July 2011 Archives

The Southeast Texas Record reports: An expert report and a certificate of written discovery were recently filed in a medical malpractice complaint against several medical defendants.  As previously reported, Wyoming Newman filed suit April 11 in Jefferson County District Court against Dr. Erwin Lo, Golden Triangle Neurocare and Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, alleging she was left a quadriplegic following spinal surgery.

As required by Texas Civil law, Newman filed a medical expert report, authored by nurse Rita Restrepo, on July 5 to substantiate her claim, court records show.

Read more: http://www.setexasrecord.com.

Two bills that will reform the Psychiatric Security Review Board passed the Oregon House and Senate and represent the most substantive changes to Oregon’s mental health system in many years.  The bills change the PSRB’s authority in terms of the board’s involvement when a court decides if a criminal is “guilty except for insanity,” and when certain patients are released from the Oregon State Hospital.

Rep. Matt Wand (R-Troutdale) was uncomfortable with the court being required to use, as expert witnesses, psychologists or psychiatrists certified by a state agency.  House Bill 3100, he said, doesn’t include particular provisions about the credentials a certified psychologist or psychiatrist must have to be an expert witness. 

Read more: thelundreport.org.

An expert witness told an inquiry into New Zealand's deadliest mining accident in a century that he had warned the mine's operators they were inviting disaster.  Harry Bell, a former chief inspector of the nation's coal mines, testified Thursday that the Pike River mine where 29 men died in November had only one entrance and an inadequate gas ventilation system. He said he had warned the mine's managers that the design was “madness.”

Bell said he provided the Pike River managers with plans for improving the mine's ventilation system, but never heard back from them.

Read more: blogs.voanews.com.

MontgomeryNews.com reports: A bill that would allow experts to testify about the impact of sexual violence on victims recently passed the House by a 197-0 vote.  State Rep. Kate Harper, R-61, who worked with Philadelphia state Rep. Cherelle Parker to write the bill and help get it to a vote, said in a press release that the legislation will “aid in the prosecution of rape and sexual assault cases.”  An expert’s testimony could put the victim’s behavior in the proper context, the legislation states.

Read more: montgomerynews.com.

A judge in southeast Ohio is the second in the state to issue a decision casting doubt on a portable breath tester used on suspected drunken drivers.

Athens County Municipal Court Judge William Grim ruled this week that in some cases it's allowable for defense attorneys to present expert testimony challenging results from the Intoxilyzer 8000. The judge wrote the machine might be vulnerable to interference from smart phones and that blowing into the device longer might skew the reading.

Read more: zanesvillerecorder.com.