Tag: Malpractice

Chamber of Commerce Attacking Legal System through Radio Ads

In this country, we all have the right to hold another person or party, or even corporation responsible for their acts of negligence, malpractice and other cases of harm. Recently, the Chamber of Commerce has entered the radio advertisement arena in an attempt to protect its high standing members from these lawsuits and claims of negligence. They claim that this is to protect people from meaningless lawsuits, but these ad campaigns are supported by the same people that the Chamber of Commerce is trying to protect, including oil, tobacco, and insurance companies. It seems to like the Chamber of Commerce does not really care about proper care and practices for individuals and Americans, it seems like they care more about protecting their highest paying and loyal supporters. Once again money is put before rights and in this country people have fought for those rights and they deserve the chance to exercise them when the situation calls for it. People’s rights and needs should come first before money, but once again, this is not the case. If people listen to the ads of the Chamber of Commerce than people will not be able to sue for neglect or abuse of a loved one in a nursing home, or a injury due to a product defect or the injuries that can error due to improper label of products. If the members of the Chamber of Commerce were injured due to malpractice they would want to have the right to sue, so other people deserve this right as well.

For additional information on the Chamber of Commerce radio campaigns, you may visit:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28211.html

 

If you or a loved one feels you have been injured due to medical negligence, please contact a malpractice attorney right away. They will help you get your voice heard and your rights protected.

New Health Legislation may not provide Coverage for Everyone

The health legislation concerns still keep going and going. The Democrats have celebrated that the bill created in the Senate Finance Committee would not increase the deficit, but it may not actually provide coverage for every American as previously promised. Yes, the bill will cover the expensive and possibility the sickest patients, but it will pose an insurance risk to other people by making them pay even more in health care coverage. This will lead to people once again not being able to afford coverage and then again having not everyone receiving health insurance coverage. The health care reform was supposed to provide health care coverage for as many if not all Americans. This does not seem to be the case since health insurance will increase their costs for those with insurance making those with insurance unable to afford it. This means less injuries and health problems for those that are covered by the new health care reform and unaffordable insurance and more injuries and problems for people that already had health insurance. This seems like the bill will not actually be able to deliver what was once promised. Patients and proper health care should come first, but yet again, money and profits are still being put first. When will our system get up to speed to places like Europe where if you have an ehic card, that’s probably all you are going to need for coverage. We need to make sure that not only is every American able to afford coverage but that this coverage will provide proper medical care and less malpractice and injuries for patients.

For more information on the new health reform debate, you may visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100801732.html

 

If you or someone you love feels like you have not received proper medical care, please contact a malpractice lawyer right away. They will help you advocate for your rights to receive proper medical care.

Support is Gaining for Health Care Reform, but will it really benefit everyone?

According to an Associated Press poll today, October 7, 2009, the country is spilt forty-forty about whether or not to oppose or support the new health legislation. This includes more seniors supporting the health legislation than back in September. This is very good news for many people, after all, having health coverage for everyone is a great plan, but will it really benefit everyone. The money to provide everyone with health care coverage has to come from somewhere and it means that programs such as Medicare and Medicare and long term care facilities services will be cut to help provide these services as well as cuts being made from many other programs that allow seniors and other people proper medical care and training which helps to prevent abuse. The president’s intentions seem to be great but is the whole picture being looked at? Health care coverage for everyone is not the only thing at stake. People getting proper medical care and services is also at stake. Taking services from people that really need them in order to make sure everyone has coverage seems like a contradiction. Everyone having medical coverage should mean that more services and opportunities are provided, but instead they are being cut and taken away from people that really need them. This means more injuries and abuse if the proper care is not provided. The president wants programs that prevent sickness and illness yet cuts are being made to the services already provided, that just seems wrong. This plan is a good idea, but if you say it will benefit everyone than it really should, and right now it is clear that it will not.

For additional information on the new health care reform poll, you may visit: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091007/ap_on_bi_ge/us_ap_poll_health_care

If you feel that you or a loved one is not getting the proper medical care or treatment, please call, a medical malpractice lawyer right away. They will help you advocate your case and get you the good medical care you deserve.

Death Being Investigated of Woman who Took Yaz Birth Control

The Bayer AG company in Germany is having its Yaz Pill investigated by the Swiss Health regulator has part of the reason a woman may have died. The woman was said to die from the effects of a pulmonary embolism and had been taking the pill for ten months. These types of problems are the rare but serious side effects of taking hormone-based contraceptives such as Yaz. It is true that just because this one woman may have died due in part as a result of Yaz, that not all woman are at risk by taking Yaz. This story though among others makes people start to wonder why the Bayer Company tried to cover up the serious side effects of this pill. Is it because money truly talks and Yaz is a huge money maker for Bayer? Or is it because all birth control pills have their risks so they did not see the need to mention them? Or finally is it because they really did not think the risks of this Yaz Birth Control pill were that serious? Whatever the case, people should know all the risks of any medicine they take, big or small, no matter how good the medicine may be or how much money the company may make. Consumers have the right to know what they are consuming.

For more information on this specific story, you may visit:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aPSvNPx7m.n4

If you or a loved one has suffered due to the possible effects of Yaz, make sure to contact a personal injury attorney right away. They can help you get your case heard and get you the care you deserve

Tort Reform is Hurting More Than Helping

As the health care debate continues, so does tort reform. While some efforts have been made to help protect patients and their rights, there is still tort reform that is trying to cut costs and because of this there are still many people that are unable to get proper medical care and unable to fight for their rights to it. If tort reform continues the way it has, it is hurting more people than it is or will help.  Cutting costs and providing coverage for everyone is a great idea, but it is only great if it actually helps people to get the care they need and to have the services they need to fight for proper medical care if it is not given.  They are still many people being injured daily because of medical errors and malpractice. They are still many elderly being abused in nursing homes due to improper medical care. It is great that programs are trying to be put in place to cut down on medical malpractice lawsuits but what about just cutting down on the actual malpractice? If patients receive proper medical care, including checkups, treatments, evaluations and more, then we can worry less about lawsuits because the medical care will be better. Until medical errors are dramatically reduced and programs are put in place for more adequate medical care than people still need malpractice rights and lawyers to help them advocate for their rights to proper medical care. Tort reform may try to cut costs all it wants, but people still need their rights and one of these rights is their right to sue for medical malpractice. These rights are there to help those hurting.  Tort reform has only hurt more and not helped.

If you would like more information on the health care debate and tort reform, you may visit:

This link.

If you or someone you loved has been injured or denied proper medical care, contact a malpractice lawyer right away. They will help you fight for your rights and get your voice heard to help those you love.

Should a Price Tag be put on Good Medical Care?

There has been much debate about health care over the last few months. One of the issues that is being brought up over and over again is whether or not tort reform and limits on malpractice suits actually will save money. Some people say it does because doctors will not have to spend so much money ordering special tests and treatments for patients when it may not be needed. Should a price tag really be put on good medical care? What if a doctor did not order a test or treatment because they thought it was not needed and then later discovered that it could have helped? For situations like these that happen every day in millions of hospitals, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes in every state, we still need our malpractice rights. It is still possible that even with universal coverage those doctors may make a medical error either because they want to cut a cost or because they just did not pay enough attention. States that have medical malpractice caps and tort reform are not actually saving any more money than those who do not have them. So why should we deny patients the right to good medical care and treatment when we are not really saving any money by doing so? Everyone, even the doctors that see patients every day, should have the right to speak up if their medical care is inadequate or if there is a problem. This should be a basic right as a person and an American. Malpractice caps do not save money on health insurance so why take away a person’s right to good medical care and treatment and the right to sue if they do not receive it? The logic just does not make sense.

People in this country have the right to free speech as well as many other rights and that should always include the right to speak up about medical errors and malpractice. These rights should be totally different than the health insurance debate because there should not be a price tag on person’s right to good proper medical care.

If you would like more information on the health care debate and malpractice rights, you may visit this link.

If you or a loved one has been injured or abused due to improper medical care, contact a medical malpractice lawyer right away. They will help you advocate for your right to be heard and receive the care you deserve.

Health Care Reform versus Medical Malpractice Rights

There continues to be much debate about health care reform and how to achieve it for everyone. There have been people talking about and trying to push aside medical malpractice rights in favor of other medical rights and reform. The truth is that is two different topics and should be given two seperate debates. Health care reforms main goals are to make sure every person in this country has affordable health care coverage. That is great and even wonderful if it can happen, but it should not come at the expense of taking away other much needed rights of the same Americans we are trying to get medical coverage. If we get medical coverage for every person, but then take away their rights to file a complaint if injured while receiving  that medical care what are we as a country saying? Are we saying you can go to any hospital or doctor you want now because you are covered with insurance but we do not care if you are injured or we do not care how good that medical care is? This country needs medical coverage for everyone, we really do, but we also need to keep protecting the rights of those injured by medical errors and malpractice every year. Thousands of people with medical coverage still not receive proper medical care, due to errors, injuries, malpractice, and abuse. We as a country need good medical care, but we also need to protect our rights to voice our opinions and let them be heard if we are injured by a medical error. If health care reform pushes aside medical malpractice rights then we will just have yet another crisis on our hands. We need to think of people first and foremost and profits second. Medical coverage will not matter if the medical care is not good. This is why medical malpractice rights are still very important and cannot be pushed aside.

If you want to do your part to protect medical malpractice rights, write a letter to your congressmen or your editor and get the word out about how we still need these rights and they should not be taken away.

For more information on the health care reform and medical malpractice rights you may visit: www.peopleoverprofits.org

New Jersey’s Medicare Project

According to the Star Ledger as reported on August 18, 2009, there has been a difference in the amount of money that doctors receive when treating Medicare patients and what hospitals receive. Hospitals only receive a large amount of money, while doctors receive money based on the services they provide to Medicare patients. Some New Jersey hospitals have decided to try and change this by having doctors and hospitals share the profits received. They are hoping this will cut costs by cutting patient stays, lowering rates and improving discharge plans. They are hoping that by saving these costs, hospitals and doctors can work together to help improve medical care for Medicare patients due to sharing financial incentives. Medicare services are significantly more in New Jersey, then the payments that hospitals actually receive. There are currently twelve New Jersey Hospitals participating in this “Medicare Project.”

For additional information on this “Medicare Project” and hospitals involved you may go to:

This link.

Are Nursing Homes the Safest Places for our Loved Ones?

Putting a loved one in a nursing home is the toughest decision a family can ever make.  We research on line, ask friends, nurses and visit the facility to make sure we are making the best decision.  We would like to believe that when we spend time picking out a nursing home for our relative or loved one to go stay and live in for the rest of their lives that they are going to be well taken care of and looked after by properly trained and staffed nursing homes. We also would like to believe that they will receive the proper attention and medical care whenever such care and attention is needed.  Unfortunately, many Nursing Homes put profits over patients.  No matter where you live, nursing home and elderly abuse are a real problem in any state including New Jersey.  It is important to understand the reasons for elderly abuse and nursing home abuse before we can begin to solve the problem. The following is list of some possible reasons for this type of abuse:

·         Not enough staff

 This may be due to not being able to pay people enough for the amount of work they do, or people left and went elsewhere to be closer to relatives, or the market for this type of work may be bad in some areas over other areas.

 

·         Under qualified employees

Reasons for this might be that the employees never went through school for proper training, never received proper on the job training or attended training classes.

 

·         Overworked employees

If there are not enough staff as mentioned before, the employees a nursing home does have may be working longer hours and may be tired, or even feeling ill when they come to work. This leads to employees not paying enough attention which can lead to abuse.

 

·         Stress and Frustration

If an employee is stressed or frustrated on how to help a certain patient, this may lead to improper care and abuse. Training classes should be provided for these situations.

Some common signs of elderly abuse may include:

·         Unexplained injuries or bruises

·         Not receiving the proper doges of medications

·         Cuts or welts

·         poor nutrition and dehydration

·         Unsanitary conditions

·        Infections

·        Sudden death 

  •  Bed sores and pressure ulcers 

 

Sadly, these problems occur every day in even the nicest nursing homes and living facilities. There are different types of abuse. These can be physical, emotional, neglect, abandonment, emotional, or even financial. By putting profits over patient care, nursing home make millions for their investors while providing inadequate care.

The number of people suffering from elder abuse was 2.5 million in 1991, according to some studies from the National Center on Elder Abuse and this number will keep rising unless people become more aware of the problem and how to fix it.

 

If you or someone you love, you believe may have be a victim of this type of abuse, please call: (856) 833-0600 or contact a nursing home attorney for help today. 

 

Do not be afraid to speak up and get the help you need for your loved ones; they deserve the best care possible and may be depending on you to help them fight for their rights.

 

For more information on nursing home abuse and what can be done visit:

 

Got to the New Jersey Nursing Home Directory for a list of deficieny reports on 361 Nursing Homes in New Jersey.

 

Another great resource is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site which lists Health Care tools and research.

 

 

What Every Citizen Should Know About the Nursing Home Industry: A background

Deciding whether to put a loved one into a nursing home is the one of the most difficult decisions we must all face. In today’s fast paced society, however, it has become increasingly difficult to care for the elderly at home. Even more daunting, is choosing the right nursing home. Indeed, making a decision on a facility is difficult; with more and more nursing homes going up every year, the number of available options seems endless, even in some of the more remote sections of the country. Although on the surface many nursing homes may appear to be the same, there are dramatic differences between nursing homes, and unfortunately, many shortcomings. In order to have a better understanding of how nursing homes can be so dramatically different in quality of care, and to help you choose which nursing home might be best for your loved ones, you should first have a basic understanding of how nursing homes function in the United States.

First and foremost, it is important to constantly be aware that more than 80% of nursing homes in the Unites States are for-profit, publicly traded, corporations. This is in direct contrast to hospitals in the Unites States, which 87% of are non-profit operations. So how does this affect you and your family? Simple. In any publicly traded corporation, the final goal will always be profit. The Profits must come first. This is not just common practice, it is written into law. By law a publically traded corporations the most important, if not the only, obligation is to increase the profits of their shareholders. This set up has helped drive industrial and technological advancements at a staggering pace. However when it is applied to the practice of nursing homes and long term care, a problem arises.

By nature, medicine and long term care are extremely expensive. The cost to run hospitals and long term care, and nursing homes can reach staggering figures. In fact, it is estimated that at least $180 billion is spent on critical care alone in the United States each year. Although cost cutting is always a simple and desirable way to boost profits in any corporation, the nature of health care and long-term care simply does not allow for it. When dealing with the lives of human beings, there are large and unavoidable costs connected to providing their patients with the care they need to stay healthy with an acceptable quality of life. Unfortunately, this does not stop these corporate nursing homes from doing whatever they can to minimize their spending.

This cost cutting rears its ugly head in many forms in corporate nursing homes. Most apparent however, is the effect it has on the staff. Many for-profit nursing homes are dramatically under staffed, many of whom do not have the proper training to manage their positions in the first place. Lack of training, oversight, and personnel immediately translates into health risks to the patient. This includes, but is not limited to: bed sores, falls, under and over medicating, mixing up patients’ medications, unacceptable poor hygiene, physical abuse by staff, and lack of response to emergency situations. Incidents such as this are a daily occurrence. Fortunately however, you have the power to choose where to place your loved ones, and when the worst happens, you have the legal power to do whatever you can to rectify the situation.

When the worst happens to a loved one in a nursing home, contact an attorney immediately. The status quo of dramatic cost cutting in the nursing home industry will not change until it is no longer profitable to continue cutting costs and quality of care. By bringing a suit against a nursing home or long term care facility, you are demanding they change their way of business by punishing them financially for their neglect. By contacting an attorney who specializes in nursing homes, you are doing your part to make sure what terrible things happened to your loved ones do not happen to someone else.

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