Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

July 2, 2015

Drowsy Nurse Drops Newborn Baby, Fractures Skull

It’s every new parent’s worst nightmare: their newborn baby is injured while in the hospital’s care.

On Tuesday morning, a veteran nurse at Uniontown Hospital in Pennsylvania accidentally dropped a 1-day-old baby while feeding and burping him in the hospital’s nursery. Though the baby suffered from a minimally displaced skull fracture, he is expected to make a full recovery, according to a hospital spokesperson. The hospital is investigating what may have caused the nurse to drop the young boy, but preliminarily suspect that the nurse had become drowsy and fallen asleep, before dropping him.

A hospital spokesperson told to Associated Press that it was unclear to him what shift the nurse was working or how many hours she had been on duty when she dropped the baby. But if it turns out fatigue played a role, the hospital could make changes to prevent similar situations, he said. Continue reading

July 1, 2015

Putting Down Your Phone: Distracted Driving Laws in effect in N.H.

by Altman & Altman

As of Wednesday, New Hampshire law makers have placed a new law in effect that prohibits drivers from using any hand-held devices. This new “hands-free” regulation has been created in hopes of reducing distraction related crashes. Reportedly there have been 116 fatal crashes over the past four years that can be directly attributed to people driving while distracted.

Have you ever noticed how long it takes you to send a text? Or how frequently your eyes are taken off the road while you change the song on your iPod? New Hampshire law enforcement officials have provided alarming statistics to highlight just how dangerous distracted driving can be. Dialing a phone number while driving increases your risk of getting into an accident by 3 times. If you are texting while you are driving, you are 23 times more likely to crash your vehicle. Even if you are simply reading a text, you are still taking your eyes off the road for a period of 5 seconds or longer. This may seem like an insignificant amount of time on the grand scheme of things, but in terms of safe driving, 5 seconds could be the difference between life and death. Continue reading

July 1, 2015

Customer Struck by Fallen Trellis at Pittsfield, MA Supermarket

by Altman & Altman

A customer was injured this morning when a wooden trellis that had been hanging from a supermarket ceiling fell and struck him.

According to the Associated Press and authorities at the scene of the accident, the man was checking out at a Pittsfield Price Chopper, when the 50-pound decoration unlatched and plummeted towards him. A spokesperson for the supermarket chain said that an electrician had been working on a lift near the trellis and had accidently caused the securement cable on the ceiling to snap. Several other decorative trellises were removed as a precaution. Luckily the customer suffered only minor injuries, but was transported to an area hospital as a precautionary measure. Continue reading

June 30, 2015

Top Toy Hazards of 2015 – Parents Please Read

by Altman & Altman

A consumer advocacy group known as World Against Toys Causing Harm Inc., or W.A.T.C.H., is releasing a report describing which summer toys are posing the greatest safety hazards to children. The annual list provides a detailed collection of items that parents should display caution in using or that should be banned altogether. President of W.A.T.C.H. Joan E. Siff and Director of W.A.T.C.H. James A. Swartz, collect an annual list of toys that have been recalled in order to provide parents with an overview of what could cause potential harm to their children.

In most cases adult supervision is sufficient in terms of preventing injuries. But for certain toys W.A.T.C.H. would advise parents to discontinue use immediately.

One of the toys that require diligent adult supervision is the non-motorized scooter. If your child were to use a non-motorized scooter, it is strongly suggested that a parent or guardian should accompany the child if they are riding near traffic. Proper safety gear is also necessary for any child using a non-motorized scooter or other forms of riding toys. Alarming rates of children, 50,000 under the age of 15, are being hospitalized due to injuries stemming from non-motorized riding toys. Injuries can span from scrapes and bruises to more severe issues such as brain damage or even death. Preventative measures should be taken immediately in order to stop future issues from arising. Continue reading

June 29, 2015

Doctors That Communicate Well Tend to Reduce Lawsuits

by Altman & Altman

Communication appears to be key in preventing medical malpractice lawsuits. It’s uncertain whether this is because communication helps prevent medical errors, or because it fosters better doctor-patient relationships. Either way, the statistics are hard to ignore.

A Florida study showed that only six percent of obstetricians accounted for over 70 percent of medical malpractice suits during a five year period. Many of these doctors had been sued multiple times. A separate study looked at malpractice lawsuits filed by mothers following their newborns’ injuries or death. The vast majority claimed their doctors would not talk openly with them, tried to mislead them, or hadn’t warned them about neurodevelopmental problems. Continue reading

June 25, 2015

Drowning Accidents: A Reminder to Parents this Summer

by Altman & Altman

A video released last week on Good magazine is sending a chilling reminder to parents of the dangers of child swimming accidents.

According to the CDC, 10 people die each day as the result of a swimming-related accident. Two of those deaths, include children ages 14 and under, the CDC says; drowning accidents are the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 1 and 4. In 2012, there the CPSC reported 364 fatal swimming accidents; the majority occurred in residential swimming pools. In more than 50% of drowning incidences, drowning victims who were not fatally injured required hospitalization and further care for severe brain injuries, long-term disabilities (memory problems, learning disabilities, loss of bodily function, etc.)

Factors Impacting Instance of Drowning

June 22, 2015

Baby Trapped in Car Seat After Multi-Vehicle Crash On I-93

by Altman & Altman

A multi-vehicle accident involving a car, van, tractor-trailer, and pickup truck seriously injured a mother and her one year old boy on I-93 this past Friday. The woman’s gray Honda was crushed in the middle of the chain-reaction collision which occurred shortly before 10 a.m.

The young boy had become trapped in his car seat as a result of the crash. Rescue workers and bystanders worked to dismantle the car seat which had folded around him. Jean Paul LaPierre was one of the first to arrive at the scene. He said they could hear the baby crying from deep within the crushed car. Continue reading

June 19, 2015

What To Do After An Accident

by Altman & Altman

Immediately following a motor vehicle accident, those involved may be seriously injured and in a highly emotional state. This type of scenario doesn’t often translate to clear-headed, effective decision making abilities. However, the decisions you make immediately following an accident can have a significant impact on the outcome. Familiarizing yourself with the below tips will help you to be better prepared in an emergency situation. If you are injured or in any way incapacitated, ask someone else to help you collect necessary information, if possible.

MA Motor Vehicle Crashes – Tips For Protecting Yourself After the Accident Continue reading

June 15, 2015

Most Common Birth Injuries- Do You Have Recourse?

by Altman & Altman

Every expectant parent hopes for a healthy baby. The vast majority of obstetricians, midwives, and other labor and delivery personnel utilize safe methods and are skilled and knowledgeable in their practice. However, there are exceptions. Unfortunately, birth injuries as a result of excessively strenuous labor, improper or forceful delivery methods, and physician negligence occur every day. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) more than two million significant birth injuries are reported every year in the United States alone. The increase in “planned births” through Cesarean sections and labor induction methods is often blamed for difficult deliveries and related birth injuries. Below is a list of the most commonly reported birth injuries.

Brachial plexus injuries (BPI): There is a bundle of nerves that begins at the upper spine and extends through the neck, shoulder, arm, and into the hand. When these nerves are damaged during the birth process the result can be mild and temporary to severe and permanent disability. Neuropraxia, the mildest form of BPI, involves the stretching of the nerve. Neuroma, on the other hand, is a serious injury in which the nerve is torn and fails to heal properly. The most severe BPI injury, avulsion, occurs when the nerve roots are torn from the spine causing complete and permanent paralysis.

Bone fractures: Broken or fractured bones are often the result of a difficult or complicated delivery. If a medical professional uses too much force while delivering a baby, breaks can occur. The most commonly fractured bone is the clavicle (collar bone). These injuries are usually temporary and can heal on their own or by immobilizing the area.

June 11, 2015

Should Your Elderly Relative Hand Over the Keys? – The Balance of Sensitivity v. Sensibility

by Altman & Altman

As the baby boomer generation enters their senior years, the United States is seeing a surge in senior drivers. Many, if not most, of these individuals will continue driving safely well into their 70’s, or even longer. However, statistics show that the risk of accidents increases after age 65, and the risk of fatality increases after age 75. For this reason, there is mounting concern over the influx of older drivers and our nation’s lack of senior-driving regulations.

In Canada, physicians are required by law to report concerns about a patient’s ability to safely drive. Not only does the U.S. not have such a requirement, we barely have any safeguards in place to monitor senior driving. Some states have no specific driving requirements whatsoever for seniors. An 82 year old driver can renew his or her license for the standard four or five year timeframe (by mail) in certain states. In other states, such as California, the license renewal must be done in person after the age of 70, and it must include a written test and eye exam. However, these more stringent rules are the exception rather than the rule. Too often, unsafe senior driving is not discovered until an accident occurs. Continue reading