Top East Meadow, NY Meningitis Outbreak Lawyers Near You

2012 Meningitis Outbreak Legal Recourse

In 2102 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to tainted steroid injections. Several hundred cases have been reported and many people have died. If you have contracted fungal meningitis, contact an East Meadow attorney today. You may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering.

Meningitis Outbreak Linked to Steroid Used to Treat Back Pain

The 2012 meningitis outbreak is linked to injections of methylprednisolone acetate, used to treat back and joint pain. The disease is diagnosed through a spinal tap. The fluid drawn from the spine is examined for signs of the disease, which can be treated with intravenous antifungal medications. The tainted steroids were recalled, but new cases of the disease may still be reported.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

Tips on Approaching an Initial Attorney Consultation

• Use the consultation as a means of gaining a better understanding of your legal situation.
• Ask the attorney how many cases similar to yours he/she has handled. An attorney’s experience and knowledge can speak to their expertise (or lack of) in addressing your situation.
• Your attorney should be able to articulate roughly how long a case like yours will take to resolve and what sort of procedures to expect.
• Determine how comfortable you are working with the lawyer and/or law firm.

How will an attorney charge me?

A reputable attorney will be very upfront about how he/she will charge you. The three most common fee structures that attorneys use to charge for their services are:

• Bill by the hour
• Contingent fee agreement
• Flat fee agreement

Depending on your specific legal situation, it’s possible that only one type of fee structure is available. For instance, criminal defense attorneys almost always bill by the hour. In a flat fee arrangement, an attorney accepts a one-time payment to help you resolve your issue. With a contingent fee agreement, the client pays little to nothing upfront and the attorney receives a percentage of the money recovered if you win your case.

Common legal terms explained

Personal jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority over a person, in order to bind that person to the judgment of the court, based on minimum contacts. International Shoe Co v. Washington is a landmark Supreme Court case outlining the scope of a state court’s reach in personal jurisdiction.