Judge in Breivik case, playing cards in court.

   
       Ernst Henning Nielsen, one of the three judges presiding the case of the mass killer from Norway was caught playing cards on his laptop while Mattias Gardell, Swedish religious historian, was addressing court.
It seems, however that the history lesson was not interesting enough for judge Ernst Henning Nielsen who decided to enjoy a game of solitaire before the lunch break.

     The court's first reaction after the cameras caught this goof was to condemn the broadcasters for filming the judge's desk.
 “One of the conditions for broadcasting is that there should be no filming of the judges’ desk. There are notes and documents of a sensitive nature lying there,” said Irene Ramm spokeswoman for the district court. She then came back on a more friendly note : "The judges are attentively following what is being said and what is being presented to the court. There are different ways of staying focused."

    Anders Behring Breivik , age 33 is currently being judged for the attacks on July 22 2011 when he detonated a rigged car near a government building in Oslo. He then debarked on the island of  Utøya where the youth division of the Norvegian Labour Party was organizing a summer camp. Breivik pretended to be a cop and then opened fire killing 69 persons. A total of 77 persons were killed and another 242 were wounded on that tragic day by a man that claims to be leading a holy crusade against multiculturalism and "The muslim invasion" .
    Breivik's intolerance towards muslims may have roots in his early years when he apparently had some problems with some members of the muslim community in his hometown. At 7, his friend's father, Turkish, wrecked his bicycle  and at 15 he had a minor altercation with a Pakistani  underground driver for riding on the outside of a underground car, that ended up with Breivik's being slapped.

    At the moment  the courthouse is trying to establish if the "crusader" is to be sent to a regular prison or an insane asylum. Breivik's has confessed his crimes and denies any responsibility, regarding himself as a hero, but ironically he managed to prove one thing right : terrorism has no religion.

FELA - protecting railroad workers since 1908

        In the late 19 century and the beginning of 20th century the U.S. railroad companies thrived and expanded but the working conditions for the average Joe in this area were a bet with death. The number of deaths and injuries were of the order of thousands, and the victims may have been in the situation of waiting years for verdict in court if the railroad companies fought the decisions.
       Many of them wouldn't even go to court seeking their legal compensation fearing disciplinary action and retaliation.
     
       President Benjamin Harrison once compared the struggle and toil of a railroad worker to that of a soldier on the battlefield.
     "It is a reproach to our civilization that any class of American workmen, should in the pursuit of a necessary and useful vocation, be subjected to a peril of life and limb as great as that of a soldier in time of war".

      Something had to be changed. The gloomy statistics had to draw the attention of the legislation.

     The Federal Employers Liability Act was passed by Congress in 1908 and it meant that railroad workers had the right to sue their employers for  damages if they were injured while doing their job since they were not covered by  regular workers’ compensation laws.
       
       Ever since, FELA was a guardian for a safe working environment, even if conditions have surely changed since the late 1800. FELA also has been protecting workers from the pressure exercised by companies against those who want to seek legal consultation when they feel their rights are violated. 

      As an  example , it's a little known fact that sometimes workers who have sustained injuries are entitled to more than just compensation since their employers will always seek to minimize their costs on the legal battlefield.

     The best advice for a victim of a work accident in the railroad bussiness is to contact an experienced  FELA attorney

   

Pradaxa Injury - Boehringer Ingelheim plays dumb

     This month it seems I've written a lot about medical problems and medical lawsuits. And now I find myself writing about another miracle drug that has been proved to do more harm than good in a lot of cases. Before that though , I must clarify that I am not under no circumstance advertising these pharmaceutical products ,nor am I trying to give them a bad name. A lot of people have been taking them and it improved their condition, but however there is still a great number of patients who have been complaining of some serious side-effects. Side-effects that in some cases put their life in danger.

     Pradaxa is an anticoagulant mainly used for treating pacients with  atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that leads to abnormal heart beats. Without treating, atrial fibrillation could lead to blood clots and strokes so an anticoagulant drug could mean the difference between life and death for those unfortunate to have this condition. 



     Pradaxa was released in 2010 , brought on the market by   Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and it quickly gain popularity over its predecesor and competitior, Warfarin, mainly for being more user-friendly as the patient does not need to do regular blood test or have any food restrictions. 
     
     However, the magic did not last long after it have been reported that Pradaxa may have some fatal side-effects as severe bleeding injuries were in patients who were taking Pradaxa, injuries that sometime lead to death. FDA was flooded with reports of victims suffering from internal bleedings after using the anticoagulant drug and by the second  quarter of 2011, the number of deaths sky-rocketed to 117.
     Symptomes included: 

            • Severe headaches
            • Repeated nosebleeds
            • Constant fatigue
            • Weakening or swelling in the body’s joints, arms, hands, legs, ankles or feet
            • Feeling dizzy
            • Unusual bruises or bleeding, particularly in the gums
            • Vomiting blood
            • Coughing up blood
            • Menstrual or vaginal bleeding that is heavier than normal

      Keep in mind that the FDA approved Pradaxa in October 2010 and here we are, less than a year later , 117 people died.  
     Despite this,  Boehringer Ingelheim, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Pradaxa ,  dabigatran by its chemical name, indirectly dismissed any accusation, by saying that Pradaxa is as safe as any anticoagulant drug on the market and the risk it's similar for any other blood thinner. I must admit, I'm not a doctor,or a pharmacist, but seeing as Pradaxa's popularity was mainly based on the "user-friendly" part I'm a little confused of how this drug has the same potential risk of its competitors that require some serious medical tests before administering. But like I said, I'm not an expert.

      To make things worse, while other blood thinners drugs had an antidote, Pradaxa had no such thing even though this thing was actually marketed as a good thing. The logic? Pradaxa is better , more efficient and also easier to use. 

       And things go further . This year, in January, a study conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and involving 30514 patients proved that the use of Pradaxa lead to a 33 percent higher risk of heart attack. 

       Wasn't Pradaxa supposed to do just the opposite? 
        So, where's   Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals reaction? I guess as a cynical guy that I am the only thing I could do is point out the fact that maybe, striking deals with the victims cost a lot less than retreating the product of the market. 

         If what lead you to this article was the fact that you  or someone you know dealt with some serious problem because of Pradaxa the only thing I could recommend you is to seek the advice of a Pradaxa injury lawyer