Texas Personal Injury Lawyers

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News and Updates

Energy Tax Credit Scam

Over $30 Million in fraudulent energy tax credits were sold between 2003 and 2007 to innocent taxpayers, almost all through Texas tax preparers, according the the U.S. Department of Justice. Bush Lewis Managing Attorney Ken Lewis, along with Beaumont lawyers Mitch Toups and Tom Peterson, has filed a lawsuit asking a Beaumont, Texas, federal court to certify a class action on behalf of all taxpayers who were sold one of these alleged tax credit investments by any tax preparer in Texas. Named in both the class action lawsuit and a lawsuit by the Department of Justice to stop the fraudulent sales were Louis and Elizabeth Powell (the Powells ran The Income Tax Office in Carthage and created many partnerships to market the sham energy tax credit investments to taxpayers and tax preparers) and Carl Stewart (who managed the Powells' companies and prepared marketing materials for the tax credit promotions) of Carthage, Texas; Edward D. Adams (who ran Mr. Tax of America in Dallas, Texas); Timothy W. Adams (who ran USTAXCO, Inc. in Irving, Texas); Sally Hand-Bostick (who ran National Express Tax in Plano, Texas); Ronald Fontenot (the CEO of Compro-Tax, who was also associated with Compro-Tax, Inc. offices in Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana); Elizabeth Spinelli (who ran a Plano, Texas, tax preparation office); Mark D. Johnson (who ran MDJ Business Services in Mansfield, Texas); Vinson Stanphill (who ran Accurate Business Services in Mesquite, Texas); and multiple tax preparers for Compro-Tax in various Texas cities including Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Lufkin, Corrigan, Camden, and San Antonio. Clients of these tax preparers who bought the sham energy tax credits were shocked when the I.R.S. disallowed their tax credits and demanded payment for back taxes and interest when most of their refunds had gone to pay the purchase price of the sham tax credit. These same clients were more shocked to learn that it was impossible to buy tax credits this year for last year's taxes. The real shock, however, came when our taxpayer clients found out that there was no energy conversion, that the companies had never bought the right to any land fills sites, and that all the paperwork provided about the whole scheme was fraudulent. The I.R.S. will get its money from the innocent taxpayers but those taxpayers will be dependent on their lawsuit to get back their investmentsand other losses.

Peanut Butter Poisoning

Over 500 people in 43 different states have contacted salmonella poisoning from consumer products containing peanut butter, with at least 8 deaths from the poisonsing. Over half of the poisonings involve children. All of the salmonella cases have been traced to a single plant operated by the Peanut Corporation of America in Blakely, Georgia, which has recalled all of products made with its peanut butter since Jan. 1, 2007. Products using the contaminated peanut butter include Jenny Craig bars, Keebler Peanut Butter sancdwiches, and over 400 other consumer products. The F.D.A. has determined that the company found salmonella contamination in its products on 12 occasions between 2007 and 2008 but shipped the products any way without warning or doing anything afterwards to clean the plant. Ken Lewis and the Bush Lewis lawyers are currently reviewing confirmed salmonella poisoning cases from ingestion of peanut butter products.

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Hurricane Ike Insurance Claims

Southeast Texans face a new hurricane season every June through October. Hurricane Ike was devastating to many of us, causing significant property damage and loss. Most of us have already had contact with our insurers. Ken Lewis of Bush Lewis, PLLC, and Scott Renick of the Law Offices of Scott Renick have spent their entire legal careers practicing in Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Chambers, Jasper, Newton, Galveston and surrounding counties. They successfully handled over 100 Hurricane Rita claims. Based on their experience and knowledge of the law, they have prepared a booklet for your use in dealing with your insurance company on your Hurricane Ike claims. Please call us at (409) 835-3521 or send an email to ken.l@bushlewis.com on the Bush Lewis website contact page to have us mail a free copy of "When A Hurricane Strikes" or stop by the Bush Lewis, PLLC offices at 595 Orleans, Suite 500, in the San Jacinto Building in Beaumont or Scott Renick's office at 3590 Delaware, Suite 311 in Beaumont to get your free copy. There is no obligation.

Ken Lewis and Scott Renick have teamed up to handle Hurricane Ike claims together to bring their combined experience to these important claims. Call us at either office for a free appointment to see if we can help you. Your insurance policy and Texas law give you important rights in dealing with your insurance company after a hurricane. It is up to you to enforce those rights. Please get a copy of our free booklet so that you will understand those rights.

Heparin Alert

On April 15, 2008, the FDA announced that the blood thinner heparin may have been intentionally contaminated to reduce cost of the drug. Heparin has been associated with several deaths and allergic reactions recently. In early April 2008, the FDA reported that there has been a substantial increase in the number of people who have died while taking heparin. Heparin is manufactured by Baxter International and is commonly used before certain types of surgery and during hemodialysis as a blood clot preventative. FDA findings indicate there have been 103 heparin-associated deaths since January 1, 2007, and 91 of these were reported to the FDA on or ofter January 1, 2008. Baxter and the FDA recalled several dosage types of heparin in February 2008 after receiving reports of adverse reactions including breathing difficulty, vomiting, excess sweating and a rapid decline in blood pressure. Baxter then expanded the recall to include all remaining lots of its multi-dose, single dose, and flush products. Bush Lewis lawyers are actively seeking heparin cases that resulted in death or injury of individuals who were administered heparin.

Duragesic Pain Patch Recall

Johnson & Johnson's Alza Corporation recalled some its Duragesic patches containing the painkiller fentanyl on February 13, 2008, saying manufacturing defects may lead to fatal overdoses. This is the fifth recall of some version of the patches since 1994. The FDA issued a July 2005 warning after 120 patients died using the patches. The current recall is for patches releasing 25 micrograms of fentanyl per hour. Bush Lewis lawyers are currently investigating cases of patient deaths while using Duragesic pain patches.

Paxil & Birth Defects

Ken Lewis has been handling drug and drug device cases since the swine flu vaccine and Dalkon Shield birth control device litigation in the 1970's. He is currently investigating cases involving birth defects in children born during or after a mother's use of the popular anti-depressant Paxil, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch

Johnson & Johnson recently released a study of its own Ortho Evra birth control patch which showed the patch created a greater risk of blood clot- related injuries than birth control pills. In January 2008, the FDA required a third significant update to Ortho Evra label warnings. Bush Lewis lawyers are reviewing cases of stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis occurring in women while using this birth control patch.

Pain Pump Shoulder Injury

A study published in the July 3, 2007, American Journal of Sports Medicine concluded: "Use of intra-articular pain pump catheters eluting [releasing] bupivacaine with epinephrine appear highly associated with postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intra-articular pain pump catheters, especially those eluding bupivacaine with epinephrine, should be avoided until further investigation." This device is a type of pain pump catheter implanted temporarily in the shoulder following arthroscopic shoulder surgery that may be linked to a painful, debilitating condition involving loss of cartilage and known as glenohumeral chondrolysis. Symptoms may include unusual pain, stiffness or other problems. Bush Lewis lawyers are currently investigating these possible claims.

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