What Are Health Insurance Liens and How Do They Impact My Personal Injury Case?

The federal government is trying to use Medicaid data to identify and deport immigrants. So EFF and our friends at EPIC and the Protect Democracy Project have filed an amicus brief asking a judge to block this dangerous violation of federal data privacy laws. Last month, the AP reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had disclosed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a vast trove of sensitive data obtained from states about people who obtain government-assisted health care. Medicaid is a federal program that funds health insurance for low-income people; it is partially funded and primarily managed by states. Some states, using their own funds, allow enrollment by non-citizens. HHS reportedly disclosed to DHS the Medicaid enrollee data from several of these states, including enrollee names, addresses, immigration status, and claims for health coverage. In response, California and 19 other states sued HHS and DHS. The states allege, among…

I’m attending the American Association of Law Librarians (AALL) Conference this week in Portland, Oregon. It’s one of my favorite conferences. Law librarians are, as a group, friendly, unassuming, and knowledgeable, as I have discussed before. I couldn’t help but wonder though as I roamed the exhibit hall and attended some of the sessions what the long-term impact AI will have on the role of the law librarian. The Role of the Librarian Consider the role of the law librarian. Librarians, especially law librarians, are knowledge managers and workers. They historically held the keys to knowledge and information: they knew where to find it, how to access it, and how to retrieve it. They are charged with managing the accumulated expertise of the profession to help solve legal problems. But now and increasingly in the future, those keys may be held by an AI platform. With natural language processing, anyone (everyone) can access any and all knowledge and…

In a recent decision that reinforces the importance of consistent policy enforcement, the Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal of an age discrimination lawsuit filed by a nurse terminated from the Cincinnati VA Medical Center (the “VA Hospital”), against the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”). The case, Barnes v. Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Case No. 24-3576, illustrates that even long-term employees with strong performance records can be lawfully disciplined—and ultimately terminated—when they violate clear workplace rules, even if their motivations are arguably well-intentioned. The decision offers valuable guidance for employers navigating the balance between employee empathy and operational discipline. Case Background Cynthia Barnes, a 64-year-old registered nurse, began working at the VA Hospital in 2015. By all accounts, her early performance was solid, and she maintained a positive reputation for several years. That changed in…

Two corrections officers at Mid-State Correctional Facility were granted additional time to consider plea deals in connection with the death of an inmate who was beaten to death at the facility. According to reports from CNY Central, the officers now have until August 15 to decide on their plea offers in Oneida County Court. This tragic case involves 15 officers total, including three sergeants, who were charged in connection with the inmate's death on March 1 at the facility. Two officers are facing the most serious charges of murder in the second degree, while others face manslaughter charges. Three corrections officers have already pleaded guilty to their crimes in this case, highlighting the severity of the allegations and the ongoing legal proceedings. Common Causes of Correctional Facility Deaths Inmate deaths in correctional facilities can occur due to various factors, and understanding these causes is crucial for preventing future tragedies: Excessive…

On June 30, 2025, tragedy struck on the US-101 Freeway in North Hollywood. Off-duty LAPD Deputy Marcos Pena Jr., just 31 years old, and a female passenger were fatally hit by a box truck after exiting their disabled SUV, which had come to a stop in a traffic lane for reasons still under investigation.  The impact of this crash reverberated far beyond the accident scene. It raised difficult questions about safety, accountability, and what legal protections exist for people in vulnerable moments – like being stranded on a freeway.  If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What are my rights if I’m hit while outside a vehicle on a freeway?”, here’s what you need to know.  Who Can Be Held Liable If Someone Is Hit After Exiting a Disabled Car? The answer depends on several factors, but in California, liability may fall on multiple parties, including:  The driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian – especially if they were…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to immediately stop using tabletop fire pits and similar products that burn alcohol or other liquid fuels in open containers. These products, which are often marketed as fire pots, portable fireplaces, or miniature indoor fire pits, pose serious fire and burn risks—including flame jetting and uncontrolled fires—when fuel is ignited or refilled. The alert follows a string of incidents involving these devices, which have been linked to two deaths and at least 60 burn injuries since 2019. At the heart of the hazard is a common design flaw: users are instructed to pour isopropyl alcohol or similar fuels directly into an open reservoir and then ignite them in the same space. This method violates ASTM F3363-19, a voluntary safety standard intended to prevent flame jetting and pool fires, where flames race across the surface of spilled or pooled liquid fuel. Flame jetting can…

This post is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series.  This year marks the 110th anniversary of the adoption of six laws on children’s rights in Norway, which became known as the “Castbergian Child Acts” (Castbergske barnelovene) and regulate the relationship between parent and child, in particular strengthening children’s rights over their unwed fathers. The laws are part of UNESCO ‘s Memory of the World. The laws are Act on Children when the Parents have not Married Each Other (Lov om barn hvis foreldre ikke har inngått ekteskap med hverandre (10 april 1915)) Act on Changes to the Inheritance Act (Lov om forandringer i arveloven  (10 april 1915)) Act on Changes to the Legal Status of Spouses (Lov om forandringer i formuesforholdet mellem egtefæller (10 april 1915)) Act on Changes to the Act on Access to Divorce (Lov om forandringer I lov om adgang til opløsning av egteskap (10 april 1915)) Act on Children…

Bedroom arrangements affect child custody decisions in several ways. For example, judges like setups that respect children’s needs for sleep, study, and personal space. Meanwhile, courts in Arlington Heights may be less likely to approve custody arrangements where teenage siblings of different genders share the same bedroom. Judges often consider children’s developmental appropriateness and emotional maturity. Even modest changes, such as privacy dividers, can show you are committed to your child’s well-being. Call The Law Offices of Roger W. Stelk at 847-506-7330 to discuss how your living situation could influence your custody case. Why Do Judges Consider Sleeping Arrangements in Custody Hearings? In Arlington Heights, there are about 2.41 persons per household, and children’s living conditions play a big role in their daily welfare. This is a major reason judges evaluate kids’ sleeping quarters and arrangements. Considerations include…

Shon Hopwood is a name that is often celebrated within the legal profession as a case of true criminal reform. In case you’re not familiar with him, Hopwood served more than a decade in federal prison for bank robbery but he went on to go to law school, and later became a professor at Georgetown Law, one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. Hopwood mentored Tiffany Trump during her time at Georgetown, and even assisted in the development of the First Step Act, a federal prison and sentencing reform bill that Trump signed into law during his first term, but things took a turn for him in 2023, when he was arrested and accused of some rather disturbing allegations of domestic violence. Hopwood — who is currently on leave from the law school — was recently convicted, and now stands to return to prison. The Washington Post has additional details: [Hopwood] was convicted Friday of assaulting his wife, ignoring a…

Dexcom has provided an update on its ongoing recall of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) receivers, which the FDA previously classified as Class I—the agency’s most serious recall category due to the risk of severe injury or death. The recall affects components of the Dexcom One, One+, G6, and G7 systems, including receivers used to alert patients when glucose levels are dangerously high or low. A defect involving the receiver’s speaker, attributed to faulty foam or assembly issues, may cause it to fail to sound alarms during critical glucose events. The FDA cited a nonconforming component as the root cause. Dexcom has received at least 112 complaints tied to the issue, with 56 reports of serious adverse events such as seizures, unconsciousness, and other symptoms possibly linked to missed alerts. Contact The Ammons Law Firm for Legal Help Involving Defective Products Contact The Ammons Law Firm today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn…

Integra LifeSciences has issued a recall of its Codman cranial perforators after a product defect was linked to multiple patient injuries, according to a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recall was prompted by reports that the devices may break during procedures, potentially leaving fragments lodged in the skull or causing damage to brain tissue. The FDA stated that the malfunction has led to complications, including surgical delays, difficulty retrieving broken pieces, and bleeding. Ten injuries have been reported to be associated with the defect so far. Contact The Ammons Law Firm for Legal Help Involving Defective Products Contact The Ammons Law Firm today for a free consultation to discuss your case and learn more about your legal options. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by this defective product.   The post Integra LifeSciences Recalls Defective Cranial…

Authored by Boyi Wei Most frontier models today undergo some form of safety testing, including whether they can help adversaries launch costly cyberattacks. But many of these assessments overlook a critical factor: adversaries can adapt and modify models in ways that expand the risk far beyond the perceived safety profile that static evaluations capture.  At Princeton’s POLARIS Lab, we’ve studied how easily open-source or fine-tunable models can be manipulated to bypass safeguards. This flexibility means that model safety isn’t fixed: there is a “bubble” of risk defined by the degrees of freedom an adversary has to improve an agent. If a model provider offers fine-tuning APIs or allows repeated queries, it dramatically increases the attack surface. This is especially true when evaluating AI systems for risks related to their use in offensive cybersecurity attacks. In our recent research, Dynamic Risk Assessments for Offensive…

SUGAR LAND, Texas – According to Sugar Land police, two individuals were transported to a hospital following an 18-wheeler overturning. The semi-truck lost its load in the process. The incident took place at Crabb River Road near the Grand Parkway. The current conditions of the injured and the extent of their involvement in the incident have not been released. No further information is currently available. Those affected by this crash deserve answers and accountability from those at fault Although not enough details about this incident have been released to draw definitive conclusions, it is known that most roadway accidents are entirely avoidable. Yet, these preventable accidents continue to happen. To determine all the factors that contributed to this incident, we must look beyond the initial police report. Dashcam footage and the truck’s speed and braking data from the black box will provide important information about the events leading up to the crash.…

INDIANA — Centropneus SRL has announced a recall of 640 Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires, size 255/60R18 112V XL, due to a labeling issue that may increase the risk of a crash. According to information filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected tires do not display the required DOT certification symbol on the sidewall. The absence of this marking means the tires fail to meet the standards outlined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 139. Without the DOT symbol, the tires could be used in unapproved or unsafe applications, posing a safety risk. The recall applies only to the specific tire size and model identified. Contact The Ammons Law Firm if You Were Injured by a Defective Tire If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a defective tire, the Ammons Law Firm is here to help. Our dedicated, experienced tire defect lawyers understand the devastating impact of these tragic accidents on families, and we have…

INDIANAPOLIS —  A deadly crash involving a box truck and a bicyclist on the southwest side of the city occurred Friday afternoon. The incident happened at the intersection of Miller Street and South Lynhurst Drive. Upon arrival, officers confirmed the crash was fatal. Details about the cause of the crash and the identity of the victim have not yet been released. Thoughts on Bicyclist and Semi-truck Accidents While we do not have enough information to draw any conclusions regarding this accident, one thing is for sure — pedal-cyclist deaths are on the rise. In 2021, 966 pedal cyclists were killed in traffic crashes compared to 738 in 2017 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Trained professionals must investigate this accident to determine if any wrongdoing occurred. Commercial trucks are responsible for being vigilant on the roadways for smaller vehicles and bicyclists. This means no distractions, obeying all speed limits, and adhering to all road…

["Malicious prosecution," which covers the bringing of civil and administrative quasi-judicial complaints and not just criminal complaints, becomes especially relevant given a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision limiting defamation claims.] Say Devon goes to some government body and accuses Pat of committing a crime: maybe rape, or theft, or fraud, or whatever else. Pat wants to sue Devon, claiming these allegations are factually false. It turns out there are two possible tort theories for Pat to use, each with its own constraints. The most well-known is defamation, the theory being that Devon said something about Pat that was false. But the other is "malicious prosecution," the theory being that Devon brought about a government action against Pat, based on something false. Confusingly, the term extends both to bringing about criminal proceedings (what we normally view as "prosecution") and bringing about civil proceedings. (Sometimes, the…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ford Motor Company is recalling approximately 700,000 vehicles due to a defect that could lead to engine fires, according to a safety alert issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall affects select 2021–2024 Ford Bronco Sport and 2020–2022 Ford Escape SUVs. According to Ford, the fuel injectors in these vehicles may develop cracks, allowing fuel or fuel vapors to leak into the engine compartment. If fuel comes into contact with a hot surface under the hood, there is a risk of ignition, which could lead to a vehicle fire. Contact The Ammons Law Firm if You Were Injured in a Defective Vehicle If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a vehicle accident, the Ammons Law Firm is here to help. Our dedicated, experienced vehicle defect attorneys understand the devastating impact of these tragic accidents on families, and we have a proven track record of holding automotive manufacturers…

If generative AI was the biggest story in legal tech in 2023 and 2024, agentic AI is proving to be the most talked-about topic of 2025. Spurring this, at least in part, has been Thomson Reuters’ announcement of its forthcoming release of a new agentic version of CoCounsel, its AI legal assistant, that will be able to plan, reason and execute complex multi-step workflows for legal professionals. On this episode of LawNext, we will dive deep into this next generation of AI legal assistants with two guests who are at the forefront of this field, leading the development of CoCounsel’s next generation: Emily Colbert and Rawia Ashraf. Both joined Thomson Reuters back in 2013 through its acquisition of Practical Law, where they cut their teeth building practice-focused products for lawyers. Now, they are leading the charge on the evolution of CoCounsel into a new generation of agentic workflows, with Colbert overseeing CoCounsel’s litigation portfolio, while Rawia…