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Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injuries

June 1, 2018 By

Nearly 50,000 patients die annually from traumatic brain injuries. Now a new study led by the University of Pennsylvania reveals that tiny blood vessels in the brain can offer clues to better treatment, according to an article from UPI’s Health News.

In the study, researchers examined the brains of 27 patients with traumatic brain injury and 14 healthy people using specialized imaging. They assessed the change in blood flow in response to an injury, and the strength and function of the small blood vessels. They also performed seven neuropsychological tests, and interviewed the participants about cognitive and emotional symptoms, including headaches and depression.

The research showed that “changes in the blood vessels may be linked to a range of cognitive symptoms after a traumatic brain injury,” reported the article. Researchers noted that understanding these changes could be the key to more effective treatment patients with TBI, even those who have been suffering for years from symptoms.

When someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury because of an accident, being able to recover damages from the negligent party who caused the accident can help with future medical needs. To set up an appointment to discuss your legal options,contact us online or call 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Brain Injury, Personal Injury

Why Do ‘Slip and Fall’ Accidents Happen?

May 23, 2018 By

From misjudging steps to sliding on oily or wet surfaces, there are many causes of “slip and fall” accidents. But there’s one cause that’s highly preventable, according to a study by insurance provider CNA—and that is the type of flooring. The article in Claims Journal reported that half of the floors tested in a study failed to produce enough friction. That means businesses leave themselves open to potential accidents because of a poor floor purchasing decision.

The report indicated that retail and real estate businesses are most at risk for slip and fall accidents. According to the study:

  • 40 percent of such accidents occurred on entry flooring
  • 33 percent happened on parking lot surfaces, and
  • 27 percent happened on sidewalks leading to business entrances

Less than one percent occurred on interior floors.

The study also uncovered that, over time, slip and fall claims occur more frequently. The report advised business to take steps to minimize the potential for accidents, including choosing flooring that is slip resistant, testing it under wet conditions, and using cleaning agents recommended for that floor type.

Did you or someone you love suffer injuries from a slip and fall? Contact us to discuss your legal options: send us a message online or call 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Personal Injury, Premises Liability, slip and fall

What is the Effect of Opioids in Utero?

April 26, 2018 By

A recent Philadelphia Inquirer article reported on how America’s opiate epidemic is affecting children, citing a recent study. But what the study didn’t cover, according to the article, is how newborns are affected from exposure in utero.

It may be surprising to think that pregnant mothers consume opioids, but the number is growing, according to the article. The author estimated that there are five times the number of pregnant mothers consuming opioids as compared to 20 years ago.

The effect on a newborn can be devastating. Some newborns experience withdrawal symptoms, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. If left untreated, it can cause seizures, neurological damage or, in rare cases, death, reported the article. Street drugs consumed by pregnant mothers can worsen the effects.

Not every infant experiences withdrawal, however, according to the article. Some newborns may have no symptoms at all.

Pennsylvania now requires hospitals to report the birth of babies affected by opioid exposure in utero. The rules for reporting are unclear, however, noted the article. Some hospitals only report infants that experience withdrawal, while others will be reporting all newborns exposed to opioids in utero. Still others will report babies exposed to any street drug (including opioids).

Do you have a legal question on a birth injury that you believe is the result of negligence? Contact us online or call 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Birth Injury, Medical Malpractice

Workplace Injuries are on the Rise.

April 4, 2018 By

A recent report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics showed that there’s a long way to go when it comes to workplace safety. From 2015 to 2016, there was a seven percent increase in fatal injuries and, for the first time in nearly a decade, workplace fatalities surpassed 5,000. As reported by the Insurance Journal, this is the third consecutive annual increase in workplace fatalities and the largest increase since 2008.

Here’s how the statistics panned out. Of the 5,190 deaths reported in 2016, transportation incidents were the leading cause of death, followed by workplace violence. There were increases in fatalities from exposure to harmful substances or environments (22 percent) and in deaths related to overdoses (at least 25 percent). There was also an increase in the number of overdoses.

Fatal injuries were up in various industries, too, including leisure and hospitality which, with an increase of 32 percent, reached an all-time high. The logging industry also recorded an industry high at 135.9 deaths per 100,000 workers. Protective service occupations, such as law enforcement, experienced a 32 percent increase in fatalities.

“America’s workers deserve better,” noted Loren Sweatt, deputy assistant secretary for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). She noted that the government will use a combination of enforcement, compliance assistance, education, and training and outreach to help combat these increases.

If you or a loved one was injured in a work accident in Pennsylvania, or if a loved one was killed, there are actions you can take. Even though workers injured on the job often turn to workers’ compensation, if that injury resulted from a defective product or someone’s negligence, you may also be able to recover lost wages or medical expenses through a personal injury lawsuit.

Contact us to learn more: send us a message online or call 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Workers' Compensation, Workplace Injury

Overmedication in Nursing Homes?

March 13, 2018 By

Nursing home residents in the U.S. are overmedicated with powerful antipsychotic drugs that may not even be approved for their conditions, the Reading Eagle recently reported. While the use of antipsychotic drugs is down significantly in recent years, advocacy groups have still been calling for tougher measures against improper use, and those appeals were reinforced last month by a report released by the international human rights nonprofit Human Rights Watch detailing the problem.

Antipsychotic drugs are approved to treat serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to the article. In nursing homes, these powerful prescriptions often are used to sedate residents with dementia, even though the drugs are not approved for that use. The article reports that elderly dementia patients treated with these drugs face a higher risk of death and suffer other consequences.

“Antipsychotic drugs alter consciousness and can adversely affect an individual’s ability to interact with others, reported the article. “They can also make it easier for understaffed facilities, with direct care workers inadequately trained in dementia care, to manage the people who live there.” The article relayed the story of a California woman with an 88-year-old mother who suffers from dementia. In the article, the woman claimed that “her mother, during stays at three different nursing homes in recent years, was sometimes left neglected for hours at a time in her wheelchair after being given antipsychotics.”

Do you have a loved one who you believe may have been the subject of nursing home neglect, or who suffered ill effects from overmedication? To discuss your legal options, contact us online or call us at  215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Elder Injury, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Injuries, Overmedication

Overworked Drivers Lead to Trucking Accidents

February 26, 2018 By

U.S. truckers, who work to exhaustion for little to no pay, may be today’s indentured servants, according to USA Today. The news outlet conducted a four-part investigative report which  showed the incredible hardships encountered some truck drivers in the nation, many of whom are poor immigrants and who speak little English.

The first part of the series revealed that truckers are often forced to work long hours against their will. Some companies even put up gates to keep drivers at work, or refuse to pay them until they finish shifts, taking care to falsify records to fall within safe driving hours. The second part of the series alleged that the retail giants that use trucking companies don’t hire the workers directly and therefore claim they are not attributable for these labor abuses. The third part examined how drivers are cheated out of fair wages by having to pay for truck expenses. Sometimes at the end of the week, they owed money to their employer rather than the other way around.

The fourth and final part of the series explored how truckers, worked to the point of exhaustion and well past federal fatigue limits, are effectively impaired on the road. “They dispatch truckers for shifts that last up to 20 hours a day, six days a week, sometimes with tragic results,” reported the article.

If you were involved in a trucking accident, and need advice as to whether you have a case, contact us online or call us at  215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Truck Accidents

Train Derailments Prompt Federal Call for Sleep Apnea Testing

February 19, 2018 By

Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of train derailments in recent years, including the fatal Amtrak crashes in and around Philadelphia in 2015 and 2017. Causes range from human error to safety lapses, mechanical failure, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea was the probable cause of two recent New York-area derailments, prompting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to call for “the federal government to regulate the testing of the disorder as it relates to commuter railroads,” as reported by Newsday recently. According to the article, Schumer criticized the Department of Transportation for failing to require sleep apnea testing, noting that the cost of the crashes far outweighs the cost of testing. One person died and more than 200 people were injured in the New York area derailments.

If you have been a victim of a train or vehicle accident and would like to speak to an attorney, we offer a free initial consultation. Contact us online or call 215-751-0100 to arrange an appointment.

Filed Under: Train Accidents, Train Derailments, wrongful death

Federal Government Penalizes 32 PA Hospitals for Allowing Injuries

February 1, 2018 By

The state of Pennsylvania reduced Medicare payments for 32 hospitals to penalize them for high rates of infections and injuries, according to a recent news report. The article cited that hospitals were fined for infections related to catheter and intravenous lines, certain surgeries, MRSA and c-diff infections, and injuries such as bed sores and hip fractures from hospital falls.

While such penalties are intended to encourage hospitals to prioritize reduction of the incidents, the story went on to note that seventeen of the hospitals fined had also been penalized the prior year.

An analysis by Kaiser Health News shared that hospitals that treat lower income patients are more likely to be fined, calling the penalties “controversial” because “hospitals that treat sicker patients and those that do a better job of identifying infections” are punished. Patient advocates argue that while the system is not perfect, it helps hold hospitals accountable.

If you have been a victim of what you believe to be injury from medical malpractice, contact us online or call 215-751-0100 to discuss your legal options.

Filed Under: Medical Malpractice, wrongful death

Uber and Lyft Accident Coverages

January 8, 2018 By

Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft continue to grow in popularity in Pennsylvania. Their increasing use has led to a new law about the insurance coverages needed in the event of an accident, according to an article in The Legal Intelligencer.

Under PA Senate Bill 984, transportation network companies have a responsibility to make sure their drivers and passengers are covered by insurance. Either the company or the driver can provide that insurance, but it has to be in addition to the driver’s personal policy, noted the article. The transportation company also must cover any gaps in insurance.

The law requires certain levels of coverages for various situations, such as when passengers are present or when they are not but the driver is logged into the transportation network. At minimum, the driver must be covered by a bodily liability policy of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and $25,000 in property damage. When passengers are present, there must be $500,000 for death, bodily injury and property damage, $5,000 in first party medical benefits for the driver, and $25,000 for passengers or pedestrians.

If you or a loved one are involved in an Uber or Lyft motor vehicle accident, we offer a free initial consultation. Contact us online or call 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Auto Accident

Opioid Crisis in the Nation – and Pennsylvania

December 19, 2017 By

The nation’s opioid crisis seems to be an unprecedented level with no remedy in sight.

In fact, a seemingly ironclad case against one of the country’s largest drug distributors hit a wall due to the government’s reluctance to prosecute, reported a recent 60 Minutes segment.  The company in question, McKesson Corporation, was apparently distributing millions of highly addictive opioid pills to pharmacies, including shady Internet operations, without due diligence, according to the segment. Yet the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was unable to hold the company fully accountable.

Nine DEA field divisions and 12 U.S. attorneys worked on the case for two years. Special agent David Schiller and his team sought to “fine the company more than a billion dollars, revoke registrations to distribute controlled substances and put a McKesson executive behind bars,” reported correspondent Bill Whitaker. But the DEA attorneys did not want to take on the lawsuit. Instead, McKesson was fined just $150 million.

It would appear that no community is immune from the opioid crisis. We are currently representing the family of a college student, Cody Albert, who died tragically from an overdose. Albert went into respiratory arrest after ingesting a fentanyl patch prescribed for a friend’s mother. The friend, Zachary Ross, was a known addict, yet obtained the prescription from a local pharmacy anyway. “He is among five people who since 2011 have been charged in state or federal court with supplying drugs that led to fatal overdoses in Lackawanna County,” reported the Times-Tribune.

If you have a wrongful death matter you would like to discuss, we are happy to offer a free initial consultation. Just contact us online or call our office at 215-751-0100.

Filed Under: Personal Injury, wrongful death
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