Alan Haburchak

Ortho Evra is a rather new form of birth control that is available for women to use as a patch on their skin. However, reports are beginning to surface about the risks of the Ortho Evra patch that may have been responsible for at least 23 deaths due to the increase risk of developing blood clots within the body.

While hedging is considered to be "risky business" among many stockbrokers, if a broker does not offer a hedging strategy to a client and the client then loses money, that stockbroker is held accountable. Often hedging is not offered to clients because a stockbroker will claim that the client is not sophisticated enough to fully comprehend the strategy and risk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning to GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Avandia, a type 2 diabetes drug. The warning was issued after a routine inspection turned up evidence that information from clinical trials of the drug had been withheld from the FDA. Avandia has created a controversy as it has been linked to an increase of heart disease and early onset osteoporosis.

Silica is the world's second most common mineral and it is also an extremely damaging mineral that, when inhaled, can cause lung cancer, tuberculosis, renal failure, etc. Silica dust exists in many work environments and hundreds of employees work in and around it without knowledge of the extreme danger they are in. It is important to know the effects of silica to protect oneself.

When an automobile accident occurs, it can be a frightening and confusing situation, which is why it is imperative for individuals to know the law and preexisting "fault" situations for the state an individual lives in. Not one state has a completely "no fault" policy, but almost all states and insurances vary in coverage and in the laws.

Creosotes including coal tar, coal tar pitch or coal tar pitch volatiles has been deemed extremely hazardous to human health. Side effects include kidney or liver disease, convulsions, chemical burns, cancer - and in some instances scrotum cancer. Laboratory studies conducted on animals found that even the smallest levels of exposure to wood creosote caused death.

Automated external defibrillators (AED) are widely used throughout the country and stored in areas where large gatherings of individuals may be at risk of cardiac failure. An AED is a portable electronic device that treats cardiac arrest by shooting an electric shock into the heart to resynchronize the heart beat rhythm. But when these devices fail, the increase of death by cardiac arrest rises.

In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was created to help individuals who suffer from a disability and it enables them to have the same rights as anyone else, especially when it comes to being employed and labor laws.

Human body tissue is collected from what are known as tissue banks around the country. Human tissue that has been safely cleared of diseases is used in many medical procedures such as skin grafs or organ transplants. However, the industry is highly unregulated and the use of diseased and illegally obtained tissues has entered the market.

Premises liability boils down to determining whether an individual on another indiviudal's land was invited or whether they were trespassing when harm or injury befell them. If an individual was invited the owner of the land will likely be held responsible, but if the individual was trespassing on the land or property, then the owner has no obligation to warn an individual of potential harm.