Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC:
Personal Injury Attorneys & Car Accident Lawyers
Serving San Diego, California Since 1992

New information reported by the Archives of Surgery have shown that patients who lack insurance are more likely to die from traumatic injuries.  Data compiled from about 687,000 patients who visited trauma centers in a four year period (2002-2006) found the odds of dying from injuries were nearly twice as high for the uninsured than their insured counterparts. Read the full article →

According to a new federal report acquired by the Associated Press, a large increase in improper payments from the Medicare program has increased concern about costs.  The report says that as much as $47 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims were made.  That figure triples the number from the previous year.

It isn’t yet known whether or not Medicare fraud is becoming more prevelant.  What is known is that too many people rely on Medicare for medical bill payments, and that’s a problem that could make it harder for honest people to afford medical treatment. Read the full article →

You know the damage that car accidents and motorcycle accidents cause, but have you ever heard of an insurance accident?  As the raging debate over healthcare continues in the United States, you might become more familiar with that term in the near future.

A new study from the Harvard Medical School shows that uninsured injured persons had a 39% higher chance of experiencing a wrongful death following a major personal injury than a person who was both personally injured and insured. Read the full article →

The new health care reform proposal from the U.S. House of Representatives would use government subsidies to help low- and middle-income Americans receive health insurance.  The proposal affects different groups of Americans in different ways.  People who are insured, people who aren’t insured as well as employers and the health care industry are all affected in some way by reform to help Americans with health conditions and personal injury. Read the full article →

Pfizer has been ordered to pay $75 million in punitive damages (damages meant to be a punishment) to a woman from Illinois who contracted cancer after taking a menopause treatment made by Pfizer’s Wyeth unit.  The Philadelphia jury ordered the settlement on October 26, 2009 to pay a bad-conduct award about 20 times larger than the $3.7 million in damages the same panel of jurors gave Connie Barton.

Our firm’s San Diego personal injury lawyers believe drug making companies should help people recover with their medical conditions, not cause new ones.  Read the full article →

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes the most responsibility in approving drugs and treatments for people with health conditions that need new medicines.  According to a 2007 survey conducted by the Institute of Medicine, 1.5 million people suffered health conditions from “adverse drug effects.”

“I was frankly stunned at the scope of the problem,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg during a news conference last week.

Could this study imply the FDA isn’t doing its job in preventing adverse prescription drug side effects? Read the full article →

The United States government is currently deliberating over the prospect of providing low-cost health care to all Americans in case of personal injury.  But what are the exact details of this new insurance that will be provided and will it really show positive results?

First off, the government is debating whether to implement a public-plan health insurance program, but that does not mean that you can see a doctor for free.  Like the current government run programs, Medicare and Medicaid, this new plan would cover individuals who must purchase cheap insurance on their own instead of buying it through their employer at a lower rate.  Read the full article →

A new study comprised by researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston that analyzed National Center for Health Statistics shows a large amount of children’s injuries and harmful medical conditions have been the result of drug side effects.

The researchers looked at data from a ten-year period (1995-2005) and determined that over 585,000 children had to be checked into the hospital for adverse drug events (ADEs).  Most visits from these children were to outpatient clinics, but a good amount (22 percent) were treated at ER departments. Read the full article →

For years women have been taking oral contraceptives in order to avoid unplanned pregnancies.  Numerous birth control pills are on the market in order to fit each woman’s bodily structure – some pills might offer less estrogen or more in order to fit each woman’s specific needs.

These contraceptives are supposed to help women, but two of the most popular pills — Yaz and Yasmin — have actually caused concern in users after blood clots, strokes and other health problems have been reported. Read the full article →

Medical malpractice reform in the United States has always been a serious topic among the healthcare industry.

Large settlements are becoming more and more rare, however, because some states across the country now have a cap on medical malpractice settlements.  States like Texas have a $250,000 cap on medical malpractice settlements, which basically means if you are awarded a medical malpractice settlement, you are limited to getting $250,000 regardless of what the actual settlement is.

If you have personal injuries from medical negligence, would you think this is fair? Read the full article →

Medical malpractice is an all too common occurrence in the medical profession, causing people like you a tremendous amount of pain and suffering.

Our firm’s San Diego personal injury attorneys believe that if a court of law rules that any health care professional is negligent in their treatment of your injury they should be held responsible for your lost wages, high medical bills and any emotional trauma you may endure. Read the full article →

A man from Sargent — a neighborhood in Dallas, Texas — received a medical malpractice settlement of just over $4 million from a jury in Fort Bend, Texas.

Bill Orton received what is considered the second biggest medical malpractice settlement in the history of the county of Fort Bend.  Orton filed the medical malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Guillermo Ponce de Leon who performed a small intestine resection surgery back in 2003. Read the full article →

People with personal injuries large and small will likely have to deal with medical bills.  Some medical bills are understandably higher than others — without a doubt, taping a sprained ankle costs a little bit less than neurosurgery.  As such, a new survey sponsored by America’s Health Insurance Plans was given to insurers to find out some of the highest bills of 2008.  Their findings add to the controversy about government health care which would help many pay medical bills.

Our firm’s experienced San Diego personal injury lawyers can sometimes help you get medical treatment for many injuries.  If you are in a car accident, for example, the amount of medical bills can be very high if head injuries or spinal cord injuries (i.e. paraplegia & quadriplegia) occur.
Read the full article →

A popular spinal cord injury treatment is being studied after it was found that the treatment potentially does not cure any injuries in those who underwent the procedure.

The treatment, vertebroplasty, injects acrylic cement into bones in the spinal column to ease the pain from cracks caused by osteoporosis.

Our firm’s San Diego personal injury attorneys believe that any surgical procedure or treatment should be thoroughly tested before it is used in order to limit the amount of injuries — especially when it comes to an organ as delicate and important as the spinal cord.  When procedures are not tested for their potential harm to individuals more severe injuries may result, including paralysis (paraplegia & quadriplegia). Read the full article →

Insured patients typically make a small co-payment when they see a doctor, and later get billed for anything else they owe.  This is not the case anymore as more and more health-care providers are forcing patients to pay the entire medical bills at the time of service.

That could include paying amounts a patient owes toward their health plan’s deductible and a percentage of the cost of care under a co-insurance requirement.  Patients who are uninsured also are being asked for money upfront, or at least signed up for a payment plan. Read the full article →

The cost of medical bills for injury continues to rise, and there has been a movement by the government to change the way the country deals with health care.  In the meantime, a new industry looks to help people with high medical bills get them paid.

Medical billing advocates the are middlemen and women that help patients deal with paperwork and arguments frequently associated with paying back medical bills.  In general, they find errors in bills, negotiate with your insurer to appeal coverage denials or negotiate lower fees with care providers. Read the full article →

Our firm’s personal injury attorneys in San Diego know the lengths our clients will go to in order to relieve pain from injury or correct problems with various parts of the body.  It seems like few injuries invoke the hope of science than paralysis.

Spinal cord damage (i.e. paraplegia & quadriplegia) can dramatically reduce your quality of life.  The inability to use your extremities can make it hard or impossible to perform even the simplest of functions.

But breakthroughs in medical treatment are happening every year, and one area of treatment getting a lot of attention is regenerative medicine.  The use of stem cells to regenerate specialized cells — like brain cells, nerve cells or spinal cells — can treat what are currently incurable injuries. Read the full article →

With any new idea, arguments are either made for or against it.  If notes were taken during the caveman era, archeologists may have found tablets that possibly document arguments against the creation of the wheel.  When it comes to stem cells, there is plenty of controversy to go around.

As stated before, the controversy behind stem cell research stems from the use of embryos (fertilized eggs) to be harvested and later destroyed.  Pro-life supporters argue the value of life principle, which is a basis of Roman Catholic doctrine that implies that these embryos are valuable and should not be destroyed. Read the full article →

The San Diego personal injury lawyers from our firm are encouraged by the possibilities of new medical treatments from stem cells that might help people with paralysis (i.e. paraplegia & quadriplegia).

In part one of our Stem Cell Research Series, we introduced the basics of a new type of medicine called regenerative medicine.  It all starts with stem cells, which are being talked about as the future of medical treatment for some permanent disabilities. Read the full article →

One of the worst injuries any motorist can get in a car accident is a spinal cord injury.  Injuries to the spinal cord often lead to a lack of mobility, loss of control of bodily functions and even cause paralysis. 

However, a new study has found a unlikely aid in the recovery of spinal cord injuries for patients: blue dye.  Found in M&M’s and Gatorade, the chemical Brilliant Blue G (BBG) could help patients recover from life-threatening and debilitating spinal cord injuries if administered during the healing process. Read the full article →

The personal injury attorneys at our San Diego firm handle cases where clients suffer catastrophic spinal cord injuries.  There are many people who currently live a paralyzed life.

For example, car accidents cause thousands of paralysis injuries every year.  Serious paralysis injuries (i.e. paraplegia & quadriplegia) can lead to permanent damage and change a person’s life forever.  Treatment for spinal cord injuries is somewhat limited, and many people that are paralyzed never regain the use of their legs or limbs ever again — severely diminishing their quality of life.

One possible future medical treatment that has given hope to paraplegics and quadriplegics is stem cell treatment. Read the full article →

Imagine a world where all of your medical records are already there for your doctor to view on a computer in the examination room.  Digital medical bills could be closer to a reality that you might think.

With President Barack Obama pledging $50 billion over the next five years for that very cause, the question should not be whether or not medical records will go digital; the real question is whether it will ultimately lower or raise your medical bills. Read the full article →

One of President Barack Obama’s administration’s goals is an overhaul of the healthcare system.  Obama took every chance that arose to talk about a system that needs to move past the conventional.

In a technologically savvy move, the administration is promoting the idea of electronic medical records, or EMRs.  The plan calls for a switch from manual record keeping to a national computerized system that will assign procedures as well as calculate costly medical bills. Read the full article →

Imagine yourself getting in a car accident or any accident that requires medical treatment, that includes surgery.  The economy is down and medical costs are up.  One solution these days is getting needed surgery overseas.  But is that what is best for your body?

In a July meeting of the American Medical Association last year, the association reported that over 150,000 Americans elected to have surgery done overseas rather than have procedures done in the states. The rising medical costs for procedures in the United States make being a “medical tourist” a very attractive alternative. Read the full article →