Each year, over 2 million people get an infection (unrelated to their medical treatment) during their hospital stays. Approximately 90,000 of those die from the infections. In February 2004, 88-year-old Mark Bennett entered a hospital with a bad cough. In just a few days, he had been exposed to at least 6 different bacterial infections. His leg swelled and became discolored. Then, within 4...
Lawyers for Tracy Price, a Henry County school teacher, filed a lawsuit against Emory University Hospital for exposing her to the human form of mad cow disease. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD as it is more commonly known, is a degenerative brain disease that causes dementia, muscle problems and eventually death. According to research, most patients who begin to show symptoms of CJD die within...
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On March 30, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of the Magnetix toys. These building sets include magnets that come loose and can seriously injure and even kill children. A 22-month-old Redmond boy accidentally swallowed the magnets, which twisted his small intestine and created a blockage. He died in November. Several other children have suffered serious injuries,...
On March 26, a Jeep Cherokee ran a red light and T-boned a BMW. A 20-year-old passenger in the backseat of the BMW died from his injuries. The 21-year-old driver of the Jeep has admitted he consumed alcohol prior to the accident. He currently faces one charge of vehicular homicide and two charges of vehicular assault.The victim's family should contact a personal injury attorney right away to...
Trasylol is a drug that is intended to prevent blood loss. It is often administered to patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. On February 8, 2006 the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for Trasylol (aprotinin injection) after two observational studies reported a possible association with the administration of the drug, kidney failure and ischemic events (heart attack and...
I just learned that Congress recently passed the "Data Accountability and Trust Act" out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The Act as drafted, requires so-called data brokers to formulate a security policy on how to handle sensitive consumer data. Also, according to the publication E-Week.Com, If a breach occurs, the Federal Trade Commission or an independent auditor would review...
The Reno Gazette Journal reports today that dioceses and religious institutions paid almost $400 million in settlements for claims in 2005, according to a survey released Thursday by Roman Catholic officials. The latest nationwide figures were released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Child and Youth Protection. The figures came from its third annual audit of dioceses...
Nevada laws recognize that insurers owe special duties to their insureds and protections are set forth, both in Nevada statutes and in Nevada regulations, to protect insureds from their insurance companies. Nevada law allows for punitive damages to be awarded against an insurer that breaches certain obligations to its insured. While numerous claims against an insurance company are possible in...
Last week, a jury returned a verdict against Seattle-based Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for dropping their 3 water bottling company clients to open a class action suit. A day before they were to return to court to hear the jury's findings as to punitive damages, the parties settled for $10.8 million. For more information, please see: Seattle law firm, water bottlers settle lawsuit.
There is a doctrine in the law of the State of Florida that frustrates justice and provides immunity to many medical providers. The doctrine requires that the damages awarded to a patient victim of medical malpractice are limited to only those "more likely than not" to have been caused by the misconduct. On the surface, this doctrine or rule (created in the Gooding Case) seems perfectly fair. ...