Cedar Rapids Legal Blog | Brady & O'Shea, Iowa Attorneys at law

Are There Not Enough Iowa Nursing Home State Inspectors?

Fewer state inspectors may lead to more Iowa nursing home abuse issues. If your loved one is a victim, call Brady & O’Shea, Iowa nursing home abuse attorneys.

Chances Slim for a Woman on the Iowa Supreme Court

The Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission sent 9 names to the Governor last night, and one woman was among them. However, her public support of gay marriage would make her a surprising choice by Governor Branstad.

Voters Remove Iowa Supreme Court Justices

On Tuesday, voters decided by convincing margin to remove three justices of the Iowa Supreme Court after that court issued an April 2009 unanimous ruling allowing gay marriage in Iowa.

A Statement from the Ousted Iowa Supreme Court Justices

After being removed from the bench, the three Iowa Supreme Court justices issued a public statement regarding their failure to retaint their positions.

Judicial Retention Election - Our Thoughts

Considerations in voting on judicial retention.

Tire Defects Can Lead to Deadly Car Accidents

Every year accidents caused by defective tires injure thousands of innocent people. If you have been injured in an Iowa car crash due to defective tires, contact the experienced product liability lawyers of Bray & O’Shea for legal advice today at (319) 866-9277. The tire manufacturer may be held liable and you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.

Traffic cameras generate revenue; do they save lives?

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported on October 4, 2010 that Cedar Rapids traffic cameras have generated more than $600,000 in revenue in less than seven months,  on pace for an estimated $1 million during the first year of operation.  The estimate exceeds original estimates by more than 25%.

The new data raise a series of questions: 
1)  Why are revenues higher than the original estimate?
2)  What plans exist for the use of the additional revenue?
3)  Most significantly, are the cameras preventing accidents and injuries and saving lives?

The chief of police has reported that, while crashes within Cedar Rapids have decreased about 8% and crashes involving injuries have decreased 12% compared to last year, there is not yet comparable data to determine if intersections and roads where cameras are installed are safer.

No one should want intrusive cameras generating traffic citations just for the sake of additional revenue.  The focus should be on avoiding injuries and saving lives—and data should be tracking the results.  After all, that was the primary justification for installing cameras in the first place.

Iowa City Woman Found Guilty in Obama Records Case

The jury in a Davenport, Iowa federal court trial has found Sandra Teague, 54, of Iowa City, guilty of illegally accessing President Obama's student loan records while he was a candidate.

Salmonella Egg Recall Expands, Legal Problems Mount for Iowa Egg Producer

The recall by Iowa egg producer Wright County Eggs, a part of the DeCoster family agribusiness, has just been increased to a staggering 380 million eggs as lawsuits mount against the egg producer and the history of legal troubles of its owner are brought to light. Health officials have confirmed that hundreds of consumers in multiple states have been infected.

Eggs were distributed and packaged under the brand names Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemp. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and health officials from a number of states are involved in the investigation.

The suspect eggs were widely distributed throughout the nation. including food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. The eggs have specifically been linked to illnesses in four states to date. The egg cartons were packaged between May 16 and August 13 and stamped with one of three codes: P-1026, P-1413 or P-1946.
Salmonella presents with a number of symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
Persons should confirm the infection with testing through their physician

At least one lawsuit has been filed to date and more are anticipated. Historically, these lawsuits have been filed both individually and as class and "mass tort" actions, under theories of strict liability, negligence, breach of warranty and violations of consumer protection and other statutes.

Paul Miller Appointed New Sixth District Judge

On June 9, 2010, Governor Chet Culver appointed Iowa City attorney Paul Miller to be a state judge in the Sixth Judicial District, which covers the counties of Johnson, Tama, Benton, Linn, Jones, and Iowa.

Brad McCall Named New Des Moines Judge

Today Iowa Governor Chet Culver named Brad McCall as a judge for Iowa's 5A Judicial District, located in Des Moines, filling a vacancy left by the retirement of District Judge Dale Hagen.