THE INJURY LAWYER DIRECTORY BLOG

Based on a recent FDA analysis of clinical trials conducted by drug manufacturers, it has been determined that many drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause hallucinations in children, even when taken in their prescribed dosage.

Many of the children affected demonstrated no prior risk factors for hallucinations or psychotic episodes. Some children believed worms, bugs, or snakes were crawling on them. Another child started running around very fast and then inexplicably stopped, falling down. She claimed she had run into a wall, even though there was no wall in the vicinity.

Some of the drugs found to cause hallucinations include Ritalin and Adderall, two of the most commonly prescribed ADHD drugs on the market. It is important to note that the incidence of hallucinations in children is still somewhat rare. However, it is a noticeable enough trend for the FDA to determine that warning labels are warranted for these drugs.

According to Dr. Harold Koplewicz of the New York University Child Study Center, children under age 10 are especially prone to developing hallucinations. He has also noted that once children are taken off the medication, the hallucinations generally stop.

Approximately 3-7% of children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD, and millions of children are currently taking prescription drugs to treat symptoms associated with the disorder.

If your child has suffered any adverse affects from taking ADHD medication, you should consult an experienced defective drug attorney immediately. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your child’s injuries.

If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area and have a defective drug claim, please contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

From the 1930′s to the 1970′s, the U.S. Navy used a large quantity of products containing asbestos in their ships. Virtually every ship constructed prior to 1970 was riddled with asbestos. No matter where you went on a ship, you were almost guaranteed to be exposed to the toxic chemical.

Asbestos could be found in boiler and engine rooms, sleeping areas, dining halls, navigation rooms, gaskets, valves, cables, and cements. This widespread use of asbestos placed naval officers at serious risk of developing mesothelioma and the many other dangerous diseases associated with asbestos.

The U.S. government has been aware of this unnecessary danger posed to their naval officers for decades. In 1939, the Navy’s Surgeon General submitted a report citing the hazardous health conditions present on most naval ships, as well as the unusually large number of naval officers who have developed asbestosis. Inexplicably, the U.S. Government ignored the Surgeon General’s findings and continued using asbestos in large quantities on their ships for another 30-40 years.

Due to their long-term exposure to asbestos in the middle part of the 20^th century, many retired Navy officers are suffering from asbestos-related injuries today. If you are a Navy veteran who has developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, or any other condition due to your exposure to asbestos while in the Navy, you have rights. It is important to consult an experienced asbestos attorney so that you can receive the compensation you deserve.

If you live in Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Delaware and have mesothelioma, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos today to schedule a consultation.

A 6-year-old boy died at a monster truck show in Washington after pieces of one of the trucks hit the boy. One other person was injured in the truck accident.

During the freestyle competition at the show, parts began flying off of a truck that was doing doughnuts. The debris launched over the safety barrier, landing all over the stands. One of the pieces, weighing between seven and twelve pounds, hit the boy in the head.

Tragically, the monster truck show was allowed to continue. Despite the injuries to the young boy and another man, the show went on as if nothing had happened. Many spectators in the crowd tried throwing cups at the show participants in order to get their attention so that they would stop the show. Others simply left the building with their children to avoid possible injury.

It appears that the incident was caused by a defective vehicle. Several other monster truck shows were held throughout the weekend, but the defective truck was pulled from those shows.

The promoters of the show will most likely face a serious wrongful death lawsuit as a result of the incident.

If you have a wrongful death claim in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact the Law Offices of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

With our country in the midst of an economic recession, many people are trying to cut corners wherever possible in order to stay financially afloat. Unfortunately, not all people make wise decisions about what to eliminate from their budget in these tough times.

A recent study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) predicts that over the next two years, our country will see an increase in the number of uninsured drivers on the road. The study demonstrates that as the unemployment rate rises, many people out of work elect to drop their auto insurance coverage to save money.

According to the IRC, the percentage of drivers on the road without insurance coverage is expected to increase from 13.8% in 2007 to 16.1% in 2010. Currently, there are six states with uninsured motorist rates above 20%: New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida and Tennessee. By 2010, we should see several other states join this list.

There are several problems with this trend. First, it is illegal to drive a vehicle without proper insurance coverage. Second and more importantly, if you are involved in an accident, it is more likely than ever before that the other driver will not have auto insurance.

In light of this information, it is a good idea to contact your auto insurance company to make sure that you have uninsured motorist coverage on your policy. This coverage will help you reduce your risk of financial loss in the event that you are injured in an auto accident caused by an uninsured motorist.

Uninsured motorist coverage varies by state, so it is important to check with your insurance company to find out what coverage you are entitled to in your region. It is also important to always consult an experienced auto accident attorney when you have been injured in an accident by an uninsured motorist. Hiring proper representation will increase the likelihood that you will be able to collect the damages you deserve to cover your injuries and property damage.

If you have been injured in an auto accident in the Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, please contact Carr & Carr Attorneys at Law today to schedule a consultation.

A Massachusetts jury has awarded the family of Priscilla Jardine $2 million in their wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Debra Gail Knee, the doctor who delivered her baby in February 2004.

Jardine was given labetalol, a blood pressure medication, during her Caesarean section birth back in 2004. After receiving the drug, the 32-year-old woman’s blood pressure reached dangerously low levels, and she eventually went into cardiac arrest. Jardine died shortly thereafter.

The jury found that Dr. Knee was negligent in her decision to give Ms. Jardine the blood pressure medication during the delivery of her baby. Dr. Knee denies all wrongdoing and plans to appeal the verdict.

All too often, doctors and hospital staff are negligent in their treatment of their patients. When this medical malpractice results in the death of a patient, the family of the victim can usually bring a wrongful death claim against the health care professionals to recover damages for their loss. It is important to hire an experienced wrongful death attorney who understands the complexities of these cases.

If you have a wrongful death claim in the New York City area, please contact the Law Offices of Silberstein, Awad, & Miklos, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

The mother of two children born a year apart alleges that Queens Hospital Center in New York City is responsible for each of them having a paralyzed arm. According to mother Annemarie Dhana, the doctors “yanked” both infants out of the womb in 2006 and in 2007 resulting in both children being diagnosed with Erb’s palsy. Dhana has filed a suit accusing the hospital and its parent corporation, New York City Health and Hospitals, of negligence and malpractice at childbirth.

In papers filed in the suit, it is alleged this causes damaged nerves controlling their arm and hand. Both children, now one- and two-years-old, are still in physical therapy. Dhana also alleges in the suit that doctors were aware she had gestational diabetes, which occurs only during pregnancy. Diabetes is one of the risk factors for Erb’s palsy. Dhana further claims that her care was mishandled from the prenatal stage all the way through the birth of her second child. She believes the injuries would have been avoided through a C-section or other preventative measures.

Dhana has also had to request that a judge extend a deadline for filing the suit. She missed the one year deadline for filing after her first son was born. Dhana claims this is because as a new mother, she has been burdened with trying to care for her injured children. Not only was the lawsuit not on her mind, but she was also concerned it would affect the quality of her children’s care if she filed.

It should go without saying that new parents of children born with Erb’s palsy are wrapped up in caring for them, and shouldn’t be spending time worrying about lawsuits. That is why it is in your best interest to contact an attorney with experience in these types of cases.

If you are in the Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Nassau County or Suffolk County, New York area, and have a child who has Erb’s palsy, please contact the Erb’s palsy attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.

Brianna Nicole Shanor, an 8-year-old girl from Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, died Monday after being attacked by a dog.

Shanor had been staying with William Renda, a friend of her mother, for the past month. Renda has several large dogs on the property. The dog that attacked Shanor was a mixed-breed dog weighing over 100 pounds.

Shanor walked past the dog on her way into the house. The dog, which was on a 15-20 foot chain, bit her in several places, including her neck. When Renda went to check on the girl, he found her lying inside a nearby trailer. She was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save her life. The dog has been quarantined after the incident.

Dog bite injuries can be very serious, especially when the dog attacks a young child. If you have been the victim of a dog bite, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. It is also a good idea to consult an experienced dog bite attorney. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries.

It is uncertain whether or not Shanor’s mother will file a wrongful death lawsuit against the dog’s owner.

If you have suffered injuries from a dog bite in the Columbus, Ohio area, please contact the Law Offices of Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. today to schedule a consultation.

A recent Ohio Supreme Court decision has made it much more difficult for people to receive compensation on asbestos and mesothelioma claims. They ruled that a 2004 law enforcing more stringent regulations regarding asbestos claims can now be applied retroactively to cases filed before the law went into effect in 2004.

As a result of this decision, a substantial percentage of the 40,000 pre-2004 Ohio asbestos claims may now be dismissed.

The law mandates that a plaintiff in an asbestos or mesothelioma claim must be treated by a medical expert. Previously, a medical expert could simply review the plaintiff’s medical records. The law also requires plaintiffs to provide medical evidence that their condition was a direct result of exposure to asbestos.

The purpose of this law was to lessen the massive amount of asbestos litigation inundating the Ohio court system. However, as a result of this law, many people suffering from asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer may be unable to receive the compensation they deserve.

If you have an asbestos or mesothelioma claim in the Pennsylvania area, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

A sudden salmonella outbreak has killed six people and left more than 470 others very sick across country. Salmonella is a dangerous bacteria that commonly causes food poisoning. People suffering from salmonella generally experience diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and a fever.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked the salmonella outbreak to peanut butter and peanut paste produced in a Blakely, Georgia plant run by Peanut Corp. of America. The company supplies peanut butter and peanut paste to many other food companies for use in their products.

In order to avoid contact with the contaminated peanut butter, you should stop eating cookies, cakes, ice cream, and other food products containing peanut butter until the salmonella outbreak is under control. Jars of peanut butter sold in the grocery store seem to be fit for consumption.

Several major food manufacturers have recalled their products in order to prevent the spread of salmonella. Some of the more high profile recalls include:

• Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies
• Keebler Cheese & Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers
• Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies
• Little Debbie Peanut Butter Crackers
• LARABAR Peanut Butter Cookie

For a complete listing of recalled products, visit the FDA website. To be on the safe side, it is a good idea to avoid eating all peanut butter products until the salmonella outbreak is contained.

If you have suffered an illness from a contaminated peanut butter product, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. Talk with a product liability attorney at once to learn how to best proceed with your claim.

If you have a salmonella injury lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. area, please contact the Law Offices of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

The U.S. government is currently trying to promote the use of electronic medical records in hospitals across the country. This is a bipartisan effort, supported by both President Bush and President-elect Obama.

In theory, electronic medical records seem like a great way to eliminate medical mistakes resulting from the use of paper records, such as unreadable prescriptions. However, the use of electronic medical records is currently a far-from-perfect system, and in many ways, may put patients at greater risk than the current paper system does.

The use of electronic medical records in Veterans Affairs hospitals has pointed out serious problems that must be resolved before this system is used in hospitals across the nation. Between August and December 2008, computer glitches have put the healthcare of many veterans at risk.

Patients at VA medical centers received the wrong doses of drugs and had important treatments delayed because doctors received incorrect medical information for their patients. One patient was given a heparin drip for 11 hours longer than he should have – a situation that could have been fatal. Many patients’ medical records appeared under a different patient’s name on doctors’ computer screens, leading to incorrect readings of vital signs and lab results. Approximately one third of the country’s VA hospitals reported computer glitches over the past six months.

As of yet, no medical malpractice lawsuits have been filed in relation to these computer glitches. There have been no reports of patients suffering injuries or illnesses due to the computer glitches. But these glitches have the potential to cause a great deal of harm in the future if they are not corrected.

If you have suffered an injury due to a computer glitch at a VA hospital, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim. If you live in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.