Ringler Radio - Structured Settlements And Legal Topics

From court underfunding, to transparency in legal education to technology, there are many hot-button issues facing the legal profession today. Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen along with co-host, Mike Casey, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Head of Midwest Operations for Ringler, welcome William T. (Bill) Robinson III, the 2011-2012 President of the American Bar Association, to discuss some of these important initiatives, the impact of the down economy on the legal system and the ABA’s goals for the future.

The recent turmoil on Capitol Hill and downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by the Standard and Poor’s has been un-nerving, causing an environment of uncertainty, but what is the real story? Ringler Radio special guests, Ardavan Mobasheri, American International Group (AIG) chief economist and head of global economics and John Gatesman, Senior Vice President, Specialty Markets Group at American General, join host Larry Cohen to give some insights on stock market volatility and consumer confidence, perception versus reality regarding economic factors affecting people with regard to annuities and insurance and the status of economies overseas.

From youth sports all the way up to professional teams, concussions are a very common injury, and they can have long term, lifelong effects if left untreated. Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen along with co-host, Nolan Robinson join guest, Attorney David Kracke from the law firm of Nichols & Associates in Portland, Oregon, to discuss the severity of concussions. David talks about Max Conrad and Max's Law, litigation involving concussions and the importance of educating and training the general public about the dangers.

Financial risk is on everyone's mind these days, so what's the economic landscape in the insurance industry? Ringler Radio host, Larry Cohen, along with co-host Joan Pagnano, joins Michael F. Ceppi, President of Alan Gray Insurance Company, to talk about the importance of consumer confidence and how a structured settlement is a secure financial solution in hard economic times.

From your neighborhood streets, to your schools and even in your own home, your child’s safety is always a top priority. So, how can we protect our children and make sure they are living in a safe environment? Ringler Radio host, Larry Cohen, along with co-hosts, Ann Marie VonBank and Mark Vogel, join Attorney Kenneth Levinson, a child advocate from the firm, Joseph, Lichtenstein & Levinson, who is leading the charge in promoting child safety and preventing child injury. Ken discusses his holistic approach to child safety, how parents can educate themselves and their children on safety and the role of structured settlements in cases involving children.

Over the past few years we have experienced a financial meltdown, impacting many, including personal injury victims who did not minimize risk. A full economic recovery is slow to come but there are ways to protect your financial future. Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen along with co-host, Bill Wakelee, talk with returning guest, Dr. Christopher Coyne about how these difficult financial times have affected these unique investors of the structured settlement world. They talk about how structures deal with the volatility of the marketplace and the preservation of capital concept with the structured settlement.

The 5th District Court of Appeals in Florida just reversed an earlier court ruling that prohibited the annuity in a structured settlement for a minor child. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen along with co-host, Kathleen Daniele, Settlement Annuity Specialist with the Ringler office in Orlando, Florida and guest, Attorney Samuel P. King from the law firm of Dellecker Wilson King McKenna Ruffier & Sos, discuss this case involving Traci Hancock and her daughter, Marisa, who was involved in a personal injury lawsuit. Hear how this ruling has an impact on minors in personal injury settlement cases.

As factoring companies continue to inundate the airwaves with their high pitched promises of ready cash for structured settlements, vulnerable consumers in this tough economy are finding it more difficult to resist the hard sell; with many receiving far less than fair market value. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes co-host, Jim Early and special guest, Attorney Peter J. Vodola of Seiger Gfeller Laurie LLP to discuss how the current legal system looks at these transactions. Peter explains how Ceron v. Henderson, a recent California case, has been impacting the factoring practice. He also reviews the scope of various state legislative efforts trying to provide greater protection for structured settlement recipients.

468B Trusts (derived from Internal Revenue Service Code Section 468B), were originally created to simplify the settlement of mass tort cases. More recently, they have been suggested for the settlement of single claimant cases, which has become a source of much debate. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes co-host, Carmella Limongelli and guest, Rick Woollams, Chief Claims Officer at Chartis U.S., to take an in-depth look at 468B trusts and the rather controversial area of their use in cases with a single claimant.

Medicare compliance is as important after the settlement as it is at the time of the settlement. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes co-host Angus Kennedy and guest, Hany Abdelsayed, Director of Business Development at Rising Financial Solutions, to take a look at Medicare Set-Asides in worker's compensation cases. Larry, Angus and Hany discuss the role of a professional administrator, the options individuals have when self-administering their own MSA's and the importance of Medicare compliance.

When an injured party has reached the settlement stage of litigation, their financial options can be overwhelming. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes Bejan Shirvani, the Managing Sales Director of Structured Settlements for MetLife, to highlight how MetLife interfaces in the structured settlements industry and how to best handle a claimant’s needs. Larry and Bejan talk about life care plans, age ratings and how to better educate consumers on the benefits of structured settlements and annuities.

A mediation cannot be successful without a measure of trust in the mediator and between the parties. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen and co-host, Teddy Snyder, Esq. welcome Seth J. Davis, a private mediator and the sole proprietor of ADJ Mediation Services, to discuss the ethics of structured settlements for lawyers and mediators. Larry, Teddy and Seth take a look at the preparation of a structured settlement proposal, the duties of the plaintiff attorney when advising the plaintiff on a structured settlement, the area of public benefits and the impact of the ethical rules on mediations.

A champion of rights for the disabled, Tony Coelho, Board Chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), who authored, in part, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, carries on the fight for the rights of the disabled in today’s issues. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen and co-host Randy Dyer, talk to Tony about his lifelong advocacy, his personal story with epilepsy and how a structured settlement can assist those living with disabilities.

The Ringler Productivity Manager (RPM) is a new, efficient platform that the whole company can use to quote all the life companies. On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes guests, Ringler Associate's RPM guru, Bill Wakelee and Ringler Associate, Cindy Chanley, to take a look at how this new technology is changing the face of structured settlements. Larry, Bill and Cindy explore the ins and outs of RPM, how it benefits colleagues and clients and share their personal experiences with RPM.

Medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs undergo rigorous testing and must receive pre-market approval from the FDA before they are available to the public. Unfortunately, all too often, defects and severe side effects that may or may not have been latent during testing and trials create hazardous products. On Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes colleague and co-host Ann Marie VonBank and guest, Attorney James T. Capretz, to discuss the current litigation against the makers of some of the most dangerous drugs and medical devices.

On Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen and Joseph Barnet, Vice President of Prudential Retirement and Product Manager of Prudential's structured settlement annuity product discuss how a life insurance company and a structured settlement specialist work together to meet the needs of their mutual clients. You’ll hear about Prudential's role in the structured settlement process, how Ringler Associates and Prudential work together to find the best solution for individual claimants and how age ratings impact the benefits received.

A Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) is the expected amount of money that Medicare would normally pay for medical and prescription drug expenses for a Workers' Compensation or a third-party injury. On Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes colleague Cindy Chanley, to talk about Medicare set-asides and the need to become familiar with the Medicare process. Larry and Cindy chat about when Medicare set-asides come into play during the settlement process, how MSA’s are funded and the relationship between Medicare set-asides on the Medicare side, and the whole area of Medicaid.

An estimated 10 million Americans are taking Darvocet, Darvon and other medications today for their pain. Darvon and Darvocet were removed from the US market after a safety study showed heart risk. On Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes Attorney Frank Woodson, from the Montgomery, Alabama firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., to take a look at the effects of Darvon and Darvocet, the FDA’s role and the litigation that will follow. Larry and Frank discuss how the FDA has changed under the new Obama administration, what to do if you are experiencing side effects from these drugs and if we will see an increase in lawsuits involving Darvon/Darvocet in 2011.

One of the most visible examples of the recent economic crisis, was the U.S. government's investment in American International Group (AIG). On Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen welcomes Mary Jane Fortin, president and chief executive officer of American General Life, to discuss how AIG is going about repaying the government. Mary Jane talks about AIG’s strategy and the progress being made and takes a look at American General's financial strength, structured settlements as a financial part of the portfolio of American General and how the company is performing since the crisis.

On this edition of Ringler Radio, host Larry Cohen and co-host and Ringler colleague, Robert P. Caples, Jr. welcome Randy Sorrels, partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend of Houston, Texas, to take a look at a real life catastrophic case that ended with the claimants receiving a guaranteed reliable and sustainable source of income through a structured settlement. They discuss the case, how the structured settlement was organized and why structured settlements are appropriate for cases involving catastrophic injuries.