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IN BUSINESS TRANSPORTATION ALLEGIANT'S INAUGURAL NONSTOP FLIGHT TO HAWAII TAKES OFF By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer A fter more than a year of planning and acquiring the necessary operating certificates, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air launched its first nonstop flight to Hawaii from McCarran International Airport on June 29. Allegiant's Flight 570, on one of the airline's newly acquired twin-engine Boeing 757 jets, was filled to capacity with 223 passengers when it left McCa- rran's D gates at 8:40 a.m. Michael Reichartz, senior vice presi- dent of marketing, who was there for the send-off, said Allegiant's weekend flights to Honolulu are sold out and that advanced ticket sales have been strong. The airline promoted its first flights to Hawaii with Reichartz discounted said there are still fares. some flights available in August and Septem- ber for $159 one way, which includes Wash.; Eugene, Ore.; Santa Maria and Stockton, Calif. The carrier also will of- taxes. Allegiant charges a wide variety of fees to check bags, carry bags on the plane, select seats and book flights on- line or by telephone. Allegiant flies the Hawaii route three COURTS FIRED TRUCKER'S MALPRACTICE CLAIM FILED TOO LATE TO COLLECT, RULING SAYS Ahmadi's malpractice policy expired April 14, 2004. By Cy Ryan staff writer A And Williams, learning of the drug arrests, filed his Las Vegas truck driver who lost his job due to the malpractice of his dentist has now lost his ability to malpractice suit against Ahmadi the following day. Earlier, on Feb. 6, 2004, while the policy was still in force, Williams sent Ahmadi a demand letter by certified mail. Ahmadi did not respond, nor did he notify the insurer of the demand letter or of the mal- practice suit that followed. collect a $480,260 judgment from the wayward den- tist's former insurer. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled June 28 that Glenn Williams filed his claim with Physicians In- surance Co. of Wisconsin after the expiration of the medical malpractice policy of Dr. Hamid Ahmadi. In 2002, Ahmadi was performing a root canal and used street cocaine to deaden the pain to Williams' gums. A short time later, Williams sideswiped a gas meter at a home while backing up his cement truck. The company required him to take a drug test. It came back positive despite the insistence of Williams he never used cocaine. He lost his job and his 20-year career as a union truck driver. Ahmadi acknowledged the root canal medication may have caused the positive drug test. The Supreme Court said in the meantime, "Dr. Ah- madi's personal and professional life had spun out Williams wrote in the court's opinion. of control." He was arrested in California for posses- sion of two ounces of cocaine and charged with drug trafficking. His license to practice in Nevada was suspended and he was arrested in Washington for prescribing painkillers to himself in phony patient names. 12 The court further found the news accounts of the dentist's problems did not constitute a claim for a malpractice payment. A spokeswoman for the state Board of Dental Ex- aminers said Ahmadi's license was revoked in 2004 and his later effort for reinstatement was denied. Williams gained a default judgment, and his law- yers filed a claim with the insurance company sev- eral months later. District Judge Douglas Herndon granted a summa- ry judgment in favor of Williams against the insurer. The district court agreed with Williams that the news accounts of Ahmadi's disintegration, combined with Ahmadi's license suspension, gave Physicians Insur- ance constructive notice of a potential claim during the policy period. The Supreme Court disagreed. "For coverage, a claim must be made and reported within the policy period," Justice Kristina Pickering COURTS FIRST AMENDMENT ATTORNEY JOINS EFFORT TO SHUT DOWN RIGHTHAVEN s Vegas First Amendment attorney Allen Lich- tenstein has joined the initiative to shut down copy- right infringement lawsuit filer Righthaven LLC. Lichtenstein said he's signed on to represent the receiver who claims to control Righthaven and who plans to put an end to Righthaven pursuing appeals of its legal setbacks. By Steve Green senior staff writer La After judges rejected its lawsuits and its assets were seized by creditors in December, Righthaven continued to operate solely to pursue those ap- peals. And as recently as June 22, Las Vegas attor- ney Steven Gibson publicly claimed to be the CEO of Righthaven and had openly hired an outside at- torney to deal with the appeals. Lara Pearson, another Nevada attorney appoint- ed by a judge as the receiver of Righthaven assets last year, moved June 25 to fire Gibson and said she would seek dismissal of Righthaven's appeals. Those appeals had little chance of succeeding and are subjecting Righthaven to additional liabili- ty, she said. Already, the company has been ordered to pay $318,000 in attorneys' fees to defendants SEE RIGHTHAVEN PAGE 13 | 9 JULY 2012 | and Maui. Passengers arriving in Honolulu just before noon Hawaii time were greeted ALOHA, ALLEGIANT: An Allegiant Airlines jet takes off from McCarran International Airport in 2011. The airline has introduced a flight to Hawaii from Las Vegas and will fly the route thee times a week. times a week and started the weekly ser- vice to Honolulu from Fresno, Calif., on July 1. In November, the airline will add routes to Honolulu from Bellingham, VEGAS INC FILE cause there are as many Las Vegans wanting to go to Hawaii as Hawaiians wanting to fly here. Allegiant was prepared for the large number of additional passengers at its ticket counter. The Hawaii flight wasn't the only one with passengers checking in, and nine customer service represen- tatives kept the wait in line to less than 15 minutes for most people. Many of those in line had checked in online and were dropping off suitcases. Allegiant, a subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Co., has partnerships with 55 ho- tel properties in Hawaii to develop pack- age deals for customers. with leis, Hawaiian music and a bless- ing ceremony. The first passengers on the return flight later that day were sent off by a Las Vegas showgirl and an Elvis Presley impersonator. The flight arrived here close to midnight. Allegiant's business model is to con- fer nonstop flights between Bellingham nect resort destinations with small cit- ies. Reichartz said because Honolulu and Las Vegas are both resort destina- tions, ticket sales have been brisk be- The Associated Press reported June 29 that Hawaiian tourism officials say Al- legiant's flights are estimated to gener- ate $30 million in visitor spending and $3 million in tax revenue annually for Hawaii. "Our Hawaii partners have been great," Reichartz said. "They've really welcomed us. Of course, like Las Vegas, tourism is very important to them and they're always needing more lift."