You Should Know – March 2019
Investigations Raise Oversight Concerns at Surgery Centers – Ambulatory surgery centers perform millions of outpatient surgeries a year, most with little complication. However, new investigations are raising concerns about lax reporting and…By: Patrick Malone & Associates P.C. | DC Injury
How Much Is My Premises Liability Case Worth?
The financial impact of unanticipated injuries is staggering. In 2013 alone, nearly $671 billion was lost in productivity and lifetime medical expenses due to accidental injuries and violent altercations. Besides healthcare bills and lost income, personal injury victims often have to cope psychological injuries such as depression and adjustment disorders. Although nothing can undo the trauma of such a devastating event, the injured party may be able to recover compensation for both their economic damages (medical bills, lost income, etc.) and non-economic damages like pain and suffering. If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, you might have grounds for a premises liability claim. The costs associated with a serious fall can add up quickly, so it’s only natural to wonder how much your …
Cancer Causing Chemicals Detected in Grand Rapids Air, Medical Company the Possible Source
A medical device manufacturing plant in downtown Grand Rapids has left many in the community worried as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) continues toxic air investigations. Nearly 100 people gathered at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center on March 6 for a meeting hosted by the DEQ to discuss concerns over the air pollution coming from the plant, Viant Medical. Cancer concerns began as the DEQ provided computer models showing high enough levels to pose a long-term health risk of ethelyne oxide (EtO), a known carcinogen, within a 2,000 foot-radius around the Viant plant. In November of 2018, these models showed EtO concentrations of up to 150 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s screening level. Over the past two years, Viant Medical has been issued four air pollution violation…
New Jersey Releases Lists of Abusive Priests
The New Jersey Catholic dioceses recently released the names of 188 priests and deacons credibly accused of child sexual abuse. The release comes after Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal established a task force on September 6, 2018, to investigate allegations of sexual abuse within the state’s dioceses, as well as any efforts to cover up that abuse. Advocates for victims say the list does not do enough to right the wrongs the church has committed over the past several decades. Mark Crawford, head of the New Jersey chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), noted that the lists do not reveal when the church learned of the allegations. State Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who has pushed to eliminate New Jersey’s statute of limitations on civil …
3M Combat Earplug Failures Making National Headlines
According to a recent NPR report, which you can find here, soldiers who have used 3M earplugs reported hearing loss in both ears, as well as a persistent hearing defect known as tinnitus. Veterans described the hearing effects of these injuries as, “a chorus of cicadas, like an ambient noise that constantly causes interference.” Many lawsuits are now attempting to hold 3M accountable for the service-member’s hearing loss. These Combat Arms Earplugs were the used by all branches of the U.S. military between 2003 and 2015, during the peak of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These earplugs were a part of soldiers’ everyday activities—from driving vehicles to discharging firearms, 3M earplugs became a staple in the front-lines of the US armed forces. When …
Male Pedestrian Struck and Killed on Kearny Mesa Off-Ramp
A male pedestrian was killed in an accident in Kearny Mesa on Interstate 15. According to KUSI News, the crash, involving a Nissan Altima, happened around 1:40 a.m. near the Aero Drive off-ramp from I-15 south. The driver of the Nissan remained at the scene of questioning, and told the officer, that he had struck the pedestrian near the start. The pedestrian has not been identified. The team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers send our deepest condolences to the friends and family involved in the accident. The post Male Pedestrian Struck and Killed on Kearny Mesa Off-Ramp appeared first on Harris Personal Injury Lawyers.
Tesla Crashes into Danville Sushi Restaurant
A Tesla crashed into a Danville sushi restaurant, “Fish on Fire,” located in the Danville Town and Center Shopping Center, on Wednesday morning. The cause of the accident has yet to be announced. No injuries have been reported from the accident. Police are investigating the crash further, according to NBC Bay Area. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the skilled Danville accident attorneys at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers today to see how we can help you. The post Tesla Crashes into Danville Sushi Restaurant appeared first on Harris Personal Injury Lawyers.
Pennsylvania Marine Sergeant Sues 3M for Earplug Defects
A Pennsylvania U.S. Marine sergeant recently filed a new 3M dual-ended Combat Arms earplugs lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. He claims that after using these earplugs during his service in the military, he suffered serious injuries. Plaintiff Wears Earplugs While in Iraq—Suffers Hearing Loss According to his complaint, the plaintiff joined the military in 1995 at 20 years old. Prior to that time, he had no signs or symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus. From 1995 to 1997, the plaintiff served in the United States Marine Corp reserve in Pennsylvania where he performed weather equipment repair work. He later switched to aircraft maintenance. From May 2001 to November 2007, the plaintiff served on reserve duty as part of the Army National Guard at Fort …
How to Know If You Have the Right Insurance Coverage
Car insurance is considered complicated by most people. However, a basic understanding of the various coverages available takes away the guesswork and helps you know what you need, why you need it, and exactly what it will cover. The greatest mistake providers make is to tell you that the other driver’s insurance will pay your medical bills. That payment by the driver who caused the wreck only happens at the very end, which means you need to keep paying your medical bills to avoid going into collections. See Medical Payments section later in this article for more information. Bodily Injury Most states require that drivers carry bodily-injury liability insurance to cover the cost of medical treatment, rehabilitation, legal fees, pain and suffering, and burial expenses of …
Immigrant Faces Deportation After Exposing Abuse in Florida Detention Center. Coincidence?
The protagonist of an award-winning documentary chronicling the plight of immigrants will miss the film’s viewing in Miami. Instead, Claudio Rojas is being detained in an immigration detention facility, facing deportation. Claudio Rojas was born in Argentina but has been living in the U.S. since 2000. His two sons are DACA recipients and his grandchild is an American citizen. Rojas has worked as a laborer and landscaper in Miami and is the main provider for his family. After being detained by ICE in 2012, Rojas was held at the Broward Transitional Center (BTC) for seven months. He had no criminal record at that time, and his attorney believed he was eligible for release under the Morton Memo, which calls on ICE to refrain from pursuing undocumented immigrants …
Labor and Immigrants and Injuries, Oh My!
Building the Empire State Building This piece is about the importance of New York’s Labor Law for people who work at heights, but it starts in faraway Boston. It starts there because the story from the Boston Globe is shocking, and it should wake folks up to what goes on behind the scenes. The basic story is simple enough: Jose Martin Paz Flores had a job taping drywall for Tara Construction. He fell off a ladder and broke his femur in March 2017. The injury required immediate surgery. “But Paz — a father of five — could not get compensation for that injury because the company’s workers’ compensation insurance policy had lapsed.” What to do? The owner of Tara Construction, Pedro Pirez, decided to make …
Suitcases Keep Falling on Airline Passengers’ Heads
When airlines started charging extra for checked baggage, wallet-conscious travelers started stuffing everything they could into their carry-ons. Anyone whose flown in the past few years can tell you the turf war for territory in overhead compartments is real, and flight attendants, too, can attest to the increased injury risk caused by the “carry-on crunch.” That risk has been borne out by lawsuits against airlines. Most recently, a Colorado man sued Southwest Airlines, claiming flight staff should’ve spotted an “infirm” passenger trying to load a suitcase in an overhead bin and intervened before the suitcase fell on his head. Overstuffed Overhead Compartments Charles E. Giebel II claimed he was waiting in his seat at Denver International Airport on his way to Newark, New …