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Today, around 3 p.m. PST, Bruce Jenner, was involved in a rear end collision in Malibu, California. For those who are unfamiliar with Mr. Jenner, I like to think of him as the amazing Olympian that won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics that was held in Montreal. As child in the 70s, I remember him being on Wheaties cereal boxes and several small appearances in the CHiPS television show. And, he has reached celebrity status in the Kardashian TV series and most recently, an alleged (but unproven) desire to obtain a sex change.

Unfortunately, Bruce made the news today for being involved in a rear end crash that killed a fellow motorist in the land of beaches and sun. Apparently, the wreck occurred as Bruce was trying to elude up to 5 paparazzi that were following him on Corral Canyon Road (not far from Pepperdine University). The initial information indicated that it was a chain reaction wreck that involved up to four vehicles. Yet, other reports indicate that Mr. Jenner rear ended a vehicle and pushed that vehicle into oncoming traffic, which directly led to the death of the motorist in that vehicle. The photos of the property damage to the vehicles are more than convincing.

Interestingly, there is a current law (AB 2470) in California that imposes criminal sanction and punishment upon paparazzi, including jail time, that engage in reckless driving or block sidewalks in pursuit of celebrities. Whether or not any paparazzi are charged in this tragic incident remains to be seen. What is clear is that an innocent non-celebrity/non-paparazzi human lost his/her life over poor choices to be the first to post photos/video of Bruce on a celebrity gossip site.

Rear end collisions are the most common collision in the State of Georgia. Yet, they do not regularly occur escaping the wrath, greed and speed of the paparazzi. Currently, the State of Georgia does not have a statute on the books pertaining to paparazzi causing car crashes in our state. However, the movie industry has been gaining traction and footholds in the state (e.g. Atlanta, Senoia and Savannah) and filming and producing television and movie content due to favorable tax treatment and other perks. Recently, the director, location scout(s) and related staff of a movie starring Robert De Niro and Zac Efron came to my home for a visit to determine if a room in the house was suitable for one of their scenes. By all accounts, the director and his staff were more than pleasant, extremely professional, and profusely grateful to tour the home. While Georgians hear or read of movie and TV stars dining at familiar restaurants or drinking at familiar establishments, we have yet to see the development of paparazzi hounding our temporary stars on our roads. Thank God.
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Wayne Williams was a managing partner for a personal injury law firm in town. Recently, he pled guilty to over 20 counts of theft by taking and 19 counts of forgery. He was proscecuted successfully by the Fulton County District Attorney,

According to the AJC article, Mr. Williams converted the firm’s funds to his own use over a period of three years from 2004 – 2007. Specifically, Williams forged 24 checks that had been made payable to his employer and deposited these checks into his personal checking account. The theft was discovered when the firm conducted a review of the bookkeeping.

Consequently, Mr. Williams has been ordered to surrender his law license, write a letter of apology to the firm, serve 18 months in prison and 20 years of probation, repay $145,000.00 and perform 500 hours of community service. I believe the punishment fits the crime inasmuch as Mr. Williams intentionally and deliberately continued to steal from his employer over a three year period. I think it goes without saying that Mr. Williams will never be able to practice law in the State of Georgia again.

On November 30, 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court disbarred Thomas C. Sinowski and Steven F. Freedman and removed their names from the rolls of attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Georgia. The Georgia Supreme Court adopted the special master’s findings of fact that these attorneys paid “runners” (non-lawyers who recruit, recommend or direct people to the services of a given lawyer in return for a fee or other compensation from the lawyer) from April 1995 through April 1999 to secure clients. Under O.C.G.A. 33-24-53(a), lawyer shall not compensate a person or organization to recommend or secure his/her employment by a client (excluding bona fide lawyer referral service).
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Recently, a Walker County jury in Georgia awarded over $9 million dollars to the estate of a 51 year old woman who died while under the care of a home health care center. The woman was a resident at Country Crossing Assisted Living in La Fayette, Georgia who developed multiple bedsores which became infected. The jury found that the nursing home care center neglected to diagnose and treat pressure ulcers which led to her death.

The nurses at the home care center should have treated, cleaned and bandaged the woman’s wounds once a week or on a biweekly basis. Apparently, they didn’t. The victim’s condition worsened and at one point she stopped breathing. The victim was rushed to the hospital and died the next day as she had developed pneumonia and sepsis as a result of the bacteria.

The nursing care center argued unsuccessfully to the jury that it provided adequate care and that the woman had a short life expectancy due to her preexisting cerebral palsy. But, the Walker County jury didn’t buy it and awarded $4 million for pain and suffering; $5.5 million for wrongful death; and $2,683 for funeral expenses. The jury divided liability between the individual owner of the center (55%) and the center (45%). This small city jury (under 6700 residents as of the 2000 census) in the Northwest corner of the State of Georgia awarded large scale justice! This verdict is symbolic inasmuch as the smaller counties in Georgia are receptive to the large level of harm that is been caused by corporate entities.

Nursing home neglect and negligence is on the rise throughout the country due to the increasing elderly population and the decrease in births. Bedsores and pressure ulcers continue to dominate the majority of nursing home negligence cases. Potential signs of abuse at assisted living facilities include physical abuse, mental abuse and verbal abuse among others. It is of utmost importance to remember that patients and their families have rights.
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