Blog

April showers bring construction accidents

Apr 7, 2016

As we ease out of winter and into spring, construction crews will increasingly be working outdoors on projects like road repairs, bridge repairs and home construction. While the warmer weather allows these projects to commence or resume, spring rain can also create increased dangers at a work site. Construction workers who work on scaffolding can slip more easily on wet surfaces. Visibility on all parts of a construction site can be reduced, making collisions more...

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for a brain injury?

Apr 5, 2016

The answer depends in part on when the accident happened and at what point you may have had reason to believe that you had been injured. In if you are injured in an accident, you have two years from the time of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. The exception to this is when you didn't realize until later that you had been injured. In this situation, the "discovery rule" would apply. That...

Electronic logging devices aim to prevent falsified records

Mar 29, 2016

As of December 2017, all commercial truck drivers who currently use paper logs to track their time will be required to make the switch to electronic logging devices (ELDs). The move is intended to cut down on driver fatigue by more accurately tracking the number of hours that drivers spend on the road, and preventing log falsification that could contribute to serious injuries on the road. Traditional paper logs have been so easy to falsify...

Can you get workers’ comp if you get hurt helping someone else?

Mar 23, 2016

That's a question that will soon go before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. An appeals court has ruled that an injured worker was, in fact, eligible for compensation for injuries sustained as he tried to help a fellow worker who had fallen into a pit of concrete and subsequently died. The worker's employer, Pipeline Systems, and the employer's insurer, Continental Western Insurance, had initially denied the worker's claim, saying he was not a trained first responder...

Over 200 Patients at Shore Medical Center in NJ may have been exposed to Hep B, Hep C and HIV

Mar 22, 2016

It was recently discovered that more than two hundred patients from Shore Medical Center in New Jersey may have been exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. Investigators say 53-year-old Frederick McLeish of Egg Harbor Township is a pharmacist and a drug diverter who worked at the hospital between 2013 and 2014. Shore Medical sent letters to potential victims on 16 February 2016 and says it will cover the cost of testing for patients...

Daylight savings-related fatigue leads to increased injury risk

Mar 21, 2016

Many people felt the impact of losing an hour of sleep last weekend when we set our clocks ahead for spring. But according to research cited in an article of The Atlantic, more people than usual may have felt the impact in a way that landed them in the hospital. According to a 2009 study of coal miners, both the frequency and severity of injuries increased in the wake of the spring daylight saving shift...

Safety Needles: A simple solution to drug diversion in hospitals

Mar 21, 2016

As we have seen over the last few years, drug diversion, or theft of drugs, by healthcare personnel poses a continuous threat to patient safety in any healthcare setting in which controlled substances are handled. In a 2014 study, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that, in 2010, as many as 1.7 million people were infected with Hepatitis B, at least 315,000 with Hepatitis C, and as many as 33,800 with HIV through an unsafe...

Finding answers after a car accident

Mar 18, 2016

After a serious motor vehicle accident, victims and their families often have more questions than answers. What happened? How bad are the injuries? How will I get around while my car is being fixed? Perhaps one of the most crucial questions that will need to be answered, however, is who is to blame for the crash. This information will help people determine what their next steps are in terms of taking legal action. There are...

Surgical tech may have exposed patients to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Washington

Mar 16, 2016

According to the Washington Department of Health, a surgical technician who is accused of tampering with narcotics in a way that could have exposed nearly 1500 patients to Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV worked at three Western Washington (state) medical facilities. Rocky Allen was arrested in Denver last month for diverting and tampering with medications, leaving patients at risk for contracting Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV. Rocky Allen worked at Northwest Hospital in...

Woman sues for foul ball that hit her in the head

Mar 14, 2016

A woman who was hit in the back of the head by a foul ball last year at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game is suing the Pirates, Major League Baseball and the Sports & Exhibition Authority for $35,000 each in a civil lawsuit. The woman, Wendy Camlin, was walking back to her seat on instructions from an usher when a foul ball rocketed backwards, pushing into safety netting and hitting her in the back of...