THE INJURY LAWYER DIRECTORY BLOG

With all of the tests available to doctors today, medical professionals are able to spot and treat many different diseases and conditions before they become too serious. Unfortunately, many patients who undergo medical tests are not always informed of the results, which can lead to a failure to diagnose a serious disease.

Many people would think that normal test results might go unmentioned, but the opposite is just as true. In a recent study, as much as 7.1% of patients do not get their test results after they come back to the doctor. Some of these tests can be incredibly important, including:

• Mammograms
• Diabetes Screenings
• Pap smears
• Cancer Screenings

Whether it is a result of the doctor being rushed or negligent, failing to provide you with all of your medical information constitutes medical malpractice. Knowing there are inconsistencies or abnormalities in your test results can mean the difference between getting the jump on cancer treatment or suffering from painful, intensive surgeries and other medical procedures in the future.

If you have suffered from a failure to diagnose or if your doctor has not provided you with the medical information you need, you may be able to recover compensation. It is important to consult an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to determine if you have a valid claim.

If you have a medical malpractice claim in the Orlando, Florida area, please contact the Law Offices of Michael Barszcz, M.D., J.D. today to schedule a consultation.

Pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG, the makers of the acne drug Accutane, has announced that they will be pulling the drug from the U.S. market. They informed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of their decision this week.

The product recall has come as a result of the large number of lawsuits filed against Roche for pharmaceutical injuries sustained from taking Accutane. Currently, the company has paid over $33 million in damages over Accutane, and there are still more than 5,000 defective drug lawsuits pending against the drug.

Accutane has been linked to the development of inflammatory bowel disease. The majority of lawsuits against the drug claim that Roche failed to properly warn consumers of the dangers of developing this serious condition. Accutane has also been linked to depression and birth injuries.

Roche has also pulled Accutane from the market in 11 other countries, including France, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and Norway.

Despite pulling the drug from the market, Roche has not admitted that the drug poses a danger to consumers. They claim that the primary motivation for the recall is financially-based. In recent years, Accutane has lost a sizeable portion of their market share to generic competitors. This, coupled with the large amount of money Roche has paid in damages and legal fees, has prompted them to abandon their acne medication.

If you have developed a serious condition from taking Accutane, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages. It is important to consult an experienced defective drug lawyer at once to see if you have a valid claim.

If you have an Accutane claim in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the Law Offices of Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

Two Alabama nursing homes received very different ratings from the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The new evaluation and ranking system from the government department gave one nursing home their highest rating, while the other home across town received one of their lowest.

The Department of Health and Human Services began rating and evaluating nursing homes in order to help consumers more effectively evaluate nursing home care for their loved ones. It is heartbreaking to find out your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse, and this rating system is designed to help prevent that.

The rating system judges nursing homes on staffing, quality measures, and health inspections. The top 10% of nursing homes are given five stars, while the bottom 20% receive one star. Other nursing homes that don’t fall into either of these brackets can receive a rating ranging from two to four stars.

After one Tuskegee, Alabama nursing home was found to have six health deficiencies, they were given a one-star rating. While there are many other factors that should come into play when choosing a nursing home for your loved one, these new ratings may help you evaluate the quality of care your loved one will receive. To find out how your nursing home rates or how a prospective nursing home ranks, you can visit www.medicare.gov/nhcompare.

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, you deserve compensation for the injuries suffered. It is important to hold negligent nursing homes accountable in order to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

If you have a nursing home abuse claim in the Mobile, Alabama area, please contact the Alabama personal injury lawyers at Long & Waite, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

In the past week, there were three dog bite incidents that occurred in East Texas. Two people suffered treatable injuries after the animal bites, but one 10-year-old child is now dead after being mauled and killed by two pit bulls.

Every year, there are more than 4 million dog bite attacks in the United States. Although most of these dog bites are relatively minor and don’t require medical attention, there are close to 1 million dog bite victims that must go to the hospital for treatment. In 2007, 33 people suffered a wrongful death because of dangerous dogs.

In most cases, dog bites occur on or near the dog or dog owner’s property, but in some cases, the dogs are prowling strays. In the case of the 10-year-old’s death, the dogs were animals he had played with in the past, but on this occasion, they turned vicious for some unexplained reason.

Many people believe that dog bites occur when someone is antagonizing or threatening a large, dangerous dog. This is untrue. While large dogs such as pit bulls and Rottweilers do tend to bite people more often than other dogs, any breed of dog can become violent and attack. Many times, dogs bite because they are surprised or feel like their space is being invaded.

Children suffer the brunt of serious dog bite injuries. Since they are smaller and closer to the dog’s height, they can suffer severe facial lacerations, broken bones, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injuries.

If a dangerous dog has attacked you or your child, you may be able to hold the owner of the dog responsible for the injuries and receive compensation for your damages.

If you have a dog bite claim in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the Denver personal injury lawyers at Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

A Washington man has filed a wrongful arrest lawsuit against local police after they illegally searched his home and then arrested him. The man ended up spending 45 days in the Spokane County Jail.

On April 20, 2007, the man’s ex-wife was arrested by Washington police on a charge unrelated to her ex-husband. While arrested, the woman claimed that she knew her ex-husband was in possession of a firearm. Since the ex-husband is an ex-felon, it is illegal for him to possess any firearms.

The police then went with the woman to her ex-husband’s home and searched the residence. The police discovered a rifle and ammunition, and then arrested the man the following day.

At the time, the woman had a no-contact order against her that was in place to prevent her from speaking to or coming near the man’s home. Since the woman accompanied the police and then gave them permission to search the home (which she didn’t have), the search of his home and his ensuing arrest was illegal.

The man suffered several different injuries from the wrongful conviction, including lost wages, lost time with his son, and personal humiliation.

If you have been wrongfully arrested by a law enforcement official or any other person, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. If you live in the Tacoma, Washington area, please contact the Washington personal injury lawyers at Fuller & Fuller today to schedule a consultation.

The birth of a child is one of the most memorable times in a mother’s life. For many women, though, this beautiful moment is marred by a birth injury. A new study by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that many birth injuries suffered by both newborns and mothers could be avoided.

The study, which analyzed data from a 2006 study, concluded that over 150,000 of the birth injuries suffered that year could have been avoided. This means that many of these birth injuries are the result of a medical professional’s negligence.

In addition to looking into the number of avoidable birth injuries, the study investigated where the birth injuries happened. According to the study, the chances for a mother or newborn to suffer a birth injury was 44% higher in low income communities. Also, babies had a higher rate of injury if they were covered by Medicaid than if they were covered by a private insurance company.

If you or your baby was injured during childbirth, you may be able to recover compensation for the injuries. It is important to consult an experienced birth injury lawyer to find out if you have a valid claim.

If you have a birth injury claim in the New York City area, please contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.

After the wrongful deaths of two Arkansas children, a child-safety organization from Kansas is requesting that General Motors (GM) recall 2000-2001 models of several cars. The organization says that GM should install emergency trunk releases in all the trunks of their cars.

The children that died were discovered in the trunk of a 2000 Chevrolet Malibu. The cause of their death was environmental hyperthermia, which was brought about by the temperature in Arkansas that reached the upper-80s.

The Kansas safety organization Kids and Cars claims that if the Chevrolet Malibu was manufactured in the same manner as 2000 Ford cars, the children would still be alive. Ford cars are equipped with an emergency release latch that glows in the dark and is designed to be operated by children as young as 3 years old.

When dangerous products are released to the public, they can put thousands of people at risk of serious personal injury or wrongful death. In this case, the cars were manufactured with a design defect, which failed to incorporate some sort of latch for children or other people who are locked in the trunk of the car.

If you or one of your loved ones has suffered injuries as a result of a dangerous product, you may be able to recover compensation. It is important to consult an experienced defective product attorney to find out if you have a valid claim.

If you have a wrongful death or defective product claim in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area, please contact the Arkansas personal injury lawyers at Carr & Carr today to schedule a consultation.

A Missouri police officer was arrested and charged with manslaughter after causing an car accident that killed four passengers in another vehicle. According to the accident report, the officer was drinking at a bar for a few hours before getting in her car and driving.

After consuming numerous alcoholic beverages, the officer proceeded to drive the wrong way down a street and collide with a car carrying five people. Of the five people in the vehicle, only one survived. The officer is a 12-year-veteran of the police department, but this still does not excuse her actions.

Hospital staff says that four hours after the drunk driving accident occurred, the woman’s blood alcohol level was still at .15, a level much higher than the Missouri limit. After being arrested, bond was set for the officer at $200,000 and she was placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor. The family of the officer said that her head wounds are so severe she needs near-constant attention. Placing her in a jail would only exacerbate her injuries.

Some of the people in the community are concerned the charges are taking too long because there are so few witnesses and because the negligent driver is a law enforcement officer. From a legal perspective, the St. Louis prosecutor said the officer would be held to the same standards as anyone else who drinks and drives.

If you have an auto accident claim in the St. Louis, Missouri area, please contact the St. Louis personal injury lawyers at The Bradley Law Firm today to schedule a consultation.

The ConAgra plant that exploded on June 9, 2009, killing three, has now been determined to be caused by natural gas. The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ National Response Team was sent to the scene of the plant explosion to investigate the accident. Plant explosions such as this can result in many different injuries to different parties, and a premises liability attorney can help you recover compensation.

Investigators that have looked into the plant explosion are now saying the blast that punched holes through walls and the roof and started various fires in the building was not a criminal act. Instead, the results of the investigation have shown that the explosion was accidental.

Investigators say that the explosion took place in pump room number two, and that it was caused by a natural gas leak, which was then ignited when electrical equipment switched on. There is no information yet on whether or not the explosion could have been caused by a defective product or defective construction.

At the time of the explosion, there were nearly 300 people inside. Of the three people who suffered wrongful deaths as a result of the explosion, one died attempting to save a co-worker when the building caved in on both of them.

If you have a premises liability or wrongful death claim in the Houston, Texas area, please contact the Houston wrongful death attorneys at the Law Offices of Kennedy & Hodges, LLP today to schedule a consultation.

Zicam, a popular nasal spray made by Matrixx Initiatives, has been linked to permanent loss of smell in consumers using the product. As a result of this harmful side effect, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urged all consumers to discontinue use of this defective product at once.

This harmful side effect is due to the fact that the over-the-counter nasal spray contains zinc, which damages nerves in the nose responsible for your sense of smell. As of now, there have been 130 consumers who have reported losing their sense of smell from taking Zicam. It is likely that this figure is much higher; however, the FDA has only received 130 reports.

Matrixx has faced hundreds of lawsuits over the past few years in relation to Zicam. They have settled many of these and have yet to go to trial on any of them. The company insists that their product is safe for use, but due to the many reports of adverse reactions, they are currently debating whether or not to issue a product recall.

If you have suffered permanent loss of your sense of smell from taking Zicam, you should consult an experienced defective product lawyer at once. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you have a Zicam claim in the Washington, D.C. area, please contact the Washington D.C. personal injury lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C. today to schedule a consultation.