eNewsletter about Kansas City Bankruptcy Law

Examples of Medical Malpractice

The consequences of medical malpractice for even seemingly minor things can be deadly. In New Jersey, one of two physicians accused of medical malpractice for misdiagnosing a bee sting as heat stroke has recently settled with the deceased man's estate. William Hensley had been mowing his lawn back in 2005 when a neighbor found him foaming at the mouth and unconscious, surrounded by bees. Doctors at the hospital that Hensley went to ruled out that he had a reaction to a bee string without conducting any tests. They concluded instead that Hensley had suffered a heat stroke. Hensley recovered but a month later, was mowing his lawn again when his wife saw him swatting himself and believed bees had stung him. About an hour later Hensley died at a hospital. Hensley's family claims that Hensley could have protected...

Spotting the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Though it is difficult to pin down exact numbers on nursing home abuse and neglect, there is no doubt that it occurs throughout the country. Many cases are unreported due to definition issues (it varies from state to state what exactly constitutes 'abuse') and state variations in how to report neglect or abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that caregivers have mistreated between one and two million Americans aged 65 or older. Elder abuse estimates range from 2% to 10% of all elderly Americans. For every one reported case, an estimated five more go unreported. If you suspect that nursing home staff has abused or neglected a loved one of yours, a Washington DC or...

The Risks of Gadolinium use in MRIs

Gadolinium is a chemical element that used as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRAs). It is injected into your bloodstream, illuminates, and thus helps physicians identify the problem areas in your body when you undergo these medical tests. Approved for use by the FDA in 1988, medical professionals began to use gadolinium instead of iodine contrast agents because the latter were sometimes quite dangerous, causing kidney failure or severe allergic reactions. Unfortunately, gadolinium also turned out to have life-threatening problems. If you suspect you have been exposed to gadolinium in a medical test, contact a Boston or Washington DC injury attorney to learn about your rights. A group of 420 nationwide, gadolinium-related lawsuits were consolidated over the past couple years, and the trials began earlier in the year in the federal district court in Cleveland, Ohio. The plaintiffs allege that there are...

Handling Workplace Injuries and Workers Compensation

A few weeks ago, a New Jersey jury awarded more than $2 million to the family of a man killed by a dump truck driver. The 28-year-old man was an inmate of Maryland State Corrections, serving a two-year sentence for drug distribution. The man was on a work detail, picking up trash on the Capital Beltway. Around 10 a.m., he and several other inmates were walking across an exit ramp to begin picking up trash on the other side of the ramp. A 39-ton dump truck struck the man as he crossed the exit ramp. The truck crushed the man's legs and he suffered severe pain for 45 minutes before dying. Testimony revealed that the dump truck driver was exceeding the off ramp's 40-miles-per-hour speed limit and improperly crossed a solid white line while passing a tractor-trailer. The man's family alleged that the supervisory officials were negligent for two reasons. First, a state correctional officer mistakenly believed that they had blocked off the off-ramp to traffic....