In previous blogs, we discussed how medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America and how, unfortunately, very little progress has been made to prevent medical errors. Worse still, when medical errors occur, there is very little transparency about what exactly went wrong. More often than not, hospitals will deny the...
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Is Your Teenager Safe at Their Summer Job?
Now that the school year has ended, it’s possible that your teenager will be searching for their first summer job. While there is value in adding experience to a teenage workers resume, summer jobs come with a special set of hazards that as a parent, you should watch out for. According to the U.S. Department...
Read MoreHigh-Ranking Executive Criminally Convicted for the Deadliest Coal Mining Accident in 40 Years
On April 5, 2010, a coal dust explosion occurred approximately 1,000 feet underground in what was the worst coal mining accident in 40 years. During this accident, 29 of the 30 coal miners in Upper Big Branch Mine died. Investigations found Massey Energy, the company that owns the Upper Big Branch Mine, failed to...
Read MoreWhy Was This Teenage Driver Sentenced to Four Years in Prison?
Last June, a 19-year-old drove after a party with his three friends just after graduation and crashed. According to the report, the teen driver crashed through a fence, smashed into some trees and the car went airborne before landing upside down in a driveway in flames. Police went on to say speed, alcohol and...
Read MoreAre Wheelchair Users More Likely to be Involved in Car Accidents?
A recent analysis of U.S. crash data by the journal BMJ Open Access shows wheelchair users are 36 percent more likely to die in crashes with cars compared to pedestrians not bound to wheelchairs. The study, conducted by experts at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., began by reviewing data from the National Highway...
Read MoreAre Deadly Medical Errors Being Hidden From Patients?
In 1995, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against a Maryland surgeon by the family of a dead patient, stating he botched a gallbladder surgery and failed to treat the complications that followed. The doctor denied the claims, saying he complied with the standards of care. In 2007, another patient brought a medical...
Read MoreHow ‘Alarm Fatigue’ is Hurting Hospital Patients
A recent study from a consultant from Johns Hopkins University shows that almost half of the alarms that go off in hospitals are not responded to in a timely manner. The study shows that approximately 93 percent of alarms that sound in hospitals are not necessarily medically urgent situations, and as a result, nursing...
Read MoreWhy are These Two Drivers Facing 20-Year Prison Sentences?
In 2013, two drivers arrived at a gas station near the Capital Beltway, one in a brand new Chevy Camaro, the other in a Volkswagen Passat. When they left the gas station, the two began to rev their engines at each other and eventually engaged in an illegal street race down Georgia Avenue. At...
Read MoreIs a Hospital Acquired Infection Grounds for Medical Malpractice?
Earlier this month, a patient visited the emergency room to undergo what was supposed to be a straightforward outpatient procedure. Three days later, he found himself back in the emergency room with searing pain and a leg swollen more than twice the normal size. Once admitted, the patient was told he had a very...
Read MoreWhy Car Crashes Should No Longer Be Called “Accidents”
Deaths caused by car accidents are increasing rapidly. However, a large number of safety advocates are trying to change how we’ve thought about car “accidents” for more than 100 years by clarifying car accidents caused by human error are not accidents. These safety advocates believe that calling deaths that result from collisions, crashes, drunk...
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