Author Archives: Morrison Wagner

July 17, 2013 News
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Hospital error kills patient after giving her wrong blood transfusion

New York — A Brooklyn, NY hospital reported that a patient died after a hospital mistake led to the patient receiving the wrong blood type. They believe an error in blood typing in the hospital’s laboratory led to the deadly mistake. It was unclear as to why the mistake occurred but some patient safety advocates believe it may have been preventable. They say that human error is often responsible for medical mistakes. A top medical malpractice lawyer in New York City explained that sometimes errors like this occur when a nurse, doctor or phlebotomist don’t properly label blood sample tube at the bedside, as is protocol. Other times the slip up can occur in the lab when the technician improperly handles the blood sample. Investigators in the field note that it will be necessary to determine if the lab technician was fully trained to conduct the testing and to see if all of the medical equipment being used was inspected, calibrated correctly and in full working condition. They also say that this type of critical testing should be double-checked for accuracy due to the significant nature of such a transfusion error and the possibility of a mix up. Pending further investigation into this suspected medical malpractice episode, the hospital has been directed to send all blood transfusion testing and work to outside lab facilities. The hospital is currently sending the blood testing to another hospital in Brooklyn. Doctors explain that when a patient receives the wrong blood type, the body sees the blood transfusion as an invader and therefore reacts to the dangerous situation quickly. This leaves nurses and doctors precious little time to recognize the mistake and try life saving intervention. According to activists, it will also be necessary to determine if the hospital staff missed the diagnosis when the patient’s condition started to deteriorate, compounding the medical error. See this article for more information about the fatal blood transfusion mistake at the hospital.

Photo by U.S. Navy photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

July 14, 2013 News
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Work accidents in New York cause injuries and concern

New York — Worker safety activists relate that a series of workplace injuries due to accidents have occurred over the past several days. One involved a crane accident that crashed into the roof of a house in a suburban area of Clarkstown. The worker was cutting and clearing a tree and the associated debris from the site when the accident struck. Construction and work safety investigators were looking into why the crane collapsed and fell onto the home. Meanwhile, the workman was being evaluated for accident injuries that may not have been immediately apparent. On the same day, another man was injured at work in an unrelated accident in Staten Island, NY. This worker suffered a broken leg when he fell into an open elevator shaft. Experts believe that the elevator accident may have occurred due to insufficient safety precautions at the construction site. Yet another construction accident took place in New York City, killing the worker according to the latest reports. In that work accident the victim suffered multiple crush injuries due to a falling section of pipe hit the man. According to investigators, the pipe fell off of a forklift and trapped the man underneath it for an unknown length of time. The man was treated for his injuries by emergency personnel but died of his traumatic wounds according to reports. Worker safety advocates warn that many work injuries can be avoided if proper precautions are set in place by employers. They express concern that some bosses try to cut corners on safety, equipment or training but end up leaving the employees at risk for serious injury or even death. If you or someone you know has been involved in a worker’s comp accident you may need the assistance of an injury lawyer with special expertise in this area of law. Find out more about how a top law firm specializing in accidents can help you, here.

Photo by Mark Ahsmann (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

July 08, 2013 News
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Westchester, New York pedestrian injured in assault with a car

New York — A routine argument about a traffic incident between two men from Yonkers turned into an assault with injuries. Police report that one of the men attacked the other’s car with a baseball bat but then turned his rage toward the man himself. The first man hit the other man with his car and then fled the scene. The pedestrian victim suffered injuries after being struck by the car and then falling off the hood of the vehicle nearly 100 yards away. The assault victim was then treated for his injuries while police searched for the hit-and-run suspect. Reports show that the man was caught and charged for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries as well as for assaulting the man. A top accident lawyer in New York City explained that the driver can also face a civil personal injury lawsuit in addition to the criminal charges against him. Police note that the charges are more severe in this instance than a normal hit-and-run accident since this is being classified as a physical assault. In an unrelated New York car accident, a woman is also facing assault charges for driving while distracted by her cell phone. In that car crash police say that the woman was apparently trying to surf the internet from her mobile device when she lost control of her vehicle and crossed into oncoming traffic. Her car struck another vehicle head-on and caused multiple injuries to several crash victims. One of the passengers of the second vehicle is reported to be in critical condition due to a head injury from the crash. The woman was criminally charged for causing the accident as well as for driving without a license. This motor vehicle accident may also leave the distracted driver facing an personal injury accident lawsuit from the victims in addition to the police charges pending against her for assault with a motor vehicle. Details about the crash are available in this article.

Photo by Stefan Lampert. Users Ahellwig, Sebastian8939, Saiki on de.wikipedia (Feuerwehr Meerane) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

June 30, 2013 News
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New York City bicycle accidents on the rise

New York — Earlier today a bicycle crash in Brooklyn claimed yet another accident victim’s life. Bystanders believe that a truck driver was at-fault for the dangerous collision when he was speeding and turned into the bicyclist. The flatbed tow-truck driver reportedly stopped at the accident scene for a few moments but then got back into his vehicle and fled before witnesses could stop him. The hit-and-run accident left the injured victim in critical condition and emergency services were called by local residents. The man died on the street while waiting for the ambulance to arrive according to his family. According to analysts, this crash was yet another bicycle collision the growing list that have been occurring in the busy city. Some believe that reckless drivers will cause even more accidents as the New York City bike share program puts even more cyclists in harm’s way. Some observers have warned that the program hasn’t done enough to prevent injuries, such as providing easily accessible helmets or proper warnings about the dangers of riding on city roads. A man was hit by an SUV cab driver when riding a shared bicycle only three days after the program debuted. Traffic safety experts say that one of the major problems is that drivers don’t safely share the streets with pedestrians, bicycles or even other cars. They say that drivers are often distracted by cell phones and texting or they are speeding and weaving through traffic dangerously. The alleged hit-and-run truck driver from today’s bicycle accident was found and arrested within hours of the incident. Criminal charges as well as a likely wrongful death lawsuit are pending. A video and updated article about this crash is available here.

Photo by David Jackmanson [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 24, 2013 News
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Car crashes into sidewalk injuring pedestrians in Lower Manhattan

New York — A driver plowed his car into a sidewalk in the East Village section of Manhattan this past week. Reports indicate that at least four crash victims, including several store workers, were treated for multiple injuries from the accident. Bystanders in the area indicated that the car accident scene left injured people and debris scattered with emergency rescuers struggling to take care of the wounded. The pedestrians and one bicyclist were stabilized on the scene and taken by ambulance to city emergency rooms for treatment. Police report that the driver of the car that caused the pedestrian accident was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. They noted that the driver has a record of drunk driving or driving while impaired by drugs in the past. No obvious cause for the car crash has been reported, as the roads were clear and no other vehicles were involved. Pedestrian safety advocates in New York explain that drivers need to be much more careful in order to avoid hurting or killing innocent people walking or riding their bicycles. Another pedestrian accident occurred on Long Island, NY over the weekend. That collision left a family, including three children injured, when the driver hit them with his SUV. Police did not indicate that they believed the driver was drunk or otherwise impaired. Some people familiar with the accident think that the man was a distracted driver. Overall, safety activists are concerned that motor vehicle accidents are becoming more common and more deadly in New York City. A top accident lawyer warns that drivers need to be more attentive to their driving and avoid the commonplace distractions that are often associated with dangerous driving. This can include driving while on the cell phone, texting or sending emails while driving and even watching videos and eating while behind the wheel. To find out more about the growing list of injuries and deaths from car accidents in New York City, check out this article.

Photo by Youngking11 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 18, 2013 News
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Traumatic head injury linked to long-term disability

Current research into concussion due to a head injury shows that the victim is much more likely to suffer in the future with degenerative brain problems. Medical research for centuries has acknowledged that head trauma victims commonly suffer with chronic memory loss and other cognitive injuries. However, this latest study shows that a concussion injury patient can also develop dementia or other degenerative brain disorders due to structural damage to the brain. This can leave the person who was hurt in an accident permanently disabled. Common causes of a concussion, also referred to as a mild traumatic brain injury, include a car crash, construction accident, pedestrian hit by a car or even a slip and fall accident. Some citizen activists as well as concerned doctors note that a new bicycle sharing program in New York City may lead to more head injuries and concussions. They have leveled concerns that the city should provide helmets when riders are using their bicycles in order to prevent more debilitating brain injuries. Accident specialist explain that a bicycle accident leaves the victim at significantly increased risk of injury or death due to lack of safety technology as would be found in a car. When a bicyclist is hit by a car, the wounded rider can be crushed by the car or even thrown into the air for several feet. The injury risk is even greater when the accident involves a bus or truck, as are commonly found on the streets of metropolitan New York. Some believe this is a significant liability and could constitute negligence if the administrators of the program know that riders don’t have reasonable access to safety equipment such as a helmet. They warn that making bicycles more accessible to the public comes with increased responsibility for their safety. Check out more on the latest research into post-concussion injuries here.

Photo by liz west from Boxborough, MA (MRIUploaded by Jacopo Werther) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 12, 2013 News
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Concern mounts over 911 dispatching errors in New York City

New York — The new 911 emergency call and dispatch system in New York City (NYC) was just installed a few weeks ago but has already been implicated in dangerous delays in ambulance responses. Reports have surfaced about a long delay in dispatching an urgent request for an ambulance for a pedestrian accident with a car this past week. The car accident occurred when an unlicensed teen driver tried to speed away from police in his SUV. The reckless driver hit two pedestrians, a young child and her grandmother, when he ran up onto a Manhattan sidewalk. Witnesses reported that the ambulance took too long to arrive at the car crash scene, where the victims suffered significant accident injuries. The child crash victim died soon after arriving in the hospital’s emergency room and some wonder if this could have been prevented. Some public safety specialists warn that the new 911 computer system is not working properly and needs to be fixed before more people are injured or killed. Reports continue to surface about other emergency 911 calls that have been delayed or lost for significant amounts of time by the new computer system. Some citizen activists and dispatchers explain that there have been calls that have been lost in the system for an hour or more but they feel that the administration refuse to acknowledge or correct the problems. Instead, they say, the dangerous condition has become folly for disputes between the city and emergency worker’s union. A top injury attorney noted that extended delays in dispatching police, fire and ambulance services may be construed as professional negligence and therefore be grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Currently, the fire department commissioner claims that this mistake occurred when a dispatcher ignored the call for help that was clearly on her computer screen. Further investigation is underway with several experienced dispatchers insisting that the city is ignoring the real problem of serious computer glitches in the system. You can read more about the investigation and controversy into the new 911 dispatching system here.

Photo by Jason Pack (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

June 06, 2013 News
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SUV crashes on Manhattan sidewalk following police chase

New York — The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported that a police chase in the Upper West Side of Manhattan ended in the fleeing car crashing into pedestrians two days ago. The police were chasing an SUV that was speeding away from a car stop but apparently lost control during the pursuit. Witnesses explain that the car crash occurred when the teenager suspect hit  wall and then struck two pedestrians, including one young child. The child, only 4-years-old, was fatally injured in the car accident and died at the hospital. The child was walking along the sidewalk with her grandmother who was also seriously injured in the SUV crash. The second car accident victim was also rushed to the emergency room of a local New York City hospital for treatment of her accident injuries. Witnesses report that the driver of the SUV hit the grandmother twice, the second time backing up into the woman, before he was stopped by police. Some residents placed partial blame for the injuries and wrongful death on the police officers who, they say, should have ended the pursuit earlier. The police department’s policy states that a police chase should be discontinued if there’s undue risk of injury or death to the officers or the public, while the fleeing suspect otherwise does not represent a clear and present danger. Criminal charges are being filed against the driver of the SUV but an accident lawyer explains that a personal injury lawsuit and wrongful death lawsuit may be filed as well. The legal expert also says that the police may be named as defendants in the civil lawsuit as well, if there’s evidence that they unnecessarily endangered the welfare of the citizens on the street. You can find out more about this pedestrian accident here.

Photo by Ryanandlenny (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

April 14, 2013 News
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Building collapse in Queens, New York injures pedestrian

New York — A man was seriously injured by falling bricks when walking down the sidewalk in Elmhurst, Queens. The bricks fell as they broke away from the facade of the building where reports show the man was possibly an employee. The injured worker suffered a head injury and leg injury during the partial building collapse. Witnesses reported that the man was crushed under the debris and they called 911 immediately. Fire Department of New York and police rescue personnel responded to the building accident scene and extricated the injury victim. The wounded man was then taken by ambulance to Elmhurst hospital’s emergency room for treatment. Reports show the man suffered a traumatic brain injury with concussion as a result of the head injury. Investigators were looking into the cause of the accident to determine if negligent maintenance played a role in the collapse of that section of the wall. Meanwhile, emergency officials note that another building collapsed in a different neighborhood of Queens, NY this past week. That building was apparently an abandoned factory that caved in, sending dangerous debris and construction material flying onto nearby cars. That building accident did not have any reported injuries but officials were still investigating the cause of the collapse. Public safety advocates worry that these may be examples of hazardous conditions that are caused by landlords who don’t keep up with the necessary repairs in order to protect the public. Building authorities in the city say that this building had several construction and safety violations posted against it. Neighborhood activists say that more needs to be done to prevent future accidents and the possible injuries that often come from them. Find out more about the facade collapse and injured pedestrian by checking out this article and video.

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Stumberg, USN [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

April 07, 2013 News
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Manhattan restaurant may have caused Hepatitis A outbreak

New York — A chef working in the kitchen of an upscale restaurant has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A infection according to owners of the bistro. They note that the food worker continued working in the restaurant for about a week or more after she contracted the illness. Department of health officials for the city warned that people who ate in the cafe eatery should see their doctors and consider getting a vaccination against the disease in case they were exposed to the virus in their food. They explain that Hepatitis A can be passed along in food when kitchen workers or servers don’t properly wash their hands with soap and water before touching the food. The disease is a kind of food poisoning that is transmitted through feces and can cause serious illness, starting with nausea and diarrhea but progressing to cause damage to the liver and stomach pains. A personal injury lawyer in New York City who specializes in food-borne illnesses explains that restaurant owners and staff have an obligation to protect the public health. They are required to keep all food preparation areas clean and wash their hands well after using the bathroom and before handling food or supplies. Proper refrigeration and fully cooking all foods that can harbor dangerous bacteria and diseases are also required in order to maintain the safety of their patrons. A worker who becomes sick must be removed from the handling of food or supplies in order to prevent the illness from spreading to unsuspecting diners. An owner or manager that ignores or overlooks violations of these public health laws may be held liable for professional negligence and can face a personal injury lawsuit by the injured or ill victim. Health experts say that most cases on food poisoning can be prevented by careful attention to food safety protocols. Find out more about this dangerous Hepatitis A health scare here.

Photo by Nephron (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons