Legal Service

Archive for July, 2009

In an effort to modernize the Thai Immigration system, officials in Thailand have promulgated rules which have precluded some foreigners from remaining in the Kingdom for long periods of time.

In recent months there have been many changes in Thailand’s Immigration and Visa regulations. Most notable among these changes has been the virtual destruction of the infinite visa exemptions once granted by Royal Thai Immigration authorities at border checkpoints. At one point, it was possible for a foreign national to obtain three Thai thirty day visa exemptions before being forced to depart the Kingdom, obtain a visa, and reenter in lawful status. At this time, this scheme is no longer the way Thai Immigration deals with those entering on visa exemptions.

At this moment, Royal Thai Immigration officers are allowing multiple visa exemption stamps. However, these stamps are only valid for 15 days. Instead, they currently allow entrants to gain admission to the Kingdom, but only for 15 days at land borders and 30 days at airports.

The result of this state of affairs was an increasing number of prospective visitors applied for tourist visas outside of Thailand. Consulates and Embassies in the ASEAN countries have seen a dramatic rise in Tourist visa applications as well as approvals. The most interesting aspect of this situation was the fact that this upsurge in Tourist visa applications also coincided with a program instituted by the Thai government to give away free tourist visas. As a result, Consular posts outside of Thailand were taking processing a larger number of cases and being paid less money. Although a Consulate is not a strictly “for profit” enterprise, the lack of funding and heavier workload may explain why Consulates began scrutinizing Tourist visa applications more closely. This problem became particularly acute at notorious “visa run” posts. The Thai Consulate-General in Penang, Malaysia has made stringent rules restricting the issuance of multiple tourist visas as the post believed that there were some foreigners abusing the system.

This leaves the prospective traveler asking themselves: What do I do to get a long term Thai visa? The best advice: plan ahead. It is often easiest to obtain a long term Thai visa from a post in the applicant’s home country. Even though there exceptions to any rule, a prospective long term tourist generally has the best luck in obtaining a visa from his or her home country. However, there are some types of visas that can be easily obtained and some types that cannot be easily acquired. The 3 year multiple entry business visa is an example of the type of visa that is not generally granted. A Thai business visa with a validity of 1 year is more easily acquired by prospective travelers, but even this type of visa requires sponsorship by a company in Thailand and some companies are reluctant to act as sponsors.

Birth Injury lawyers are a dime a dozen. If you are reading this article then chances are you or someone you know are in need of the best Birth injury lawyer or law firm there is.

The key to finding a reputable birth injury lawyer is to do your research. This sounds easy enough but can quickly become daunting.  If you are searching for an attorney on the Internet it is important that you hone in the keywords that you use so that your search results are refined and more closely match your search.

You certainly don’t want a general practice lawyer representing such a critical matter and therefore need to ensure that you don’t waste time looking at all the personal injury lawyers in the net.  You are looking for someone who specializes in birth injuries.

So, when conducting your search make sure that you use keywords that are relevant. And for best results you should insert your city or state first… followed by the keyword “birth injury lawyer” or attorney etc.  This will ensure that you maximize your time and efforts when trying to find the best of the best.

It is recommended that you find at least 3 attorneys that you can call upon.  Some of the things you want to ask are:

• how many cases relevant to yours have they represented
• how many cases have they one
• what are their area’s of expertise
• how long have they been specializing in this area of law

Being diligent and efficient in your search for a birth injury lawyer is critical to ensure you find the very best.

The simple fact is that bad things do happen to good people and adverse medical events will occur. Questions that must be addressed include what steps should be taken by the medical provider and what does the patient expect from the medical provider.

The jaded view might be that patients want compensation, so best to turn it over to the insurance company to handle. That statement is only half-right. Whenever an adverse event occurs, immediately contact your insurance provider for guidance and direction. As for compensation, patient expectations are not always that simple.

According to the Canadian Medical Protective Association in responding to data presented in a New Zealand study, the Canadian medical liability system provides responses in three areas: patient safety, professional accountability, and litigation.

An article in the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management parallels the Canadian approach by indicating patient expectations centering on acknowledgement of the event, an apology, complete details about the incident, assurance that corrective measures have been taken, and compensation.

These, along with other expert opinions and studies, seem to indicate that litigation and compensation are not necessarily at the top of the patient expectations list when it comes to an adverse medical event. Yet many providers consider that to be at the top of their list and that can affect the attitude towards the patient. The reality is that the manner in which a healthcare provider manages communications after an adverse event can determine the subsequent actions taken by the patient, including formal complaints and litigation.

The initial reaction of most patients deals with the inquisitive side of human nature. They want acknowledgement of the incident and the complete facts as understood by the medical provider. This is an area where patient and provider can work together in sharing of information about the event in order to better understand contributing factors and the taking of subsequent preventive actions to protect future patients. Remember that acknowledgement of an event should also include empathy with the emotional feelings of the patient and family.

When it comes to an apology, there are differing schools of thought. Some say that an apology will come back to haunt you in litigation; others say that an apology can help defuse a litigatory event. This is why it is critical to immediately contact your insurance provider for guidance when an adverse event occurs. However, research has shown that apologies without remorse are likely to be rejected, and that some patients will not be forgiving — even after an acceptable apology with remorse is given.

While plastic surgery is usually for elective procedures and not for that of a serious medical condition, many people seeking certain forms of physical self-improvement fail to realize that it is in fact an invasive, risky and severely painful medical procedure. While a new nose or bigger boobs may seem to be in a different league from, say, organ surgery, it can have the same potentially fatal results. Any surgery involves the risk of:

• Blood clots

• Anesthesia or medication reactions

• Infection

• Respiratory complications

• Death

While all forms of surgery are dangerous, cosmetic surgery has some additional possible complications including:

• Severe infections and sepsis

• Disfigurement

• Disability

• Debilitating physical pain

• Disturbances in mental state

• Financial emergencies

• Emotional pain and suffering

The Prevalence of Careless and Negligent Plastic Surgeons

Because of the common disassociation between cosmetic surgery and other non-elective medical procedures, many patients fail to put the same time and work into finding a dependable, accredited and skilled surgeon. There are countless negligent and careless plastic surgeons in the US. They bank on unsuspecting customers that do not realize the inherent risk associated with any type of surgery.

Because these elective surgeries are generally not covered by insurance, they can result in severe loss of income. Unless the patient is very wealthy prior to surgery, if something goes wrong, he or she risks medical bankruptcy. Negligent plastic surgeons are aware of this and know that patients who are victims of their negligent actions may feel that they are not able to afford suing for medical malpractice.

People seeking cosmetic surgery should be aware of all the potential risks. Plastic surgeons also have a duty to disclose the risks of any particular procedure so the patient can make an informed decision about whether or not to go through with the surgery. They are required by law to state all the possible dangers and their statistical likelihood of happening. If a patient experiences any complications due to plastic surgery and was not given explicit information regarding the risks of the procedure, he or she has grounds to sue for medical malpractice.