| Healthcare |
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| VA Says Doctor Falsified Study |
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A former Army doctor who worked as a consultant for a medical company falsified a study on a bone-growth product used to treat soldiers injured in combat, according to officials at Walter Reed Medical Center. The hospital’s commander, Col. Norvell V. Coots, said Tuesday that the facility could not account for the number of patients or results cited in the study. The treatment at the center of the study in question, a Medtronic product called Infuse, has been the subject of recent investigations involving allegations of off-label marketing and questionable payments to doctors. Duff Wilson and Barry Meier, The New York Times 05/12/2009
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The New York Times
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| Issues |
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| Crash Reveals Gaps in Airline Safety |
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The February crash of a Continental Connection commuter plane near Buffalo appears to have revealed at least two serious shortcomings in airline safety, according to the New York Times. The captain of the flight, the newspaper says, had apparently failed several flight simulator tests and had not received training on a key safety system prior to the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board was scheduled to begin hearings on the crash on Tuesday. Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times 05/11/2009
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The New York Times
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| Laws/Cases |
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| Lawsuit Filed Over Swine Flu Death |
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The husband of a Texas woman who died of swine flu has taken preliminary steps toward filing a lawsuit against the world's largest hog producer and pig processor. An attorney for Steven Trunnell on Monday filed a petition seeking to determine what role conditions at the Smithfield Foods Inc. played in the spread of the virus. Thus far, federal officials have confirmed more than 3,000 cases of swine flu in the United States, including three deaths. Mary Ann Roser, Austin American Statesman 05/13/2009
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Austin American Statesman
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| Crandall Canyon Mine Case Settled |
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The families of workers killed or injured in the 2007 Crandall Canyon Mine collapse have reached a settlement with defendants, the Deseret News reports. An attorney for the families said they were relieved to put the tragedy behind them and were focusing on the future. The terms of the multiparty settlement were not disclosed. Six miners and three rescue workers were killed as a result of the collapse near Huntington in Emery County. Jason Lee, The Deseret News 05/12/2009
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The Deseret News
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| Lawsuit: Nursing Home Tried to Cover Up Attack |
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A suburban Chicago nursing home tried to cover up the sexual assault of a 69-year-old resident by another mentally ill resident, a lawsuit filed by family members claims. According to the suit, the Elgin facility failed to properly monitor young and potentially dangerous residents and tried to pass off the alleged assault as consensual sex. An attorney for the family called the incident the most egregious case of nursing home negligence he had seen. Carla K. Johnson, Chicago Tribune 05/12/2009
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Chicago Tribune
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| City Settles With Family of Child Killed by Gate |
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A Massachusetts city has agreed to pay $600,000 to the family of a child who was crushed when a 1,600-pound gate fell on him while he played at a local elementary school. The unsecured iron gate killed 11-year-old Timothy DiLeo and injured his younger brother on Labor Day 2007. State law caps settlement amounts in such cases at $600,000. AP, Boston Herald 05/13/2009
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Boston Herald
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| Gun Company Immune from Suit, Court Finds |
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A Georgia-based gun manufacturer cannot be held liable for damages stemming from a 1999 shooting rampage at a Los Angeles Jewish community center because the firm followed state and federal laws, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. The panel also held that a gun distributor, RSR Wholesale Guns Seattle Inc., was protected from the suit. However, victims of the shooting could pursue damages against an unlicensed Chinese company, the judges said. AP, San Jose Mercury News 05/11/2009
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San Jose Mercury News
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| Study |
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| Study Links Formaldehyde to Cancer |
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The National Cancer Institute is reporting that exposure to high levels of formaldehyde could increase the likelihood of developing cancers of the blood and lymphatic system. According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, workers exposed to the highest levels of the chemical were 37 percent more likely to die from blood and lymphatic cancers than workers with lower exposure levels. Data for the study were gathered from more than 25,000 workers who began working at formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin-producing plants prior to 1966. Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times 05/12/2009
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The New York Times
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