Health

The Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Injury Cases in 2021

Since the beginning of the pandemic, wrongful death and workers’ compensation cases have seen astronomical growth. In response, legal forces like wh Law, a personal injury law firm, have adapted to deal with the aftershocks of clients who contracted COVID-19 while on the job as essential workers. Business owners are also dealing with the new potential liability associated with the virus. Beyond that, the global effects of the pandemic have dealt a blow to the entire judicial branch.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on people and organizations across the world. While many are aware of the virus’s effects on our health, the impact on other aspects of the world takes longer to appear.

The government has also seen its fair share of reductions. For example, the court system is coping with significant setbacks as in-person sessions are on the back burner. Personal injury cases are notorious for out-of-court settlements, but with law firms facing closures and delays, these cases aren’t running so smoothly anymore.

Delays combined with the fact that many people are refusing or delaying seeking medical treatment have had a negative and lasting impact on personal injury cases in the past couple of years.

Fewer people are seeking medical treatment

In a personal injury case, it’s crucial to establish the extent of the client’s injury and how much the medical treatments cost. Understanding these two factors allows law firms to begin the litigation process with a solid paper trail to support their claims.

For many personal injury cases, medical experts testify to the court concerning the client’s medical treatment. But for an expert to testify on the client’s behalf, the client must seek an in-person evaluation and testing.

This in-person treatment is where one of the main issues lies. During the pandemic, many people have been wary of venturing in public, especially in high-risk areas like hospitals and doctor’s offices. Many are afraid to leave their homes in fear of catching or spreading COVID-19. Add that to the number of elderly or immunocompromised people for whom COVID represents an augmented threat, and you have the perfect recipe for delayed medical attention.

Not to mention the fact that many US healthcare facilities are currently overrun with patients suffering from the coronavirus, meaning that proper medical treatment for any injury short of life-threatening is relegated to the back burner. Some doctors are so overwhelmed that they are even turning away patients entirely.

Widespread misinformation has caused many people to fear and distrust medical professionals and their expert opinions as well. This distrust is the main reason that many people refuse to seek medical treatment. Vaccine hesitancy is among the symptoms of the public’s growing mistrust of health organizations.

Without an evaluation and treatment from a medical expert, personal injury cases have no leg to stand on. Unfortunately, a lack of conclusive medical records proving injury or treatment is a non-starter for an injury claim.

Effects on current and future cases in court

The pandemic caused several offices and buildings to close their doors to in-person traffic. Courthouses and law offices are no exception to this cautious new standard.

Law offices across the country are at their limits with clients and delays. With fewer cases seeing resolution in court, law firms cannot take on more clients, resulting in a legal stalemate. Because of this stagnation, many new personal injury lawsuits find themselves at the back of the line. Individual injury cases have a statute of limitations like any other legal proceeding, so not filing within the allotted time frame might see some victims lose out on their just compensation.

Delaying a case can also result in a loss for the plaintiff, even if you had a decent amount of evidence. Delays in personal injury cases can result in degradation or retraction of evidence and witnesses, which is detrimental to the case.

Many non-urgent cases are currently put on hold or postponed for months in advance. Sadly, most civil and personal injury lawsuits fall into this less emergent category. If a client filed a case before the beginning of the pandemic, the court date is likely delayed indefinitely or will proceed in a virtual setting.

Concerns regarding court proceedings and unemployment claims

Virtual court proceedings through applications like Skype and Zoom are the current norm. In these proceedings, all court personnel and involved parties enter a video call to carry out the process in place of being in the courtroom.

However, there are several issues with this type of court proceeding. Internet connectivity isn’t a reliable resource for many. Even in the world we live in today, an overwhelming number of people don’t have access to the Internet and therefore are unable to attend a virtual court hearing.

Another issue is that cybersecurity is an ever-present concern, so these video conferences are vulnerable to intrusion by outside parties, also called “Zoom bombers.” Much like a sudden interruption of an in-person proceeding would be disruptive, these cybersecurity concerns diminish the trustworthiness of the legal system.

In recent personal injury cases, plaintiffs have to wait for indefinite periods without settling. This long wait means that that person is potentially unable to work and without any income, leaving them thoroughly at the mercy of the scales.

Mass layoffs and business closures because of COVID-19 have led to an overwhelming and unprecedented number of unemployment claims. Unemployment, disability, and social security claims are all taking longer to process because of this increase, causing the plaintiffs involved in personal injury cases to go even longer without income.

Without income, clients can’t pay their lawyers, and with a significant delay in cases, fewer lawyers are offering pro-bono work, resulting in fewer personal injury cases than ever before.

Lapses in insurance

COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented number of layoffs and closures. In addition to the detrimental impact on income, people’s insurance policies are lapsing as well. Insurance lapses result in fewer people having the ability to seek medical treatment, which makes filing a personal injury case impossible to do.

Not only that, but the reduction in income is causing people to default on their bills, including car insurance. Lapses in car insurance mean that the driver has no personal injury protection in the case of a car accident, meaning that whoever is injured by an uninsured driver will be responsible for paying all expenses out of pocket.

The injured party would have a difficult time filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or personal insurance company because of all of the delays in individual injury cases at this time.

Final thoughts

COVID-19 has changed the climate surrounding court proceedings and medical treatment forever. The medical field and the legal field go hand-in-hand in personal injury cases, and with delays in both of them, clients are struggling more than ever to file claims.

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP