Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Blog

A recent Ferris wheel accident in Washington State has put the spotlight on carnival rides and safety. At the Rhododendron Festival in Port Townsend, two hours north of Seattle, passengers of the Phoenix Wheel Ferris wheel had a scary ride when one of the baskets flipped, ejecting the people inside. A seven-year old boy and a 47-year old woman were taken to Jefferson Healthcare Hospital in Port Townsend where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A third victim, a 59-year old woman, had to be airlifted to the Seattle Harborview Medical Center where she was listed in critical, but stable condition. All three victims fell 15 to 18 feet and landed on the metal base at the bottom of the » Read More

An 11-year-old girl was fatally electrocuted in a lagoon behind a home in Toms River, New Jersey, on Saturday. Apparently, the girl from Newark, New Jersey was visiting and swimming with two other girls in the lagoon around 8:12 pm. The girls were using an inflatable raft, and two girls touched the rail to the metal boat lift. Investigators suspect that an electrical current may have energized the equipment, causing the electrocution. First responders administered CPR, and then used a defibrillator on the 11-year-old who was taken to the Community Medical Center. She succumbed to her fatal injuries at the facility while the other two girls sustained no injuries in the accident. Many people may be unaware of the danger » Read More

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced the approval of new federal safety standards for infant tubs. The new standards include latching and locking mechanism requirements, load testing, operating instructions, and safety warnings. Between January 2004 and December 2015, 31 infants were fatally injured in infant tub accidents. Another 216 infants suffered brain injuries from near-drowning, broken bones and head injuries resulting from falls, as well as cuts and other injuries related to product malfunctions. The new safety standards apply to all infant tubs, including inflatable tubs, bucket style and foldable tubs, spa-style tubs, and those with separate hand-held shower attachments. The CPSC established the new safety mandates after numerous reports of infant injuries and deaths related to infant » Read More

On Wednesday night, a crash on the George Washington Bridge occurred, leaving two individuals fatally injured. The crash took place around 9 pm near Fort Lee, New Jersey, on the upper level of the bridge when an SUV rear-ended a box truck upon entry into New York. A five-year-old child and 30-year-old man sustained fatal injuries in the accident while two adult women and a one-year-old child sustained serious injuries. All parties were taken to the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital for treatment, but only three victims survived the George Washington Bridge crash. Accidents involving trucks may lead to personal injuries and potential fatalities for all parties involved. Although the size and girth of a truck may be a factor in the severity » Read More

Abilify, one of the most profitable prescription drugs in America, is prescribed for people battling depression and bipolar disorder. But the anti-psychotic drug is now being cited as a possible cause of compulsive gambling, eating, shopping, and sex, causing great harm to the people it is supposed to help. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed nationwide against the makers of the drug, Bristol-Myers Squib and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. Court filings reflect the many sad stories of victims who have lost their fortunes to gambling, lost their children, gotten involved in prostitution, and so on. While Europe issued compulsive behavior warnings about Abilify in 2012, it took until 2016 for the FDA to do the same. The FDA announcement warned that the » Read More

Pitocin is a brand name for injectable oxytocin, a synthetic hormone that is used to start or hasten childbirth. Misuse of this drug can cause a risk to the baby’s health. Pitocin is unpredictable, which means that it can disrupt the rhythm of contractions and relaxations, often resulting in inadequate delivery of oxygen to the fetus during labor. This can put the baby at risk for birth asphyxia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, as well as other oxygen-deprivation-related injuries. Birth injuries associated with Pitocin may include: Fetal distress Hypertension Bradycardia Neonatal seizures Low Apgar scores Retinal hemorrhages Fetal head trauma Much more In fact, Pitocin is the drug most commonly associated with preventable adverse effects in childbirth. It is recommended for use » Read More