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Four people were killed, while five others were injured, when a small airplane crashed into the top of a flight safety center at an airport in Wichita, Kansas, while trying to return to the runway shortly after takeoff, according to NBC News. The crash was reportedly the result of an engine failure, NBC News reported. According to radio traffic recorded by LiveATC.net, the operators of the plane declared an emergency immediately after takeoff, radioing to…

Senior Partner at Clifford Law Offices, Robert A. Clifford, wrote an article for GP Solo, a publication of the American Bar Association (ABA), “How to Pick and Talk to a Jury: Plaintiff Perspective.” In the article, Clifford goes into detail in regards to the jury. He discusses the role of the jurors, the ethics of voir dire, the importance of juror questionnaires, and more. He even provides several real-life examples of jurors in the courtroom….

Press Release October 27, 2014 Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices, is a Program Planning Chair and Moderator of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) Medical Malpractice Seminar to be held Saturday, Dec. 6. The half-day seminar includes several topics regarding the litigation of medical malpractice cases including the issue of “Informed Consent” that will be discussed by Clifford Law Offices’ partner Keith A. Hebeisen, a successful med mal attorney. Cosgrove recently obtained…

In the aftermath of the record setting number of recalls of General Motors, consumers must be skeptical whenever purchasing a used car, according to CBS News. The National Traffic Safety Administration estimated that one in every four recalled cars are never properly repaired, posing a serious danger to those who purchase used cars with defective parts, CBS News reported. In 2013 alone, 3.5 million used cars needing recall repairs were put up for sale on…

Pamela Sakowicz Menaker, Communications Partner at Clifford Law Offices, recently wrote an article that was published by the American Bar Association Litigation News on a recent court case that held that a defendant cannot be held liable in a products liability multi-district action if the company is compliant with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules. In a failure-to-warn complaint alleging the drug company, Merck, was negligent in its labeling following an injury to a patient,…

A study of telephone calls to poison control hotlines revealed that between 2002 and 2012, a child was subject to an out-of-hospital medication mistake approximately every eight minutes, Reuters reported. The number of mistakes marks an increase from previous years for every medication outside of cough and cold medicines, according to The Huffington Post. The reduction in errors pertaining to cough and cold medication is attributed to a prolonged educational campaign aimed at parents decreasing…

On Tuesday, October 7, 2014, Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices, was one of the “celebrity” instructors at Fred Lane’s ISBA Trial Technique Institute. Clifford lectured on the subject of opening statements. The institute, sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association, focuses on improving trial skills by hands-on learning. The students, who are practicing attorneys, practice trial techniques that are consistent with the Federal Rules of Evidence and Illinois’ Rules…

Litigation News October 21, 2014 By Pamela Sakowicz Menaker, Litigation News Contributing Editor A district court dismissed a product liability lawsuit against a drug manufacturer, concluding that the plaintiff failed to adequately allege a failure-to-warn claim against the company for its drug. In re Fosamax Products Liability Litigation (Gaynor v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.). The district court held that because the drug manufacturer complied with FDA requirements to change its warning label, the plaintiff’s…