GMT

The Fort Myers (FL) News-Press (10/20, Wozniak) reports, "A summit beginning Wednesday in Beijing between the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and its Chinese counterpart will press for companies in the Chinese drywall supply chain to take responsibility for their defective product. Commission Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum will appeal to the Chinese companies to do 'what is fair and just,' commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said Monday." But "the mountain of obstacles to a recall appears insurmountable, say attorneys, academics and other experts in Chinese law and Chinese business culture. 'If China won't recall the defective products in its own market, what makes anybody think that they'll do it for products in the U.S?' asked Adam Minter, who blogs in Shanghai."

See my other articles on Chinese Drywall at my Injury Board Honolulu Blog.

In a separate article, the Fort Myers News-Press (10/20, Wozniak) reports on reasons why a Chinese drywall recall would prove difficult. Marshall Meyer, a professor at Wharton School and a global expert on Chinese business, said that "in this case, there are numerous distributors of a Chinese product that is difficult to trace because it is made by many companies and some of the product is not marked." CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said, "CPSC has sent more than 100 letters to U.S. importers, suppliers, manufacturers and home builders to obtain information about what they know, when did imported drywall come into this country and which communities was it used in."

Bill urges banks to assist Chinese drywall homeowners. Housing Wire (10/19, Prior) reported, "Congressman Glenn Nye (D-Va.) introduced a concurrent resolution in the House of Representatives calling for banks and mortgage servicers to assist homeowners struggling with toxic drywall, according to a release from his office." The legislation "urges mortgage servicers and banks to provide temporary forbearance on their mortgage payments to help families afford the costs of additional residency. 'Recognizing this issue in Congress and formally asking lenders to be a part of the solution will give families more leverage when working with banks or mortgage holders who may be unfamiliar with the seriousness of this problem,' Nye said."

Drywall inspections underway. WVUE-TV New Orleans (10/19, Parker) on its website reported, "Preparations are ramping up in preparation for the first trials in cases of toxic Chinese drywall. Judge Eldon Fallon has ordered a meticulous inspection of more than two dozen suspected homes across the country." All the findings "are being recorded for the judge, as they will be an important tool in court during trial. Plaintiffs' attorneys say they approximate a cost of $100,000 per home or a third of the cost of the home to begin to make homeowners whole." They believe the total cost "to settle the lawsuits would be staggering."

Florida soldier's home contaminated with Chinese drywall. WPTV-TV West Palm Beach, FL (10/19, Cashmere) on its website reported on Colin Green, a soldier from Port St. Lucie, FL, who "returned from overseas to his two year old home" only to find it contaminated with Chinese drywall. "Time is of the essence but time isn't exactly what Green has in abundance. In less than a week he heads back to serve his country at Fort Bragg, North Carolina."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

GIFT15 - Is A Cure For Multiple Sclerosis On The Horizon?

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:49:11 GMT

McGill University researchers in Canada have announced that _ in mice _ they may have found a way to treat and cure multiple sclerosis (MS). In animals they can reverse the devastating disease with a new treatment that suppresses the immune system and forces MS into remission.

Will the treatment work equality well in humans? Let's hope so! Our wishes for success go out to researchers at the Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and McGill University in Montreal.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. This attack causes physical and cognitive disability that progresses over time. According to the news out of McGill new combination of two proteins stops this process:

The new treatment, appropriately named GIFT15, puts MS into remission by suppressing the immune response. This means it might also be effective against other autoimmune disorders like Crohn's disease, lupus and arthritis, the researchers said, and could theoretically also control immune responses in organ transplant patients. Moreover, unlike earlier immune-suppressing therapies which rely on chemical pharmaceuticals, this approach is a personalized form of cellular therapy which utilizes the body's own cells to suppress immunity in a much more targeted way.

Dr. Jacques Galipeau of the JGH Lady Davis Institute and McGill's Faculty of Medicine discovered GIFT15. The news shook the world of science and raised the hopes of the patients who suffer from MS when it was published on August 9, 2009 in the journal Nature Medicine.

GIFT15 is 2 proteins, GSM-CSF and interleukin-15, combined in the laboratory. Individually each protein normally stimulates the immune system. Together however they suppress the immune system.

"You know those mythical animals that have the head of an eagle and the body of a lion? They're called chimeras. In a lyrical sense, that's what we've created," said Galipeau, a world-renowned expert in cell regeneration affiliated with the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General and McGill's Centre for Translational Research. "GIFT15 is a new protein hormone composed of two distinct proteins, and when they're stuck together they lead to a completely unexpected biological effect."

Together as GIFT15 they change B-cells -- a common form of white blood cell normally involved in immune response -- into powerful immune-suppressive cells. Unlike their better-known cousins, T-cells, naturally-occurring immune-suppressing B-cells are almost unknown in nature and the notion of using them to control immunity is very new.

"GIFT15 can take your normal, run-of-the-mill B-cells and convert them -- in a Superman or Jekyll -Hyde sort of way -- into these super-powerful B-regulatory cells," Galipeau explained. "We can do that in a petri dish. We took normal B-cells from mice, and sprinkled GIFT15 on them, which led to this Jekyll and Hyde effect.

"And when we gave them back intravenously to mice ill with multiple sclerosis, the disease went away."

To effectively treat multiple sclerosis it must be attacked as early as possible. Of course human trials to study safety and efficacy are needed now. In the current animal studies side effects were non-existent.

Impressively the treatment was fully effective in a single dose of GIFT15.

"It's easy to collect B-cells from a patient," he added. "It's just like donating blood. We purify them in the lab, treat them with GIFT15 in a petri dish, and give them back to the patient. That's what we did in mice, and that's what we believe we could do in people. It would be very easy to take the next step, it's just a question of finding the financial resources and partnerships to make this a reality."

PLEASE NOTE: DR. GALIPEAU IS AVAILABLE FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS ONLY AS OF WED., AUGUST 12.

Contact: Mark Shainblum
mark.shainblum@mcgill.ca
514-398-2189

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

The History Of Tort Reform - A Story of Corporate Greed And A Conspiracy Against Justice For The People

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:13:25 GMT

“It is no secret that, for more than three decades, business interests have invested
billions of dollars to sell the public a distorted view of a legal system that is justi-
fiably envied throughout the world. They say rampant litigiousness requires tort
“reform” that restricts the legal rights of injured people, not those of businesses
suing businesses, which account for most litigation. What they seek, really, is
corporate welfare-assurance that their misdeeds will be paid for not by them, but
by others.” - Richard H. Middleton, Jr., Past President of the American Association of Justice

Joanne Doroshow, one the best friends the American consumer has ever had exposes one of the great conspiracies of the 2oth century: the tort reform scam - the BIG lie that started long ago:

For the last 15 years, insurance companies, manufacturers of dangerous products and chemicals, the tobacco industry and other major industries have been engaged in a nationwide assault on the civil justice system. In nearly every state and in Congress, corporations and their insurers have waged a relentless campaign to change the laws that give sick and injured consumers the ability to hold their offenders responsible for the injuries they cause. . .

THE CALA FILES:
THE SECRET CAMPAIGN BY BIG TOBACCO AND OTHER MAJOR INDUSTRIES TO TAKE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS

By Carl Deal and Joanne Doroshow

Released by Center for Justice & Democracy and Public Citizen

Perhaps the public is more ready to understand this tort reform conspiracy against their rights, and threat to the country, after seeing the unbelievable financial misconduct of Wall Street, AIG, Enron and The Madoffs of the world. The Big Lie has never been bigger. Never has more been at stake over the tort reform scams: they want to shut off the court rooms to the people and they want to destroy the judicial branch of government. Recently Injury Board national desk has written about AIG disgracefully mistreating civilian employees injured in Iraq and Afghanistan by delaying payments for medical care: "Congressman Calls For Inquiry Into AIG’s Handling of Contractor Claims"; and I have also noted how one of the members of the tort reform conspiracy treats injured patriots: "AIG In Another Scandal Over Denying Health Care Claims For American Workers Injured In Afghanistan and Iraq". Another good article on AIG can be read at: "Injured Civilian Contractors Fight AIG and Other Insurers for Proper Care"; and at: "Military Contractors: Finding AIG Not To Be Helpful". To these corporate CEO's its all about money. Their money. Tort reform is a sham like everything else they promote.

A great resource on this subject is The Commonweal Institute. Their studies and reports on tort reform provide a clear picture of tort reform with the spin and slick advertising gloss of the insurance industry and major corporations removed. Reading David Johnson's reports on The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law is the best place to start. It contains facts and figures and the truth about the corruption behind tort reform. The following video shows what has happened - and who is behind it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h85j1vNxd8A

A great place to start to hear what our greatest consumer advocates say about who is behind tort reform - who invented the term tort reform - a lot can be learned by looking behind the curtain to see who is really the wizard of Oz?. The Report entitled "The CALA [Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse] Files – The Secret Campaign by Big Tobacco and Other Major Industries to Take Away your Rights,” by the Center for Justice and Democracy (CJ&D) and Public Citizen names the players:

Since 1991, ‘tort reform’ advocates have set up dozens of tax-exempt groups . . . to plant their ‘lawsuit abuse’ message in the media and the public consciousness, and to influence legislation, the judiciary and jurors. These groups claim to speak for average Americans and represent themselves as grassroots citizens groups determined to protect consumer interests. But their tax filings and funding sources indicate that they actually represent major corporations and industries seeking to escape liability for the harm they cause consumers -- whether it be from defective products, medical malpractice, securities scams, insurance fraud, employment discrimination or environmental pollution. These organizations hide their pro-business agenda behind consumer-friendly names like

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse,

Stop Lawsuit Abuse,

Lawsuit Abuse Watch, and

People for a FAIR Legal System.

The conspiracy consists of a seemingly independent organizations. “The CALA [Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse] Files – The Secret Campaign by Big Tobacco and Other Major Industries to Take Away your Rights,” shows that, since its inception in the 1980s, the industry-funded tort reform movement has pursued a strategy of creating and funding numerous seemingly-independent advocacy organizations that push tort-reform arguments, work to discredit opponents, and use marketing methods to change underlying public attitudes over the long term. Well-known tort reform organizations include the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) – “a coalition of more than 300 major corporations and trade associations,” according to “The CALA Files” – and its numerous state Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) organizations, as well as several state Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LAW) organizations. For examples of national and state organizations that advocate tort reform on behalf of major corporate power brokers are listed in The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law appendices 4, 5 and 6.

The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law also documents how they have:

" ... created phony “grassroots” campaigns designed to give an impression of widespread public support for an issue, the circulation of false or misleading lawsuit scare-stories, the creation of organizations and websites like “LawyersStink.com”5 that seek to defame and diminish lawyers in the public mind, and the dissemination of anti-lawyer jokes and cartoons."

This tort reform movement is an important component of a network of organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, the Washington Legal Foundation, the Cato Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council that make up the heart of the self-described “conservative movement.” The agenda has little to do with conservatism. It has a lot to do with destroying the courts and taking away individual rights. As David Johnson write in The Attack on Trial Lawyers and Tort Law:

Right-wing organizations in this network all receive major general operating support, project grants and coordinated strategic guidance from a core group of interlocking, ultra-conservative foundations that has been working for nearly thirty years to alter public attitudes and move the national agenda to the right. This core group of right-wing foundations includes the Scaife, Castle Rock (endowed by the Adolph Coors Foundation in 1993), Bradley, Olin and Koch foundations. (See Appendix 4)

“Five foundations stand out from the rest: the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Koch Family foundations, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Scaife Family foundations and the Adolph Coors Foundation. Each has helped fund a range of far-right programs, including some of the most politically charged work of the last several years.”

You may also find the report “Buying a Movement,” People for the American Way Foundation worth reading.

These foundations are associated with the extreme right of the political spectrum. The Bradley Foundation's money comes from Lynde Bradley, a member of the John Birch Society.7 The Coors Foundation previously financed the John Birch Society.8 The Koch Foundations were founded by Charles and David Koch, sons of Fred Koch, founder of the John Birch Society. David Koch, the 1980 Libertarian Party Vice Presidential candidate, funds many libertarian organizations, and is co-founder of the libertarian Cato Institute.9 William Simon of the Olin Foundation was a member of the secretive Christian-Right Council for National Policy, and chairman of an organization set up by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church.10 Richard Mellon Scaife and his foundations were the primary funders of the anti-Clinton efforts of the 1990s, which included funding the vitriolic magazine, American Spectator.11 As for today’s John Birch Society, it is currently engaged in a “Get US Out!” (of the UN) campaign, a philosophy reflected across the right-wing movement.12

There are now over 500 organizations, of which Heritage Foundation is the most influential, all receiving funding from this core group. A 1999 study, $1 Billion for Ideas: Conservative Think Tanks in the 1990s,13 shows how well-funded these organizations are. The study found that the top 20 of these organizations spent over $1 billion on their ideological campaign in 1990s, not only on tort reform, but on a number of other issues they are advancing.

These groups are organized and coordinate their activities:

Right-wing funding patterns support lock-step coordination. One example of this coordination is a weekly meeting hosted by Grover Norquist, of the Scaife/Coors/Olin /Bradley (among others)-funded Americans for Tax Reform, and attended by representatives of the funding foundations, major right-wing organizations like the

The battle line over tort reform is defined by average people on one side and money and power on the other. The local talk show hosts in your home town that spout the doctrine of Big Insurance, Big Pharma, Big Tobacco and the tort reform conspiracy on a daily basis. They spread stories about frivolous lawsuits that are routinely proved to be false but then who has the time to check on these talk shows. Fox (Sorry, I cannot use the word "news" and Fox in the same sentence) is a major player in media deception of the public in this tort reform conspiracy.

Unfortunately, in Hawaii, our legislators don't seem to care about the truth and simply go along with the big money that doctors and big corporate lobbyists are willing to pay. You would think that democrats would not become a part of this anti-consumer conspiracy against average citizens but many of Hawaii's legislators have aligned with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the myriad or tort reform conspirators that I mention above.

Another great article on tort reform as a consumer should view it has been written by Steve Lombardi of The Lombardi Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa:

"When I hear, “It would never happen to me.” I think, confidence kills and it will kill you just like it did my father"

I commend Steve Lombadri's article to help you get the "rest of the story" on tort reform. A look at the "Mr. Fancy Pants" video will also make more sense to you if your read the post to its conclusion.

I am interested in how Hawaii voters would vote in an election where a candidate had supported and aligned with this fraudulent tort reform movement? Do Hawaii voters care? It really isn't a Republican or Democrat issue. I remember when Jesse Helms, one of the most conservative member of Congress in its history, and a stanch Republican, voted against an insurance industry initiative to pass federal "no-fault" automobile insurance legislation in 1974. He believed in "responsibility" and not what he viewed as socialist no-fault insurance. That is what tort reform does when you look behind the two words: it makes us all pay for injuries caused by a big corporation's defective product or the injury or death of a patient when a doctor is careless.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons