March 16, 2008 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Attorneys said they might have trouble finding insurance money to cover the claims resulting from a hepatitis outbreak at a local clinic.
They’re still tracking down all the liability insurance in the case, but for now, attorneys said they’ve uncovered just $3 million in malpractice insurance coverage at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, where as many as 40,000 patients were at risk of exposure to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
That payout comes to $75 per affected patient, not even enough to cover the cost of hepatitis and HIV tests, said local trial attorney Robert Eglet, a senior partner in the law firm of Eglet Wall Cottle.
What’s worse, some attorneys say, is that Dr. Dipak Desai, majority owner of the endoscopy clinic, served on the board of directors of the doctor-owned insurance company that covered his center. They worry that the post could have given Desai a hand in controlling payouts on claims against the business.
MONDAY
Jobless rate dips; jobless increase
Nevada unemployment in January dropped slightly, to 5.5 percent, but remains a full percentage point above the 4.5 percent rate of January 2007, the state announced.
Though pleased by the decline from December’s 5.8 percent rate, state Chief Economist Bill Anderson said a better indicator of Nevada’s economy is the increase in joblessness over the past year.
In all, 82,200 people were out of work in January, or 17,000 more than a year earlier.
TUESDAY
Metal detectors not only answer
Metal detectors have a place in securing Clark County public schools, but the devices can’t be relied on as a foolproof means of keeping weapons off campus.
That conclusion was one of several reached by security consultants with the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, who conducted an assessment of the Clark County School District on Feb. 13-14.
“The decision to purchase and deploy metal detectors is best made when it is part of an overall philosophy on school safety and security,” consultants said in a report.
WEDNESDAY
Audit calls fire inspectors ‘derelict’
Clark County building and fire inspectors have been “derelict” in their duty to keep commercial buildings safe, according to a scathing outside audit released by the county.
Falsified reports, inadequate record-keeping and favoritism toward commercial property owners were found by New York-based consultant Michael Kessler. Inspectors’ “general lack of concern and sense of urgency regarding complaints” demand a “significant change to … current practices,” Kessler wrote in his 96-page report.
“A vast injustice” is his description of a discrepancy between how homeowners were treated, compared with owners of multifamily housing or commercial properties. The county regularly charged penalties and investigative fees to homeowners for violations that went through building inspectors, while it let commercial owners duck the fees.
“The failings need to be disclosed, and addressed,” said Ron Lynn, who supervises county building inspectors in his role as director of development services.
THURSDAY
Housing authority raising rents
Hundreds of low-income senior citizens living in subsidized housing will soon have to pay more for rent, the Las Vegas Housing Authority board decided.
The board voted 3-1 to increase by 5 percent the rent on 249 apartments and 71 mobile home park spaces for senior citizens. The increase, which is the first for the housing program in nearly a decade, goes into effect in July.
“Our costs go up every year,” said Carl Rowe, the housing authority’s executive director. “We could no longer afford not to increase” the rent.
FRIDAY
FBI questions man in ricin case
The man at the center of a ricin investigation in Las Vegas regained consciousness and “appears to be cooperative,” an FBI spokesman said.
Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, has been in critical condition at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center since Feb. 14, when he placed an emergency call from his suite at the Extended Stay America, 4270 S. Valley View Blvd.
“We’re confirming that Bergendorff’s medical condition has improved, and he’s been interviewed by the FBI in Las Vegas,” Special Agent David Staretz said.
COMPILED BY MICHAEL SQUIRES
READ THE FULL STORIES ONLINE AT
u25B6 www.reviewjournal.com/wir
