Bedsores: A growing $11 Billion Industry

new jersey philadelphia bedsores pressure sores attorneys medical negligence nursing home abuse A recently published study estimated that the annual cost of medical errors in the U.S. in 2008 was $19.5 billion dollars.
Of that 19.5 billion, 11 billion payed for the treatment of bedsores or pressure sores.

The study reported that about 1.5 million measurable medical errors happen annually, according to co-author Jonathon Shreve. It also found the 10 most common medical errors in the U.S., and found that most of the cost of medical errors can be attributed to 5 common errors:

– Pressure Ulcers
– Postoperative Infections
– Mechanical Complications of Devices, Implants, or Grafts
– Postlaminectomy Syndrome – persistance of pain and/or disability following back surgery and
– Hemorrhages complicationg a procedure

Bedsores alone are costing upwards of $11 billion dollars a year to treat. Bedsores are completely avoidable occurences, and there is no excuse for the astounding amount of patients suffering through them. They cause immense pain, and in many cases, infection.
Nursing home and hospital care must become more attentive and compassionate in order to move in the direction of correcting this serious plight.

Are you a Victim of Medical Errors or Negligence?

If you or a loved one have suffered as a result of a medical error, or perhaps negligence or abuse at a nursing home or long term care facility, you’ll need the help of nursing home abuse or medical malpractice attorney.

Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us get you the compensation you deserve.

California Nursing Home Abuse Case Reaches New Settlement

New Jersey Philadelphia nursing home abuse negligence attorneys Skilled Healthcare Group Settlement On September 1, 2010, we posted a blog about a $677 million dollar nursing home abuse verdict against Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc.
The verdict came after a number of nursing homes owned by Skilled Healthcare were shown to be understaffed, causing abusive and negligent events within the long term care facilities they operated.

Last week, attorneys agreed to a settlement of $50 million for all plaintiffs involved in the case. Though the final amount is significantly smaller than what the jury awarded, it is a good sign to plaintiffs that they will actuallty receive their money.
It is highly unlikely that Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. would have been able to pay out the enormous original sum.

Juries are becoming more and more sensitive to cases of nursing home abuse. Verdicts in recent abuse cases throughout the country have been quite large, which says something for how people feel about the way our elderly sick are being treated.
Nursing home care seems to be taking a severe downward plunge, and unless these facilities start to pay for their mistakes, change will not come.

Nursing Home Abuse in NJ and PA: Mininno Law Office

The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to fighting for those wronged by abusive and negligent treatment in the nation’s nursing homes.
If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by nursing home abuse or negligence, please contact the Mininno Law Office and get a free case evaluation. You can also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

We will fight to get you the settlement that you deserve.

Nursing Home Negligence Earns Stepdaughter Large Verdict

nursing home abuse and negligence new jersey attorney — Nursing Home Abuse claimed the life of a 93 year old man, after a horrid accident involving a bed lift.

In 2005, John Donahue was a patient at the Embassy House nursing home, owned by Kindred Nursing Care, in Brockton, Massachusetts. It was there that a negligent nursing home staff member caused an accident that would claim Donahue’s life. The caregiver was using a machine called a Hoyer Lift to lift Donahue from his bed. The machine was to be operated by two people, but this caregiver acted alone. A metal safety hook attached to the lift gouged Donahue’s left eye. The eye was removed, but Donahue died 46 days later, at 93 years of age. His official cause of death was sepsis, which occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection.

Donahue’s stepdaughter, Marlene Owens, has been fighting for years to hold Embassy House and Kindred Nursing Care accountable for her stepfather’s death. Two weeks ago, a jury awarded Owens $400,000 , agreeing that Donahue’s death was caused by nursing home abuse and negligence at the Embassy House nursing home.
Owens was lucky to have recovered any monies at all, as Donahue signed an arbitration agreement two years prior to his death saying that he could not sue the facility should he die or be injured while a resident. A Massachusetts judge invalidated this arbitration agreement, which allowed litigation to proceed.

Kindred owns over 40 nursing homes in the state of Massachusetts. Embassy House is no longer one of them.

The Mininno Law Office and Nursing Home Abuse

If you or a loved one have suffered due to nursing home negligence or abuse, you’ll need a NJ or PA nursing home abuse attorney to help fight for your rights. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation.
You can also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Our nursing home abuse attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.

Enormous Nursing Home Abuse Verdict in California; Will the Long Term Care Industry Finally See Reform?

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse attorneys negligence skilled healthcare group — Nursing home abuse and negligence are claiming the lives of the ill and elderly all over the country. Changes must be made to hault the disturbing trends of indifference towards our elderly loved ones.

A San Francisco, CA jury slammed the Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. last month with a $677 million dollar verdict for a routine failure to keep any of its nursing homes or long term care facilities properly staffed.
Cindy Cools, in an interview with The Associated Press, told of her experiences with Eureka Healthcare and Rehabilitation, the facility, owned by Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., that “cared” for her father before his death in 2006. She would often visit her father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and find him in urine-soaked clothing. She also reported that it would take staff members upwards of 20 minutes to respond to a distress call. “A lot of times I walked out of there crying because of the things I saw,” she said.

The nursing home abuse lawsuit brought against the group claimed that the company failed to maintain a California State required 3.2 hours of nursing per patient, per day.
Pat Mcginnis, executive director and founder of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said in the article published by the AP that that time should have been easy to maintain, considering that the federal recommendation is 4.1 hours per patient, per day. The $677 million verdict is currently thought to be the largest of it’s kind in the country, and suprised even plaintiff’s attorneys. Of course, tort reformers are already pointing the case out as litigation abuse.

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. is a publicly traded company, and it’s thought by some that their care became sub-par when Wall Street Investment Firms started buying up nursing home companies and cutting their staff numbers to spike stock prices.
This is just further proof that long term care facilities being run by money hungry mongrels are not serving the purposes of caring for the ill and elderly, but rather putting luxury SUV’s into winding drive-ways, and in-ground swimming pools into oversized backyards.

Since the verdict, stock prices have fallen due to fear of the group’s seemingly imminent bankruptcy. It is likely that the verdict will be reduced during settlement negotiations, but hopefully the verdict will serve as a wake-up call to other companies running long term care facilities without regard to the care they are providing.

Mininno Law Office and Nursing Home Abuse

If you or a loved one have suffered due to inadequate, negligent, or abusive care at a nursing home or long term care facility, contact the Mininno Law Office. We are here to get you the compensation that you deserve.
We offer free case evaluations, or free consultations by phone at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Medical Malpractice in St. Paul, Minnesota Sends Man onto Operating Room Floor

medical malpractice and negligence new jersey attorney — Max DeVries died after complications arose from a fall off of the operating table during a routine procedure in a Minnesota hospital.

Max DeVries, 61, had a stroke and was admittied to St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Days later he was scheduled for a lumbar drain replacement. While under anesthesia, Max rolled off of the operating table, hitting his head on an area where doctors had previously removed part of his skull to relieve inflammation of his brain.
The fall resulted in severe bleeding on the brain. Mr. DeVries was taken to have a CT scan of the brain, and died on April 13th of a massive stroke. DeVries’ family believes that his death was caused by the fall in the operating room. When hospital staff alerted DeVries family of the accident, they said that the restraints used to hold him in were not strong enough to hold an obese man. Max DeVries was 5’5 and weighed around 300lbs.

The DeVries family and their medical malpractice attorney assert that St. Joseph’s Hospital was not equipped or properly prepared to safely handle someone of Max’s size. Their medical malpractice lawsuit also states that Max DeVries’ weight and stature were not uncommon among stroke victims.

St. Joseph’s released a statement explaining that they take very seriousley what happened in that operating room, and express their sincerest condolences to the family. They go on to speak of their immaculate record concerning patient safety, and their practices to constantly implement new ways to improve patient safety.

Medical Malpractice in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office

In the end, St. Joseph’s Hospital failed Mr. DeVries. He went into the OR for a routine procedure and lost his life due to severe negligence. Failing restraints and an unsuitably sized bed should never be the reason someone dies inside a hospital. Max DeVries and his family trusted that establishment to improve his health and send him home.
This type of medical malpractice and negligence can not go unnoticed. Hospitals are meant to care for us to the best of their abilities. It seems that while the doctors at St. Joseph’s are very able, the establishment itself was ill-equipped.

If you or a loved one have suffered due to medical malpractice or medical negligence, do not be silent. Seek out the help of a Medical Malpractice attorney immediately. Waiting can only hurt you, as your statue of limitations is running out. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us help you get the compensation that you deserve.

Bedsores in NJ Nursing Homes are a Sign of Abuse and Neglect

new jersey philadelphia bedsores pressure sores nursing home abuse lawyers — Bedsores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and neglect in a long term care facility.

A Bedsore, also known as a pressure sore or pressure ulcer, is defined by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel as a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear and/or friction.
In laymen’s terms, it’s a wound that forms when someone spends too much time in a bed without moving or changing position.

Bedsores or Pressure Sores are often located on bony prominences because these places suffer the most from oxygen deprivation due to lack of blood flow. Think of when your leg falls asleep after you’ve been sitting on it for a while. You move your leg to allow the blood to return to it.
But a bedridden patient that is unable to move themselves must be cared for meticulously, being moved and turned every two hours, to keep areas like the lower back, heels, and elbows, from becoming oxygen deprived.

Bedsores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and negligence. Residents that are bedridden are automatically high risk bedsore patients. Care plans must be developed that include the routine 2 hour repositioning of these high risk, bedridden patients.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel: Four Stages of Bedsores.

– Stage I: Redness in a localized area, usually over a bony prominence. The area may be painful, and either firmer or softer, or warmer or cooler than the surrounding tissue.

– Stage II: A shallow, open ulcer that can be red or pink. This stage may also present itself as serum-filled blister.

– Stage III: Advanced tissue loss. Fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed.

– Stage IV: Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle.

Bedsores & Nursing Home Abuse in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office

Bedsores are prone to infection can prove fatal for some patients. They can cause unwanted and unneccesary complications to a patients’ health, and are completely avoidable.
The New Jersey nursing abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to get you the compensation you deserve.

If you or a loved one have suffered to the acquisition of a bedsore during a stay at a hospital or long term care facility, you’ll need to assistance of a nursing home abuse attorney. Contact the Mininno Law Officefor a free case evaluation or call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Products Liability at McDonald’s

products liability defective products new jersey philadelphia attorney We’ve all heard about Liebeck v. McDonald’s, more commonly known as the “McDonald’s Coffee Case” of 1994. It was a products liability case that became, as ABC News called it, the “poster child of excessive lawsuits.” It’s easy, without knowing the facts of the case, to scoff at someone who would sue for being burnt by hot coffee.
Coffee is coffee, it’s supposed to be hot! But, is it supposed to be hot enough to cause third degree burns?

Stella Liebeck was 79 when she was in the passenger seat of her Ford Probe, as her grandson drove her through the drive thru of a Mcdonald’s Fast Food Restaurant in New Mexico. He pulled the car over so that Stella could add cream and sugar to her coffee. Stella put the cup between her knees and lifted the lid slightly. At that point, she spilled the entire cup of coffee on her lap. Her cotton sweatpants absorbed the coffee, holding it to her skin for over a minute and a half.
The coffee scalded her thighs, buttocks, and groin. At the hospital, it was determined that she had sustained third degree burns on 6% of her skin, and lesser burns on 16% of her skin. She remained in the hospital for 8 days and underwent skin grafting. In that time she lost 20% of her body weight, reducing her weight to 83 pounds, and causing an additional 2 years of treatment.

Liebeck sought to settle for $20,000 to cover her medical bills, which amounted to $11,000. McDonald’s offered $800. After McDonald’s refused her offer, Liebeck retained attorney Morgan Reed, who brought a case against McDonald’s, accusing them of “gross negligence” in making a product that was “unreasonably dangerous” and “defectively manufactured.”
Reed made a settlement offer of $90,000, which McDonald’s rejected. He made another offer of $300,000, followed by a mediator suggested offer of $225,000. McDonald’s rejected both of them, and the case went to trial.

In trial, Reed exposed that McDonald’s was serving coffee at temperatures of 180-190 degrees Farenheight. At this temperature, the coffee could cause third degree burns in 2-7 seconds. Reed also revealed during litigation that between 1982 and 1992, McDonald’s received over 700 reports of people being burned by coffee, and had settled claims for scalding injuries for over $500,000.
In the end, Liebeck was awarded just under $600,000 in punitive and compensatory damages.

Tort Reformists call this a “frivolous” lawsuit, and claim that it’s cases like this that are stressing the economy. But a case like this is far from frivolous. McDonald’s was serving coffee that had the potential to truly harm their customers. As we can see, it did. No labeled warning can replace a manufacturer’s responsibility to keep consumer safety a number one priority.

Product Liability Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office

Nowadays, we see more and more fault in our system regarding foreign manufacturers and their seeming exemption from U.S. regulations on product liability. But even native manufacturers are producing products that are defective and unsafe. Defective products are dangerous, and potentially harmful or fatal.

If you have been injured by a defective product, you may be entitle to compensation. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Sixteen Year Old Girl Suffocated in Missouri Hospital

new jersey philadelphia attorneys medical malpractice negligence alexis richie suffocated missouri hospital — Alexis Richie (right) with her mentor, showing off a home made ice cream sundaes they made together in 2005.

SSM DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Missouri finds themselved under fire for medical malpractice, after a hainous event that took place last October. Sixteen year old Alexis Richie, a patient in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, suffocated and died when caretakers restrained and sedated her face down in a bean bag chair.

Alexis Richie was a foster child from the time she was 7 years old, bouncing around between families and institutions. A troubled past included incidents of sexual abuse, as well as a suicide attempt at age 11. Alexis would act out in violent fits, and many times cause physical harm to others. She was admitted to the psychiatric ward at the SSM DePaul Health Center on October 16, 2009 after stabbing a teacher at Evangelical Children’s Home with a pencil.

During her 10 day stay at DePaul, Alexis was sedated and restrained frequently. Her outbursts put herself and others in danger. In therapy, she knew she needed to behave because she wanted to return to her foster home for her 17th birthday.

On the night of October 26th, an aide named Leon Harriel told Alexis to head back to the girls hall for bedtime, and Alexis cursed at him. She became unruly and violent, and Harriel , along with another aide, Mike Manetta, grabbed Alexis by her arms and took her to a small room, where they laid her face down on a bean bag chair. Alexis continued to fight the aides, and Nurse Pam Wooten entered the room with shots of Geodon and Ativan. Wooten injected the drugs into Alexis and left the room to get arm restraints. Harriel and Manetta told Alexis they would let go of her if she calmed down, and which point she became limp. At that point, Harriel and Manetta simply stood up and left the room. They did not check her pulse or her breathing, or even help her turn around to be face up on the chair.

Minutes later, Wooten returned and Harriel told her Alexis had calmed down. She did not re-enter the room to check on the girl. The charge nurse, Iris Blanks, was making rounds and asked about the status of Alexis. Harriel said she had passed out after receiving the sedative shots. Blanks entered the room and called Alexis’ name to no response. Blanks checked vital signs; pulse weak, pupils fixed, reflexes gone. She was soaked in her own urine. The team tried to revive the girl, but it had been 12 minutes since she first “went limp.” It was too late. Alexis was pronounced dead at 10:06 pm.

So far, charges have not been filed against the caretakers, as the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said there were too many people involved to determine who was responsible.

The Team’s Response to Alexis’s Condition

Alexis’ biological family has hired an attorney who is investigating the case. This story is an example of gross medical malpractice and negligence. The caretakers response to Alexis’ state when Blanks found her was horrid. Blanks should have immediately started CPR, but instead left the room to get a flashlight and blood pressure machine. She left a second time to get a stethoscope, and to retrieve Nurse Wooten. Wooten came in and tried to wake Alexis up, who was not responding. She called a code blue at the nurses station, and an emergency team entered the room. It took the doctor 9 minutes to put the breathing tube down Alexis’ throat. The team’s response was not at all satisfactory, and Iris Blanks was fired immediately.

The SSM DePaul Health Center has a lot of work to do to make sure their staff is qualified and ready to handle emergencies such as this, and to be able enough to not cause emergencies like this, as happened in this case.

Mininno Law Office and Medical Malpractice

At the Mininno Law Office, medical malpractice cases are taken very seriousley. Alexis should not have died due to the negligence of doctors who felt no need to check up on her after pinning her down and injecting her with sedatives.

If you or a loved one have been victimized by medical malpractice or medical negligence, do not hesitate to contact the Mininno Law Office. Our New Jersey and Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorneys are here to work for you, and to get you the compensation you deserve. Call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

New Illinois Legislation Promises Better Nursing Home Care

new jersey philadelphia attorneys nursing home abuse neglect illinois legislation — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs bill that aims to improve the care being provided in nursing homes across the state.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill that aims to greatly improve the quality of care being provided to the state’s elderly citizens in nursing homes and long term care facilities. Supporters have high hopes that new regulations upheld by the bill will work to eradicate the disturbing trends of nursing home abuse, neglect, and violence currently plaguing the long term care industry.

Expected changes include:

New ratio of 1 inspector per every 500 beds

Increased criminal background checks and psychological testing of nursing home patients

Alternative housing arrangements for patients who are physically capable, but suffer from psychological conditions

Increased staffing levels at long term care facilities

Illinois State Governement intends to fund the plan by increasing licensing fees, and decreasing the amount of psychiatric patients in nursing homes. Small, group-homes require less staff oversight and will save some of the money the state currently spends on this area of care.

Naysayers claim the bill is just a way to silence the public outcry for tighter restrictions on the care being provided in Illinois nursing homes. Whether or not that is true really doesn’t matter. The bill was signed, changes will be made, and nursing home care will improve.

The Mininno Law Office Frowns Upon Nursing Home Abuse

The Mininno Law Office has taken a firm and unwavering stand against nursing home abuse. Our elderly citizens deserve respectful, careful, and attentive treatment while staying in nursing homes and long term care facilities.

If you or a loved one have experienced what you believe is nursing home abuse or negligence, contact the Mininno Law Office. Our New Jersey and Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys are ready to help you with your claim against the nursing home, and will work ’round the clock to get you the compensation you deserve. You can also call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Missouri Man Killed in Fatal Trucking Accident

Forty-four year old Michael Hart of St. Joseph, Missouri, was tragically killed on July 14th, 2010 in a fatal trucking accident involving his van and a tractor trailer.

attorneys new jersey trucking accident fatal michael hart missouri An article in the Chillicothe-Constitution Tribune (a Missouri newspaper) says that Hart was traveling east on U.S. Highway 36 (just northeast of Kansas City, MO) in his 1989 Chevy van, while Dale O. Hazzard (38) was driving his 1995 Volvo tractor trailer southbound on Spring Hill Road. The police report states that Hazzard pulled out in front of Hart’s van, which hit the rear side of the semi. The vehicles became entangled. The article did not provide information on the injuries Hazzard sustained, or if he sustained any at all. The article also fails to elaborate on why Hazzard pulled out onto the highway without stopping for oncoming traffic. The entrance to 36 from Spring Hill Road is a T intersection, so slowing down would be necessary to safely make the turn.

The article did not go as far as to assign blame to either of the drivers, but if Hazzard did in fact pull his tractor trailer in front of Hart’s van without stopping or even slowing down, it is likely he will be at fault.

Trucking accidents are frightening and very dangerous accidents that occur far too often. As drivers, we must be cautious and wary of the dangers of large trucks. The possibility of an accident is always looming overhead, and truck drivers and passenger car drivers alike need to be alert at all times.
This accident could have been easily avoided, had the truck driver simply stopped and looked. Negligent and careless driving often leads to tragic and fatal trucking accidents. Drivers on the long haul are tired, and the road has the power to hypnotize you once you’ve been going for too long.

Trucking Accidents and the Mininno Law Office

At the Mininno Law Office, we take trucking accidents very seriously.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a trucking accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.