You are browsing the archives of February 2009.

Pfizer has announced it will soon report payments totaling $500 or more to healthcare providers, clinical trial investigators and institutions where clinical trials take place.

In preparing for an upcoming trial, it is crucial to know the background of any expert witness you are going to cross-examine. Reviewing their previous work and past statements will provide insight into any biases they may possess, and give you the foresight necessary for a stronger case.

Following a recent court ruling by the Sacramento Third District Court of Appeal, coroner reports related to criminal investigations are no longer released as public records.

Despite the ready availability of public records that could help publishers perform simple fact checks on the manuscripts and personalities they handle, few do - making literary and media deception fairly simple to pull off.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility is never easy. With more than 17,000 nursing home facilities and 33,000 assisted living facilities operating in the United States, picking the right facility could seem like an impossible task. However, public records can provide the information you need to make a well-informed decision.

Client lists, client contact information and how much a person owes their creditors are typically held privately. The bankruptcy case related to Bernard Madoff’s firm, however, provides a good example of how once private records become public in bankruptcy proceedings.

The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) recently released mortality rates for eight different procedures treated by 400 hospitals throughout California. Compiled for public review for the first time, prospective patients can review the death rates when picking a hospital for treatment.

Flight plans are among the lesser-known public records. Often confused with flight manifests, these seemingly random assortments of numbers and letters contain extensive information that could be useful in litigation or in verifying an individual’s claimed whereabouts.