Jersey City Personal Injury Lawyer - Medical Malpractice

Patients at Risk from Long Island Doctor Who Reused Needles

Jenny Albano — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:13:27 GMT

At least 630 patients may be at risk for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C after a Long Island doctor reused needles and syringes on patients, states new York health officials.

The at risk patients were only notified of the problem last week after a three-year investigation was finished. It is known that at least two of the doctors patients have already contracted hepatitis C, which is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Officials have known about the infections in these patients for over a year and a half and are just now informing the doctor's other patients.

State health department spokeswoman Claudia Hutton says the physician, an anesthesiologist, could not be identified because of rules set by the state's disciplinary board for doctors.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Congress Fails in Hursing Home Abuse Oversight

Ricky Bagolie — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:10:50 GMT

An article in the New York Times over a six year period, Congress has failed in it's oversite of bad care in nursing homes. Bad homes that mistreated their residents received minimal or no penalties. This is no surprise as the billion dollar nursing home industry has many legislatures in their deep pockets. Nursing home residents who receive bad care or are mistreated may have the right to bring a civil claim. Bagolie Friedman Injury Lawyers will help evaluate that claim free of charge.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Call for Sprinkler Systems in Hursing Homes Following Fatal Fires

Ricky Bagolie — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 06:51:49 GMT

Federal regulators are calling the up to 2500 of the nation's oldest nursing homes be retrofitted with sprinker systems following a rash of deaths due to nurisng home fires. This would be a great step toward helping to protect this vulnerable population although I am sure that the rich, powerfull and gready nursing home industry will fight it tooth and nail.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Families Can Fight Improper Transfer From A Nursing Home

Ricky Bagolie — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:17:02 GMT

Do not let a nursing home threaten to transfer or discharge your loved one. Too often, a facility may respond to resident's difficulties or increasing need for care or repeated questions or complaints from family members by transferring or discharging the resident. The Nursing Home Reform Law of 1987 protects residents from involuntary transfer and discharge. It prohibits nursing homes from transferring or discharging a resident unless it can establish that one of the permissible reasons for transfer/discharge exist. Those reasons are:

the nursing home cannot provide adequate care for the resident; the resident's health has improved to the point that he or she no longer needs nursing home care; safety of individuals in the facility is endangered;the health of others in the facility would otherwise be endangered; the resident has failed, after reasonable and appropriate notice, to pay for care (although the facility cannot evict a resident who is waiting for Medicaid eligibility and should work with other state agencies to obtain payment if the resident's money is being held by a family member or other individual); or the facility ceases to operate.

Do not let the home bully your family into agreeing to a transfer or discharge. The facility must identify and try to meet the resident's individual medical, nursing, and psychosocial needs, by formulating and implementing an individualized care plan designed to meet those needs. Once a resident has been accepted by the nursing home, the nursing home should find ways to provide safe and appropriate care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Restraints Used in Nursing Homes Can Cause Harm

Ricky Bagolie — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 05:09:21 GMT

The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 states the resident has the right to be free from physical or chemical restraints imposed for purposes of discipline or convenience and not required to treat the resident's medical symptoms. This means that only a doctor can prescribe restraints after a careful assessment of the resident's condition. This helps ensure that residents are treated in such a manner and environment to enhance quality of life.

Improper restraint use may result in strangulation or death, poor circulation, chronic constipation, incontinence, weak muscles, weakened bone structure, pressure sores, increased agitation, depressed appetite, increased threat of pneumonia o rincreased urinary infections. The resident may also experience reduced social contact, withdrawal from surroundings, loss of autonomy, depression, increased problems with sleep patterns, increased agitation, or loss of mobility.

If you notice that your loved one experiences any of these symptoms, contact an attorney familiar with nursing home abuse and neglect.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Neglectful Nursing Home Kills Another Resident

Ricky Bagolie — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:51:58 GMT

In a disturbing trend that that occurs in every state, a neglectful nursing has killed one if it's residents through poor care and abuse. According to the West Virginia Record, a Charleston nursing home that cared for a 77-year-old woman is being sued for negligence after the patient died three months after being admitted. The lawsuit names Manor Care Inc., Health Care and Retirement Corporation of America, and two employees at the home.

Sadly, the family of nursing home residents really need to monitor their loved ones and a daily basis to make sure that they receive appropriate care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

South Carolina Sues Drug Companies for Price Scheme

Ricky Bagolie — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:50:56 GMT

The State of South Carolina has filed a lawsuit to recover over $40 million in taxpayer funds as the State believes several pharmaceutical companies fraudulently manipulated the prices of Medicaid and State Health Plan prescription drug claims. Attorney General Henry McMaster alleges that the pharmaceutical companies intentionally misreported the average wholesale price (AWP) of selected drugs which increased the reimbursements paid by Medicaid and the State Health Plans, thereby overcharging South Carolina taxpayers over $40 million dollars

False and inflated AWP figures for drugs provide greater financial incentives for pharmacies to buy and sell the drugs. Manipulating the average prices also provides higher sales revenue for the pharmaceutical companies, greater volume and market share for the drug companies, and dramatically steeper drug costs for Medicaid and the State Health Plan.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Jury awards $160 million in nursing home suit

Ricky Bagolie — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:32:32 GMT

A San Antonio jury awarded one of the larged civil judgements ever recorded when it found that a nursing home knowingly paired a frail 81 year old man with a violent, mentally ill roommate who visciously beat him to death.

During the 2 week trial, attorneys for the plaintiffs offered evidence that Mendoza's roommate was involved in 30 assaults before he was paired with the decedant.

From San Antonio to New Jersey, it is a lack of staffing and training that leads to these types of nursing home abuse and neglect based injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Nursing Home Neglect Still Rampant in America

Ricky Bagolie — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 02:04:44 GMT

Consumer Reports says nursing homes around the U.S. are still giving inadequate care for our loved ones and seniors. According to the report, not-for-profit homes generally provide better care than those operated for profit, although most, regardless of whether for profit or non-profit, fell well below the group's standards for a quality nursing home.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie

Crime, Neglect and Abuse Go Unchecked in Nursing Homes

Ricky Bagolie — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 01:07:52 GMT

Lawsuits may be the only effective weapon available to end abuse and neglect in nursing homes. The idea is to make is to make it more expensive to give poor care than it is to give good care as most problems are the result of greedy nursing home corporations.

According to an article by Evelyn Pringle of opednews.com,

"Where a nursing home is located and who owns it was found to be critical when evaluating the care provided to its residents. Nearly 75% of severe and repeated violations of patient care between 1999 and 2003 were found at nursing homes in 12 states, including Texas, Illinois, Arkansas, Washington, New Jersey, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee.
During its investigation, GNS interviewed dozens of people and analyzed 4 years of federal data on inspections and patient care and found that for-profit nursing homes accounted for 83% of the more than 500 nursing homes with repeated, serious violations, even though the for-profits accounted for only 65% of all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes.
"Patients at for-profit homes had, on average," GNS said, "higher rates of infections and pressure sores than those the government and nonprofits own. Other violations found included failing to protect patients from mistreatment, hiring staff without running criminal background checks, and allowing patients to be abused and physically punished."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ricky Bagolie