• Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Vehicle Accident Injury

    Posted on December 28th, 2011

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    Drop in Auto Accident Fatalities

    Across Florida, fewer people were killed in traffic accidents in 2010, compared to the previous year.  Last year, a total of 2,445 people were killed in traffic accidents in Florida, compared to 2,560 the previous year.

    That was a substantial decline of 4.5%.  Nationwide, there was a drop of 2.9% in accident fatalities in 2010.  In fact, Florida was one of 4 states, including California, Louisiana and Texas that had a decline of more than 100 fatalities over the previous year.  The good news was that nationwide, the number of people killed in drunk driving accidents dropped.  However, there was bad news for Florida car accident lawyers too.  The number of deaths in accidents involving large trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians actually increased last year.

    499 occupants of commercial truck accidents were killed in 2009, and that number spiked to 529 in 2010.  That was an increase of 6%.  Further, there was also an increase in the number of people injured in commercial truck accidents from 17,000 in 2009, to 19,000 in 2010.

    There was also an increase in the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents.  In 2009, 4,469 people died in motorcycle accidents in the United States.  That number increased to 4,502 fatalities in 2010.  That was an increase of .7%.  However, the number of people being injured in motorcycle accidents declined from 90,000 in 2009 to 82,000 in 2010.

    Pedestrian accident fatalities also increased last year.  A total of 4,109 pedestrian fatalities had been recorded in 2009.  That number increased to 4,280 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents in 2010.

    The data is still new, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet begun analyzing the reasons for the increase in pedestrian, motorcycle and truck accident fatalities last year.

     

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  • Personal Injury

    Posted on October 26th, 2011

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    New CDC Guidelines to Prevent Oncology Clinic Infections

    A string of recent infections at outpatient oncology clinics has served as a sobering reminder to Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers that these clinics need further regulation to prevent medical malpractice.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees.  The agency has just released new plans to reduce infection rates at outpatient oncology clinics.

    Outpatient clinics are popular with patients because they offer much cheaper treatment than hospitals.  An estimated 1 million patients receive cancer treatment at outpatient centers every year. Approximately 50,000 cancer patients suffer an infection annually.

    Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report based on an investigation of a hepatitis C outbreak at a New Jersey oncology clinic.  That outbreak left at least 29 patients with hepatitis C.  The epidemic was ultimately traced to the use of contaminated saline bags and single-dose medication vials.  Yet another infection outbreak at a Mississippi oncology clinic was linked to the reuse of needles.

    It’s especially important to ensure that cancer patients are protected from infections.  These patients may be more susceptible to infections because of weakened immune systems.  This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has focused on reducing infection rates at these clinics.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants patients to be aware of the infection risks that exist when appropriate sterilization and hygiene procedures are not followed.  The agency has set up a website called preventcancerinfections.org to educate cancer patients about these infection risks.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending proper administration of medications, hand hygiene, and safe injection practices in order to reduce infection rates at oncology clinics.

    The CDC recently turned its attention to outpatient clinics, and in July, set guidelines for the prevention of infections in outpatient surgical centers and pain management clinics.

     

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  • Personal Injury, Slip and Fall, Vehicle Accident Injury

    Posted on October 17th, 2011

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    Ultrasound Device Could Help Treat Fractures Quicker

    Doctors at the Royal Glasgow Infirmary have successfully used an ultrasound device to treat serious fractures much more quickly.  The doctors report that the devices were used in the successful treatment of complicated and multiple fractures.

    The device is strapped to the broken bone, allowing the bone to benefit from the ultrasound waves.  These waves trigger regeneration of new bone cells, hasten cell maturity, and accelerate the healing process.  The device destroys bacteria that can cause infections.

    This is a relatively painless and convenient therapy that speeds up the process of healing a fracture by as much as 40%.  Researchers have successfully used the therapy to treat fractures that were believed to be untreatable.  Some of these cases involve multiple fractures, involving an initial prognosis that the broken bone could not be mended and the leg had to be amputated.  With the use of the ultrasound device, the multiple fractures healed quickly.  The treatment is expensive right now, but there is reason to hope that the treatment will become more affordable as the use of the ultrasound device increases.

    That could mean quicker and more convenient treatment for hundreds of thousands of people who suffer broken bones in auto accidents, trip and fall accidents and workplace accidents every year.  For people who suffer from serious and complex fractures, the device could also offer alternatives to more drastic measures like amputation.

    The significance of the fact that this treatment has been perfected at the Royal Glasgow Infirmary is not lost on Los Angeles serious injury lawyers.  Glasgow was the birthplace of ultrasound more than fifty years ago.  A team of specialists then successfully reproduced images of the human body using sonar.  Ultrasound is currently used successfully for diagnosis, especially for prenatal monitoring.

     

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  • Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

    Posted on October 12th, 2011

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    Nurse Error Causes Oakland Hospital Death

    A medical error by a replacement nurse at an Oakland hospital is being blamed for the death of a cancer patient.  The victim, a 66-year-old woman had been receiving treatment for cancer at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland since July.

    According to Oakland police, the woman’s death was caused when a replacement nurse at the facility administered the wrong dosage of medication.  There is no information about what type of drug it was, and what dosage should have been administered.  Doctors and other staff in the hospital were unable to revive the patient.

    The hospital has confirmed that the death was caused because of the nurse’s medical error, and has apologized.  Several investigations by state, local and federal agencies are already underway.  The nurse has already been questioned by local police.

    According to authorities, the nurse had come to work at the hospital from another state.  She was brought in after a recent one-day nurse’s strike led to temporary staffing with replacement nurses.  The nurses’ strike affected hospitals across northern and central California.  The six hospitals run by Sutter Health, including the Oakland facility had been impacted by the strike.  Many nurses had been locked out for at least five days since the strike.

    Medication errors are some of the most frequent medical errors that California medical malpractice lawyers come across.  According to the Food and Drug Administration, between 44,000 and 90,000 deaths occur every year in American hospitals due to medical errors.  It is estimated that as many as 7,000 deaths from medication errors can be prevented.  Most medication errors in American hospitals occur during the prescribing and administering stages.  Errors frequently occur because of miscommunication of drug orders, lack of available medication information, lack of correct labeling, provider fatigue and other causes.

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  • Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury

    Posted on October 1st, 2011

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    California Motorcycle Accident Fatalities Down in 2010

    A federally funded program to reduce fatal motorcycle accidents in California seems to have been successful. According to the California Highway Patrol, there has been a decline in the number of accidents involving motorcyclists last year.

    Preliminary data for last year from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records shows the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents in California in 2010 declined by 9% from the previous year. The number of injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents also declined by 8.5% compared to 2009.

    The motorcycle safety campaign was spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, and was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Transportation sent out a “Share the Road” message through the campaign. The campaign involved displays of the message Share the Road-Look Twice for Motorcyclists on highway signs across the state. Additionally, the California Highway Patrol conducted several presentations encouraging motorists to look out for motorcyclists, and carried out enforcement initiatives.

    These efforts seem to have been successful in reducing motorcycle accidents in California, primarily because they have focused on encouraging motorists to look out for motorcyclists. Most motorcycle accidents that Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers come across occur because motorists do not see motorcyclists, or fail to look out for them. Not seeing a motorcyclist is hardly an excuse for inaction, with the increasing number of motorcyclists on our roads and highways. It is a motorist’s responsibility to look out for motorcyclists especially closely at intersections, and in the blind spots of their vehicle. Motorcycles may be easy to miss because of their slim frame, which is all the more reason why drivers must be more alert.

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  • Brain and Spine Injury, Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury

    Posted on September 28th, 2011

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    Quicker Diagnosis of Brain Injury Patients with MRI/PET Device

    Treatment options for brain injury patients are extremely limited.  In most cases, all that doctors can do to increase a patient’s chances of recovery is to limit the severity of the injury by beginning treatment as quickly as possible.  For this, it is necessary that doctors diagnose the injury quickly.  That diagnosis may speed up in the near future.  The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center last week began using a new imaging device that includes whole body simultaneous positron emission topography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a single device.

    The device is called a Biograph mMR, and it promises to offer a more complete picture of abnormal metabolic activity in a shorter period of time.  The center purchased the device through the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  The Center for New Sciences and Regenerative Medicine Cabazon conducts research into TBI treatment at the Walter Reed National Navy Medical Center in Maryland.

    According to officials at the National Institutes of Health, the new device combines the powerful diagnostic abilities of both MRI scans and PET scans.  The MRI scanner points doctors to existing abnormalities, while the PET scan informs doctors about the metabolic activity of that particular abnormality.

    According to doctors, this will greatly enhance diagnoses times.  With quicker diagnosis will come better turnaround and faster treatment of patients.  With this device, a brain injury can be diagnosed in the earliest stages of the injury, before excessive bleeding causes long-term damage.  The National Institutes of Health believes the new device will quicken the diagnosis of brain injury not just among veterans, but also in the civilian population.

    Traumatic brain injury is one of the most serious injuries occurring in motorcycle accidents.  A helmet can protect a motorcyclist to some degree, but every year, Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers find thousands of helmeted motorcyclists with severe brain injuries that result in long-term debilitation.  Quicker diagnosis of these injuries could mean a better chance for a full recovery.

     

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  • Personal Injury

    Posted on September 27th, 2011

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    NHTSA Investigates Ford and Mercury Minivan Jack Failure

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun an investigation into service jack failures involving the Ford Freestyle and Mercury Monterey minivans.  At least one person has been confirmed dead from the failure of a jack that was sold with these cars.

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem likely involves jacks on more than 205,000 minivans.  These minivans were manufactured in the 2004 and 2005 model years.  According to the agency’s preliminary investigations, the failure involves jacks that were part of the spare tire kits in these cars.

    The agency’s preliminary investigations have found that the jack can fail at the hinge joints.  The joints may become separated due to the weight of the vehicle, and the jack can collapse.  One person has been confirmed killed in an accident involving a jack failure.  The man was working under his minivan with a jack supporting the vehicle.  Suddenly, the jack gave way, causing the vehicle to collapse on him

    In all, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints from owners of these cars.  The agency has also received one report from the automaker that shows that the jacks failed while in use.

    This is an investigation, and Los Angeles personal injury lawyers cannot guarantee that any recall will be announced after the investigation is complete.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may initiate several such investigations every year, and not all of them lead to a recall of the car.  However, if the agency finds in an investigation that there is enough reason to be concerned, then it will work together with the automaker to announce a recall.

    However, while the investigation is on, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking vehicle owners not to use the jack for any purpose other than changing tires.

     

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  • Construction Site Accident, Personal Injury

    Posted on September 27th, 2011

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    New Initiative to Prevent Accidents Involving Highway Workers

    During a two-month period in May and June, there were three highway worker fatalities in the state of California.  In all, four highway workers have died in accidents this year.  Those numbers have been high enough to alarm highway workers, their families and Los Angeles car accident lawyers.

    The California Department of Transportation has made it clear that it intends to take highway worker safety more seriously.  The agency is now collaborating with the California Highway Patrol, and is adding more officers to construction zones to coax drivers into slowing down. The California Highway Patrol hopes that the presence of officers and vehicles in construction zones will encourage motorists to slow down and look out for highway workers.

    Many workers are at risk from cars barreling down these zones at high speeds or under the influence of alcohol.  It is these kinds of drivers that the California Highway Patrol wants to target.  The agency will put extra officers in some of these zones, and even additional vehicles if necessary.  Drivers who are caught speeding through a construction zone will be ticketed.

    However, this is a temporary campaign, and once these vehicles and officers are out of a zone, motorists are simply likely to flout the rules again.  The “Move Over” law requires drivers to move to an adjacent lane for parked emergency vehicles as well as California Department of Transportation vehicles displaying their warning lights.  The law on its own has not prevented a spike in fatalities involving highway workers, resulted in this new initiative.

    With massive highway reconstruction and repair work being conducted across California, motorists need to be more vigilant than ever.  There are currently at least 800 highway construction projects in progress in California.  With massive highway construction work across California, hundreds of workers are likely to be at risk from reckless motorists.

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  • Car Accidents, Personal Injury

    Posted on August 8th, 2011

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    Children At Lower Risk of Accidents When Grandma is Driving

    Children traveling in cars with grandparents are at a much lower risk of being injured in accidents, compared to those traveling with parents.  That finding comes from a study published in the journal Pediatrics, and flies in the face of much that Sherman Oaks car accident lawyers believe about the driving skills of senior motorists.

    The study by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, involved an analysis of accident data between 2003 and 2007.  The accidents involved close to 218,000 children below the age of fifteen.  In these accidents, 1,302 children were reported injured.

    Of these, 161 were traveling in cars driven by their grandparents at the time.  On the other hand, 293 children were being driven by parents.  The injury rate for children was .7% when grandparents were driving, and the injury rate was 1.05% when parents were driving.

    This high injury rate when parents are driving remained constant even though parents  seemed to do a better job of restraining children.  Grandparents were more likely to make mistakes when it came to placing children in the right car seat.  However, in spite of these errors, children were still much less likely to be injured when they were traveling with grandparents.

    It’s not that hard to understand why children may be safer when they’re traveling with grandparents than parents.  Senior drivers, who are believed to be high-risk motorists, are likely to become cautious when they are traveling with their grandchildren.  Making sure your grandchildren get from point A to point B safe and sound, is a huge responsibility which probably increases the chances of cautious driving.

    The researchers believe injury rates when grandparents are driving could possibly be lowered further if these motorists restrain children properly in their car seats.

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  • Class Actions, Dangerous Medical Devices

    Posted on August 7th, 2011

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    Zimmer Knee Device Maker Sues Product Liability Lawyers

    Zimmer Holdings Inc., maker of the NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral Component knee replacement device that is the basis of several product liability lawsuits, has embarked on an initiative to discourage further litigation.  Over the past year, the company has sent cease-and-desist letters to several product liability attorneys who had filed lawsuits against the company in relation to the knee replacement device.  According to Zimmer, these attorneys are giving the company a bad reputation through the information they are posting on their websites.

    At least seven product liability attorneys who have filed lawsuits based on injuries allegedly resulting from the Zimmer knee replacement devices, have had defamation lawsuits filed against them over the past year alone.  The lawsuits allege not only defamation, but also trademark infringement.  Four of these attorneys have settled the lawsuits and have issued retractions of their statements.  The remaining cases are still pending.

    In 2010, at a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, researchers presented evidence that the NexGen CR-Flex Porous Femoral Component device has a much higher than average failure rate.  According to the researchers, they analyzed patients who received the knee replacement device, and found that in at least 38% of the patients who received the devices there were signs of device failure, including loosening of the device.

    Further, many of the patients who had been implanted with these devices, required revision surgeries.  Researchers said that the results of these studies were serious enough to warrant a recall.

    Since then, Zimmer Holdings Inc. has announced recalls of two knee replacement devices, including the Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solutions MIS Knee and Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solutions Minimally Invasive Surgery Tibial Components, locking screw and stem extensions.  In 2010, the company recalled the Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solution LPS femoral component and the Zimmer NexGen Complete Knee Solution LPS Flex Gender femoral component.  The company faces dozens of other lawsuits by Zimmer knee replacement recall lawyers, based on injuries that patients have allegedly suffered through the use of these devices.

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