It Figures

$13.5 Million

Amount awarded by a Massachusetts jury to the family of Amy Altman, a 40-year-old woman who died in July 2003 after receiving experimental cancer drugs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The jury decided Altman’s death could have been prevented had doctors investigated the cause of chronic diarrhea that surfaced during treatment for a tumor behind her knee. The verdict included a $9.4 million award, plus interest.

$150,000

Monetary value of the damage caused to nearly a dozen cars when a fire tore through a parking lot at FedEx Field in Maryland at a football game between the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Authorities say someone placed a grill full of hot charcoal in the trunk of a car before going into the stadium. The fire destroyed eight vehicles; the burned cars belonged to both Redskins and Steelers fans.

500

Number of jobs that The Hartford Financial Services Co. said it plans to cut, citing losses in its investment portfolios and declining revenues. The layoffs will include nearly 125 in the Hartford region and are part of a plan to save $250 million in annual costs by the end of 2009. The layoffs represent less than 1 percent of the company’s 12,600 Hartford-region employees.

450

The number of preventable medical mistakes that occurred in New Jersey hospitals and health facilities in 2006 – the most recent year for which data is available. Some Garden State lawmakers want to crack down on mistakes. Under a bill introduced this month by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Turnersville) would prohibit New Jersey hospitals from charging for treating hospital-acquired conditions.

4

The number of people killed in Virginia last year when vehicles they were traveling in collided with deer. Officials say the frequency of collisions is rising. Nationally, the number killed has more than doubled over the past 15 years, says the Highway Loss Data Institute, which blames urban sprawl. The study found that fall breeding season is a prime time when cars and animals collide. Insurance claims are three times higher in November than from January to September.