Boating death case now waiting on grand jury

WETUMPKA -- The criminal case against a Montgomery man charged in a fatal accident on Lake Martin has been bound over to a grand jury. Patrick Leigh Cumbie faces boat­ing under the influence and homicide by vessel charges. Cumbie was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the boat he was piloting ran into a pontoon boat Aug. 9 near Ko­waliga Marina. Donald Tatum, 62, of Prattville died as a result of the collision. Sue Tatum, his sister-in-law, was critically in­jured. Cumbie also is facing a civil lawsuit, which was filed in Montgomery County three days after the accident. Jere Beasley represents the Tatums in that lawsuit.

Lake Martin boating incident leaves 1 dead, 4 hurt

One Prattville man is dead, a woman is in critical condition and a Montgomery man has been charged with homicide by vessel and boating under the influence after a horrific boating accident on Lake Martin. Patrick Cumbie, 22, is in the Elmore County Jail under $15,000 bond for the death of Donny Tatum, a 62-year-old Prattville man, according to the Alabama Marine Police. Tatum's sister-in-law, Sue Tatum, is in critical condition after suffering life-threatening injuries, said Whit Moncrief, who is a Prattville resident and a friend of the victims.

Boating incident victim still in 'critical' condition

WETUMPKA -- A Prattville woman continued to fight for her life Monday, following a fatal weekend boating accident on Lake Martin, and more criminal charges may be filed in the case. Sue Tatum was listed in "critical" condition Monday evening at Baptist Medical Center South, said Melody Ragland, marketing coordinator for Baptist Health. Her injuries are life-threatening, District Attorney Randall Houston said.

Jury Awards $226,000 in Mesothelioma Civil Suit

An Indiana County jury this week awarded $226,000 to the family of a man who had been exposed to asbestos while he worked at the Fisher Scientific plant along Indian Springs Road in White Township.

Mesothelioma victim wins $20 million verdict

SAN FRANCISCO-A Dallas, Texas-based law firm today announced a $20 million civil verdict in an asbestos lawsuit on behalf of Joan Mahoney, 69-year-old victim of mesothelioma, a painful and debilitating form of cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, and Daniel Mahoney, her husband of 42 years.

Victory for victims of secondary asbestos exposure

Following a ruling by a Washington State Court of Appeals, victims of secondary asbestos exposure have enjoyed a hard earned victory - The ruling will make it easier for those exposed to asbestos as the result of the work of family members living in the same home to make a claim for their asbestos related diseases such as asbestos cancer, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Asbestos: Woman sues after developing mesothelioma

Frances Barras of Nederland, Texas, along with her husband and five children, has sued DuPont and several asbestos manufacturers because she has developed mesothelioma from washing and handling her husband's asbestos-contaminated work clothes for many years.

Family Awarded $2.25 Million For Asbestos Exposure In Workplace

A New York City jury awarded $2.25 million in the case of 73 year old Leonard Shafer who had exposure to asbestos in his workplace as a civilian employee at the New York Naval Shipyard (Brooklyn Navy Yard) in the 1950's. Attorneys for the family of Mr. Shafer helped prove Shafer developed pleural mesothelioma, which is an aggressive, incurable cancer during his career at the Shipyard.

Nursing Home Fines and Bonuses

Last year, the state fined 23 Iowa nursing homes $10,000 or more for providing substandard care. Some of those homes were also hit with federal fines and sanctions against their state licenses. Of those 23 homes, 16 stand to collect bonus Medicaid payments this year from state and federal taxpayers. The bonuses are tied to a state program that rewards nursing homes for providing quality, cost-effective care.

Jury Awards $30 million in Mesothelioma case

A six-member jury in Superior Court in Bergen County, New Jersey, ruled on Feb. 26 to award the family of Mark Buttitta a settlement of $30.3 million. The judgment is one of the largest ever in asbestos litigation in the state. Buttitta died of mesothelioma just before Christmas 2002, at age 50, after being diagnosed in 2001.