Category Archives: Personal Injury
Woman on Chatman: ‘Men came in and paid him money to rape me.’
Kenny Chatman kept a 19-year-old woman tied down in a house, where more than 100 men raped her, a woman wrote to U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks on Monday. The corrupt drug treatment center operator, who faces up to life in prison when sentenced today, held her for weeks, until she jumped out of… Read More »
Two years after FBI raids, no indictments against sober home operators
Two years ago this morning, FBI agents descended on Good Decisions Sober Living, a rundown sober housing complex in West Palm Beach in search of evidence of insurance fraud, patient brokering and money laundering. In large portions of the county’s $1 billion recovery industry, hopes ran high that the exploitation of addicts for insurance… Read More »
Relapsed and forced out, sober home residents die in motels
Addicts who relapse while living in sober homes in Delray Beach, often are dumped into seedy motels, often still high. Without supervision, some continue the binge, overdose and die. That’s because Delray Beach, nationally known as a treatment destination, forbids sober home operators from immediately evicting addicts who have relapsed, a policy that sober… Read More »
State lets doctors accused of sexual abuse on patients keep practicing
Dawn Marie Basham answers the phone in tears. “You caught me at a rough moment,” Basham explains between sobs. Less than a week earlier, prosecutors had dropped charges against the Delray Beach doctor she said sexually assaulted her during an office visit. Basham feels alone, but she is far from it. Other women say they… Read More »
After losing her daughter to fake drug ‘treatment,’ she now seeks to save others
MAY 10, 2017 FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Five days after losing her daughter to a drug overdose in a South Florida sober home, Jennifer Flory found herself standing before a task force set up to investigate sober homes. “My daughter passed away on Thursday night and I’m coming here to get her stuff – and her – and… Read More »
‘Finally,’ Scott declares opioid epidemic a public health emergency
Responding to months of public outcry, Gov. Rick Scott declared a public health emergency Wednesday in the fight against the opioid epidemic, a sea change in what had been a hands-off approach by state officials to a crisis that has killed thousands. “Today I feel relief — relief that the voices of so many… Read More »
Sober home cleanup bill on path to OK after dangling all week
With a heavy dose of local lobbying, the bill to crack down on bad sober homes survived a key calendar call Wednesday to make it to the Senate floor Thursday. It must pass the Senate twice before lawmakers stop hearing bills on Friday. Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, whose task force shaped… Read More »
High Schools Are Failing Girls Who Report Sexual Assault
Title IX is often associated with gender equity in athletic departments of colleges and universities. But, it applies to high schools as well and it includes that, “schools receiving federal funding must eliminate a hostile environment stemming from gender-based violence.” The Huffington Post has concluded that high schools are often failing girls who have… Read More »
Football Season Brings Concerns About Brain Injuries
Fall is right around the corner and football fans are gearing up for a season of tailgating, fantasy leagues, touchdowns and high impact tackles. Unfortunately, it is also the season for potential brain injuries. From mild concussions to debilitating traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), football players are at increased risk. This is especially true when… Read More »
Securing Compensation for Hospital Illnesses
Individuals enter the hospital to get better and not worse. Unfortunately, for hundreds of thousands of patients, going into the hospital means coming out with sicknesses they didn’t have upon admission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in every 25 patients catches a healthcare associated infection (HAI) every day. AN… Read More »
