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Books/The Middle East
Anis Sayegh: The autobiography of a Palestinian Intellectual
Philipp Amour / June 30, 2012 /	0	/	1.2k
In recent years we have seen the publication of a series of Palestinian life stories including, among others, the 'Incomplete Autobiography' of Yusif Sayigh (2009) and the autobiography of Shafiq al-Hout (2007). The subject of this review is also found within this series; the autobiography of Anis Sayegh, entitled Anis Sayegh 'n Anis Sayegh, which was released in Beirut by Riad El Rayyes in 2006. The autobiography of Anis Sayegh describes his life from early childhood in the 1930s to the early 2000s. It consists of nine chapters.
In the first chapter we learn that Anis Sayegh was born in November 1931 in Tiberias, the youngest of seven children in a traditional Protestant Christian extended family. His father originally came from Syria and worked as a pastor. He also presents a short biography of his parents and his six siblings, Yusif, Fowad, Fayez, Tawfiq, Mary and Munir, and describes his relationship with most of them. Anis Sayegh notes, too, that after 1948 he had to stay away from home, an early and very painful experience with which he never came to terms.
The focus of the second chapter is not just Anis Sayegh's autobiographical narrative, but also the description of relevant historical information about Tiberias and al-Bassa (the birthplace of his mother). Sayegh's description of these two places, wh˙e˙re he spent his youth, is characterised by his memories of relatives and acquaintances and by Lake Tiberias, as well as Christian and Islamic monuments.
Chapter 3 provides us with an insight into his schooling and study, as well as teaching activities (1939 – 1964). Anis Sayegh attended primary school in Tiberias and high school in Jerusalem, although, in 1947 after the riots in Palestine, which were in reaction to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, he had to move to Lebanon in order to complete his high school education. The day he left Palestine and moved to Lebanon was for him both terrifying and unforgettable. Not only because his mother was admitted to hospital on this day, but because he was never afterwards allowed to return to Palestine.
Thereafter, he began to study Political Science and International Relations at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he graduated in 1953. Some years later, he produced his Ph.D. dissertation entitled al-Fikr al-Qawm¯ı f¯ı Masr f¯ı al-Qarn al-Tasi' 'ashr [Pan-Arab Thought in Egypt during the 19th Century˙] at the University of Cambridge, where he served as a lecturer in oriental studies.
Chapter 5 discusses his activities at the Research Center of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the supervisory board of the Palestinian Encyclopedia, while Chapter 6 describes his relationship with Yasir Arafat, the former PLO chairman. Shortly after his return to Lebanon, Anis Sayegh was appointed General Director of the PRC (1966 – 1976/1977), which had been established some years earlier by his brother Fayez Sayegh. Anis Sayegh expanded the research centre (PRC) and recruited many Arab and Palestinian authors and writers such as Sadik J. Al-Azm and Mahmoud Darwish.
The research centre (along with the Institute for Palestine Studies) dominated the Palestinian intellectual arena during the 1970s. It was dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of the Palestinians and making their narrative known. It focused on the reconstruction of Palestinian history in the pre-1948 period as well as the recording of contemporary information about the Palestinian refugees and the rise of the Palestinian revolutionary movement. Furthermore, the PRC focused on Israeli studies, a topic that had previously been taboo in the Arab world. One of its main achievements was the collection of archival documents and autobiographies, which had previously been absent from the canon of Palestinian literature. In addition, the PRC distributed the monthly journal Palestine Affairs, which served as a platform for Arab and Palestinian writers to pursue innovative articles. The PRC also hosted a library, which began to attract many regional and international researchers.
Anis Sayegh's biography is of great importance because it sheds light on the closed world between the intellectuals and socio-cultural institutions on the one hand, and the politicians and political authority on the other hand, and thus enables us to deduce their history, despite Anis Sayegh's insistence that his description is a subjective experience of his own. According to the author, Yasir Arafat considered intellectuals and the socio-cultural institutions as henchmen of his party (Fatah) and supporters of his own political interests, whereas Anis Sayegh, as General Director of the Research Center, refused any political relationship of subordination. Consequently, at the PRC, he fought strongly against factional loyalties and nepotism.
His particular way of working and dedication to the modern scientific method did not always go down well with all the centre's employees, and his political independence resulted in a state of disharmony, alienation and rivalry with political actors, which prompted him to submit his resignation in 1977.
Sayegh speaks about his party affiliation in Chapter 7. We learn that he, like his brothers Jusif and Fayez, belonged to the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. After the rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser, he clung to his ideology, a fact that is reflected in his publications, 'The Pan-Arab Idea in Egypt' (al-Fikr al-'Arab¯ı f¯ı Masr) and 'The Development of the Pan-Arab Concept under Arabs' (tatawur al-M˙afhum al-Qawm¯ı 'ind al-'Arab). Anis Sayegh remained loyal to Arabis˙m until his death, and did not join any national party after the rise of Palestinism in the 1960s. It is likely, however, that he was disposed to leftist currents. He saw himself as a Palestinian Arab, whose local patriotism melted harmoniously into pan-Arabism (see pp. 12, 183 – 184).
In recent years, Anis Sayegh has published numerous articles in various newspapers (e.g., al-Hayat, al-Nahar and as-Safir) and magazines, and published several scientific and political books on historical and public affairs. His regional importance is due to his establishing a number of Arabic journals, which are worth mentioning at this point—Palestine Affairs (shw'wn filist¯ıniyya, 1971 – 1977), Arab Future (al-Mustaqbal al-'Arab¯ı, 1978 – 1979), A˙rab Affairs (shw'wn 'arabiyya, 1981 – 1982)—and by his directorship of Arab Issues (Qada¯ ya¯ 'arabiyya, 1979 – 1981) (Chapter 4).
After 1978, as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Palestinian Encyclopedia and subsequently as Chairman of its Council, he focused his activities mainly on the release of the Palestinian Encyclopedia (al-Mawsw'a al-Filist¯ıniyya), whose development lasted for about 12 years (pp. 259 – 288). As resea˙rcher and editor, Anis Sayegh constantly strove to operate on scientific and academic standards. Several authors and editors have admitted that his 'school' has had a lasting effect on their work, even to this day.
Sayegh went into retirement in 1993, which in no way meant the end of his academic and political activities. With his autobiographically coloured book entitled 13th-September (Beirut: Dar Bisan, 1994), he stood vehemently against the Oslo agreement, because he considered it as unjust, and unsuitable for realizing the ambitions of the Palestinians. His verdict on the Oslo agreement motivated him to try to bring together the factions of the opposition and form a unity against the Oslo agreement. In Chapter 9 he turns his attention to the Palestinian political opposition. He criticises them harshly; for him their response to the Oslo agreement had been characterised by scandals, self-harm and discord, and the factions acted without enthusiasm and had no plan to counter the Oslo agreement.
His tolerance for dissent and his secularism, his commitment to the Oriental-Christian culture as part of a common larger Oriental-Islamic civilisation, and his 'integrity as a Christian' member of it, as well as his scholarship, made him an eminent personality and also a contact person for Islamists and the secular, for pan-Arabists and nationalists as well as for the right and the left. For many of his followers, Anis Sayegh was an astute intellectual and a passionate and charismatic figure. For others, he was considered a 'moral authority', a 'global conscience'.
© Philipp Amour
www.philipp-amour.ch
dr@philipp-amour.ch
This book review (Anis Sayegh 'n Anis Sayegh. Beirut, Lebanon, Riad El Rayyes S.A.R.L., 2006, 534 pp.) was published in: British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 2011, 38:3, 455-458. For notes and references please refer to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13530194.2011.621720.
Dr Philipp Amour is a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the DPIR (University of Oxford). In his PhD thesis, he examined the transformation of the Palestinians and the institution-building process from 1948–1983. More specifically, he challenged prevailing orthodoxies on the history and politics of the Palestinians and investigated the role of the intelligentsia in building para-state institutions and in fostering socio-economic and political changes within the Palestinians in exile.
Tags:Intellectuals and PoliticsPalestineThe politics of the PLO
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Philipp Amour
Philipp O. Amour is Assistant Professor of International Relations (IR) and Middle East Studies (MES) at Sakarya University's Middle East Institute.
Dr. Philipp Amour is a historian and political scientist. He specializes in the contemporary history and politics of the Middle East, and Switzerland. His contribution owes a great deal to his interdisciplinary education. He studied Islamic Studies (University of Bern), Contemporary History, and Political Science (University of Fribourg), where he received his MA in 2006. He holds a Doctorate from the University of Fribourg in Contemporary History (doctor of philosophy).
Due to his interdisciplinary education, he has research interests across a broad spectrum of politics, security, and international relations. His particular areas of expertise are comparative politics of the Middle East, security system of the Gulf region, conflict, strategy, and negotiation (particularly Israel/Palestine), and Swiss-Middle Eastern relations.
Dr. Philipp O. Amour was a visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford between 2011-2012. He has taught at the University of Oxford, and at Boğaziçi University. Previously, he has taught at the University of Bern, and at Birzeit University.
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HAMILTON — New Premier Craig Cannonier vowed to start announcing his new cabinet team today.
And he promised "big changes" from the first new government in 14 years.
New Bermuda Premier Craig Cannonier waves to supporters.
After he was formally sworn in as premier at Government House, he said: "You will be hearing about appointments very swiftly – within the next day.
And he said he would keep pre-election promises to ask a member of the PLP to join the government in some role.
Cannonier said that PLP members had "already extended their arms to him" and he had responded.
He added: "I will be making these calls to ensure we all move forward together, everyone with one voice.
"Our first priority is to look at the financial state of our country and set realistic goals as to what we can and cannot do.
Cannonier added that he would call for parliament to reconvene early in the New Year.
After the ceremony, OBA heavyweight and former shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards, a racing certainty for Finance in the new administration, said: "The first thing we have got to do is look under the hood and see what's under there.


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Kalsdorf bei Graz is a municipality in the district Graz-Umgebung in Styria, Austria.

Geography
Kalsdorf lies about 13 km south of Graz next to the river Mur.

Subdivisions
Cadastral communities: Forst, Thalerhof, Großsulz, and Kleinsulz

References

Cities and towns in Graz-Umgebung District

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Variety Plus Icon Read Next: 'Stranger Things' Was Most-Streamed TV Show in 2022
Feb 22, 2016 9:01pm PT
AMC Moves to Fight Pirated Leaks of 'Walking Dead,' Other Original Series
Programmer deploys Civolution's NexGuard watermarks to track source of illegal copies
By Todd Spangler
Todd Spangler
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AMC Networks has adopted new technology aimed at preventing shows like "The Walking Dead" from being consumed by hordes of Internet pirates before they air on TV.
The cable programmer is embedding digital watermarks into episodes of original shows like "Walking Dead," "Better Call Saul" and "Humans" at its New York production and distribution facilities, using a system from Civolution's NexGuard. Now, if AMC content turns up on piracy sites, those watermarks will let the company trace the source of the copies.
The new system doesn't actually prevent video content from being illegally copied and shared online. Instead, AMC is betting the watermarks will reduce the chance that shows will be leaked from international distributors and their subcontractors, who perform post-production services like in-language dubbing on episodes — by being able to pinpoint which partner was responsible.
"It is paramount for us to protect our assets when they are at their most valuable," Steve Pontillo, AMC's chief technology officer, said in a prepared statement. "This enhanced content security is a powerful deterrent against piracy and protects our revenue and that of our distribution partners."
That's more critical than ever, as AMC's original series are distributed in some 120 countries, and in many cases the shows air the same day as in the U.S. The programmer has deployed the NexGuard system as software plug-ins for its transcoder farms.
The system could mitigate pre-broadcast leaks, which have plagued networks in the past. Nevertheless, pirates are sure to continue pilfering shows from AMC and other networks once they've aired. AMC's zombie thriller "Walking Dead" is consistently among the most-pirated TV shows.
NexGuard's watermarks also can be dynamically assigned to set-top boxes or sessions, to let content owners trace piracy to individual consumers. For example, 20th Century Fox and Chinese streaming service iQiyi are using the NexGuard watermarks integrated with Intertrust Technologies' digital rights management service for studio's early-release VOD titles in the market. But it's a logistical challenge for cable networks to do the same thing, because it would require them to deploy watermark-embedding systems with each pay-TV provider affiliate.
Civolution says all major Hollywood studios and about a dozen TV programmers worldwide use the NexGuard system.
Civolution was formed in October 2008 as a spinoff of Royal Philips Electronics. The following year, Civolution acquired Thomson's content-watermarking business. The NexGuard business has fewer than 100 employees and has its headquarters in Rennes, France.
Amc Networks,
Civolution,

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Road closed after motorcyclist found injured
Paramedics are on the scene
A biker is being treated by paramedics after being found injured on a main road in Nuneaton.
Warwickshire Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service are currently on the scene in Gipsy Lane.
The roadhas been closed close to its junction with Marston Lane.
Medics are tending to a biker.
A Warwickshire Police spokesperson explained they were called at 2.11pm to reports that a biker had been found off his bike, injured on the road.
Officers called for help from West Midlands Ambulance Service and an ambulance and paramedic officer were sent to the scene.
A WMAS spokesperson said: "We were called by policing to reports of a collision involving a motorcyclist.
"We are treating one patient, a man, for injuries."
Police are currently re-directing traffic away from the road.
Warwickshire Police


who removed starter Rich Hill after he threw only 60 pitches in four solid innings and struck out seven. After another steamy night in a Santa Ana heat wave, the series shifts to Texas and resumes Fri.
Travel buffs are just beginning to solidify their spring break and summer vacation plans. As they do, comparison shopping may show that such hikes have already started to take their toll on the cost o.
In those days, the good money wasn't hard to find. The housing boom had flooded the country with capital. Lenders were making promiscuous loans to unsophisticated borrowers. It was an ideal environmen.
She highlights destinations in country's colonial interior like San Miguel de Allende. "Its hotels are still recovering from Hurricane Irma, but many of its rental homes are in fine shape, and many.
Cypress Creek Cottages offers authentic Hill Country rental units, perfect for the whole family. Romantic, family and group vacations are a perfect fit for Cypress Creek.
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It went across the road and hit an unoccupied SUV parked at the Apple Barrel Country Store, killing the limousine driver. told The New York Times that the limo was coming down a hill at "probably o.
QUICK AND EASY GETAWAYS. The foils to Austin's chic city life are the surrounding 14,000 square miles of Hill Country, where historic towns and more than two dozen vineyards meet a.
QUICK AND EASY GETAWAYS. The foils to Austin's chic city life are the surrounding 14,000 square miles of Hill Country, where historic towns and more than two dozen vineyards meet a laid-back and soulful lifestyle.


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15/03/2000 00-FESCO-A Implementation of Article 11 of the ISD: Categorisation of investors for the purpose of Conduct of Business Rules CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
15/02/2001 Lamfalussy Report Lamfalussy Report CESR Archive Reference PDF
398.94 KB The final report by the Committee of Wise Men establishing CESR
23/03/2001 ResolutionStockholm Stockholm Resolution CESR Archive Reference PDF
18.53 KB Resolution of the European Council on more effective securities market regulation in the European Union Stockholm, 23 March 2001
14/01/2002 02-002 Proposed Standards for Alternative Trading Systems- Feedback statement CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
09/04/2002 01-014d A European Regime of Investor Protection – The Harmonisation of Conduct of Business Rules CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
133.19 KB This set of Standards and Rules provides harmonised core conduct of business rules for retail investors in the following areas: Standards and Rules of general application, information to be provided to customers, the "know your customer" standards and the duty of care, customers agreements, dealing requirements (including the "best execution" standards) and individual discretionary portfolio management. The profesional and counterparty regime, including the categorisation of investors paper, requires further work by CESR.
09/04/2002 02-020b Stabilisation and Allotment – European Supervisory Approach CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
93.51 KB This paper provides harmonised standards for stabilisation practices in the context of a public offer and an harmonised disclosure regime for the Allotment of securities as well as some basic principles of the Allotment process. This work has not been elaborated under a formal mandate of the EU Commission in the context of the future Directives on Insider Dealing and Market Manipulation or the future Directive on Prospectuses. However, these standards represent an important "acquis" for any future work to be undertaken on the same subject. A summary of the responses to the second consultation (Ref. CESR/02-060) is published in the "Recent Publications".
08/07/2002 02-098b A European Regime of Investor Protection – The Professional and Counterparty Regimes CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
63.43 KB This paper completes the work conducted by CESR on the harmonization of conduct of business rules under the existing Article 11 of the Investment Services Directive. It complements the document (CESR/01-014d) adopted in April 2002 on the so called "retail regime", i.e. the regime applicable to investment services provided to non-professional customers. The paper builds on the proposal for the "Categorisation of investors for the purpose of conduct of business rules". The paper contains: I) core conduct of business rules which should apply to investment services between investment firms and professionals and II) core standards for "counterparty relationships".
08/07/2002 02-086b Standards for Alternative Trading Systems CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
124.16 KB CESR published today common European Standards for Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs). This paper sets outs standards for ATSs in the European Economic Area (EEA) with a view to providing appropriate regulation of investments firms operating ATSs under the current ISD. It builds on FESCO's report to the European Commission on the Regulation of Alternative Trading Systems in Europe, which was published in September 2000. Also published today was a feedback statement summarising the responses received in the final round of consultation (Ref. CESR/02-087b)
08/01/2003 02-287b Feedback Statement on CESR's advice on Level 2 Implementing measures for the proposed Market Abuse Directive CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
245.84 KB CESR publishes today the Feedback Statement to its technical advice, submitted to the European Commission on Tuesday 31st December 2002, on level 2 implementing measures in connection with certain aspects of the Directive on Insider Dealing and Market Manipulation (Market Abuse).
01/03/2003 03-073 Standard No. 1 on Financial Information CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
147.6 KB During the seventh meeting of CESR held in Paris on 21 March 2003, the first CESR standard on Financial Information: Enforcement of standards on financial information in Europe was approved. The standard is being published today along with a feedback statement summarising the responses received during the consultation process (Ref. CESR/03-074). The standard represents a significant part of CESR\'s contribution to the task of developing and implementing a common approach to the enforcement of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Europe. The feedback statement can be viewed under the heading "Recent Publications".
02/04/2003 03-074 Feedback statement on the consultation on the statement of principles on the enforcement of standards of financial information CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
92.17 KB During the seventh meeting of CESR held in Paris on 21 March 2003, the first CESR standard on Financial Information: Enforcement of standards on financial information in Europe (Ref. CESR/03-073) was approved. The standard is being published today along with a feedback statement summarising the responses received during the consultation process (Ref. CESR/03-074). The standard represents a significant part of CESR"s contribution to the task of developing and implementing a common approach to the enforcement of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Europe. The Standard No. 1 can be viewed under the heading "Standards".
25/04/2003 03-067b Additional Public Hearing on possible implementing measures of the Prospectus Directive: Draft Feedback Statement CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
220.18 KB On Monday 31st March 2003, the European Commission, considering that the European Parliament has not started the second reading on the prospectus proposal, has invited CESR to provide its technical advice on issues initially required for 31st March by July 31st 2003. CESR welcomes this extension and has decided to hold an additional open hearing that will take place at CESR
06/05/2003 03-129 Additional Draft Feedback Statement on Level 2 Implementing measures for the proposed Prospectus Directive CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
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03/09/2003 03-213b CESR's Advice on the Second Set of Implementing Measures for the Market Abuse Directive- Feedback Statement CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
156.6 KB The Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR) released today the Advice on the Second Set of Implementing Measures for the Market Abuse Directive (Ref. CESR/03-212c), accompanied by a Feedback Statement (Ref. CESR/03-213b).
01/10/2003 03-301 Feedback Statement- CESR submits final advice on the content and format of Prospectus CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
30/10/2003 03-378b The role of CESR in the regulation and supervision of UCITS and asset management in the EU CESR Archive Reference PDF
123.55 KB CESR publishes today a consultation paper setting out how it proposes to prepare for its new role in the regulation of Asset Management and Unit Collective Investment Schemes (UCITS) in Europe. This also includes establishing how European securities regulators will work until these responsibilities are transferred from the UCITS Contact Committee established by the European Commission to CESR and includes specific areas where CESR proposes to begin work. CESR sets out the three principles that will underpin its work in this area until it formally receives responsibility for providing advice to the Commission for portfolio management activities from the European Union. These principles include the commitment that: Any future work done by CESR regarding UCITS would have to be conducted in full coherence with the EU institutional framework; CESR should take in a global vision of the so-called
30/12/2003 03-323e Recommendation for additional guidance regarding the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
161.3 KB CESR publishes today its recommendation for regulators on how listed companies can effectively manage the communication of the financial impact of transitioning to international accounting standards in 2005. CESR considers it essential that the transition must be carefully monitored by regulators to ensure that every company continues to meet its reporting requirements and that investors are able to understand the effect of the new reporting standards on the financial position of listed companies. European companies whose securities are traded on a regulated market will be required by the European Regulation n
30/12/2003 03-490b Preparing for the implementation of Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)- Feedback Statement CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
04/03/2004 03-497b List of Alternative Trading Systems Currently operating in Member States (updated on 7 April 2004) CESR Archive Reference PDF


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Dr Schoor is nationally recognized in the field of male reproductive medicine and microsurgery. He has published extensively in peer reviewed medical journals and text books in topics on male infertility such as diagnostic testis biopsy, computer-aided decision analysis in male infertility, robotic assisted microsurgical vasal reconstruction, and intrauterine insemination.


Huawei and Corning Incorporated today jointly demonstrated 3,000 km Ultra Long-Haul (ULH) transmission of 100G coherent Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology at the Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
At the event, Huawei is demonstrating the latest 100 Gbps single wavelength coherent technology over Corning® SMF-28® ULL optical fiber. This Optical Interoperability Forum (OIF) standards compliant 100 Gbps technology utilizes innovative Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithms and next generation Forward Error Correction (FEC) enabling high capacity transport over ULH distances. In addition, Huawei is also demonstrating co-transmission with its 40 Gbps coherent solutions at 50 GHz channel spacing.
This demonstration utilizes Corning SMF-28 ULL optical fiber, an ultra-low-loss ITU-T G.652-compliant optical fiber that has ultra-low attenuation (average attenuation at 1550 nm is 0.168 dB/km) and low Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD), empowering next-generation transmission systems to achieve longer spans, reach, and scale to higher speeds. Using the combined benefits of Huawei's 100 Gbps technology and Corning's SMF-28 ULL fiber, customers can enhance their network reach by 35-40 percent. Huawei's 100 Gbps and 40 Gbps coherent technology is available on the OptiX OSN 8800 which is a next generation, intelligent, Optical Transport Network (OTN) platform scalable to over 6 Tbps of switching capacity.
Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world's population. For more information, visit Huawei online: www.huawei.com. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/huaweipress and YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiPress.


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Draft Profile: Riley Ridley
For the second year in a row, a wide receiver named Ridley will be drafted by an NFL team. Last year, Calvin Ridley from Alabama was drafted 26th overall to the Atlanta Falcons and had a great rookie season pulling in 10 touchdown receptions. Younger brother Riley Ridley is hoping to join his older brother after enjoying a successful career at the University of Georgia. While Calvin was a first-round choice, Riley figures to go somewhere in the second round in a draft loaded with wideout talent. Let's see how the brothers Ridley stack up (Using Calvin's college statistics).
First of all, Riley Ridley wins at alliteration; Sorry, I couldn't resist. Now, on with the statistics. Both Ridley brothers are pretty close in physical attributes; Riley is one inch taller at 6'2, and 10 lbs heavier at 200 pounds. This year for Georgia, Riley Ridley made 44 receptions for 570 yards and 9 touchdowns; while in Calvin Ridley's senior year, he recorded 63 receptions for 967 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Both Ridleys are known to be solid route runners with great hands. While neither one of them is lacking in speed, Calvin has the edge in this department. To Riley's credit, he has a slightly larger catch radius than Calvin; evidenced by his red-zone touchdowns this year. If I had to make a definitive statement on these two guys, I would have to say that I'd want Calvin Ridley at the wideout position to get my offense down the field, and Riley Ridley lined up for a fade route in the corner of the endzone. Again, I cannot stress enough that I believe both players are talented and very capable receivers, but personally I have to give the edge to older brother Calvin Ridley.
Calvin Ridley went to the Atlanta Falcons to supplement Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu, so I think a good landing spot for Riley would be the Baltimore Ravens or the Raiders (Whatever city they're from now). In Baltimore he would make a good pairing with Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead, giving Lamar Jackson plenty of options to help him improve from his rookie year. For the Raiders, like most players, Ridley would be a step down from Amari Cooper, but he would definitely be a reliable pass catcher for Derek Carr. As I mentioned before, I have to give the edge to Calvin Ridley, but Riley's rookie season may have a lot to do with where he ends up. No matter where the younger Ridley gets drafted, I'm sure that this debate will continue around the Ridley Thanksgiving table.
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Our newest skaters compete against other newer teams.
Skaters earn their spot through competitive play and their dedication to the training needed to represent our league.
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At ChasenBoscolo our #1 priority is to take care of our clients and to help them get back on their feet. We prepare each case - whether the claim is worth $30,000 or $3 Million dollars with the same attention to detail.
We have recovered over $750 Million dollars on behalf of our clients. Each case is unique and past successes are no guarantee of a future recovery; it is important to review your situation with an attorney who can help you understand your particular case and help you determine in ChasenBoscolo is the right law firm for you.
Employer denied claim, we appealed and jury found in favor of our client entitling him/her needed medical care, ttd and money for ppd. Ins. Co makes low ball offer of $15k offer. Instead of taking the easy path and accepting, we file suit to hold the distracted driver and insurance company responsible and our fight pays off when jury awards $75k.
Benjamin Boscolo successfully tried a jury trial this week entitling his client to a seven-level neck surgery. Ben represented a custodian who had been employed by Washington County Board of Education for 29 years. He was injured when a cafeteria table fell on him and knocked him to the ground. Ultimately, our client was recommended to undergo neck surgery to help his disabling pain. The board of education retained a medical expert to evaluate our client. That doctor reported that our client had a simple neck strain which should have resolved 8-12 weeks after the accident. He also reported our client's need for neck surgery was not caused by the work accident, but necessary due to arthritis.At a hearing, the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission agreed with the Board of Education and denied our client surgery. Ben appealed and showed the jury the truth—our client's need for surgery was caused by the accident. As a result of getting a Lawyer that Cares, our client will be able to undergo the neck surgery, receive wages while recovering from the surgery and will be entitled to permanent disability benefits. Great job, Ben!
John Everett and Patrick Stewart went to trial and received a $150,000 jury verdict for a client sustaining injuries when the vehicle he was operating was t-boned by a distracted driver. Our client sustained a permanent left knee injury. The defendant driver's insurance company, Nationwide, only offered $12,300 to settle before trial.
Patrick Stewart recovered $90,000 for a gentleman suffering neck and back injuries. Our client was injured when a felon, attempting to flee the police, repeatedly rammed his vehicle into our client's car. Our client's own insurance company, The Hartford, only offered $10,000 to settle prior to trial.
John Everett successfully recovered $645,000 for a client who suffered a severe forearm fracture that ultimately required three surgeries. Our client was struck head-on by corporate pick-up truck who failed to yield at a stop sign.
ChasenBoscolo's client suffered catastrophic injuries when he fell two stories while working on a roof in Richmond, Virginia. The accident left him with a severed spinal cord and resulted in the partial amputation of his right leg. Our client was told he would never walk again and would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The ChasenBoscolo team fought to get our client the compensation he deserved, ultimately recovering over $2.5 million in medical benefits and wage loss compensation. Now, after years of intense rehabilitation and the use of a state-of-the-art prosthesis, our client is able to walk again and is ready to begin his new life.
On August 17, 2011, Benjamin Boscolo successfully represented a Giant Food employee at a jury trial in Prince George's County, Maryland. Our client worked for Giant for more than 29 years and as a result of her duties as a cashier (which included bagging groceries), she developed neck problems. Her neck symptoms progressed to the point that her doctor recommended neck surgery. Our client filed a workers' compensation claim, which Giant Food denied. Mr. Boscolo argued that the years of bagging groceries constituted repetitive trauma, causing her neck injuries. Giant took the position that our client's neck injuries were not caused by repetitive trauma and even if they were, Maryland law did not require Giant to pay for injuries resulting from repetitive trauma. The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission first heard the case and ruled that our client's neck injury was not caused by repetitive trauma and was therefore, not a covered injury under Maryland law. Not satisfied with the unfavorable decision, and never one to give up the fight, Ben appealed the decision to the Circuit Court in order to protect our client's interests. At trial, Ben successfully convinced the jury that repetitive trauma is an accident under Maryland law and that the Workers' Compensation Commission was wrong in denying our client benefits. As a result of Ben's excellent legal effort, Giant Food must now pay for our client's neck-related medical care, including her neck surgery, her lost wages while recovering from her injury and money for her permanent neck injury. Our client was thrilled with the outcome and grateful that she had a Lawyer that Cared!
Ben Boscolo recieved an $800,000 verdict for a client who was riding her bike in a crosswalk when she was struck by a company truck. Our client suffered a knee injury which required a total knee replacement. The company claimed that the bicyclist was responsible for the incident happening because she failed to double check before entering the crosswalk with the walk signal.
After filing suit, Tom Teodori settled a Federal Tort Claims Act case for $800,000. Our client's car had broken down in traffic, and while waiting for assistance to arrive, a U.S. Postal Service vehicle smashed into it. As a result of the crash, our client sustained neck injuries requiring surgery.
In September 2014, Tom Teodori settled a claim against a company whose driver negligently operated a truck on the Washington Beltway and collided into the rear of our client's vehicle. Our client required hip surgery following the crash. After suit was filed, and shortly before trial, we demanded $675,000—which the defendant agreed to pay. As a result of Tom's efforts, the client was able to rebuild and restore his and his family's life.
John Everett successfully recovered $650,000 for a client who sustained multiple fractures while operating a car. Our client was struck head-on by the defendant driver who crossed the double yellow lines.
Benjamin Boscolo negotiated a $624,704 settlement for a housekeeper who was injured while lifting a bucket of water.
Benjamin Boscolo recovered $603,000 in a D.C. workers' compensation claim for a construction company superintendent who sustained a lower back injury after lifting a box.
On October 12, 2011, Benjamin Boscolo proved his client's carpal tunnel syndrome was work related. Our client worked as a data entry clerk for the Prince George's County Police Department. As a result of typing seven hours a day, five days a week, she developed carpal tunnel syndrome. The police department sent her to a doctor who stated that if she did have carpal tunnel syndrome, it was not caused by work duties. The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission accepted the opinion of the police department's doctor and denied our client's request for compensation and medical care. Mr. Boscolo appealed her case to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County. At trial, Mr. Boscolo successfully argued to the jury that the Workers' Compensation Commission was incorrect, and that our client's carpal tunnel syndrome was caused by her work duties as a data entry clerk. As a result of the jury's finding, she is entitled to medical care, payment of her lost wages while unable to work and compensation for her permanent injuries.
ChasenBoscolo attorney Tom Teodori resolved a disputed Virginia automobile accident claim for $525,000. The insurance company refused to consider settlement until suit was filed. The settlement proceeds were on behalf of the surviving wife and children of a man from Ghana.
In February 2014, Tom Teodori settled a claim for $500,000 against a Maryland apartment complex. His client sustained foot and ankle injuries when she fell descending the apartment complex stairs. The stairs were poorly maintained and suit was necessary in order to resolve this matter—which has the added benefit of ensuring properly maintained stairs for the apartment complex residents. Tom was happy that his actions showed we are Lawyers that Care.
ChasenBoscolo recently settled a claim for a laborer who was working for a construction company in Gainesville, Virginia, on March 18, 2008, when a train cart he was unloading flipped and rolled over on top of him. He suffered severe injuries to all four extremities, and ultimately, underwent multiple surgeries to his arms and legs and was left with permanent nerve damage in his leg and limited use of his left arm. As a result of ChasenBoscolo's representation, the insurance company paid out $493,541 in benefits.
Tom Teodori recovered $375,000 for a client who sustained a hip fracture when a wall unit fell and knocked her over.
Amy Schaeffer recently settled her client's case for an additional $119,000. That amount, coupled with the benefits she previously secured for her client, totals more than $308,000 for her client. Ms. Schaeffer's client worked as a carpenter and while fixing a roof he slipped and fell, striking his arm on the roof.ChasenBoscolo helped obtain the medical treatment our client needed for his arm and neck conditions, as well as securing monetary benefits, enabling our client to support his family while he was recuperating. Unfortunately, our client had permanent problems and he couldn't return to carpentry work.Our firm advocated for our client to enroll in a job search and job re-training program, during which he was also paid temporary total disability benefits to help support his family.After this program ended, our client sought and received permanent partial disability benefits from the Workers' Compensation Commission.Ms. Schaeffer did not believe our client had been adequately compensated for his permanent disability by the Commission, and therefore appealed his case to the Circuit Court.While our client's case was on appeal, Ms. Schaeffer was able to settle his case for an amount that fairly compensated our client for his permanent disability he suffered as a result of his fall.Our client and his family were glad they had a Lawyer that Cares on their side.
Ben Boscolo received a $285,000 settlement for a professional soccer player who sustained a career-ending concussion.
In August 2014, Kevin Hadden represented a client who was injured when another driver fell asleep behind the wheel and caused a significant three-car collision. By failing to drive safely, the defendant caused our client to suffer a herniation in his lower back that required surgery to repair. The insurance company refused to make any settlement offers for four years, but neither Kevin nor his client gave in to the delays of the insurance company. While the lawsuit was pending, the insurance company filed a motion asking the court to rule that the injuries were not caused by the automobile collision. Kevin vigorously argued against the motion and the court ruled in our client's favor. Shortly after winning the motion, Kevin was able to obtain a settlement of $280,000 for our client, proving that Lawyers that Care are willing to fight for the long haul for their clients.
John Everett represented a client who was shopping at a Marlo furniture store and sustained facial injuries when she fell down stairs that were partially hidden. While only $32,000 had been offered prior to trial, the final jury verdict was $275,000.
Attorney Tom Teodori recently attended a Maryland Workers' Compensation hearing that resulted in an award of $268,758 for our client. Our client was employed as a diesel mechanic when he sustained back injuries while working on a fire truck. He underwent years of medical care, including physical therapy, pain relief injections, medications, and surgery on his lower back. Unfortunately, the medical treatment failed to provide our client with the necessary relief to return to his employer of more than 25 years. Taking into consideration his injuries and the impact they had on his ability to earn wages, the Workers' Compensation Commission found that our client had an 85 percent disability, which equaled $268,758 in benefits.
In October 2014, Mike Reiter represented a client who was injured because of negligence from the apartment complex where he lived. The apartment complex failed to inspect and maintain its property even though they knew that there had been a problem with residents throwing broken beer bottles around on its property for years. Unfortunately, some of those broken bottles ended up in a bush where our client was playing hide and go seek with his friends, and he ended up lacerating his hand on the glass, which ultimately caused nerve damage and required surgery to his left hand. Travelers Insurance initially refused to make any offer, denying that the apartment complex did anything wrong. A lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County. After the litigation process started, Travelers eventually changed their stance and the case ultimately settled for $225,000. Our client was overjoyed with Mr. Reiter's success and, like many other injured victims helped by ChasenBoscolo, was glad he got a Lawyer that Cared.
John Everett represented a client who was rear-ended on the Baltimore Washington Parkway and suffered a chronic shoulder strain. The other driver was uninsured and fled into the woods. Prior to trial, State Farm only offered $30,000 but the jury returned a verdict for $200,000.
Matt Peffer successfully recovered $200,000 and lifetime medical coverage in a D.C. workers' compensation claim for a WMATA bus operator.
On July 20, 2011, Jeff Tittsworth successfully represented our client before the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission and secured a significantly higher settlement than what was initially offered. Our client sustained serious shoulder injuries while hanging display signs when employed by Shoppers Food Warehouse. She required five surgeries, including two arthroscopic procedures and reconstruction of her right biceps, as a result of her injuries. The doctor our client was referred to by Shoppers Food Warehouse indicated that she had impairments of 3 percent to left shoulder and 2 percent to right shoulder, which would have resulted in benefits totaling $2,850. We found this negligent assessment and compensation proposal to be unfair, and we proceeded with the hearing. Thanks to Mr. Tittsworth's efforts, the Commission ruled that our client had a 50 percent disability and was entitled to $180,486 in damages. We secured substantially greater benefits and far exceeded the insurance company's doctor's suggestion—our client got a Lawyer that Cared and was elated with the results.
ChasenBoscolo attorneys Ben Boscolo, Elizabeth Payne-Maddalena and Alicia Kimi scored another major victory for one of our Virginia clients. Our client was a passenger in a car that was hit by the defendant when he ran a red light. As a result of the defendant running that light, our client suffered permanent injuries to her neck, as well as post-concussive symptoms. Because of her injuries, the client ended up losing her job. Before the case went to trial, the defendant's insurance company tendered its policy limits of $50,000, but our client's own insurance company wouldn't offer anything from her own underinsured motorist coverage. The insurance companies made us take the case to trial, even though the defendant admitted he caused the crash by running a red light. Virginia laws prohibited us from telling the jury at trial that our client's own underinsured motorist coverage was even involved, but the jury saw through the insurance companies' games and awarded our client a $150,000 verdict. Once again, ChasenBoscolo fought for our client's interests and rights to get her the compensation she deserved despite the many hurdles created by the insurance companies.ChasenBoscolo knows how insurance companies work and the tactics they use to try to keep our clients from getting true justice for their injuries. ChasenBoscolo attorneys also know insurance companies' tactics when it comes to concussions and brain injuries. To learn more about concussions or traumatic brain injuries and how ChasenBoscolo wants to help, check out attorney Ben Boscolo's recent blog post on the topic.
ChasenBoscolo attorneys Elizabeth Payne-Maddalena and Alicia Kimi recently scored a major trial victory for a bicyclist who was hit when he was in a crosswalk by a vehicle driven by the defendant. As a result, our client suffered permanent injuries to his lower back and left shoulder, as well as a concussion with permanent constant ringing in his ears. The defendant's insurance company refused to take our client's injuries seriously and only offered $15,000 to compensate our client for his permanent injuries. At the trial for this case, a local Virginia jury found the defendant to be negligent and awarded our client every penny he asked for—$125,000. This result not only helps keep our roads safer, but also helps to ensure that the safety rules for crosswalks are taken seriously. It also shows insurance companies that they need to honor their promises and take permanent injuries—especially head injuries—seriously.ChasenBoscolo knows how insurance companies try to undermine concussion cases and injuries, and we understand the uphill battle victims face when trying to obtain help for these kinds of injuries. To learn more about concussions or traumatic brain injuries and how ChasenBoscolo wants to help, check out attorney Ben Boscolo's recent blog post on the topic.
Benjamin Boscolo recently won a significant case on behalf of a professional basketball player. He represented a Washington Mystics player who plays in the WNBA. At issue was how to properly calculate the basketball player's average weekly wage. The Mystics attempted to argue that the player's average weekly wage should be determined by dividing the wages paid her during the season, May 15 to September 15, by the total number of weeks (52) in a year. Mr. Boscolo argued that the player's salary should be determined by the number of weeks during which the player was actually paid (May 15 thru September 15), since professional basketball players are not paid additional salary during the off-season. An additional issue in the case involved the player's ability to select a doctor of her own choosing to treat her injuries, rather than the Mystics team physician. Mr. Boscolo successfully convinced the judge on both legal issues. As a result, his client's average weekly wage is three times higher than what the Mystics argued, affording her greater benefits and the right to choose her own treating physician for medical care.Mr. Boscolo's skillful representation benefits all the Mystics players. Congratulations to his client—and to Ben himself. The Mystics players are happy they had a Lawyer that Cares!
Tom Teodori received a $175,000 jury verdict for a client who sustained a neck fracture when he was sideswiped and pushed into a concrete barrier. The insurance company denied responsibility for the crash, and then days prior to the trial offered only $75,000.
Ben Boscolo recovered $175,000 in permanent disability benefits as a result of the appeal and settlement of a workers' compensation claim for a professional football player who suffered a career-ending knee injury.
Ben Boscolo recovered $102,000 for a client who slipped and fell on icy stairs at a bank. Our client suffered a broken leg which had to be surgically repaired with rods and screws. The bank claimed the stairs were not icy and that the fall was caused because our client was rushing and not looking where she was going.
John Everett recovered $175,000 for a client who sustained a hip fracture when the driver of his car fell asleep and struck a utility pole.
Ben Boscolo received a $147,000 jury verdict for a client who fell while working and hurt her knees and hands. The injuries prevent her from working. The insurance company unsuccessfully argued that her inability to work was the result of her age and other health conditions.
John Everett recovered $125,000 for a client who was shopping at a home improvement store when a store employee dropped a box on our client.
John Everett received a $100,000 jury verdict for a client who was injured when a Carmax employee ran a red light and struck the client. Our client had neck and back injuries and had rejected an initial $20,000 offer.
In March 2015, Tom Teodori refused to allow an insurance company to lowball his client. Our client was struck as a pedestrian on a D.C. sidewalk. The insurance company offered $1,500 to settle the claim, arguing that our client was not injured. The insurance company used our client's Facebook postings as proof that he wasn't injured, or wasn't as injured as he alleged. Tom filed suit and was able to negotiate a $25,000 settlement despite the insurance company's position that the incident didn't happen. Our client appreciated that we were willing to fight for him.
In August 2014, Kevin Hadden represented a client who was injured while a passenger in a vehicle. The vehicle's driver lost control and the car left the roadway and struck a tree. By failing to control his vehicle, the defendant caused our client to suffer multiple injuries, including a broken bone in her hand. The insurance company made ridiculously low settlement offers, and Kevin refused to continue negotiating with the insurance company if they weren't going to negotiate in good faith. After speaking with his client, they decided that filing a lawsuit was the best course of action. After filing the lawsuit, the insurance company nearly tripled their settlement offers and Kevin was able to resolve the case for our client for $75,000, proving that being willing to take the fight to court helps us get our clients the results they deserve.
Amy Schaeffer successfully tried a jury trial on September 13, 2012, receiving a verdict entitling her client to $150,000. Ms. Schaeffer represented a client who injured his left shoulder in 2009. Her client was working as an excavation plumber who was fitting pipes underground when it started to rain. When his co-workers lifted him out of a rain-filled hole by his arm, he immediately felt a tear in his left shoulder which ultimately required surgery to repair.Because of the injury sustained, our client could not return to his previous employment, which involved heavy lifting and pulling with his shoulder. Our client succeeded in obtaining a light duty position with his employer, but sustained wage loss in addition to permanent difficulties doing daily activities due to his permanent injury. As such, we filed issues on our client's behalf before the Workers' Compensation Commission asking for permanent partial disability benefits.Our client saw a doctor who said he sustained 25 percent permanent impairment to his whole person as a result of the work-related accident. The employer retained their own doctor to examine our client, who only gave him a rating of 5 percent permanent impairment to his whole person as a result of his work accident.The employer offered our client $30,000 to settle the case before a hearing. Ms. Schaeffer didn't believe that was enough to compensate our client for his permanent disability and rejected the offer. The Workers' Compensation Commission awarded our client an 18 percent permanent disability as a result of the accident. This finding entitled our client to $27,180.Ms. Schaeffer didn't believe our client received fair compensation and appealed the Commission's finding. Before trial, the defense attorney repeatedly stated he didn't understand why our client was unhappy with the Commission's order, and stated he believed our client had received enough compensation. We disagreed.Due to our client's permanent work restrictions, Ms. Schaeffer asked the jury to find that our client had sustained a permanent disability of 60 percent, which was the wage loss our client had sustained as a result of the accident. The jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes and returned a verdict for even more than our client requested—finding that our client had suffered 65 percent permanent disability as a result of the accident. This finding entitles our client to about $150,000 in additional compensation, meaning our client will have been awarded a total of approximately $177,180 from this claim. This figure is $147,000 more than what the employer initially offered!
On October 12, 2011, Joseph Yahr successfully tried a case in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland. Our client was employed as an assistant manager for a linen company and suffered neck and back injuries from lifting a heavy box at work. Her back injuries were not mentioned in medical records for more than a month after her work accident. As a result, Travelers Insurance refused to accept the back problems as related to the work injury and refused treatment. Even though the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission ruled our client's back condition was not related to the work accident, Mr. Yahr refused to accept that result. He filed an appeal for our client and successfully convinced a jury that her back injury was work related. Thanks to ChasenBoscolo's representation, our client doesn't have to worry about who is going to pay her medical bills—Mr. Yahr made sure Travelers Insurance will. Our client was delighted that she got a Lawyer that Cared!
On September 7, 2011, Mike Reiter went to court for a client who was injured in a car accident caused by another person's careless driving. The other driver failed to control his vehicle while traveling through an intersection, and struck the rear of our client's car. Our client suffered injuries to multiple parts of his body as a result of the other driver's negligence. Allstate refused to take responsibility for the accident and offered no monetary compensation. Mr. Reiter filed suit. He tried the case in the District Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, and skillfully argued for our client's right to full and fair compensation. Following the presentation of evidence, the trial judge awarded our client $15,000. Our client was overjoyed with Mr. Reiter's representation. Like many other ChasenBoscolo clients, he was glad he made the decision to hire a Lawyer that Cared.
On August 16, 2011, Amy Schaeffer successfully tried a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland. Our client worked as a carpenter and injured his lower back when he slipped and fell. He had been represented by another law firm for seven years, but was no longer satisfied with the legal representation and poor customer service provided by the other firm, so he contacted ChasenBoscolo. He asked us to take over his case after the prior law firm attended a hearing which resulted in a 15 percent permanent partial disability ruling, equaling only $18,075. Despite the lengthy case history, ChasenBoscolo agreed to take over the case. Through Ms. Schaeffer's dedication, skill and willingness to correct an injustice, she successfully convinced a jury that his disability totaled 45 percent, and our client was found to be entitled to $54,225. Congratulations on another victory!
On July 20, 2011, Amy Schaeffer successfully tried a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland. Our client was injured while working as a drywall installer/painter. She sustained multiple injuries, including to her neck, when she was lifting some debris to put in a trash barrel. Despite the fact that her doctor recommended neck surgery, her employer and the insurance company refused to authorize the surgery. Not satisfied with that decision, we requested a workers' compensation hearing, and unfortunately, the workers' compensation commissioner agreed with the insurance company and denied our client's request for neck surgery. We appealed to the circuit court to correct this injustice. During preparation for the trial, the insurance attorney frequently stated to Ms. Schaeffer that the appeal was a waste of time and we were not going to win. Undeterred, Ms. Schaeffer carefully prepared her case and mapped out her strategy. The insurance company had two doctors on their side versus one for our client.In the end, it didn't matter because Ms. Schaeffer successfully convinced the jury that our client needed the surgery. As a result, the insurance company is obligated to pay for the neck surgery and awarded past due benefits totaling $26,912 and $498 per week until our client has recovered from the surgery. Our client was thrilled with the outcome since it enables her to receive the necessary medical treatment and financial support during her recovery, and she was particularly pleased with Ms. Schaeffer's representation.
In September 2014, Ben Boscolo won a jury trial for a registered nurse (RN) who suffered a pinched nerve in her back after a fall at work. Her employer, a large community hospital, did not want to take care of the injury. When she began to complain to her doctors about pain from her neck into her left shoulder and down her arm to the fingertips, the doctors didn't take the time to listen to her, document the information, or order the correct tests to find what was wrong. Ultimately, the RN found a spine specialist who performed a nerve test and discovered the pinched nerve. The hospital believed that since the doctors' records did not make any reference to the complaints, the problems did not exist. The Workers' Compensation Commission sided with the employer and insurance company, stating her neck problem was not related to the fall. Ben and his client appealed the decision to a jury who reversed the order by concluding the nerve damage was caused by the fall at work. As a result of Ben's efforts, his client can now pursue medical treatment and any other benefits relating to her injury.
In September 2010, a client came to our law firm after having been previously represented by three different well-regarded firms. Each of the firms investigated the claim and concluded that the client was not eligible for benefits. Though she came to us discouraged, our new client wanted one last legal opinion before abandoning her claim. Our client was married to a Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) track repairer. On August 9, 2009, while working on the rail tracks, her husband was struck and killed by a vehicle operated by a WMATA employee. Our client filed a workers' compensation claim for her husband's death against his employer—WMATA—in the District of Columbia. WMATA denied the claim, challenging the marital relationship and arguing that the couple had separated, were no longer together, and/or did not have a valid marriage. After attending an informal conference before the Office of Workers' Compensation, it was recommended that our client receive death benefits. WMATA rejected the recommendation and filed for a hearing before an administrative law judge. ChasenBoscolo Attorney Mike Kitzman proceeded to court on our client's behalf. Through his representation, our client won benefits in excess of $70,000, plus continuing payments to her and her young daughter. Great job Mike!
Attorney Jessica Bhagan went to court for one of our clients who was injured as a result of another person's careless driving. Our client sustained whiplash injuries when her car was rear-ended by another vehicle traveling at a very slow speed. GEICO didn't believe our client was injured and not only refused to make a fair settlement offer, but refused to make any settlement offer—zero. Jessica filed suit and tried the case in the District Court for Prince George's County, Maryland on July 25, 2011. After the presentation of the evidence, the trial judge awarded our client $12,750.
Benjamin Boscolo successfully represented an injured HVAC technician before a Prince George's County jury. Based on the client's neck, shoulder and hand injuries, the Workers' Compensation Commission determined he suffered from a 34 percent permanent disability. This resulted in the client being entitled to slightly more than $35,000 in benefits. Mr. Boscolo appealed this decision to a jury, which reversed the Commission's ruling and found that—as a result of the client's herniated disc in his neck, tendinitis of his shoulder and carpal tunnel syndrome—he suffered a 68 percent disability, entitling him to more than $143,000 in additional, tax-free benefits.
Amy Schaeffer recently represented a bus driver for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). While working, he suffered a slipped disk due to the poor condition of his driver's seat and received medical care for two years. When his case was brought to the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission, it found that he had a 10 percent disability due to the accident and a two percent disability that was present before the accident. Amy disagreed and appealed to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County. Prior to trial, Amy made a settlement demand that equaled the full value of our client's permanent impairment rating. WMATA refused to respond to our demand because it was ""unrealistic.""At the trial, our client testified about how his back had impacted his ability to engage in daily activities. The jury found that he had a 31 percent permanent partial disability, and that he didn't have any permanent disability before the work accident. The jury's disability rating was the same percentage of impairment our client's doctor had given him—the same ""unrealistic"" number that WMATA said a jury wouldn't award. The jury's verdict meant our client received an additional $30,000 in benefits. Way to go, Amy Schaeffer, for showing WMATA that we'll fight for our clients!
We agreed to handle a claim for a client after another well-respected law firm told him he didn't have a case. We settled the case within two months for $70,000.
On September 11, 2012, Amy Schaeffer tried a jury trial against Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and succeeded in obtaining a finding that our client injured her back because of her job at WMATA.Our client was injured when she was performing a voluntary overtime shift cleaning rail cars. Although she didn't have a specific accident occur while working, she strained her back and missed three months of work because she was doing the hard, physically demanding work her employer had asked her to do.WMATA fought the claim, arguing that our client had not sustained an ""accidental injury."" They argued that although she was hurt on the job, she was not entitled to the protection and rights afforded under workers' compensation law because a specific ""accident"" never occurred. The Workers' Compensation Commission agreed with WMATA and denied our client's claim. Ms. Schaeffer disagreed with the Commission's finding and appealed the case to the Circuit Court.Prior to the trial, WMATA offered our client a minimal settlement. They stated our client was a ""liar"" and would not offer more because of that belief. Our client declined the offer, a decision Ms. Schaeffer supported. Throughout the trial, WMATA repeatedly argued for dismissal. Each time, Ms. Schaeffer was successful and was able to have the jury hear the case.The jury rightfully believed our client and found in her favor. She is now entitled to medical care for her back, lost wages and compensation for any permanent disability she sustained. The lost wages and future permanent disability awarded will likely be four times the amount of money WMATA offered to settle the case.
When a delivery truck driver with a surgical knee injury first contacted ChasenBoscolo, he considered accepting the insurance company's offer of $1,278 to settle his claim independently. A few months after retaining ChasenBoscolo, our client was thankful he didn't. Attorney Jeff Tittsworth took the case to hearing before the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission, and got our client $23,025 in benefits; more than 18 times the insurance company's low-ball offer. His case remains open should he need additional medical treatment related to his work injury. Great job, Jeff!
We represented a truck driver who was injured when he rolled his truck over to avoid smashing into a car that had cut him off. The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission awarded him a 25 percent permanent disability worth $33,375. We appealed to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, and a jury found that he had a 71 percent disability worth $148,956 in benefits.
Last week Amy Schaeffer settled her client's case for an additional $115,000 than was previously awarded by the Workers' Compensation Commission. Our client injured his back in 2008 while working as a selector. He received treatment and, eventually, job-search services. Throughout much of this time we secured temporary total disability benefits to be paid to our client.Eventually, however, our client's condition reached the point of maximum medical improvement and became permanent. At that time, we filed issues for permanent disability benefits. Before the hearing, our client's former employer offered to fund an annuity with $50,000, which meant he would receive a few hundred dollars a week until the money ran out. Neither Ms. Schaeffer nor our client believed that was enough to compensate our client for the permanent disability he suffered as a result of his back condition.We proceeded to a hearing and the Commission found that our client had sustained a 40 percent permanent disability as a result of the accident—which equaled $58,600. Ms. Schaeffer did not agree with that finding and recommended an appeal. Our client agreed, and an appeal was filed. Shortly before trial, after much discussion between parties, the employer agreed with Ms. Schaeffer's point of view and acknowledged our client's serious injuries as a result of the work-related accident.Our client settled his case for an additional $115,000 lump-sum payment, with his right to future medical treatment remaining open. Adding the permanent disability benefits awarded by the Commission with the settlement, Ms. Schaeffer secured a total of $173,600 in permanent disability money for our client. Our client will receive about $120,000 more than what the employer originally offered due to Ms. Schaeffer not accepting anything less than what our client deserved and continuously fighting for his rights.
ChasenBoscolo attorneys recently achieved a great result for one of our Virginia workers' compensation clients. Our client worked as a registered nurse for the same employer for 15 years. As she reported to work on a wintry morning in January 2011, she slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk as she approached the entrance to her building. She sustained injuries to her left knee and left shoulder. After she filed a claim for workers' compensation benefits, the insurance company denied her claim arguing that our client had not yet arrived at work, and thus the insurance company was not responsible for her injuries. Not satisfied with the insurance company's denial, ChasenBoscolo requested a hearing on our client's behalf. Unfortunately, after that hearing, our client's claim was denied. Not satisfied, ChasenBoscolo appealed the decision. This time, the Full Commission issued an order awarding our client more than two years of back pay totaling in excess of $61,000 and lifetime medical care for her left knee and shoulder injuries. The insurance company then appealed the decision to the Virginia Court of Appeals, and on May 7, 2013, the Court unanimously affirmed the award of benefits to our client. She was delighted that she had Lawyers that Care and lawyers that were willing to fight the insurance company to the bitter end in order to see justice served. Well done and congrats to our attorneys.
Amy Schaeffer recently secured $130,000 for a client who injured his back removing a radiator in 2012. Our client performed maintenance work for the majority of his career, but after his back injury and subsequent surgery, he could not physically return to working in his field. Ms. Schaeffer fought to get her client into a job search program, during which time he was paid temporary disability benefits in order to support his family. Her client worked hard to help get himself into a higher education program in order to find a new job he could physically perform. Our client's doctor eventually informed our client there was nothing more he could do to improve our client's back condition that resulted from the on-the-job accident.Once our client was safely secured in a higher education program and his future was stable, Ms. Schaeffer fought for our client to be paid $130,000 for his injury, with the right to future medical treatment as a result of the injury remaining open. This could not have been accomplished without the hard-working case manager our client had helping him along the way. We want to say a special thank you to Janette Quintanilla, who also worked with our client to help him get the benefits he deserved.
Mike Reiter represented a client injured in a car crash caused by another person's negligent driving. The defendant driver failed to control the speed of his vehicle and slammed into the rear of our client's car. Our client suffered an aggravation of a previous severe condition as a result. Mr. Reiter argued strongly for his client's right to full and fair compensation and the insurance companies, York Insurance and Erie Insurance, eventually extended their full policy limits, totaling $100,000. Our client was overjoyed with Mr. Reiter's successful representation and glad he got Lawyers that Care.
Amy Schaeffer recently secured an additional $80,000 for a client, on top of the nearly $60,000 she had previously acquired. Our client, who was employed as a painter for an apartment complex, injured her neck and back while removing a liner from a trash can. After a year and a half of medical treatment, our client's doctor recommended neck surgery. The workers' compensation insurance company refused to pay for the surgery and cut off our client's benefits. The insurance company had our client evaluated by two of their doctors who prepared reports which stated that our client did not need surgery. After a hearing, the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission agreed with the insurance company and ruled against our client. Disagreeing with the commission, and believing our client, Ms. Schaeffer appealed the case to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. Ms. Schaeffer won the trial, thereby entitling our client to the necessary neck surgery as well as about $25,000 in benefits back pay.Once our client concluded her medical care, Ms. Schaeffer pursued permanent disability benefits for her before the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission. The commission awarded our client benefits, but Ms. Schaeffer believed our client was entitled to more than was awarded, so she filed another appeal. While the case was on appeal, the insurance company offered an additional $80,000. Our client was very happy that Ms. Schaeffer was a Lawyer that Cares who was willing to fight for her regardless of the insurance company's denials and decisions of the commission. Ms. Schaeffer believed in our client and with lots of time and hard work, secured an additional $140,000 for our client from the insurance company.
We represented a laborer who injured his lower back when he slipped and fell in a garage. The Maryland Workers' Compensation Commissionfound that he had a 55 percent disability despite the fact that he was unable to work. We appealed to the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, and the Court found that he was permanently and totally disabled. This resulted in our client receiving weekly benefits for the remainder of his life. The present value of this award is in excess of $165,000.
We successfully argued that a professional soccer player's appearance fees and endorsement deals were part of his wages and, therefore, increased the benefits awarded to the player.
GEICO offered $5,000 to settle a car accident claim. We tried the case in court, and our client was awarded $16,830.
We settled a car accident claim for $100,000 on behalf of a client who was struck from behind.
On February 7, 2012, Frederick Lester successfully represented a ChasenBoscolo client who sustained neck and back injuries in a car accident caused by another person's negligent driving. The reckless driver rear-ended our client while he was stopped and waiting to turn at a traffic light. The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund offered to settle the claim for a mere $3,400. Mr. Lester refused to accept such a low settlement offer, and we filed suit in the District Court for Prince George's County, Maryland. Mr. Lester fought for his client's right to be fairly compensated and successfully convinced the judge to award his client more than $12,000.
On July 23, 2012, Mike Reiter went to court for a client who was injured in a car accident caused by another person's careless driving. The other driver was following too closely behind our client and struck his vehicle. Our client suffered injuries to multiple body parts as a result of the other driver's negligence. State Farm refused to make a settlement offer and denied its driver was responsible for the collision. Mr. Reiter tried the case in the District Court for Prince George's County, Maryland, and skillfully argued our client's right to full and fair compensation. Following the presentation of evidence, the trial judge awarded our client$5,614. Like many other injured victims whom ChasenBoscolo has helped, our client is glad he got a Lawyer that Cared. Great job, Mike.
On January 17, 2012, Mike Reiter went to court on behalf of a client who was injured in a car accident caused by another person's careless driving. The other driver lost control of his vehicle while switching lanes and crashed into our client's vehicle. Our client suffered injuries to his shoulder as a result of the accident, and was offered $350 in compensation by the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund. The client refused, and Mr. Reiter filed suit, skillfully arguing the case in the District Court for Prince George's County, Maryland. After Mr. Reiter's presentation of evidence, the trial judge awarded the client $3,000. The client was highly satisfied with the outcome of the case and, like many other injured victims whom ChasenBoscolo has helped, was glad he got a Lawyer that Cared!


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Nigeria: Governor's reputation goes up in hospital flames
Useless Health Ministers
If this is not a case where Nigerian politics and the service to humanity has lost its priorities, focus and purpose, I would wonder what is.
I have railed before about so-called professors in medical science who have been appointed Ministers of Health and they have failed to grasp the extent and import of their briefs.
It informs the reason why for a simple fracture that the erstwhile vice-President had or the complicated ailment that the current President had before his selection required them being flown out of the country.
We have at least 4 teaching hospitals that have been in existence for at least 4 decades and we still end up with situations where one was particularly involved in obtaining sub-standard drugs from the black market that the Health Minister of the day could not be persuaded to act decisively on the report from the drug standards body; because the report was addressed to a predecessor he replaced a few weeks after the report was submitted.
If there would ever be a Health Minister in the mould of the late Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti who in spite of the strictures he had to work in, still made improvements and adjustments to health delivery in Nigeria, one cannot yet tell.
Junket beclouds purpose
The news reaching me today is appalling to say the least, a general hospital that had been built in Maiduguri, Borno State, with possibly start-of-the-art medical equipment was burnt down.
That is unfortunate, but reading the detail leaves one quite livid with rage; for the sake of stupid ceremony, the culture of junketry (for the want of another derivative of junket) that gets in the way of getting things done expeditiously and properly for the people; the hospital which was completed in June 2006 has remained closed until the day it was torched.
It had remained closed because the State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ali Modu Sheriff, wanted the President to fly over with his entourage of leeches at great expense to the taxpayer to cut the tape to open the hospital.
So far, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had been otherwise engaged than to do bed-pans that a number of visits were postponed until one that had now been set for March 2008.
I would contend that if the hospital had been deployed to the service that it was built to provide, it is unlikely we would be reading of arsonist attacks, rather, it would have breakthroughs in healthcare delivery hugging the headlines.
Misdirected anger
I am not surprised that the people of Bulunkutu were angry and shouting abuses at the alleged arsonists but their anger is completely misdirected and this is where the education of the masses is required for a clear thought process.
The governor stated that there was not one state-owned hospital in the country that had the type of world class equipment that could be found in the hospital complex – if that was the case, the next question should be whether the hospital was built for the people or for the opportunity to bring the President to this far-flung North-Eastern state.
It is unlikely that the President would have needed to use the facilities, the people of the state however, would have benefited from using the hospital considering other Borno State hospitals are poorly equipped and overcrowded.
The people should have been foremost in the mind of the governor and after being unable to get the President he should have settled for another delegated functionary or even done it himself.
Now, he laments the arsonists had a ploy to damage his political reputation – How do we get to elect these cretins?
This hospital should have been opened 19 months ago and it should not have lain fallow and unused for another one month until March 2008.
Another rape of the people
Not only is the governor culpable in this travesty and rape of the people, his advisers should have seen that his political reputation stems from the people not from junkets that have him play host to the President.
The healthcare delivery hierarchy should have prevailed upon him; if indeed we had healthcare delivery statistics all around the country, to open the hospital and give respite to the people who most definitely have no opportunity to jet out for Aspirin.
The anger of the people should be directed at the idiot that is the governor, just as the arsonists who were wrong could no more stand seeing a white-elephant in their neighbourhood.
I would suppose the President would be visiting next month to cut the tape and allow fire engines access to fight the fire after which he can shovel the ashes and see the hospital rise like a phoenix before the eyes of the junketeers.
Sometimes, incredulity is the norm in great Nigeria.
Related Posts derived from the following labels: borno state, bulunkutu, ceremony, delivery, health, healthcare, junket, junketry, maiduguri, ministers
Labels: borno state, bulunkutu, ceremony, delivery, health, healthcare, junket, junketry, maiduguri, ministers
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An old two-storey brick building in a shabby part of Cambridge, Massachusetts, formerly a distribution centre for Budweiser beer, is now the world's most powerful factory for analysing genes from people and viruses.
And it is a factory. At any given time, 10,000 tiny test tubes each holding a few drops of gene-containing fluid are being processed by six technicians, working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — two on the night shift — using 50 dishwasher-sized machines in two large rooms.
The machines spit out sequence data onto a computer screen in the form of a long list, in order of the letters that make up genetic material.
That is three billion letters if the genes are from a person. Another 64 technicians do the more labour-intensive work of preparing the samples for analysis.
It is all in service of researchers who work for the Broad Institute, a gleaming, lavishly endowed genetics centre a few blocks away. The sequencing centre has worked on human DNA from an international effort, the 1,000 Genomes Project, that looks at the genes of thousands of people from around the world. It has gotten sequences of microbes, like dengue fever, malaria and West Nile virus. It has gotten genetic sequences from animals like chimpanzees.
And it is here that Broad scientists studying Ebola and a similar deadly disease, Lassa, send their samples, taking advantage of what the centre's manager, Andrew J Hollinger, referred to as superfast track sequencing in their urgent work on these diseases ravaging West Africa. Those scientists receive their sequence data in about 40 hours, compared with days for the usual work.
The Ebola and Lassa group, led by Pardis Sabeti, wants to know what the viruses look like. Do they mutate while they are infecting people, possibly evading the immune system? Are some strains more deadly than others? And what about the genetics of the people who are infected? Are some people more resistant, perhaps even immune, to these viruses because of tweaks in their own genes?
The research is emblematic of a new direction in public health, which uses powerful genetic methods and applies them to entire populations.
The aim is to get a detailed picture of disease epidemiology, as the disease is happening. Armed with such data, doctors should be better able to stop epidemics and researchers can get clues to treating and preventing infections.
In one of their first investigations, the group traced the start of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone from a single funeral in May that ended up infecting 14 women. One person who had been at that funeral showed up at Kenema Government Hospital a few hours drive away from the village where the funeral was held.
While Sabeti and others work on Ebola, they also are working on Lassa and asking the same questions.
Lassa virus is much more common than the Ebola virus, but Lassa and Ebola infections have many of the same symptoms: fever, vomiting, bleeding in some cases.
Lassa also can have dreadful consequences — only 16 per cent of those admitted to hospitals in Sierra Leone with Lassa survive. Lassa, unlike Ebola, infects the brain, so survivors often end up with permanent neurological damage like deafness or dizziness or psychiatric symptoms.
Sabeti's interest in Lassa was piqued seven years ago, before sequencing reached today's low price and fast speed. She had decided to look at already-determined DNA sequences from people around the world with a simple question: Are there new gene mutations, ones that only recently emerged in a population, that might protect against disease? The idea was that if a disease entered a population and was deadly, those who carried a protective mutation would survive and reproduce and soon that good mutation would become common.
She saw one such mutation in Nigeria — it was a slight tweak in a gene and so common that 34 per cent of the population there has it. The gene, called LARGE, named because it is so huge, is 10 to 50 times bigger than other genes. The gene still functioned, but why did so many people have this variation?
Elsewhere in the world, the mutation was unheard-of. This told her that it was likely that the mutation was protective. To confirm her suspicion, she had to get data —cells from people who were exposed to Lassa and fell ill and those with similar exposure who resisted the virus. That way, she could test whether the LARGE mutation was linked to a better outcome. It is a difficult project and still underway, but so far, based on a small set of data, the mutation in LARGE does appear to be protective.
"There are hundreds of mutations evolving in individuals," she added. She said the work could also help with the development of methods of diagnosing the diseases as well as work on vaccines and treatments.
There should be practical payoffs, too. People who come to clinics ill with fevers or diarrhoea or vomiting could receive an accurate diagnosis. Many clinics send blood samples to labs to test for Ebola, but those with Lassa have just been sent away, told that what they had was "not Ebola," which does not help much.
"I proposed years ago to do a genetic study with Ebola," Sabeti said. But it was infeasible: There were too few patients. The situation, unfortunately, has changed.