Representing Beasley Allen on the list are Founding Shareholder Jere Beasley, who was selected in the area of Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products; Thomas Methvin, Managing Partner, in the area of Consumer Law; Greg Allen, Shareholder, in the area of Personal Injury Plaintiff: Products; and J. Mark Englehart, in the area of Class Action/Mass Torts.

The selection process involves a statewide survey of lawyers for creation of a peer-nominated candidate pool and an independent candidate search, evaluation of the candidates by the… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen's-Cawley-visits-nation's-capital-as-American-Heart-Association-advocate/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen's-Cawley-visits-nation's-capital-as-American-Heart-Association-advocate/ Firm Announcements Fri, 02 May 2008 05:05:00 GMT Jill Cawley, Secretary to the Investigators at Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., traveled to Washington, D.C., April 28-29 to participate in the American Heart Association's "Lobby Day," part of its volunteer advocacy program called "You're the Cure."

The Heart Association has been involved in congressional advocacy for more than 30 years, bringing volunteers from all walks of life to meet with legislators about issues of heart health, stroke, heart disease, awareness and prevention. Cawley was among nearly 700 people from every state and territory who attended this year's Lobby Day. Also attending from Alabama was Birmingham attorney Bill Bryant and Dr. Walter Johnson, a pediatric cardiologist at UAB.

Jill became active with the Heart Association after suffering… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Rollover-injuries,-deaths-prompt-proposed-tightened-regulations/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Rollover-injuries,-deaths-prompt-proposed-tightened-regulations/ Firm Announcements Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:04:00 GMT Studies recently conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded there is a direct link between vehicle roof strength and severe injury in the event of a crash, particularly a vehicle rollover accident.

Statistics show that approximately 10,000 people in the United States die in rollover crashes each year. Rollovers constitute only 3 percent of passenger vehicle crashes, but they are the most deadly, accounting for a full one third of the fatalities. Additionally, about 24,000 people are seriously injured in rollover crashes in the U.S. each year.

As a result, there is a proposal to amend the United States Code to require stronger Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in the area of roof crush resistance. This includes enhancing the applied force resistance, and prohibiting roof components and structures from coming into contact with passenger dummies during testing.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), no one knows precisely how many older Americans are being abused, neglected, or exploited. This is because there are no official national statistics.

Adding to the problem, there are no federal standards that govern residential care facilities, which are known by more than 30 different names across the country, perhaps most commonly as assisted living facilities.

In her testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Rhon-Jones-to-represent-Beasley-Allen-in-Hot-Fuel-MDL/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Rhon-Jones-to-represent-Beasley-Allen-in-Hot-Fuel-MDL/ Firm Announcements Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:04:00 GMT Beasley Allen attorney Rhon Jones will represent clients participating in Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) for a consolidated class action captioned "In re Motor Fuel Temperature Sales Practices Litigation, MDL Docket No 1840." Three firms will serve as co-lead counsel, with an additional six firms, including Beasley Allen, on the steering committee.

Numerous putative class actions were brought throughout the U.S. against motor fuel retailers, including Costco Wholesale Corp., alleging they have been overcharging drivers by selling gasoline or diesel that is warmer than 60 degrees without adjusting the volume sold to compensate for heat-related expansion or disclosing the effect of such expansion on the energy equivalent received by the consumer.

According to research conducted by Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), under its OilWatchDog project, gasoline expands measurably with heat, causing it to lose mass and energy. Retailers sell… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Glaxo,-Novartis-Lose-Bid-for-Separate-Alabama-Trials/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Glaxo,-Novartis-Lose-Bid-for-Separate-Alabama-Trials/ Firm Announcements Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:04:00 GMT April 18 (Bloomberg) -- GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Novartis AG must face trial together in a lawsuit in which Alabama accuses them of inflating drug prices, costing the state Medicaid program $130 million in overcharges, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled.

Glaxo, the world's second-largest drugmaker, and Novartis asked for separate trials. The companies will be the second and third of 70 drugmakers sued by Alabama to face trial in state court in Montgomery. On Feb. 22, a jury ordered AstraZeneca Plc to pay $215 million after deliberating for 45 minutes.

"Although this court recognizes that the facts and evidentiary record in these cases may be complex, we cannot conclude that the trial court exceeded its discretion when it consolidated these cases for trial," state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb wrote in today's opinion.
The trial is set for June 16.

Alabama claims in its 2005 lawsuit the companies overstated the average wholesale price of… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Alabama-court-clears-way-for-trial-against-drug-companies/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Alabama-court-clears-way-for-trial-against-drug-companies/ Firm Announcements Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:04:00 GMT MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that more than one pharmaceutical company can be tried at the same time in the state's lawsuit accusing drug companies of overcharging the state's Medicaid program.

The state has filed suit against more than 70 companies and had sought to combine some of the cases. The drug companies had asked the Supreme Court to order that each company be tried separately.

Montgomery attorney Jere Beasley, who represents the state in the case, said the ruling clears the way for trial to begin June 16 on a suit against two of the companies, Novartis AG's pharmaceutical division and SmithKline Beecham Corp.

In the first trial in February, a state court jury awarded the state $215 million in its Medicaid drug pricing fraud case against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.

King enjoyed the opportunity to meet the young people at Brantwood, who know the effects of abuse all too well. For more than 85 years, Brantwood Children's Home has been providing a safe, stable, structured environment for abused, neglected and other "at-risk" children. Currently Brantwood serves children and youth ages 10-21.

Brantwood youngsters prepared posters and poems on the subject of child abuse and the importance of prevention, and made presentations to King, who commented that… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Now-Reviewing-Mesothelioma-Cases/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Now-Reviewing-Mesothelioma-Cases/ Firm Announcements Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:04:00 GMT Beasley Allen and our team of mesothelioma lawyers understand that mesothelioma is a devastating cancer that harms many families each year. We understand that your mesothelioma lawyer must do more than just handle the claim on your behalf. We want to help your family make it through a very difficult time and we want to make certain the manufacturers of these unsafe asbestos products compensate you.

Mesothelioma (a.k.a asbestos cancer) is a highly aggressive and rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma typically occurs in the lining of the lung (pleural), however it can also occur in the lining of the heart (pericardial) and abdominal cavity (peritoneal).

The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Please contact us today for a free mesothelioma case evaluation.

This can cause loss of braking and vehicle control, posing serious safety risks to driver and passenger.

Consumers should stop using the recalled Rhinos and are asked to contact an authorized Yamaha Rhino dealer to schedule a free repair. Registered owners should have received a direct mail notification of the recall.

The recall involves model year 2008 Rhino YXR450 and YXR700 vehicles sold nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008. Contact your Yamaha Rhino dealer and provide your vehicle's primary ID number to verify if your specific vehicle is included in the recall.

Beasley Allen is currently reviewing serious Rhino ATV accident cases. Contact us today for a http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Ruling-unseals-Goodyear-comment/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Ruling-unseals-Goodyear-comment/ Firm Announcements Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:04:00 GMT

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. can't stop an accident victim's lawyer from claiming a witness testified in a confidentially settled case that the company knew its tires could fail when used on motor homes, a judge said.

The witness, Kim Cox, a Goodyear claims administrator, testified under oath that the company 'was aware' its G159 tires 'did not perform properly,' attorney Guy Ricciardulli said in court papers, paraphrasing Cox.

Goodyear stopped the 2003 deposition and agreed immediately to a confidential settlement of claims that tire failure caused an accident, Ricciardulli said.

He disclosed his version of Cox's testimony to another lawyer. Goodyear last year asked a federal judge to sanction him for revealing confidential data. Goodyear sought to prevent other accident victims' lawyers from questioning Ricciardulli and Cox about the alleged admission.

One of the South's latest tort kings, Beasley has succeeded against such corporate giants as Merck and Monsanto. This has made him a constant target of business groups, with Karl Rove once putting him in the Republican political cross-hairs.

"Beasley is one of the most successful personal-injury lawyers in the game," said Darren McKinney, spokesman for the American Tort Reform Association in Washington.

Beasley's firm helped negotiate a $4.8 billion settlement with Merck & Co. Inc. over Vioxx claims and a $700 million settlement over pollution from an old Monsanto Co. PCB plant. He also helped the State of Alabama win an $11.9 billion verdict against Exxon Mobil Corp. and… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Tom-Methvin-set-to-lead-Alabama-State-Bar/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Tom-Methvin-set-to-lead-Alabama-State-Bar/ Firm Announcements Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:03:00 GMT MONTGOMERY, ALA - Thomas J. Methvin, Managing Shareholder for Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., was recently named the President-Elect designate of the Alabama State Bar. He will become President-Elect of the Alabama State Bar at the July 2008 Annual Meeting. In July of 2009, Tom will become President of the Alabama State Bar.

"Beasley Allen has a long history of serving our Bar Association," Methvin said. "I am honored by the endorsement of the lawyers who supported me and I look forward to serving all members of our Bar Association and the public in this position."

Methvin was born in Eufaula, Alabama in 1963. After graduating from high school with honors, Tom graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Corporate Finance in the Business School. He then earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama in 1988 and began his legal career at Beasley Allen that same year.

In 2002, he was… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen-helps-break-another-record/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Beasley-Allen-helps-break-another-record/ Firm Announcements Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:03:00 GMT Beasley Allen currently holds U.S. records for largest verdicts/settlements in 4 categories:

The largest verdict against an oil company in U.S. History - $11.9 Billion. [case summary]

The largest pharmaceutical drug settlement in U.S. History - $4.85 Billion. [case summary]

The largest environmental settlement in U.S. History - $700 Million. [case summary]

The largest predatory lending verdict in U.S. History - $581 Million. [ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Enfinger-Seals-the-Deal-in-The-Rattler/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Enfinger-Seals-the-Deal-in-The-Rattler/ Firm Announcements Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:03:00 GMT

The win was the first for Enfinger since he won at Pensacola two years ago and he had to come from the back after being panelized for spinning Casey Smith on lap 49. Smith had won… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Civil-Rights-Icon-Johnnie-Carr,-97,-Dies/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Civil-Rights-Icon-Johnnie-Carr,-97,-Dies/ Firm Announcements Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:02:00 GMT MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Johnnie Carr, who joined childhood friend Rosa Parks in the historic Montgomery bus boycott and kept a busy schedule of civil rights activism up to her final days, has died. She was 97.

Carr died Friday night [Feb. 22, 2008], said Baptist Health hospital spokeswoman Melody Ragland. She had been hospitalized after a stroke Feb. 11.

Carr succeeded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association in 1967, a post she held at her death. It was the newly formed association that led the boycott of city buses in the Alabama capital in 1955 after Parks, a black seamstress, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Now-Reviewing-Morgan-Keegan-Cases/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Now-Reviewing-Morgan-Keegan-Cases/ Firm Announcements Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:02:00 GMT Beasley Allen is processing securities arbitration claims on behalf of numerous individuals who invested in Morgan Keegan Funds, against Morgan Keegan and Regions Financial Corp. We encourage investors who suffered substantial losses in the MK Funds to consider whether they too should attempt to recover their losses through the filing of an individual securities arbitration claim. The relevant Morgan Keegan Funds are as follows:

(RMH) RMK High Income Fund
(RHY) RMK Multi-Sector High Income Fund
(RMA) RMK Advantage Income Fund
(RSF) RMK Strategic Income Fund
(RHICX) Regions MK Select High Income-C
(MKHIX) Regions MK Select High Income-A
(RHIIX) Regions MK Select High Income-I
(RIBCX) Regions MK Select Intermediate Bond Fund-C
(MKIBX) Regions MK Select Intermediate Bond Fund-A
(RIBIX) … ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Yamaha-Rhino-ATV-Accidents/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Yamaha-Rhino-ATV-Accidents/ Firm Announcements Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:02:00 GMT The issue of ATV safety has become a growing concern nationwide. In November 2007, Consumer Reports published findings of a five-year study comparing the prevalence of ATV and bicycle crashes from 2000-2004, noting that "hospitalizations from ATV incidents are growing at a markedly higher rate than those caused by bicycle injures even though there are far more bicycle owners." (source: www.blogs.consumerreports.org) The study was funded by the Concerned Families for ATV Safety and the Arabella Legacy Fund, a private charitable organization that also supports the Responsible Trails Alliance.

In 2005, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously to issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) pertaining to ATVs. The ANPR was the first step in a broad and comprehensive review of all existing and potential ATV safety rules and regulations. A Briefing Package resulting from the ATV Safety Review was presented to the Commission by CPSC staff in May… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/How-to-Spot-a-Product-Liability-Claim/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/How-to-Spot-a-Product-Liability-Claim/ Firm Announcements Fri, 08 Feb 2008 06:02:00 GMT A product liability claim focuses on whether or not the product is defective. In automobile cases, the defective product could be the entire vehicle, or a component part such as the seat belt assembly or tires. Unfortunately, the average motorist has no idea how unprotected he will be in an accident as a driver or passenger in one of these defective vehicles. Often, causes of action for product liability claims are hidden from the untrained eye. It is important to recognize possible defect claims in the motor vehicle accident cases. Any accident that involves paralysis, death, loss of limb, or brain damage should be analyzed for possible product liability claims.

The purpose of this paper is to help identify different product liability claims. The information is not all-inclusive, but is a good guideline for each type of product defect mentioned.

I. Roof Crush

To protect occupants in a rollover, maintaining survival space is very important.… ]]> http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Settlement-of-a-Wrongful-Death-Action-for-Death-of-Infant/ http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/Settlement-of-a-Wrongful-Death-Action-for-Death-of-Infant/ Firm Announcements Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:02:00 GMT Beasley Allen Law firm recently settled a wrongful death case against Continental Tire and Ford Motor Co. The lawsuit arose out of the death of an 8-month old girl in a vehicle rollover. The infant was killed when the car seat in which she was buckled was ejected from a Ford F-150 four-door pickup truck when the left rear door latch self-actuated and the door flew open. We learned a great deal about Ford's handling of door handle-latch assembly defects during pretrial discovery in the case.

Our clients were heading back home to North Carolina from a family vacation in Mexico when the right rear Continental tire detreaded, causing the vehicle to go out of control and roll over in the median on I-65 North. During the rollover, the left rear door latch on the F-150 super crew cab self-actuated and flew open. This open door created additional room for the child safety seat to work its way loose from the vehicle's seatbelt system. The car seat, with the baby still in it,… ]]>