 |
|
 November
2008
|
 |
Why Are You Getting This Newsletter?
This free e-mail newsletter is sent to current and
former clients of our law firm, to those who
have specifically asked to receive it, and to
those who have contacted our firm for legal
advice in the past.
If the newsletter is being sent to you
in error, please follow the instructions at
the bottom of this page and you will
immediately be removed from our list of
subscribers.
If you know someone who might enjoy receiving
this free e-mail newsletter, please send us that
person's e-mail address.
Kraft & Associates will never sell or give
your e-mail information to anyone outside our
law firm. |
|
I'm not sure
how anyone
could
disagree
with the
statements
in the
Universal
Declaration
of Human
Rights,
but even if
you do,
you'll still
appreciate
the video
representation
of the words
in this
declaration.
Free Legal Advice?
Yes, at Kraft &
Associates we are glad to provide our clients
and friends with free information on a variety
of subjects. If you want details about how to
lower your automobile insurance rates,
Texas Workers' Compensation law or
Social Security Disability claims, please
contact us and we will send you any of these
brochures without charge or obligation. |
|
 |
| |
|
Suite 1300
2777 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 999-9999
(817) 999-9999
(800) 989-9999
|
|
|
|
|
FOR THE RECORD |
 |
|
|
Chantix
And
Heparin
Lead
Reports
Of
Serious
Drug
Reactions
The
Dallas
Morning
News
recently
had
an
alarming
story
about
the
dangers
of
the
prescription
drugs
Chantix
and
Heparin.
Here
are
excerpts
from
the
article:
The number of serious problems and deaths linked to medications reported to the government set a record in the first three months of this year, a health industry watchdog group said Wednesday.
The Food and Drug Administration received nearly 21,000 reports of serious drug reactions, including over 4,800 deaths, said an analysis of federal data by the nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices, which scrutinized data going back to 2004, and yearly totals dating to the 1990s.
Two drugs accounted for a disproportionately large share of the latest reports. One was heparin, the tainted blood thinner from China that caused an international safety scandal. The other was Chantix, a new kind of anti-smoking drug from Pfizer.
Chantix, which had the most reports of any medication, works directly in a smoker's brain to ease withdrawal symptoms. It also blocks the pleasurable effects of nicotine if the patient tries to light up again. But earlier this year, the FDA warned that Chantix may be linked to psychiatric problems, including suicidal behavior and vivid dreams. The government banned it for pilots. Pfizer said Wednesday it stands by Chantix, and that the volume of reports might be linked to publicity about the drug's side effects.
Previous research from ISMP has shown that serious drug safety problems reported to the FDA increased markedly from 1998-2005. The FDA case reports provide a signal of possible problems with a drug, but a cause-and-effect connection can only be established through painstaking investigation. If the FDA were a police agency, the reports would indicate "probable cause," but not neccesarily "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." The ISMP study found that heparin accounted for 779 reports of serious problems, including 102 deaths. The FDA, using data that covers a longer time period has reported 238 deaths possibly linked to heparin.
If
you
or a
loved
one
has
had
problems
or
have
more
questions
about
these
potentially
dangerous
drugs,
please
contact
Kraft
&
Associates.
|
|
|
|
| FOR
YOUR INFORMATION |
|
|
Social Security
Administration Releases 2009 COLA Numbers
Monthly Social Security Retirement, Disability and
Supplemental Security Income benefits for
more than 55 million Americans will increase
5.8 percent in 2009, the Social Security
Administration has announced. It's the
largest increase since 1982.
Social Security and Supplemental Security
Income benefits increase automatically each
year based on the rise in the Bureau of
Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W), from the third quarter of the prior
year to the corresponding period of the
current year. This year's increase in the
CPI-W was 5.8 percent.
The 5.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment
(COLA) will begin with benefits that over 50
million Social Security beneficiaries
receive in January 2009. Increased payments
to more than 7 million Supplemental Security
Income beneficiaries will begin on December
31.
For much more information about the effects
of the new Cost-of-Living Adjustment
increase on various types of Social Security
benefits, please visit the Web site of the
Social Security Administration. |
|
| FEATURED
EMPLOYEE |
|
|
|
Matthew Stewart
Attorney
E-mail:
mstewart@kraftlaw.com
Raised in the Dallas Fort Worth area, Mr. Stewart
attended the University of North Texas, receiving a
double major in both History and Philosophy. He then
received his Master's Degree in History from the
University of North Texas, and a chapter of his
Master's thesis was accepted for publication in the
Lamar Journal of the Humanities. Mr. Stewart later
obtained his law degree from Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law in Fort Worth.
Mr. Stewart practices Social Security disability law
and Veterans benefits law. He has handled hundreds
of disability hearings at the Social Security
Administration, and is responsible for the appellate
and federal court work at Kraft & Associates. Mr.
Stewart is a member of the National Organization of
Social Security Claimant's Representatives, the
Fifth Circuit Organization of Social Security
Claimant's Representatives, the National
Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA), and is a
member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. Mr.
Stewart is admitted to practice in several federal
courts, including the Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims (CAVC), formerly known as the Veteran's
Court. Mr. Stewart originally joined Kraft and
Associates in 1997.
|
|
| FEATURED
CASE |
|
|
New
Naturalization
Test Is Here
Our law firm
represents many
foreign
nationals who
are applying for
U.S.
citizenship.
This is a
particularly
rewarding part
of our
immigration
practice, as we
get to see the
pride and sense
of
accomplishment
on the faces of
these new
citizens.
Upon satisfying
certain
requirements,
lawful permanent
residents of the
United States
may file
applications for
naturalization,
allowing them to
become U.S.
citizens. One of
the requirements
is that the
applicant have
knowledge of the
English
language, and
knowledge of
U.S. history and
government
(civics).
Effective
October 1, 2008,
U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration
Services (USCIS)
began
administering a
new
naturalization
examination. The
new test follows
the same format
as the old test,
which
essentially asks
ten questions.
Six of the
questions must
be answered
correctly. The
only difference
is that the
reading and
writing portions
of the new test
are related to
the civics
content rather
than to everyday
English.
Individuals who
filed their
naturalization
applications
before October
1, 2008, may
choose to be
given the old
test — as long
as the
examination
interview (test
day) is
scheduled before
October 1, 2009.
See
www.uscis.gov/newtest
to view the new
test questions.
If you or your
family or
friends have
questions about
any aspect of
immigration law,
we invite you to
contact Kraft &
Associates for
more
information.
|
|
| HOW
CAN WE HELP YOU? |
|
|
Our law firm has helped thousands of clients
over the years. Sometimes clients who use
our firm for one type of case may not
realize that there are other legal problems
we could help them solve.
We handle
most types of injury claims — including
automobile collisions, "slip and fall"
cases, injuries suffered as a result of
defective products, injuries resulting from
inadequate security, medical malpractice
claims, nursing home negligence claims,
prescription drug injuries and many others.
We invite you to call us about any
serious injury to see how we can help you.
Kraft & Associates also represents people
who have been denied their Social Security
Disability benefits. We can help at the
Initial stage, the Reconsideration stage or
the Hearing stage. We can help you, your
family or friends with any Immigration question.
Our law firm represents people who have immigration
problems of any kind, whether family-based
immigration or employment-based immigration.
We also help people who have problems
regarding family issues, such as divorce, child
support, adoption, modifications, enforcements,
attorney general disputes, paternity and other similar
matters. We also represent clients who have been
arrested or charged with committing a crime.
Please feel free to call us with any
legal questions you may have. If we cannot
represent you, we will attempt to refer you
to another attorney or to a government
agency that can help you. There is never any
charge or obligation for our initial
consultation. |
|
Share
this Site with a Friend:
You
have received this newsletter because of your previous
contact with our law firm.
To remove your name from future mailings, please notify
us.
Please
send mail to info@kraftlaw.com
with questions or comments.
Copyright
© 1997- 2008 Kraft & Associates : Injury &
Disability Lawyers, P.C. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Personal Injury,
Automobile Accident, Wrongful Death, Nursing Home Negligence,
Social Security Disability.
DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is presented by Kraft & Associates for
informational purposes only, and not as legal advice.
|
|
|
|