Blog

Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. discusses defective retrievable IVC filter devices

May 3, 2016

Over the past half-decade, the medical device product liability attorneys at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. have been researching the adverse effects of retrievable IVC filters. As the epidemic exponentially grew, our firm has discussed potential lawsuits against the manufacturers of these filters. After NBC News's 2015 two-part series documenting the growing problems IVC filter patients have been experiencing, we began focusing great attention on clients who suffered injuries because of the filters. WHAT IS AN...

Automatic braking to be standard by 2022

Apr 29, 2016

Twenty automakers that make nearly all cars driven in the U.S. have committed to making automatic emergency brakes (AEB) a standard feature of new cars starting in September 2022 at the latest. The brakes are intended to prevent accidents or make accidents less severe by stopping cars automatically when sensors detect an imminent collision. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) press release, the automakers who have committed to the change will install...

Can you be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?

Apr 24, 2016

Technically, no. When employers take adverse actions against an employee when that employee exercises rights, this is known as retaliation. If you do file a workers' compensation claim and you are fired shortly thereafter, you may have a retaliation case on your hands. However, employers are generally too savvy these days to state outright that you were fired because you filed a claim. Employers can state any number of "real" reasons for your dismissal, even...

Is your office a minefield of hidden dangers?

Apr 22, 2016

It's not hard to imagine how construction workers or others engaged in heavy industrial work could get injured on the job. Falls from a height, malfunctioning heavy machinery, chemical spills or fires can be serious dangers at such job sites, leading to potentially catastrophic and vivid injury scenarios. But how about people who work in an office? Are cubicle workers safe from such horrors in their relatively tame environment? Unfortunately, no. While office environments present...

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...