Robbins & Associates, PC

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You're driving down the street and notice a car just ahead swerving. As you keep your distance you wonder if maybe it's a drunk driver. At the next light you look over to see the driver is engaged in a conversation on their cell phone. It happens thousands of times every day in Atlanta and across the country and it's a prominent cause of distracted driving auto accidents. That's why more states are looking at prohibiting or at least restricting cell phone use by drivers. Currently there are six states with complete bans on hand held cell phone use. In Georgia the only drivers who are banned from cell phone use behind the wheel are school bus drivers.

Restricting cell phone use like many other freedoms people enjoy can be a political hot button. Finding a balance between the rights of the user and the rights of those whom they may injure when their use isn't conducted in a prudent manner is difficult to prove and to balance. Just because cell phone use behind the wheel is a legal activity in Georgia doesn't mean that someone who causes an accident while talking or texting shouldn't be held accountable.

You may have seen the other party on the phone just before the accident but it may be difficult to prove. But if you've been injured by someone talking or texting while driving they should be responsible for paying for the damages and injury you've suffered.

If you've been a victim of a distracted driver, please contact Atlanta car accident attorneys, Robbins & Associates, P.C., today for help getting the compensation you deserve.

Early detection is the number one factor that impacts a positive outcome for cancer treatment. That's why the discussion of a delay or failure to diagnosis cancer is so important to anyone who is suffering from cancer or has a loved one who is. The 'C' word, cancer, is something you never want to hear from your physician. If you have received a diagnosis of cancer and it's not in the beginning stages, it's normal to question what your doctor could have done to find the cancer sooner. The prevalence of delayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose raises questions about physicians everywhere including in Atlanta and elsewhere in the state of Georgia.

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Even with all of the different types of cancer medical advances make the ability to detect and diagnose it more effective all the time. Because of the advancements in detection ability, it is even more difficult to accept a doctor's failure to diagnose or to diagnose in a timely manner, but still it happens.

Some of the types of cancer that doctors commonly fail to diagnose include: Cervical, Colon, Breast, Prostate, and Esophageal. Each of these types of cancer has either very distinctive symptoms, established effective detection methods, or both. Another thing that each of these types of cancer has in common is that with early detection the prognosis is good. That's why timely and accurate diagnosis is essential. If you or a loved one have received a diagnosis of cancer and you think that the outcome isn't as good as it could be because of a delayed or misdiagnosis please contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Robbins & Associates, PC.

The justice department recently announced that two companies headquartered in Atlanta were among five defendants ordered to pay $14 million to settle a qui tam lawsuit. Qui tam (Latin for whistleblower) provides a mechanism for combating government fraud. In these economic times citizens are more attuned than ever to issues of fraud, waste and abuse that steal the resources of our tax dollars from their intended purposes.

Qui tam provides an avenue for someone who has information on fraud to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in award. If you are an employee or former employee of a government or government contractor organization and you have knowledge of goods or services charged for but not received, negotiating or pricing manipulations, or other circumstances that you believe are defrauding the government you may have a basis for filing a qui tam action. Others who can initiate a qui tam action include competitors and subcontractors who have knowledge of the fraud.

If you think that you have knowledge about fraud that could result in a qui tam action your actions are very important. The essential first step is contacting an attorney who has experience in prosecuting these cases. News reports and movies have documented many cases of whistleblowers and the challenges of fighting big business and government. One ingredient in each of the stories that's consistent is that the "whistleblower" initiates a series of events that is much more complex than they are prepared to deal with alone.

Please do not hesitate to contact Atlanta qui tam attorneys Robbins & Associates, P.C. if you think you have information that could result in a qui tam lawsuit.

They say that the fear of public speaking is the number one fear that people have. It's a safe bet that they probably didn't survey people who are facing a need for surgery. The fear of surgery has also been touted as number one. When you consider what a surgical procedure entails and how many people you have to count on to do their jobs just right it’s understandable. Add to the inherent anxiety the stories you hear in the news about surgical malpractice cases in Atlanta and around the country, and many people might rather live with their condition. Unfortunately, with most surgeries that's not an option.

If you've been diagnosed with a condition that requires surgery what should you do? Getting a second opinion is always a good idea and something that most insurance companies require. Of course, it's not an option if you need emergency surgery but if it's not an emergency situation get one even if it's not required by your insurance. The second opinion gives you an opportunity to validate the diagnosis and recommended treatment. If there's a difference of opinion between the surgeons you might even consider a third opinion. Through the process you will become more comfortable with the decision to have the surgery and will have exposure to more than one surgeon so that you can make an informed choice of who you are going to entrust your life to.

Even the best surgeons make mistakes. Becoming a victim of surgical malpractice can happen even if you've done your homework. If you live in the Atlanta area or anywhere in Georgia and this has happened to you please contact the surgical medical malpractice lawyers at Robbins & Associates, PC.

Every year 1.5 million people are injured or made sick by medication mistakes and 100,000 of those people die. Those numbers include mistakes made by physicians and other medical caregivers, pharmacists, and the patients to whom the medications are prescribed. With that high an incidence of medication mistakes, you can deduce that there are a huge number in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.

It is the responsibility of the physician to ensure that the right meds in the right dosage are prescribed. The pharmacist and others administering the medication also have an essential responsibility to ensure patient safety. Even if the medications are to be self administered by the patient, it's up to the physician, pharmacist and other caregivers to ensure that the patient is aware of the proper use of the medications, including side effects, food and drug interactions and other factors.

There are some common mistakes that you should be aware of that can result in physical harm or death. Among those most common are: Double dosing (the patient takes a name brand and generic of the same drug at the same time); taking prescription meds and over the counter drugs without assessing and informing the patient how they interact; negative interactions between medications and diet; taking medication not safe for your age; confusing two medications with similar names; getting the dosage wrong. These and other medication mistakes can have serious and even deadly effects.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to these or other mistakes please contact Atlanta, Georgia area medical malpractice attorneys, Robbins & Associates, P.C. today.

Getting into a car accident creates a lot of things that have to happen. There are vehicles to repair, visits to hospitals and doctors, police reports to file, and insurance and legal claims to initiate. One thing that is fairly constant is that most people think it won't happen to them. But what if it does? What if you are involved in an accident? You may live in a great place like Atlanta but accidents happen here just like everywhere else.

If you're in a car accident in Atlanta there are some things that are important to remember. The most important thing to do if you're in an accident is take care of people. Cars will fix but if you have a family member or others in your vehicle (or the other vehicles involved) that are injured they have to be the first consideration. If it's an emergency call 911 and then do what you can to help. Once the victims are cared for you can focus on the other things you should do. Here are a few reminders:

• Gather all the info you can on everyone involved including witnesses
• Take pictures with you camera or cell phone
• Call the authorities to initiate a report if they're not already involved
• Get the advice of an experienced auto accident attorney
• Notify your insurance company

There's a lot to do and a lot to remember. Don't try to figure it all out alone, there's too much. Please contact the Atlanta auto accident attorneys at Robbins & Associates, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

The incidence of medical malpractice in an emergency room is much higher than many other medical settings. That's true in Atlanta just like any other city. An ER can be a hectic environment with long lines and crowded waiting rooms. When you arrive at the ER, you often find caregivers who are overwhelmed trying to identify those most in need of care, in the midst of the chaos.

Failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are the three main causes of emergency room malpractice and account for over 50% of ER related malpractice suits. The two most prevalent conditions that are not appropriately diagnosed and treated are heart attack and appendicitis. A variety of ailments and injuries bring people to the emergency room. These are just two conditions that are serious and need appropriate attention to save or preserve the quality of someone's life.

You or a loved one has a condition that may be serious and you go the emergency room for treatment. When you arrive it's crowded, hectic and you have to wait your turn, what do you do? In the midst of the experience, you have to be your own advocate. If you think it's serious make sure that you or your loved one get’s the attention you need and deserve. After that experience if you believe that you have suffered because of a wrong or delayed diagnosis, you will need another advocate.

Please contact Robbins & Associates, PC, Georgia's emergency room medical malpractice attorneys, today to schedule a confidential, no-cost consultation.

Car accidents happen all too frequently in Atlanta and across the state of Georgia. An evaluation of all types of accidents reveals that there are some consistent causal factors. One cause of accidents that gets a lot of attention is impaired driving (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol). You've seen and heard the statistics and maybe have even been personally impacted by a driver under the influence.

Another cause of accidents that is getting a lot of attention these days is distracted driving. You may or may not have been personally touched by an impaired driver but every one of us has been impacted at some level by a distracted driver. Distracted driving has always been an issue but has risen to a place of prominence for individuals and government agencies because of the increased use of cell phones by drivers. It is estimated that more than 260 million people in the United States use cell phones. Even though many states are taking steps to preclude drivers from using them while driving, cell phone use causing auto accidents continues to escalate.

Every driver is responsible to make sure that they are paying attention while behind the wheel. Whether it's a cell phone or a sandwich doesn't matter. If a driver makes a choice that causes them to be distracted and it impacts you, they should be held responsible. Holding responsible parties accountable for their actions is what the auto accident lawyers at Robbins & Associates, PC do every day. Please contact us today.