The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has reviewed reports of chondrolysis (necrosis and destruction of cartilage) in patients given continuous intra-articular infusions of local anesthetics with pain pumps, also known as elastomeric infusion devices, to control post-surgical pain. The local anesthetics were infused for between 48 and 72 hours directly into the intra-articular space.

Chondrolysis of the shoulder refers to the abrupt loss of cartilage between the bones of the shoulder joint. Symptoms may include: joint weakness, clicking, or popping; decreased range of motion in the affected joint; and severe pain.

FDA data showed that chondrolysis was diagnosed within a median of 8.5 months after beginning pain pump use. Almost all of the reported chondrolysis cases occurred following shoulder surgeries. Joint pain, stiffness, and loss of motion were reported as early as the second month after receiving the infusion. In more than half of the FDA reports, the patients required additional surgery, including arthroscopy or arthroplasty (joint replacement).

If you or a loved one have sustained an intra-articular pain pump injury or been diagnosed with chondrolysis, you may have a legal claim against the pain pump manufacturer. The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson offers a free legal consultation to evaluate your potential case and help protect your legal rights. Please contact us toll free at (800) 714-3204, or online. If you need immediate legal assistance with a pain pump lawsuit question, call Portland, Oregon personal injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson directly at (503) 975-8298.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (“EEOC”) has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against McDonald’s, alleging the fast food giant engaged in unlawful employment practices” by creating and maintaining a hostile work environment based on sex. The complaint asserts unwanted sexual comments and touching by a female assistant manager.

The EEOC is seeking punitive damages for what it calls “malicious and reckless” behavior by McDonald’s in failing to implement policies to protect against sexual harassment. Media reports of the complaint did not indicate how widespread the alleged absence of preventive policies might go. In 2007, however, Arizona and California McDonald’s franchisees settled claims of a class of teenage workers for $550,000.00, along with agreements to provide training on recognizing and preventing sexual harassment.

Underage workers may be particularly vulnerable to sexual harsasment and hostile work environments. If you or loved ones suspect that an Oregon employer may be subjecting you to such unlawful employment practices, the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson welcomes your contact. There is absolutely no fee for a consultation, and no obligation of any kind. Please use our contact form or call Portland, Oregon employment lawyer Dane Johnson directly at (503) 975-8298.

A Tennessee jury this week agreed that mesothelioma caused the death of Wayne Jackson, who worked as a pipefitter for over twenty years. Airborne particles containing microscopic asbestos fibers can become embedded in the lungs, causing serious lung diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. The fibrous mineral with heat and chemical resistance properties was used widely before most asbestos-containing products were banned in 1989. Pipefitters like Mr. Jackson remain at risk because of the long period required for asbestos-related diseases to develop. Others who may have been exposed include those who work with roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper and cement products, textiles, coatings, and friction products such as automobile clutch, brake and transmission parts.

The jury found that Mr. Jackson was exposed to asbestos that the defendant manufactured or sold and awarded a $1.4 million verdict. Attorneys for the surviving wife and family called it a “milestone victory for asbestos victims.”

The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson welcomes inquiries about mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or any asbestos exposure or injury. We will be happy to answer your questions with no fee for a consultation and no obligation of any kind. Please use our contact form or call Portland, Oregon personal injury lawyer Dane Johnson directly at (503) 975-8298.

Seniors and others at risk of falls or other health emergencies often wear personal help buttons to summon aid if needed. Unfortunately, some of these medical devices may themselves put patients at risk. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a consumer warning about one such device, Philips Lifeline Pendant Personal Help Button. Worn around the neck, the product may present a choking hazard. It has been linked to several serious personal injuries and at least three deaths.

Hundreds of thousands of the pendant-style buttons are in use, and the number of reported injury cases is quite low. The FDA therefore recommends that consumers assess the benefits and risks. A possible alternative is switching to a bracelet-style device worn on the wrist.

If you or a loved one uses a pendant or necklace type of medical alert device, you should be aware of the potential choking hazard. For additional information on the Philips Lifeline pendant, visit the FDA website, contact the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson, Portland, Oregon injury lawyer, or call us at (503) 975-8298.

Junior and senior high school athletics are the pride of many communities, but the young athletes who play football and other contact sports may be at risk of serious permanent harm due to traumatic brain injury. Maple Valley, Washington football player Zack Lystedt suffered a brain bleed after a concussion during a game three years ago. KOMO news is reporting that coaches didn’t take the youth out of the game. He began losing balance near the end of the game and collapsed when it finished.

A settlement with the school district has now ended the injury lawsuit, and the injury inspired a new law to protect young athletes from head injuries. A trainer or doctor’s written release will now be required before Washington’s youthful sports stars can get back on the playing field after head trauma. That’s a game plan other states should adopt.

If your loved one has suffered serious brain or spine injuries and you are seeking legal counsel, the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson welcomes your contact. There is absolutely no fee for a consultation, and no obligation of any kind. We consider traumatic injury cases on a contingent fee basis. Please use our contact form or call Portland, Oregon injury lawyer Dane Johnson directly at (503) 975-8298.

When trucker Sherrie Herbert’s employer fired her soon after she reported carbon monoxide poisoning from fumes in her truck cab, she sued for retaliation and discrimination. An Oregon trial court granted the employer’s motion for a directed verdict. Ms. Herbert appealed, and the Oregon Court of Appeals this week reversed on each of the Oregon employment law claims.

Oregon law prohibits unlawful employment practices including retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions, filing a workers’ compensation claim, and requesting reasonable accommodation as a person with disability. It’s an unlawful employment practice to retaliate against employees who have opposed any practice forbidden by the Oregon Safe Employment Act. Making a complaint related to a safe and healthy work environment is an employee’s right and one that an Oregon injury lawyer or employment law attorney can help protect.

Nor may an employer discriminate by failing to make reasonable accommodations for an otherwise qualified employee with disability or firing the employee for requesting an accommodation. Employers can’t fire, refuse to hire or promote, or pay less to workers because of disabilities.

If you suspect that you or a member of your family have faced retaliation or discrimination by your employer because of disability, filing a workers’ comp claim, reporting unsafe conditions, or any other reason, the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson welcomes your contact. There is absolutely no fee for a consultation, and no obligation of any kind. We handle employment cases on a contingent fee basis. Please use our contact form or call Portland, Oregon injury lawyer and employment law attorney Dane Johnson at (503) 975-8298.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) this week announced an agreement with Kohl’s department stores in which the mid-sized retailer will pay a $425,000.00 civil penalty for failing to report sales of children’s hooded drawstring sweatshirts. Kohl’s has nine Oregon locations, including Albany, Beaverton, Clackamas, Hillsboro, Medford, Portland. Salem, Springfield, and Wood Village.

Oregon parents should know that the CPSC recommends only outerwear with closures such as snaps, buttons, Velcro, or elastic. Drawstrings can put kids at risk of strangulation. The dangling cords may also become caught in school bus doors, increasing the chances of serious injury or death to young children.

If your child has a sweatshirt or other outerwear containing drawstrings, you should be aware of the potential danger. For information on safety guidelines for drawstrings, visit the CPSC website, contact the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson, Portland, Oregon injury lawyer, or call us at (503) 975-8298.

Oregon ranked 22nd among states for malignant mesothelioma deaths in the most recent data published by the Centers for Disease Control. The rare form of fatal lung cancer is linked with asbestos exposure, usually by breathing microscopic fibers.

Mesothelioma typically has a long latency period. Decades may pass between exposure and the onset of symptoms. Once the disease is discovered, the average survival time only about one year. A new study published in the current American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, however, offers hope for earlier detection and diagnosis.

Faster mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment could increase length and quality of life, as well as give patients more time to recover compensation for toxic occupational exposures. Survivors may struggle to prevail in claims against insurers in workers’ compensation claims for death benefits to which a deceased family member was entitled for asbestos exposure on the job. Knowing the cancer is there sooner will allow the mesothelioma sufferer to assist in proving the disease was work related, as well as relieve families of one burden as they cope with the loss of a loved one.

If you or a member of your family have been exposed to asbestos in any form at work, the Law Office of Dane E. Johnson welcomes your contact. There is absolutely no fee for a consultation, and no obligation of any kind. We handle personal injury cases including workers’ compensation claims on a contingent fee basis. Please use our contact form or call Oregon injury lawyer Dane Johnson at (503) 975-8298.

Oregon Personal Injury Lawyer

Accident Attorney Serving the Portland Area

The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson provides aggressive representation from start to finish for victims of accidents and serious injuries. Practicing in Oregon personal injury, car accident, and workers’ compensation cases, we will come to you over the phone, in your hospital room, at home, or online to discover the facts of your case and evaluate whether we may be able to help you recover compensation for serious losses and harms. We do not charge for consultations or case evaluations, and we do not charge fees until there has been a monetary recovery.

We Can Provide Help You Need After a Serious Accident
Portland injury lawyer and accident attorney Dane Johnson graduated with honors from Oregon’s public law school, the University of Oregon School of Law. He clerked with some of the state’s toughest lawyers in the Oregon Department of Justice Trial Division, gaining invaluable experience that now works for the rights of the seriously injured. The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson believes that by standing for those who can’t speak for themselves, we can help to restore justice to the law and dignity to the lives of victims and their families. We represent people who have been seriously injured or killed through negligence or wrongful conduct.

Contact an Experienced Oregon Personal Injury Attorney
An injury or accident lawyer can best help recover compensation if you make contact as soon as possible after a traumatic or tragic event. Contact Portland personal injury lawyer Dane E. Johnson to schedule a free initial consultation. Call our office toll free from anywhere in Oregon at (800) 714-3204.

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“I recently hired Dane Johnson to represent me in negotiations with Oregon Worker’s Comp. He did an excellent job in all respects. His initial consultation with me was thorough and his explanations as to what to expect on a time-line were accurate. This was after an initial failed attempt to work with a previous law firm out of the area.”

“Dane is to be commended for his continuous communications with me, and his style was always ‘just right’ in terms of aggressiveness versus workability in his dealings with the state agency. I wouldn’t hesitate a moment in recommending Dane to anyone needing representation in this area of the law.”
J.S., Beaverton

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M.C., Portland

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The collapse of the Dallas Cowboys indoor practice facility is the basis for the complaint filed recently by two seriously injured employees. Filed in Texas state court, the suit alleges gross negligence and seeks unspecified damages.

The building fell during a May 2, 2009, wind storm, paralyzing Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm from the waist down. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis sustained a broken vertebrae. Defendants include the structure’s designer and companies who built and repaired the facility.