Birth Injury Attorneys Win Large Verdict for New York Family

Recently, a New York jury awarded a family $510,000 after negligence in the delivery room led to birth injury, oxygen deprivation, and brain damage for young Xzavier Hyman.

Doctor Veers from Standard of Care and Causes Permanent Damage

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys large verdict NY familyDr. Paul Heltzer and the Staten Island University Hospital were found responsible for the speech probelms, learning disabilities, and reduced life expectancy that Xzavier now faces due to the extended period of time he went without oxygen on the day of his birth.

Dr. Heltzer broke Xzavier’s mother’s water prematurely, while labor was still progressing quite slowly. He then administered dosages of the drug Pitocin, which is used to induce contractions and help begin labor. The suit claims that Dr. Heltzer kept the mother on Pitocin for far too long, causing excess stress on the baby as a result of relentless contractions. The contractions caused an increase in pressure on the baby’s brain while oxygen and blood flow to the brain slowed, and eventually, Xzavier’s heart stopped.

Xzavier’s mother was in labor for 19 hours, and was on Pitocin for a majority of that time. It was determined that Dr. Heltzer and the Staten Island University Hospital acted negligently in allowing her to remain on the drug for so long. It was also determined that a C-Section should have been executed as opposed to waiting for a vaginal delivery. A lot of the complications Xzavier deals with today could have been avoided had the standard of care been adhered to.

Birth Injury Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child is dealing with complications that stem from a birth injury they received, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation for the negligence that caused their injuries. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Attorneys Get Wind of Life Saving New Technology

A new and experimental technology being used in neonatal units across the country is helping reduce the occurrences of birth injury and permanent brain damage in babies who are deprived oxygen during child birth.

Umbilical Cord Compression Causes Oxygen Deprivation; Cooling Blanket Turns Everything Around

Sara was in the middle of a very difficult labor with her sixth child, Yehuda, when the umbilical cord became compressed and he was no longer receiving oxygen. At that point, it became a necessity to remove Yehuda from the birth canal as quickly as possible; so quickly, that even a C-Section would have taken too long.

With the use of forceps, the doctor was able to extract Yehuda, but the infant was limp and unresponsive. He had little to strength, and the outcome looked grim.

new jersey phildelphia attorneys birth injury saving new technology
Infant being treated with brain cooling.
A few hours later, Sara and her husband were offered a new option, one that had only been used on a child at the Hackensack University Medical Center once before; a new technology called cooling therapy. The therapy involved wrapping the infant in a cooling blanket to lower his temperature. The theory is that lowering a newborn’s temperature will slow the brain’s metabolism, brain inflammation, and the release of harmful toxins that can occur after brain injury. Slowing the process is key, as oxygen deprivation takes an extended period of time to do most of it’s damage.

For three days, Yehuda remained in the cooling blanket. After the treatment, “He was amazing,” his mother said. He had minimal bruising on his head, and other than that, was a healthy baby boy.

And while not all babies will respond as Yehuda did, many lives can be saved with this new and quite safe technology.

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child suffered a traumatic brain injury due to negligence in the delivery, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Faults of Cumberland Manor

In today’s post, we are going to discuss a nursing home in Cumberland County, New Jersey that has been rated as below average by Medicare. As New Jersey and Philadelphia lawyers specializing in nursing home abuse cases, we feel compelled to continue to expose local nursing homes with below average ratings. We believe this service is important to protect families when dealing with placement or abuse and neglect issues that arise in long term facilities. Vigilance by family members is key to protecting loved ones when they become patients in any nursing home. All nursing homes are subject to inspections, and reviewing these inspections can help prevent bed sores, medication errors, and accidents that lead to abuse and neglect causing pain and even death to some patients.

Nursing Home Abuse at Cumberland Manor

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose cumberland manorThe nursing home that we will discuss today is the Cumberland Manor nursing home located in Bridgeton, New Jersey. This nursing is a county government owned facility with 196 long term care beds. Medicare’s nursing home compare system gave this facility 2 out of 5 stars. This rating indicates that Cumberland Manor is a below average nursing home.

According to the NJ Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, Cumberland Manor was routinely inspected 2 times between December 2008 and November 2010. During these inspections, Cumberland Manor was cited for 26 deficiencies. A few of these included failure to prohibit mistreatment and neglect, food storage and sanitary condition issues, failure to keep the facility free from accidents, and failure to keep medication errors below 5%. A nursing home with these types of deficiencies and this below average rating is the type that can lead to additional injuries, bed sores, and transfers to hospitals for acute care recovery from such issues. As we always indicate, family members must be vigilant and aware to protect their loved ones from nursing home and abuse.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved on is a resident at a nursing home or long term care facility and you feel that the care they are receiving is abusive or negligent, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Below Average NJ Facility

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose delaire convalescent centerContinuing our reports on average to low quality nursing homes in New Jersey, we have located a home in Union County with a well below average rating, according to the Medicare official government website that rates all nursing homes and similar long term care facilities in the US. As attorneys specializing in nursing home abuse cases in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, we continue to post on nursing homes that provide sub-standard care. The abuse and neglect cases that arise from nursing homes with below average ratings are varied and many. Bed sore issues, accidents, medication errors, the improper use of restraints and a myriad of nutritional issues are just naming a few of the abuse cases we see from sub-standard nursing homes.

Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center Is a Below Average Facility

Today we are going to focus on the Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center located in Linden, New Jersey (Union County). This is a for profit, corporately owned nursing home. It has 240 long term beds available for patients, and between December 2008 and November 2010, had two routine inspections. During those two inspections, 27 deficiencies were cited by the NJ Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing. Among those citations were violations dealing with failure to keep the environment free from accidents and/or hazards, failure to have proper infection control, improper labeling and/ or storage of drugs, failure to keep proper food storage, and failure to meet resident nutritional needs.

During this same time period, the Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center was complaint inspected 12 additional times with an additional 4 citations, including not making proper notifications of a patient’s status change. These types of deficiencies are what lead to incidences of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Nursing homes with an overall below average rating should be a concern for anyone who finds their loved one in such a facility. As always, knowing the facts and being vigilant is the key to protecting your loved one!

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is currently a resident at a nursing home o long term care facility and you believe that the care they are receiving is well below average, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Attorneys Sue Texas Hospital For Negligence

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys sue texas hospital negligenceThe Columbia Medical Center of McKinney (MCM) in McKinney, Texas is being sued by birth injury attorneys for releasing and sending home a pregnant woman while she was in labor. Plaintiff Wendy Cherry filed the birth injury lawsuit in February, seeking compensation for damages related to her early release that forced her to deliver her daughter Emma at home.

Cherry reported to MCM on February 4th, the day she had gone into active labor. She told staff members she was suffering from a “sudden onset of severe pelvic pain.” She requested treatment for the symptoms, but was released without a proper medical screening, and without being stabilized.

Upon her return home, her labor continued, and she eventually gave birth, fortunately, with the help of EMT’s. The delayed delivery resulted in injury to her daughter Emma, and Cherry and her attorneys believe that had she been properly cared for at the hospital, no injuries would have been sustained. Plaintiff seeks damages for medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of familial consortium, and physical impairment.

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

To think that a hospital staff could not recognize that a pregnant woman was in labor is quite scary. The Columbia Medical Center failed miserably in it’s duty to provide safe and attentive care to it’s patients. The fact that Wendy Cherry was so quickly discharged and sent home to give birth in her house is shocking and, to a certain extent, confusing. How is it that no one thought that a pregnant woman suffering a “sudden onset of severe pelvic pain” was in labor? Hospitals have become frightening places, and something must be done to assure that the care they are providing is in indeed the best they can provide.

If you or a loved one have suffered medical malpractice, or your child suffered a birth injury, at the hands of negligent medical providers, 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 the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation that you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Lawyers: A FDA Warning For Pregnant Women

new jersey philadelphia birth injury lawyers warning pregnant woman taking antipsychoticsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (FDA), recently updated labeling for antipsychotics to alert female users in their third trimester of pregnancy that use of the drugs could have adverse effects on their fetuses, causing birth injuries or defects. A few of the drugs now displaying the warning label include Risperdal, Seroquel and Invega. The drugs are used to treat mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, or depression.

A statement released by the FDA said:

“Healthcare professionals should be aware of the effects of antipsychotic medications on newborns when the medications are used during pregnancy. Patients should not stop taking these medications if they become pregnant without talking to their healthcare professional, as abruptly stopping antipsychotic medications can cause significant complications for treatment.”

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child suffered a debilitation birth injury at birth and you are now faced with expensive treatments that will be necessary for the rest of your child’s life, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. The birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office are skilled and experienced when it comes to earning full and fair compensation for victims of delivery room negligence and/or birth injuries.

Let the Mininno Law Office team earn you and your family the compensation you need and deserve.

Zimmer Knee Attorneys Explain Knee Replacement Beginnings

As knee implant attorneys, we are blogging on the Zimmer NexGen knee replacement component which was the subject of an FDA recall . This is the first in a series of posts providing information regarding some of the Zimmer knee implant component parts. We hope these posts will be helpful to any knee replacement patient.

Zimmer Knee Background

new jersey philadelphia zimmer knee attorneys explain replacement beginningsOn September 13, 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued FDA Recall No. Z 2409 010 entitled “NexGen Complete Knee Solutions MIS Tibial Components, Locking Screw and Stem Extensions” recall notice. This recall notice can be found at the FDA website.

This latest Zimmer recall was one in a series of knee joint replacement hardware recalls issues by the FDA. Zimmer’s track record over the years had been very good. However, this potential component problem is concerning to the medical community.

Given the sheer volume of knee implant patients who have had joint replacement surgery, it is fair to ask whether risks associated with knee implant surgery outweigh the benefits. This is the first in a series of posts that will discuss the evolution of knee replacement surgery in an effort to answer this question. We hope that this discussion may have particular interest to all patients who have had knee implant surgery whether or not the surgery involved the recalled Zimmer knee implant component.

History of Knee Implant Surgery

Knee replacement surgery was pioneered back in 1954 by surgeon L. G. P. Shiers. Research shows that Dr. Shiers was a true patient advocate and actually refused to patent his knee replacement technology. In doing so, Dr. Shiers gave up what could have been millions of dollars in royalties from the future sales of knee replacement technology. Instead, he traveled the world, teaching knee replacement surgery to other orthopaedic surgeons and medical students so they could pass on the benefits of knee joint replacement surgery to any patient who needed a knee replacement.

new jersey philadelphia zimmer knee attorneys explain replacement beginningsKnee replacement surgery, following the success and failures of hip replacement surgery, became more commonplace in the 1960s and the 1970s. It was billed as safe, effective, and an enormous benefit to any patient with osteoarthritis. Since that time, as with hip replacement surgery, knee replacement joint technology is constantly changing and modifying in an effort to improve patient outcomes in knee replacement patients.

Throughout the years, there have been many knee replacement part manufacturers (Zimmer, Stryker, DePuy, etc). These joint replacement manufacturers and others constantly compete to try and develop the “latest and greatest” knee implant components and techniques. The one constant challenge to all of these knee replacement manufacturers has been to limit the inevitable problems of implant loosening, wear and tear of the implant parts, and loss of the natural range of motion. As with all joint replacements, there still is not any suitable replacement for the body’s own anatomical structures.

Since the innovation of knee replacement surgery, there have been hundreds of thousands of patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery involving different techniques and various artificial knee components. Unfortunately, with each new “innovative” technology, there always is the potential for possible hardware failure problems, which could cause the patient to develop a new set of symptoms that conveniently replace the old ones. As a result, many patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery and have been subjected to these problems are left to wonder whether the surgery was worth it.

Knee Implant Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you have recently undergone a knee replacement surgery and your recovery process is taking far longer than expected, you may want to find out if there is a problem with your knee replacement. 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.

For more information regarding the knee replacement concerns, visit the Mininno Law Office site dedicated solely to Zimmer knees.

Birth Injury Attorneys Can Help When Doctors Act Negligently

Childbirth, though a painful and difficult process, should be a beautiful and profound experience for parents. That is why there are doctors who study and are strictly trained in gynecology, obstetrics, and childbirth. But mistakes in the delivery room can be irreversible, and in worst case scenarios, fatal. It is when these mistakes occur that birth injury attorneys will be necessary.

What are the Most Common Birth Injuries

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys help doctors act negligentlyBirth Injuries that commonly occur include Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy, face paralysis, bruises and swelling, Shoulder Dystocia, and brain damage. These injuries are generally brought on by oxygen deprivation and doctor error. Oxygen deprivation is commonly caused by umbilical cord compression, the improper insertion of an oxygen tube, Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (the baby inahles it’s own fecal matter or amniotic fluid), or excessive time spent in the birth canal.

The events that lead to oxygen deprivation are more often than not caused by doctor error. These errors could include misinterpreting test results, misreading mother or baby vital signs, incorrect use of forceps or vacuum extraction, poorly timed C-Sections, and improper use of force during delivery.

Birth Injury Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Doctors are trained to act quickly in the delivery to avoid tragedies like permanent brain damage and death. Sometimes, however, they act negligently and tragedy occurs. If your child was born with a birth injury and you are now facing bills for medical care you were not prepared to provide, and you believe those injuries were brought on by medical negligence, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the compensation you deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Reveal Poor Care at Holiday Care Center

Because we are attorneys that represent many clients in nursing home abuse cases in New Jersey and Philadelphia, we continue to investigate and post on nursing homes that have been given below average ratings on a report card published on the Medicare website. This is the official US Government website for Medicare, and as such, they compare nursing homes all across the United States. Based on their own specific criteria, they rate each nursing home with one to five stars. Those with 5 stars are considered to be well above average, and those with 1 star (the minimum rating you can receive) are considered to be well below average, with all others falling somewhere in between. The nursing home we will post on today has been given a one star rating. It is located in Ocean County, New Jersey. It is a corporately owned for profit nursing home with 180 long term patient beds.

The Holiday Care Center Fails to Impress

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose holiday care centerThe Holiday Care Center located in Toms River, New Jersey. This nursing home was inspected routinely on 9 occasions and cited for 40 deficiencies during the period from December 2008 through November 2010. It was also necessary for the NJ Division of Health Facilities and Evaluation and Licensing to conduct 10 complaint inspections with 5 more deficiencies cited during this time period. Some of these citations were for failing to keep the rate of medication errors (wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong time) to less than 5%, for failing to have a program to keep infection from spreading, and failing to make sure that a residents nutritional needs are being met. These types and amount of deficiencies are those that lead to nursing home abuse. Patients’ families must remain vigilant when their loved one is in a for profit nursing home such as Holiday Care Center, to make sure that they are being cared for in an acceptable and effective manner.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home or long term care facility, and you believe the care they are receiving is negligent or abusive, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation that you need and deserve.

Medical Malpractice and Sexual Abuse Allegations Drive Doctor to Suicide

On February 18th of this year, Dr. Melvin Levine, a pediatrician who worked at Children’s Hospital Boston, was found dead, by a gunshot wound to the head, in the woods surrounding his North Carolina home. The death came a day after a class action lawsuit was filed against him for medical malpractice and sexual abuse of at least 40 male patients in the years between 1966 and 1985. Last week, Dr. Levine’s death was ruled a suicide.

Men Come Forward Claiming Abuse By Levine

new jersey philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys allegations melvin levine suicideDr. Levine had long been accused of sexually abusing of his male patients, but always maintained his innocence. But not long ago, men began to come forward, describing incidents where they had seen Dr. Levine as children and been molested in his office. Some spoke of fondling during routine check-ups, and others even claim that Dr. Levine performed oral sex on them.

Christopher Dean is a 50 year old architect in Rossindale, Mass and was, at one time, a patient of Dr. Levine. Dean says the molestation occurred when Dr. Levine saw him in his elementary school nurse’s office. Levine fondled him and said he’d like to see him as a regular patient. A young Christopher left the office in tears, but never told anyone. When he was 25, Christopher’s mother told him that Levine had molested 2 young sons of a friend of hers and had relocated to North Carolina, probably fleeing from allegations. When his mother asked him, Christopher was so humiliated about what happened years before, that he lied to her and held that Levine never touched him. He finally told his mother the truth last week, and has yet to tell his father.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Medical malpractice in the form of bad judgments and medical negligence is awful, but medical malpractice in the form of deliberate abuse is depraved. Dr. Levine, if guilty, engaged in disturbing and life-changing actions from a place of trust and power. And his guilt doesn’t look any less likely after his suicide this past week.

If you or a loved one have suffered medical malpractice of any kind at the hands of an abusive or negligent medical provider, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the medical malpractice attorneys at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.