Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.
October 30, 2006ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |
The latest information you need to know.
October 30, 2006ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |It is not every day that a Circuit Court of Appeals sets aside as unconstitutional a federal tax statute. When the taxability of untold millions of dollars of personal injury settlements and verdicts is affected, people generally take note. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Aug. 22 struck down as unconstitutional an amendment made to Code ' 104(a)(2) (All references to the Code are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended). If the decision stands, it could be one of the most significant tax developments in decades.
October 30, 2006Scott P. BorsackIn September, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a congressionally created entity dedicated to the study of policy matters pertaining to the public health, issued the results of the study of federal drug safety policy commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The resulting report, titled 'The Future of Drug Safety, Promoting and Protecting the Health of the Public' and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has been widely anticipated in light of recent publicity surrounding Vioxx' and other drugs that, subsequent to FDA-approval, proved more dangerous than thought.
October 30, 2006Janice G. InmanTwo Supreme Court rulings, Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Kumho Tire v. Carmichael, have had a profound effect on the treatment of expert testimony in the courts. In 1993, the Supreme Court, in Daubert, articulated guidelines for admissibility of scientific expertise as testimony. Later, in 1999, in Kumho, the Court focused on the admissibility of clinical expertise as testimony. More recently there has been increasing recognition of the inconsistency of trial courts in their construction and articulation of evidentiary standards to medical testimony. One proposed remedy is that 'Physicians should respond by correcting courts' misinterpretations of medical practice and assisting in the development of legal standards that encourage thoughtful and informed consideration of medical testimony by judges and juries.'
October 30, 2006Harold J. Bursztajn, Milo Fox Pulde, Darlyn Pirakitikulr and Michael PerlinThe latest rulings of importance to you and your practice.
September 27, 2006ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |Recent happenings in this important arena.
September 27, 2006ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |It is becoming increasingly common for medical company representatives to be present in examination rooms, procedure rooms and even in operating rooms. Because of this trend, it is important not only for medical companies, but also for hospitals and physicians to be aware of the potential liability related to having these representatives present during examinations or procedures.
September 27, 2006Carrie N. Lowe and Trisha L. Lewis