Maryland Personal Injury Blog
Medical helicopters have recently come under scrutiny. There have become an increasing number of medical helicopter accidents in the last several years, some of which are attributable to the competition between the helicopter companies in the business of medical transport. The National Transportation Safety Board is being urged at hearings to place tougher regulations on the helicopter industry. In one eleven month period in 2008 there were 9 fatal medical helicopter crashes that cause 35 deaths.
Pharmaceutical Negligence and Darvon
02/18/2009 03:16:23 PM
Recently a Maryland man settled a wrongful prescription lawsuit against Walmart. The man died when he took prescriptions issued from a Walmart pharmacy intended for someone else. If you or a loved one were wrongly prescribed medication and thereafter took the medicine which led to physical consequences, please call one of our medical malpractice attorneys. All of our fees are contingent upon the outcome of the case. If we are not successful on your case, there will be no fee.
Can defective tires lead to an accident?
02/17/2009 03:17:24 PM
Defective tires or improperly sizing of tires can lead to disastrous accidents. In 2008 a serious bus crash was allegedly caused as a result of a retreaded tire that was illegally fitted on a bus. The crash caused the death of 17 people. Federal, state and local authorities are expected to render a decision soon as to who should be held responsible for that crash. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident resulting from a faulty or defective tire, please call one of our defective products attorneys for a free consultation. All of our fees are contingent upon the outcome of the case. If we are not successful on your case, there will be no fee.
Wrongful death from colon cancer
02/14/2009 03:19:22 PM
A jury in Nevada recently awarded 2.5 million to a family of a woman who died after a doctor failed to diagnose her with colon and rectal cancer. There was testimony in the case that the woman had a 97 % chance of survival if a timely diagnosis had been made by her medical providers. This was supposedly the highest medical malpractice award in the state of Nevada since 2004. Colon cancer is one of the most treatable of cancers if caught early enough and treated properly.
If you or one of your loved ones are diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer and you have reason to believe the diagnosis should have been made much earlier than it was by you treating physicians, please call one of our medical malpractice attorneys for a free consultation. All of our fees are contingent upon the outcome of the case. If we are not successful on your case, there will be no fee.
Salmonella illness from contaminated peanut products
02/13/2009 03:18:10 PM
The Peanut Corporation of America has recalled more than 400 products following the death of more than 500 persons who are thought to have suffered from salmonella related illnesses. Indeed, a peanut plant in Georgia apparently knowingly shipped contaminated peanut products several times during 2007 and 2008. Some of these products have found their way into schools and hospitals. Kellog Cracker with peanut butter have tested positive for salmonella, the first consumer product to do so. Many calls for stronger regulation of this industry went largely unheard in the Bush administration. It is hoped that more vigilance will be used in the new Obama administration. Incredibly, current wording requires the FDA to get approval of the language of a recall from the company under investigation before proceeding. A Texas peanut plant reportedly went 4 years without a license before the recent salmonella outbreak. The plant was run by the same company allegedly responsible for the Georgia salmonella outbreak. Indeed, the plant was not even subject to health inspections during that period. This may change quickly under the Obama administration. Indeed, recently, a criminal probe has been opened against a peanut processor linked to the outbreak of salmonella poisoning.
If you or a loved one has suffered from salmonella disease as a result of using peanut products, please call one of our product liability attorneys for a free consultation. All of our fees are contingent upon the outcome of the case. If we are not successful on your case, there will be no fee.
MRSA Death
01/30/2009 05:33:53 PM
Contracting HIV from organ transplants
12/08/2008 05:35:05 PM
Although very rare, contracting diseases such as HIV is still a risk that patients are willing to take in order to prolong their lives. Many patients die waiting as there is a shortage of organs for transplant. In truth, last year 7200 people died while waiting for a transplant. Again, although organ transplants come with risks, the lives saved outweigh the risks.
A high-risk organ donor infected four transplant recipients with HIV in several Chicago hospitals, which was the first reported incident since 1986. Along with HIV, the organs also gave all four recipients hepatitis C. Although very rare, this transmission emphasizes the need for change in testing methods when checking organ donors for infection. The most frequently used tests can fail to detect viral diseases if they are performed too early in the course of infection. One woman who received an organ from the donor is suing a Chicago Hospital.
Two patients were infected at another Chicago Hospital, and one each at two additional Chicago area hospitals. It is not known exactly which organs were taken, but experts speculate that they were most likely the kidneys, liver, and either the heart or lungs. These transplant operations occurred in January of 2007 and the donor was an adult who died in an Illinois hospital three days after a traumatic injury. It was not disclosed as to what the donor’s age or sex was. Obviously, the patients were devastated and the doctors were heartbroken when this news broke.
At first, the donor had tested negative for both HIV and hepatitis C, as the infection was too recent to be detected by commonly used blood tests. These tests look for the body’s reaction to the infection, specifically antibodies produced by the immune system. However, if the test is done too soon, within 22 days of HIV infection or 82 days for hepatitis C, antibodies may not be detected yet. Most likely, this is the situation that occurred in Chicago.
Another concern is that the blood test could give a false positive result which would lead to healthy organs not being accurately used. Overall, the biggest risk for patients on the transplant risk is that they still may not ever receive an organ. The risk of dying on the waiting list occurs more often, while the probability of being infected with HIV or hepatitis in that small window of time is extremely small.
According to a source connected to the investigation, the organ donor was classified as “”high risk”” based on a health and social history; however the nature of the risk was not disclosed. High risk behaviors include gay men having sex within the past five years, people having sex for money or drugs within the past five years, and intravenous use of recreational drugs within the past five years. The CDC recommends against using these donors unless the need outweighs the risks. As expected, there is growing support for a newer costlier test that can detect the virus earlier but takes several hours longer to get results. The transplant system of the future has to reassure transplant recipients a safe procedure.
Should I accept the insurance company’s offer?
12/09/2008 05:36:01 PM
This is a very common question that we are asked. The story starts out the same way. “”Someone hit me, I wasn’t at fault – now the insurance company for the at fault party is calling me. Should I accept their offer?”” The answer is to speak to Maryland auto accident lawyer that is experienced and has a record of winning in trial for their clients. An experienced accident lawyer can look into the details and specifics and give you an answer based on your unique case. Insurance companies will typically make a low offer and use many techniques to try and get you to accept their low offer and waiving any future rights to the claim. We understand their tactics and know how to best fight against them. It simply isn’t fair to you as a victim to accept a low offer. Insurance companies will typically contact you quickly after the accident and try to gain your trust. This friendly tactic is used so you will accept their offer.
Know your rights before you accept any offer from the insurance companies. We offer free case evaluations so there is no risk involved. Learn more about auto accidents and Maryland law in our auto accidents help page. To receive a free consultation please click here.
Product Liability Cases
11/27/2008 06:09:29 PM
Medtronic, Inc. recently suspended worldwide sales of one of their products-Sprint Fidelis defibrillation lead because of increased risk of lead fractures. Supposedly, they knew of defects in the producr prior to the recall.They had been selling this product since 2004. The fracture in the lead apparently can cause shock to the patient or cause the defibrillator not to operate whatsoever. The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead is also used by manufaturers other than Medtronic. The model numbers for the defective leads are 6930, 6931, 6948, & 6949. Medtronics has acknowledged that approximately 5,000 people will experience lead fracture with 30 months of the implkant procedure. Thousands of consumers are at risk for failure of the product. The options are to leave the implant in the body or have high risk replacement surgery. The FDA has not recommended the removal by surgery because of the hig risk. Younger patients appear to be even at a greater risk. This is yet another in a long line of products that have been shown to increase risk to patients including Vioxx, Fen-Phen, Rezulin, Phenylpropanolmine, Propulsid, Ephedra, Baycol, Breast Implants and tainted blood. If you have any questions regarding these products please consult with us as we have co-counsel arrangements with large firms who are actively involved in products liability cases nationwide.
Maryland Auto Accident Site Updated
11/25/2008 05:37:53 PM
In an effort to increase safety and awareness on serious auto accidents we have recently updated our auto accidents page. If you have been hurt or injured in an auto accident due to someone else’s negligence you may have many questions and concerns. Our web site is available to help you and answer your questions. The information provided on our web site and blog is from our Maryland auto accident lawyers. Our firm works hard to protect your rights and keep you informed on important information.
Learn about:
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) & Maryland Law
- Accident Reconstruction
- Types of Damages relating to Personal Injury Accidents
- Uninsured / Under insured motorists – What you need to know
- Statue of limitations – Maryland law puts a time limit how long you can wait to file a claim. Waiting too long could put your entire claim at risk.
In the upcoming weeks we’ll go over more information on auto accidents and how to keep your family safe and protected. We will cover such topics as :
Are you properly insured?
Maryland law requires all drivers to be properly insured. However what if someone is illegally driving then hits you? Do you have enough insurance coverage to protect yourself?
Contributory Negligence
What is contributory negligence and how does it affect you? Maryland’s laws are different than most states. This controversial law can put a lot of innocent people at risk of losing their claims.