Alexander was chosen for her diligence in one of the top 10 plaintiff's verdicts in 2009, showing yet again how her nationwide reputation for excellence continues to distinguish her from other firm's in the country.

The case that led to Alexander's recognition was that of a woman who was hit by a driver who ran a red light in 2006 and was consequently rendered a quadriplegic, losing her overall quality of life that she once enjoyed.

Alexander's client was awarded a staggering $45 million verdict by a California court, and was touted "a proper victory for victim's rights."

According to court documents, Alexander described her client's physical and mental state after the devastating accident: "She will never be able to return to work... her life expectancy is reduced." Before the accident, Alexander's client and her husband, "had been very active, swimming, horseback riding. A particular interest that she and her husband, Kay Huh, had was ballroom dancing. They were very good at it...it was very important to them, one of their activities that they enjoyed together."

The case was filed against Division 1 All Service, Inc., and was ultimately deemed liable for all damages since the driver of the vehicle was carrying out work duties at the time the victim was hit.

The San Mateo County Court awarded the victim compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other damages, and also awarded her husband damages for the consequences he endured as a result.

About Mary Alexander & Associates

Mary Alexander & Associates is a San Francisco based personal injury law firm that assists those who've been injured due to the fault of others. The firm has over 25 years of experience providing legal representation for clients with a range of personal injury and wrongful death case types.
For more information about May Alexander & Associates, or for a free consultation about a personal injury case, please visit http://www.maryalexanderlaw.com, or call 1-866-802-9497.

Through the expertise of Mary Alexander and her team, a long haul trucker received a $5,500,000 settlement in Alameda County Superior Court (Case #RG07324150), after being run over by another trucker in 2005. While outside of the cab of his rig safely locking and inspecting his load, the victim was struck and pulled up into the other semi's dual rear wheels. He was left hanging upside down. His face was crushed and he lost consciousness.

His injuries include severe and permanent brain damage, crushed facial bones, permanent loss of sight in one eye, loss of smell and taste, loss of teeth, orthopedic injuries, post traumatic stress disorder, and pain and suffering.

The victim is fortunate to have come out of such a tragic experience with his life, but many do not. Combining an arsenal of legal and technical expertise, the firm has developed a keen understanding of how defendants and their insurance companies operate, having fought back (and won) time and again.

According to the official website, "Because the firm's strength has been in innovation, creativity and preparation, we have been able to achieve an outstanding record of success. We are justifiably proud of the verdicts and settlements we have obtained for our deserving clients."

To speak to a legal professional about a complex California trucking accident case, visit http://www.maryalexanderlaw.com or call 1-866-802-9497

According to 61-year-old James Sikes, who was fortunate to have escaped injury when his Prius suddenly accelerated on Interstate 8, "The gas pedal stuck open all the way...I was laying on the brakes, but it wasn't slowing down." Sikes allegedly managed to veer in and out of traffic to avoid numerous potential motor vehicle collisions (MVC), as his car sped down I-8 at approximately 90 miles per hour. All efforts made as a means of stopping the out-of-control vehicle seemed helpless as the brakes were defective. Sikes reportedly dialed 911 as he sped down the highway, dodging traffic. A CHP trooper managed to catch up with him after he made the emergency call and proceeded to direct him, via loudspeaker, to pull his emergency break at the same time as he pushed down on his malfunctioning brake pedal. Once the vehicle slowed to speeds of approximately 50 miles per hour, Sikes was instructed to turn off his engine, subsequently allowing him to cruise to a halt. Authorities from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Toyota field technician specialist are expected to investigate the horrifying runaway Prius incident.

Leading San Francisco product liability attorney, Mary Alexander states if you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to stuck accelerator pedals, break issues, or steering problems prompted by a defective Toyota vehicle, you may have a product liability claim that would entitle you to compensation for your injuries and damages. With 25 years of experience litigating a broad spectrum of product liability and personal injury claims, contacting the adept trial firm of Mary Alexander & Associates could help you recover the damages you deserve.

National personal injury news by San Francisco injury attorney Mary Alexander 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303
 San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: (866) 802-9497 Website:MaryAlexanderLaw.com

Blumenfeld interviewed the mothers of several children who suffered cleft palates as well as other birth defects. In an interview with one mother, identified as Maura Alatorre, she explained how her 20-month-old son had been born with a cleft palate and was devastatingly missing a piece of his brain. In another interview, a Joaquin Valley resident, Lizbeth Canales, sadly miscarried a female fetus, with alleged "heart problems and clubbed feet and hands".

Surveys conducted by city residents and activists demonstrated that of 20 babies born in Kettleman City from September 2007 to November 2009, five allegedly suffered serious facial deformities. According to information collected by authorities from the Kings County Public Health Department, six of 64 babies were born with severe birth defects during the same time period. According to SanLuisObispo.com, three of these babies later died. The community's residents' reportedly believe the Houston-based Waste Management landfill, suspected to emit toxins into the air, water and soil within the area, may be to blame for the heartrending occurrences. The toxic waste facility is the only landfill in the state of California allowed to accept PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), which are known to be cancer-causing agents. An official from Waste Management Inc. allegedly stated, "We believe our Kettleman Hills facility is highly protective of human health and the environment." The company is seemingly cooperating with state health and environmental officials with regard to, what many perceive as an investigation that is "long-overdue".

Activists have reportedly proposed a suspension on the expansion of the Chemical Waste Management landfill, expected to reach its waste-limit in 2011, pending further investigations by the EPA and the California Department of Public Health.

Leading wrongful death attorney Mary Alexander, states if your child has suffered a birth defect resulting in deformity or death, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Contacting a seasoned wrongful death lawyer who is knowledgeable in litigating your specific claims may help you recover damages you deserve.

California wrongful death news by San Francisco injury attorney
Mary Alexander
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (866) 802-9497
Website: MaryAlexanderLaw.com

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials reported that 89-year-old Carl McElroy managed to leave the Oak Creek Alzheimer's & Dementia Care facility around 8:15 p.m. He was allegedly walking in the middle of East Castro Valley Boulevard when he was struck by an eastbound BMW. The vehicle, whose driver was unidentified by responding patrol deputies, was reported to be traveling approximately 45 miles per hour when the pedestrian-vehicle collision occurred. On impact, McElroy was launched into the air, violently landing in the center of the roadway. His injuries sadly proved fatal at the scene. The BMW driver was reportedly cooperating with Highway Patrol authorities as accident investigations began.

McElroy lived at the facility for two years, along with a reported 29 other Alzheimer's and dementia patients. In response to the fatal incident, Robert Smith, owner of the facility, allegedly stated, "We've been in business since 1991, and this is the first incident of this kind to have occurred for us." Instances involving patients walking out are seemingly quite rare in occurrence. It is purportedly unknown how McElroy managed to escape the care center without being noticed by staff members.

The Alzheimer's Association, a well-known voluntary health organization, reported that 5.3 million Americans are currently affected by Alzheimer's disease and dementia, with someone developing the ailment every 70 seconds. Alzheimer's has been deemed the sixth leading cause of death in the nation and with the first baby boomers approaching ages in which they are more susceptible to the disorder, it is imperative that steps be taken to battle the degenerative and currently incurable disease.

Leading personal injury attorney Mary Alexander, states if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a traffic accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Contacting a seasoned personal injury lawyer who is knowledgeable in litigating your specific claims may help you recover damages you deserve.

California personal injury news by San Francisco injury attorney
Mary Alexander
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (866) 802-9497
Website:MaryAlexanderLaw.com

The tragic collision injured seven people just after midnight at the intersection of 18th and De Haro Streets, as reported by NBC Bay Area.

According to preliminary reports, an inbound 19- Polk SF Muni bus and a small truck collided in the intersection, which sent the bus barreling off the roadway into the bushes bordering the road, where it finally came to a stop.

Nine people aboard the bus sustained injuries in the wreck. Seven victims were rushed to area hospitals to be treated by doctors and nurses for their injuries. The unharmed passengers remained at the scene and were treated by responding paramedics. The driver of the truck was seriously injured and was trapped in his vehicle. Rescue teams released him from inside the damaged truck. The current conditions of the victims were not reported.

The San Francisco Police Department and SF Muni are currently investigating the crash. No charges have been filed in connection with the motor vehicle accident at this time. As a routine part of their inquiry the driver will be tested for drugs and alcohol. Police officials, pending investigation, have withheld the identities of the bus crash victims.

The Muni has come under scrutiny recently after a series of accidents since last July. At that time an accident involving two trains occurred in the West Portal station, injuring 48. Two other accidents occurred within the following month; one involving two Muni streetcars and a passenger vehicle and the other happened when one train slammed into the back of another.

Motor Vehicle Accidents can happen to anyone. Victims of these unfortunate events that have been catastrophically injured or lost in an accident have legal rights, especially the right to a good attorney. A seasoned and compassionate lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation for pain, medical bills or lost wages. Mary Alexander and Associates can prepare an effective lawsuit for you and your loved ones to regain your lives again.

http://www.maryalexanderlaw.com/car-accidents.html

A man who acquired a deadly and incurable disease after undergoing a kidney transplant has sued Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals after researchers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reportedly linked a medical dye used in MRI testing to his ailment. The Gerber vs. Bayer Corp. case is allegedly regarded as a probationary trial since over 500 other plaintiffs diagnosed with the disease, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, or NSF, have filed similar suits against pharmaceutical companies that manufactured the medical imaging drug, according to information provided by the Daily Journal. Lawsuits have reportedly been filed against major pharmaceutical companies including GE Healthcare, Covidien, and Mallinckrodt.

The plaintiff, 74-year-old Peter Gerber underwent a kidney transplant but was consequently diagnosed with NSF, a disorder that allegedly causes "painful thickening of the skin" that can lead to fractured bones and well as ruptured internal organs, leaving him unable to even walk. According to the International Center for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Research (ICNSFR), the disorder has only been diagnosed in patients with kidney disease. Gadolinium, a metal in the medical dye is allegedly undisruptive to healthy patients but can be highly lethal in patients with weakened kidneys.

A State Court judge was allegedly contemplating whether or not to reveal Bayer's confidential internal documents, which would subsequently disclose when the company first discovered the presence of such health risks associated with the medical dye. These documents would also demonstrate how long such discoveries might have been withheld from the medical community and the FDA. However, a professor of heath law at the California Western School of Law allegedly stated that if documents revealed that the pharmaceutical manufacturer was truly unaware of such risks the company wouldn't "have a duty to warn about that which they couldn't reasonably know". It was also noted that although studies have proven that there is indeed a link between the gadolinium and NSF, it has not been technically proven to be a "causal link".

If this case is successful, it may be the preliminary means to settling hundreds of other cases in which people were diagnosed with the incurable disorder or suffered other injuries after failing to be warned of the medical dye's dangerous side effects.

Mary Alexander, a leading San Francisco pharmaceutical injury attorney, states if you or someone you love has been injured or killed because of an uninformed exposure to gadolinium you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Contacting a seasoned defective drug lawyer who is experienced in litigating these complex claims may help you recover damages you deserve.

National defective drug news by San Francisco injury attorney
Mary Alexander
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 1303
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (866) 802-9497
Website: MaryAlexanderLaw.com

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Sept. 19 ---- Top Trial Attorney, Mary Alexander, Lends Her Expertise to the Victims of the Deadliest Train Accident in the US in 15 Years


On Friday, September 13th, a Metrolink passenger train carrying 222 passengers between Los Angeles and Moorpark, north-west of the city, slammed into a Union Pacific freight train, killing 25 people and injuring more than 130 passengers.

The engineer of the Metrolink commuter train never applied the brakes even after he bypassed a red signal, allegedly causing the deadliest train accident in the United States in 15 years. Federal investigators have discovered that the engineer was texting a message on his cell phone prior to the accident.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation. Mary Alexander & Associates, a highly respected personal injury law firm in California, have had decades of experience recovering significant awards for victims of tragic train crashes. The founder of the firm, Ms. Alexander, a widow and a single mother, understands the pain and frustration that results from senseless accidents and extends her condolences to the family and friends of the innocent victims.

Ms. Alexander, considered a top trial attorney, has extensive knowledge of the laws, regulations as well as strategies involved in litigating sophisticated and complex train negligence cases. Such matters are unique and have their own set of regulations, laws and nuances, and therefore should be handled by experienced train negligence attorneys in order to maximize recovery for injury or wrongful death. Recently, Ms. Alexander won a large settlement on behalf of a passenger struck by a Union Pacific train and is currently in litigation against Caltrans on behalf of an injured passenger.

Mary Alexander is lead counsel for the Mary Alexander & Associates law firm. The San Francisco attorney specializes in personal injury law, and has more than 25 years of experience in the field. Her firm’s trademark is courtroom preparation with the use of innovative practices to try complex cases.

A widowed, single mother makes decision that sets her life’s path.

BY STEPHEN ELLISON
It didn’t take long for Mary Alexander’s law career to arrive at a crossroads. Fresh out of Santa Clara University law school and a new member of the California State Bar, Alexander found herself across from an interviewer at one of San Francisco’s largest and most prestigious firms, and an on-the-spot job offer staring her in the face. It was the stuff of Grisham fable, no doubt a scenario replayed many times in the daydreams of aspiring attorneys.

A widow and a single mother of an eight-year-old daughter, Alexander could hardly believe her fortune. Then, without hesitation, she turned it down.

“They liked my background in environmental science. They were so impressed with my credentials, they asked if I could start that afternoon,” Alexander recalls.

The firm wanted Alexander to help defend an oil company being sued by the widow of an employee who died of leukemia. The widow’s wrongful death suit claimed her husband had contracted the disease as a result of long-term exposure to the chemical benzene, which was used to test asphalt road samples.

“I was stunned,” Alexander says. “When they told me about the case they wanted me for, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”

Having been that widow less than two years earlier – Alexander’s first husband died of leukemia after extensive use of benzene in laboratory studies as a civil engineering student – she had little choice but to walk away.

“It’s a day I will never forget,” Alexander says. “I realized then that I wanted to represent that widow and others like her. The corporations weren’t being held accountable for protecting their workers. So, I took a job as a plaintiffs’ attorney for less money.”

Scientist turned decorated Lawyer

Science was Alexander’s initial calling, and it led her to a career as a medical toxicology researcher and the director of environmental health at the Stanford Research Institute. But her deep desire to protect the environment and the people who were most vulnerable to its hazards could not be fulfilled doing lab work. That realization inspired her to consider a law career. Her life experience provided the extra incentive to embark on a mission, which she continues to strive toward to this day.

“Over the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of making a difference for individual people, representing orphans, widows, injured workers, consumers hurt by dangerous products, and the elderly defrauded of their life savings,” Alexander
wrote in an essay on trial lawyers. “That is what inspired me then to become a trial lawyer and what inspires me now – everyday.”

Alexander’s achievements include serving as president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), president of Roscoe Pound Institute and president of the Consumer Attorneys of California. She also served as Chair of ATLA State Delegates and of ATLA Council of State Presidents.

Alexander’s proudest moment, however, may have come in 2001, when she helped launch Trial Lawyers Care, one of the largest pro bono legal services programs ever undertaken. The New York based entity, formed just days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, matched victims’ families with volunteer attorneys, who helped the families file claims under the federal government’s Victim Compensation Fund.

That year, Alexander was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by Themis Capital Corporation, and in the three consecutive years to follow, she made the California Daily Journal’s list of Top 50 Women Litigators.

Jennifer Fiore, who was hired as an associate at Alexander’s San Francisco firm in 2006, considers Alexander a role model. “She has a great ability to affect change and make things fair,” Fiore says. “Mary has an amazing work ethic and drive to assist clients. Her commitment and determination are inspiring.”

Alexander is no slouch in the courtroom, either. In what she deems her most memorable case, Hall v. Yosemite National Park and Curry Company, she helped win a $13.3 million verdict for a client who was permanently paralyzed from the neck down after crashing into a tree on a rented bicycle with faulty brakes.

She also secured separate $4 million settlements in Landsverk v. CCSF, which involved a San Francisco Municipal Railway accident, and Ruszak v. State Farm, which involved a pedestrian accident.

Defending civil justice

Despite all that she has achieved, Alexander remains wary of the unfinished business plaintiffs’ lawyers face today and in the future. Her campaign against tort reform has been well documented, and includes a notable dissertation on the fight against a proposed national medical malpractice bill that would put a monetary cap on individuals’ pain and suffering:

“That limit would apply to people like Linda McDougall, who had a double mastectomy when it turned out she did not have cancer. The doctors got her chart mixed up with someone else’s chart. The limit would apply to the family of Jessica Santian, a teenager who died of a botched heart/lung transplant. The doctors did not do the simple blood test to determine her blood type, and her body rejected the heart and lung. The limit would apply to the young father of three who lost all four limbs because an infection after simple surgery was not diagnosed.”

The bill stems from a California law that has been in place since 1975, which at the time set the cap at $250,000. That would be a little less than $1 million today, Alexander says.

Additionally, her fight for consumers’ rights has been a constant, as it is for many plaintiffs’ lawyers. Alexander takes particular exception to the powers that be on Capitol Hill, saying, “Class actions are a means by which consumers, cheated and defrauded by corporations who put profit before people, can come together and fight back. They can bring suits which alone they could not pursue. Yet Congress has sought to limit class actions and put them all in federal court, taking away the states’ rights to govern such actions.”

She is woman

While gender inequity in the legal industry – as in many professions – is one of those hot-button issues that seems to resurface every so often, Alexander says she’s been fortunate to have worked for firms that were supportive of their female associates. And since founding her own practice in 2001, she has accepted her role-model status.

“I think women constantly have to prove themselves on every level – in law school, in public positions, during cases in the courtroom,” she says. “We have to be as good as, and sometimes better than, our (male) colleagues to succeed. But I think juries have been a big equalizer.”

Alexander has reached a comfortable – although not complacent – point in her career where she is able to enjoy time with her family, as she did during a recent “stay vacation” at her Bay Area home.

For others aiming for similar career comfort, she has this advice: “Pursue what it is you want to do. Follow your passion. Those who care about their work and are passionate about it eventually do well.”

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The Chosen Few

Being among the chosen few for inclusion in Super Lawyers magazine is an honor attorneys across the United States have coveted since the publication’s inception. Super Lawyers is published in every state in the U.S. and has a readership of more than 13 million. The magazine’s objective is geared towards providing consumers and attorneys with a diverse, credible listing of outstanding attorneys. Inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers is a recognition that only five percent of Northern California lawyers receive. Mary Alexander was selected based on an extensive process that included a review of professional achievement and peer evaluation. She was  featured in the July 2008 edition of the San Francisco magazine.