October 1, 2020 The phrase “pre-existing condition” is a term of art that has been cropping up more and more frequently in recent news cycles. In the context of medical malpractice, a “pre-existing condition” is an illness or injury that a person sustains before the negligent medical treatment. There is a common misconception that a claim for medical… Read more >
September 24, 2020 When people learn of a childhood sex abuse scandal, their mind may reflexively think of clergymen or camp counselors. However, while the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Church have regularly appeared front and center in the news for the horrifying sexual abuse that ran rampant within their respective organizations, they are by far… Read more >
May 27, 2020 The COVID-19 virus has put an enormous strain on the Connecticut court system. It has never confronted such a significant challenge. The Court is now faced with major issues in commencing jury trials for all cases, including medical malpractice cases. Safety presents significant concerns. For instance, how will jurors be able to be safe in… Read more >
February 26, 2020 STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM BAR ASSOCIATION ON THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN GUILTY VERDICT Over 80 survivors stood in strength and unity to speak out against a serial abuser. Eighty incredibly brave women faced not only their abuser, but a barrage of attacks in the media and victim-blaming in the courts. We are hopeful that… Read more >
January 23, 2020 By Angelo A. Ziotas (Excerpted from the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association FORUM, Fall 2019) — Try your case, be prepared to pounce and be sure to create your record for appeal. The party that prevails at trial most often succeeds in framing the dispute on his or her own terms. So, you must prepare your… Read more >
December 19, 2019 “We have had the good fortune of having a dedicated, long-serving staff that has been essential to our litigation successes over the past four decades. We thank them for their support in ensuring that our clients receive adequate compensation for their injuries” — Richard A. Silver, Esq.
August 16, 2019 Consumer products were involved in nearly three out of four nonfatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to U.S. children treated in emergency rooms between 2010 and 2013. According to a new study published in Brain Injury, a startling 72.2% of TBI-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations among children and adolescents up to 19 years of age… Read more >
March 13, 2019 A recent USA Today and Naples Daily News article headlined “Florida plastic surgery clinics cut prices, boost ads, and eight women died” (February 1, 2019) lays out in painful detail the life-threatening consequences of states failing to regularly and thoroughly inspect healthcare facilities. According to the article, a Miami physician built a national plastic surgery… Read more >
January 28, 2019 With a standard car on the road today weighing an average of 4,000 pounds and a tractor-trailer truck carrying up to 80,000 pounds, collisions involving cars and tractor-trailers are some of the most devastating motor vehicle accidents. Many of these catastrophic, life-changing accidents are caused by negligent truck drivers who are tired from lack of… Read more >
January 3, 2019 For centuries, our civil justice system has relied on open trials, ultimately evolving into a presumption of public access to court proceedings and records, which remains a fundamental part of our judicial system today. This presumption of public access is grounded in the public’s interest in monitoring the judicial process. Such access enhances public confidence… Read more >
December 11, 2018 The Merck Manual of 1899 was a guide to the general practitioner as to the appropriate remedy or remedies for various illnesses. Some of the following are treatments and poultices recommended in the 1899 Manual: Headaches Bleeding Chloroform Mustard: Poultice to nape of neck Palpations of the Heart Cocaine Digitalis Hot bath Diabetes insipidus… Read more >
November 12, 2018 In Connecticut, drivers are required to have a minimum amount of liability car insurance — $25,000 for bodily injury, per person per accident, and $50,000 for bodily injury, total per accident. As such, there are many Connecticut drivers that choose this minimum amount of coverage over a much more comprehensive, but only slightly more expensive,… Read more >
November 9, 2018 In this week’s New England Journal of Medicine, November 8, 2018, Vol. 379, No. 19, Page 1851, there is a detailed discussion of decision making for neo-natal babies in reference to hypoxic encephalopathy, degenerative neurologic diseases and even brain death. This article discusses ethical decisions in reference to when treatment is futile or should be… Read more >
November 6, 2018 A PROBATE & ESTATES COMMITTEE LUNCHEON PROGRAM CO-SPONSORED BY THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY BAR ASSOCATION (FCBA) WITH THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION FCBA Co-Chairs: Mark Chioffi & Michael Clear At the office of Fairfield County Bar Association 970 Summer Street, Stamford, CT WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2018 NOON to 2:00 PM PRESENTED BY: Stefania L. Bartlett, Esq.… Read more >
November 6, 2018 The cost of care for a brain-damaged child as the result of physician medical negligence is enormous. Extensive, costly supportive care is required for cerebral palsy in children and often continues into adulthood. The lifetime cost of caring for someone suffering from cerebral palsy at birth is projected into the millions of dollars (Centers for… Read more >
November 2, 2018 Medical malpractice attorneys conduct medical research on medical issues in the particular cases in which they are involved. It is my opinion that in addition to this case-specific research, it is helpful to keep up-to-date with current medical literature. The New England Journal of Medicine is an excellent source to keep current with major medical… Read more >
April 11, 2017 When complications arise during the birth of a baby, the result can be heartbreaking injuries to the infant or the mother. Birth injuries are some of the most devastating personally and financially and are often complicated to prove. These injuries can be extensive — impairment of motor function, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex,… Read more >
April 6, 2017 Friday, April 7, 2017 Grassy Hill Country Club, 441 Clark Lane, Orange CT 06477 9:00 AM – 1:15 PM Register Member Fee: $225.00 Member (licensed 5 years or less) Fee: $155.00 Law Student Fee: $0.00 Non-Member Fee: $280.00 add to calendar CLE Credits Members who purchase and listen to the audio version of materials… Read more >
March 30, 2017 Apology laws are designed to reduce medical malpractice lawsuits by allowing doctors to apologize to patients or their families, with those statements prohibited from being admissible in a lawsuit. However, a recent Vanderbilt University study found that these laws do not limit medical malpractice lawsuits. After analyzing 3,517 malpractice claims, the researchers found that apology… Read more >
September 29, 2016 According to a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (“Hospitalists and the Decline of Comprehensive Care,” September 15, 2016), the hospitalist model has provided such benefits as reductions in length of stay, cost of hospitalization and readmission rates – all hospital-defined metrics. But what is its impact on overall health, total costs… Read more >
September 15, 2016 Over the years, I have written much about the impact of medical errors in medical malpractice cases, and now a new study has found them to be a much larger problem than previously thought — medical errors or unintended drug side effects occur in nearly 50% of surgeries. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston… Read more >
August 31, 2016 Healthcare professionals and insurers have started mining recent medical malpractice lawsuits in order to learn how to make fewer mistakes and improve the quality of care. They are looking at tried, settled and dismissed lawsuits to find out the reasons that doctors are sued and are then sharing these findings with doctors and hospitals in… Read more >
June 20, 2016 The airline industry is considered to be second to none in safety. Airplanes are designed and built to fly safely and efficiently. Pilots are focused solely on flying their planes. Crew members and ground support are dedicated to ensuring the safety of the planes both in the air and on the ground. Compare this to… Read more >
April 25, 2016 The scope and nature of damages in childhood sexual abuse cases brought against institutional and other defendants is broader than one might expect. Some of the damages caused by childhood sexual abuse have long been recognize — horrific physical violation and a lifetime of feelings of terrible shame, guilt and secrecy that can permeate every… Read more >
April 20, 2016 The recent spate of sexual abuse cases lodged against educational and youth-centered organizations, such as boarding or preparatory schools, YMCAs and the Boy Scouts of America, raises issues regarding which theory of negligence will prove most effective at trial. A common mistake made by many plaintiffs’ attorneys is to seek to hold the parent organization… Read more >
March 30, 2016 Individual voir dire is an important Constitutional and statutory right in Connecticut which provides the litigants an opportunity to discover a potential juror’s bias and prejudices. The fundamental purpose of voir dire is not to select appropriate jurors, but rather to eliminate potential jurors who have strong bias and prejudices that will be harmful to… Read more >
March 10, 2016 By Angelo A. Ziotas Like most personal injury cases, premises liability cases arise from circumstances in which someone responsible for the safety of another fails to take care for that other person when he or she should have. Unlike other personal injury cases, however, the responsibility of the person owning or controlling the property, whether… Read more >
March 7, 2016 By Richard A. Silver, Co-chair, Medical Malpractice Committee, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association; Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs Office-based solo practitioners face the majority of medical malpractice lawsuits, according to a recent survey of nearly 4,000 primary care physicians and selected specialists conducted by Medscape and contained in the… Read more >
March 3, 2016 How to Identify & Prove Head Injuries, Emotional Distress & Chronic Pain Through Expert Testimony Speakers Paul A. Slager, Esq. (Co-Chair) Silver Golub & Teitell LLP Anastasios T. Savvaides, Esq. (Co-Chair) Tooher Wocl & Leydon, LLC Vincent Carlesi, MD Pain Management Associates of CT, PC Jeffrey Deitz, MD Fairfield County Psychiatry Robert P. Tepley,… Read more >
February 29, 2016 By Richard A. Silver, Co-chair, Medical Malpractice Committee, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association; Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs In the first study that measured medication errors and adverse drug events during the perioperative period, nearly half of the operations included at least one medication error or adverse drug event,… Read more >
February 24, 2016 By Richard A. Silver, Co-chair, Medical Malpractice Committee, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association; Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Medical Malpractice – Plaintiffs Only 1% of U.S. doctors are responsible for the largest share of paid medical malpractice claims – some 32%, according to a Stanford University study that was recently published in The… Read more >
February 5, 2016 There is little disagreement among attorneys that arguing damages is one of the most sensitive and delicate elements of the entire trial process. However, to maximize the damages of a case based on solid evidence and supporting testimony, there are a number of ways both in preparing for trial and during trial to reach that… Read more >
January 13, 2016 A Comprehensive Overview and Analysis of Premises Liability Law for All Levels of Experience Speakers Angelo A. Ziotas, Esq. (Co-Chair) Silver Golub & Teitell LLP Michael J. Walsh, Esq. (Co-Chair) Walsh Woodard LLC John R. Logan, Esq. Logan & Mencuccini, LLP Stephanie Z. Roberge, Esq. Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, LLC Agenda Supreme and Appellate… Read more >
November 24, 2015 Senior partner Richard A. Silver and attorney Michael R. Kennedy presented a “Primer on Medical Negligence for Medical Students” at the Frank H. Netter, MD, Medical School at Quinnipiac University on Monday, November 23. Attorney Silver is a member of both the Board of Trustees of Quinnipiac’s Medical School and the Advisory Board of the university’s… Read more >
November 23, 2015 Silver Golub & Teitell is proud to have once again flown the Elmo balloon at the Stamford Thanksgiving parade, sharing the honors with Emmett & Glander. According to the Stamford Advocate, more than 100,000 people — a crowd nearly the size of the entire population of Stamford — were expected to attend. They gathered on… Read more >
November 13, 2015 Speakers Brian M. Flood, Esq. (Co-Chair) The Flood Law Firm, LLC Richard A. Silver, Esq. (Co-Chair) Silver Golub & Teitell LLP Pamela L. Cameron, Esq. Moore O’Brien & Foti Peter M. Dreyer, Esq. Silver Golub & Teitell LLP John J. Kennedy, Jr., Esq. Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, LLC Sean K. McElligott, Esq. Koskoff Koskoff… Read more >
October 22, 2015 David S. Golub received a Professional Excellence Award from the Connecticut Law Tribune at a special event at the New Haven Lawn Club last night. For years, the Law Tribune has honored young up-and-coming lawyers, calling them New Leaders of the Law. The Professional Excellence Awards serve as a sort of bookend, honoring attorneys with 30 or more years… Read more >
August 24, 2015 SGT partner Paul A. Slager will speak at The Norwalk Youth Concussion Summit tonight on “Educating Coaches and Parents Does Not Increase Liability” and will also moderate a panel with several local youth sports representatives. Hosted by the Mayor of Norwalk, Harry Rilling, the Norwalk Department of Health, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and Executive… Read more >
August 5, 2015 By Angelo A. Ziotas Several news outlets across Connecticut reported this week that there are 14 estate plaintiffs and two personal injury plaintiffs (survivors) in the consolidated actions against the Estate of Nancy Lanza. This is incorrect. There had been two personal injury plaintiffs, but those two actions were withdrawn in April. Presently, there are… Read more >
July 2, 2015 As we celebrate the Fourth of July two days from now, marking the adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, how much do we really know about this document? There are many surprising facts about one of our most important founding documents that most of us simply don’t know. On… Read more >
July 2, 2015 The firm takes great pride in its commitment to corporate social responsibility, and as part of that commitment, we sponsor as a firm or through individual partners support many worthy causes and organizations throughout Connecticut. Looking back at last month, for instance, we sponsored: The Bartlett Arboretum’s “A Summer Fete,” on June 4, an evening of… Read more >
June 30, 2015 The Connecticut Law Tribune is proud to announce the winners of its first-ever Professional Excellence Awards, including David S. Golub of Silver Golub & Teitell LLP. The state’s legal newspaper has honored young up-and-coming lawyers for years calling them New Leaders of the Law. The Professional Excellence Awards serve as a sort of bookend, honoring… Read more >
June 17, 2015 It is hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I was president of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA)! That was the year we first moved to Water’s Edge for our full day meeting; the Workers Compensation Committee was formally created to recognize the work being done by the folks in that part of our… Read more >
May 13, 2015 Freedom of Speech? Freedom of Religion? Protection from Self-Incrimination? Due Process of Law? Among the many freedoms in the Bill of Rights and the Connecticut Constitution is one that often goes unnoticed. It is the right to a jury trial in suits at common law, which includes negligence. Specifically, the Seventh Amendment provides: “In Suits… Read more >
April 30, 2015 A bill currently before Connecticut lawmakers — raised as H.B. No. 6722, An Act Concerning Concussions in Youth Athletics — would expand protections to children ages 7-18 in sports outside of school. Under the proposed bill, beginning in 2016, anyone hosting a youth athletic activity would need to provide an annual statement regarding concussions to… Read more >
March 30, 2015 It seems that every day we learn more about the damage concussions can do to young athletes. As adults, we have a responsibility to give each other the information and resources to deal with the prevention and treatment of concussions. In 2010, Connecticut lawmakers responded to this issue by adopting An Act Concerning Student Athletes and Concussions,… Read more >
March 27, 2015 Unlike lawyers who try to indoctrinate potential jurors during the process, I believe that the most important goal of voir dire is to obtain information about the potential juror. Jury research shows that when you try to indoctrinate or shape a juror’s thinking about a case, you end up not only failing to achieve that… Read more >
August 20, 2014 By Marilyn J. Ramos What is uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance coverage? This is insurance you pay for as part of your automobile insurance policy. It protects you in the event you are injured in a motor vehicle accident and the person who caused the accident does not have insurance or has insufficient insurance to pay… Read more >
June 9, 2014 By Richard A. Silver The Institute of Medicine, in its seminal 1999 work “To Err Is Human,” indicated that there were more than 100,000 deaths per year as a result of medical errors in hospitals in the United States. More recent studies have shown that there has been a dramatic increase in deaths due to… Read more >
