Three unrelated motor vehicle accidents involving busses, trucks and cars occurred as the vehicles traveled toward Manhattan, New York via the Lincoln Tunnel yesterday. The first bus accident involved two commuter busses that crashed in traffic. The driver of one bus rear-ended the other bus and injured upwards of 20 victims during the wreck. Investigators report that the investigation continues into the cause of the bus crash to determine who was at fault. An accident lawyer in New York City explained that usually the car or vehicle that rear ended the other vehicle is determined to be at fault. However, sometimes the rear end accident investigation can reveal that the driver of the vehicle that was hit was actually driving recklessly or cut someone off. In that case, the fault may be determined to be on the dangerous driver who was driving negligently. In the second bus accident of the morning, a truck hit the back of a bus on its way into New York. That truck accident also caused injuries according to reports. Police say that vehicles, especially larger ones like a truck or bus, must leave significant amounts of room for braking and to slow down in traffic. This becomes even more necessary in bad weather that makes larger vehicles more prone to a traffic accident according to analysts. News reports show that in the third vehicular accident of the day, five trucks and three cars were involved in a large motor vehicle crash incident. That car accident occurred inside of the tunnel and apparently caused accident injuries as well. This caused not only additional traffic but also concerns from traffic safety advocates. They worry that some truck drivers and bus drivers are reckless drivers but also wonder if police and lawmakers have been negligent in properly dealing with the problem. Some contend that these dangerous drivers should have their driver’s licenses suspended or even be arrested for endangering the welfare of the public. Check out more of the multiple bus and truck accidents here.

New York — The recent hurricane storm that hit the New York and New Jersey region wreaked havoc on the local hospitals, causing several to evacuate all of their patients. Patient advocates are urging hospital administrators and doctors to spend more time and money preparing for the safety of their patients in times of emergencies like this. They worry about the potential for medical errors and wrongful deaths or injuries when evacuating an entire hospital. Emergency planning specialists say that some of the hospitals were not properly equipped for hurricane Sandy’s weather and subsequent dangerous conditions that arose. They worry that hospital officials could have foreseen some of the dangers, such as flooding of the emergency generator systems, but chose to ignore those dangers in order to save money. Some point out that bad weather should be expected to cause flooding and therefore placing generators in basements is simply negligent. One hospital chose to stay open but stopped admitting new patients just before the storm. That same hospital closed its doors for hurricane Irene though and this left some observers wondering why. Many stranded patients with serious injuries or illnesses had to be carried or walk down the stairs. Several officials have also explained that communication failures were widespread and hospitals had not ensured proper emergency backups, for example with radios. Receiving hospitals for the displaced patients noted that they were sometimes sent patients that they knew little to nothing about in advance. The lack of proper communication can easily lead to improper or poor healthcare and injury to the victim according to a medical malpractice lawyer. The hospitals were reportedly able to evacuate all of their patients to other New York City hospitals without any deaths. However, some patients reported having to walk many flights of stairs on their own to awaiting ambulances, even one patient who had just undergone open heart surgery. Some complained that it seemed the hospitals had not learned the valuable lessons that they should have after the September 11th terrorist attacks and Hurricane Irene that hit the area only a year ago. The question that now remains is whether or not the hospital boards of directors and administrators will take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their patients during future storms. Ongoing coverage of the emergency closure of New York City hospitals can be found here.

Doctors report that 24 victims of the recent fungal meningitis infection outbreak have now died. Investigations continue into the cause of the meningitis outbreak that has been blamed on infected pain medicine from one pharmaceutical company. Nearly 300 patients have been diagnosed with the fungus meningitis and many thousands more are at risk after receiving the apparently contaminated medication. At least 23 states, including New York and New Jersey, received shipments of the medication vials in question. The Connecticut-based pharmacy company that produced the allegedly dangerous tainted steroid medication was apparently created and run by a family of pharmacists and an anesthesiologist doctor. Former employees of the pharmacy compounding company say that the people who ran the company would often pressure workers to work hard and fast. Some safety advocates worry that working too fast in the delicate process of making sterile injection medicines can be dangerous. They say it puts patients at risk for infections, ineffective medication and other possible forms of medical malpractice. Speed can also lead to work injury or illness with workers being exposed to chemicals, fumes and machines. A New York based injury lawyer explains that this can leave the pharmaceutical company exposed to medical malpractice lawsuits, workers comp claims and other negligence lawsuits. Officials explain that an inspection of the pharmaceutical company’s production lab revealed several concerns that could have caused contamination of the injectable medication. Some reports have referred to the fungus infection in the vials of medicine as a “black mold” and they say that treatment of infected victims may be difficult. Health officials report that an inspection of the laboratory involved in manufacturing the hazardous medication showed several concerns. These include finding something dark floating in medicine vials, dirty working surroundings and a boiler that was leaking. Any of these could be signs of a mold or fungus growth in the lab. Further testing is ongoing but several personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits have already been filed against the drug company. Records show that the anesthesiologist doctor settled a medical malpractice lawsuit in the past after being accused of injuring a patient during a medical procedure. That patient victim became paralyzed and died several years later. Find out the latest about this meningitis infection outbreak and the subsequent legal battle here.

New York — Two tractor trailer trucks were involved in a serious motor vehicle crash on a busy New York City highway. One of the trucks rear ended the other truck, causing the dangerous 2 vehicle crash. The truck driver who caused the accident was killed due to his accident injuries. The man was ejected from the cab of his truck while he hit a wall on the side of the road. The other driver was evaluated for injuries at the scene by ambulance personnel. A top New York City accident lawyer explained that an accident victim may not fully notice all of their injuries immediately after the crash. They may require more in depth evaluation and treatment by specialist doctors who are trained in dealing with injured patients. Trauma doctors note that a truck accident can often cause more severe injuries than a regular car accident due to the heavier forces involved. Police report another tractor trailer accident in the New York area occurred over the past few days as well. That truck crash also involved 2 trucks as well as a passenger car and a hearse. It occurred on the Goethals Bridge between Staten Island and New Jersey according to reports. Police say that at least one injured person in the accident was treated by emergency personnel. In a busy week of truck accidents in the area, a third tractor trailer was involved in an accident that caused it to catch fire. That accident caused injuries but no deaths according to accident investigators. Police have charged that driver with unsafe driving after he allegedly switched lanes in an unsafe manner. Find out more about the truck fire accident here.

Public health officials say that a recent outbreak of fungal meningitis is linked to a contaminated pain medication injection from one pharmacy company. Investigators explain that over 200 victims have become sick from this dangerous batch of pain medicine, described as a steroid injection. At least 15 victims of the fungus-contaminated medicine have died as a result of the illness. Health workers are concerned that many more victims may have contracted the illness due to the faulty medication. Some reports show that as many as 14,000 patients were exposed to the tainted medicine. Public health advocates worry that negligence may have been at the root of this dangerous situation with some even wondering if this is a case of medical malpractice. State investigators are looking into the possibility that the company may not have maintained all necessary licensing as required by law. Doctors who specialize in pain management explain that this steroid injection is often used for lower back pain. They note that lumbar pain treated by this medication can be caused by a back injury due to anything from a car accident to slip and fall accident. However, sometimes neck and back pain develop without trauma. Doctors say that the current outbreak of deadly fungal meningitis is a serious concern for their patients and may point toward a more serious underlying danger for patients in the future. Pharmacies, doctors and hospitals are required to purchase their medicine from only reliable sources in order to avoid these types of hazardous situations or medical malpractice. Find out more about this pharmacy investigation here.

A bus loaded with passengers that were on their way to a site seeing tour was involved in a serious roll-over motor vehicle accident as it crashed on a busy highway. Nearly two dozen accident victims in the bus suffered injuries that ranged from cuts and lacerations to possible broken bones and even head injury. The bus crash occurred on a New Jersey highway as it approached their New York City destination. According to the bus driver, another vehicle caused the accident as it cut him off but investigators were still looking into this claim. The injured victims from the crash were taken to local hospital emergency rooms for evaluation and treatment of their injuries. Investigators note that bus crashes on New York roadways are still rising and this has some transportation safety advocates concerned. Investigators report that many bus accidents occur due to driver negligence or inexperience. Driver fatigue has been indicated as being a cause of some bus crashes. Bus drivers who drive long distances are very prone to falling asleep at the wheel if they are not well-rested, as usually required by law. Some motorists complain that bus and truck drivers speed too fast, cut off other drivers or are reckless drivers. They feel that the risk of injury to many more victims from these large vehicles is a major concern. Personal injury and death is always a possibility during a motor vehicle crash but larger busses and trucks that get into an accident are sometimes more likely to injure or kill innocent passengers and bystanders. Police and federal investigators are also looking into the recent bus crash to see if the bus driver and company were compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Find out more about this bus accident investigation here.

New York — A woman accident victim and her young child were both seriously hurt during a car accident in Staten Island over the weekend. The 2 victims were sleeping inside their house when an apparent drunk driver caused a serious accident by crashing into the side of the house. The mother, who is 40 years old, suffered severe burns over significant portions of her body. Meanwhile, her 5-year-old daughter suffered multiple accident injuries, including a head injury with skull fracture and facial fractures. The wounded victims had to be extricated by fire department rescue personnel since they were crushed and trapped during the car crash. They were rushed by ambulance to Staten Island University Hospital’s trauma unit in the emergency department for treatment of their injuries. Both car accident victims have been admitted to the hospital for surgeries and further treatment. It is unclear if the young child has suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the head injury. Investigators believe the driver of the car was negligent by causing the accident after becoming intoxicated. Reports show that the allegedly drunk driver was speeding and then ran through a stop sign before hitting the house. The driver has apparently claimed that a seizure actually caused the car crash. A neurologist in New York explains that drinking alcohol can cause seizures. In addition, someone with a seizure disorder may not be allowed to legally drive in most states. Criminal charges have been filed against the driver but it was unclear if the injured victims have contacted a personal injury lawyer yet to represent them. More details about this car crash into a house are available here.

New York — Reports show that a grandmother and her grandson were attacked by two pit bull dogs that were on the loose. The victims were walking along with their golden retriever dog when they were assaulted by the dangerous dogs. Investigators explain that the pit bulls were not on a leash and their owners were not present at the time of the attack. This left the assault victims at the mercy of the vicious dogs that were terrorizing the neighborhood. Luckily, a bus driver happened to have noticed the attack and he quickly pulled his bus over to help out. The bus driver heroically defended the woman victim and the child by hitting the pit bulls and chasing them away. A top New York personal injury lawyer notes that the driver of the bus was bitten by the dogs in the process. The woman’s golden retriever, who was on a leash at the time, also suffered dog bites during the attack. According to the attorney, allowing a dog to run loose can leave the dog owners liable for the injuries caused. Allowing a dog to roam free may be considered equivalent to creating a dangerous condition for other citizens and may be deemed negligence. It is unclear if the attack victims have filed a personal injury lawsuit yet but officials are examining filing criminal charges against the owners of the pit bulls. In another, unrelated pit bull dog attack, a baby was killed after being attacked by a dog. Public advocates warn that there have been many dog attacks this year, as discussed here.

Many walk-in urgent care clinics have been popping up all over the country, often in retail stores like Walmart and Target as well as in pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS. However, this phenomenon has some patient care advocates worried about poor quality healthcare from these “doc-in-a-box” offices. They say that the doctors and nurses in these retail settings don’t build the important relationship that a regular doctor does and this can lead to a dangerous condition. In order to make an accurate diagnosis and treat the whole patient properly, the doctor needs to get to know the patient and obtain a full and complete medical history. Unfortunately, the rotating staff of the retail doctor offices along with the high likelihood that the patient will not be coming back to that office increase the possibility of medical malpractice. The doctors and nurses have limited diagnostic equipment such as x-rays, blood tests and urine tests. A top medical malpractice lawyer in New York City explains that this can be a recipe for disaster. A patient can be left with a wrong diagnosis or a missed diagnosis that can lead to permanent injury or illness. Some worry about lack of proper safety and oversight. Others have warned about a serious lack of proper follow up with patients after the urgent care office visit. A law firm that specializes in medical errors in New York says that these medical mistakes will be added to the long list of malpractice errors that already hurt too many victims. To find out more about the booming growth of retail urgent care doctor offices check out this article.

Researchers into missed diagnoses and medical malpractice in the hospital setting have discovered the dangers of these medical errors. The recent study of nearly 6,000 adults who died in the ICU of a hospital showed that many of them had a misdiagnosis. The investigators found that 28% of the patients had a diagnosis error at the time of their death. Patient safety advocates warn that a lot of these medical error victims had diseases or problems that were missed that made a big difference in the patient’s treatment. The researchers noted that many of the victims had a diagnosis that was serious enough to lead to a wrongful death. According to a top medical malpractice lawyer in New York, this type of medical malpractice is very serious but often overlooked by the doctor, hospital and even the family. The vast majority of wrong diagnosis errors were attributed to infections or problems with blood vessels. Among the doctor’s and nurse’s mistakes were not recognizing and diagnosing a heart attack or stroke, pneumonia and blood clots. This has patient advocates worried because the intensive care unit of the hospital is where the most seriously ill patients are and the medical treatment should be the best. Some wonder if the staff are too tired or not properly trained because of cut backs. Some patients and malpractice lawyers report that mistakes seem to happen when untrained doctors and nurses are not supervised as they should be or when they have been working for many hours straight. More details about the research into this area of medical mistakes are available here.