New Jersey Board Responsible for Sanctioning Negligent Doctors Falls Behind

New Jersey attorneys medical malpractice negligence surgeon public citizen The board in charge of reviewing medical malpractice & negligence in New Jersey threw out over 90% of complaints against surgeons and physicians last year. The board received 1,017 complaints per the 33,000 licensed practicioners in New Jersey. Those complaints resulted in only 45 license suspensions and 24 license revocations or volunteer surrenders. The Public Citizen, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy, says that the NJ Board is not being diligent or pro-active enough in taking action against negligent and careless practicioners. Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the group’s health director, says:

“There are other states around the same size that consistently discipline more doctors.”

The Public Citizen compared the number of disciplinary actions taken with the number of doctors in every state and determined that New Jersey placed 40th among 50 states and Washington D.C. when it came to placing sanctions on doctors. It wasn’t much of a change from their ranking as 41st in the country last year. Dr. Paul C. Mendelowitz, president of NJ’s Medical Board, declined to comment on the low rate of doctor discipline. Complaints are not public record.

“I don’t get the sense that the board does very much in the way of oversight,” said Chatham Lawyer David Freid. The board’s lack of tenacity in disciplining negligent doctors gives doctors no reason to pay more attention to the quality of care they provide. Hopefully, New Jersey does not become a haven for negligent and careless doctors.

New Jersey Medical Malpractice and the Mininno Law Office

Medical Malpractice is very serious issue. If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by the negligence or mistakes of a doctor or surgeon in New Jersey, you’ll need to seek the assistance of a qualified New Jersey Medical Malpractice & Negligence Attorney. At the Mininno Law Office, our Medical Malpractice Attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
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 receive the recoveries you are owed.

New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorneys: Mininno Law Office

New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorneys Free Case Evaluation — If you are grieving the loss of a loved one and you believe their death was brought about the negligence or ill intent of another, contact a Wrongful Death Attorney.

A wrongful death claim is a legal action that is filed against a person who is being held accountable for a death. The claim asserts that the death was brought about by some sort of negligence, wrongdoing, or even criminal act. The deceased’s relatives are considered to be entitled to monetary compensation for medical bills, funeral and burial costs, loss of wages, grief, and loss of consortium (companionship).
These damages are known as compensatory damages. Punitive damages could be imposed as a punishment for negligence and/or ill intent of the responsible party or parties.

If you find yourself dealing with the loss of a loved one that you believe was not inevitable, and infact brought on by the wrongful act of another, you may want to contact a New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorney. An attorney is going to review all the facts surrounding your case, and help determine whether or not you are entitled to compensation.

Grieving the death of a loved one is not easy, and the wrongful death attorneys at the Mininno Law Office understand this. They will help in any way possible to make the process move along smoothly and quickly. While monetary compensation will never be able to erase the suffering and grief of losing someone you love, it will definately relieve the financial burden brought on by their loss.

Wrongful Death and the Mininno Law Office

Contact the New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorneys at 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.
Let us help you receive the compensation you deserve.

New Jersey Personal Injury Attorneys: Mininno Law Office

Have you recently been injured by a defective product? Have you been injured in a car accident? Have you been injured at someone else’s home, due to someone else’s negligence? If so, than you may need the assistance of a New Jersey Personal Injury Attorney.
The New Jersey personal injury attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to earning you your due compensation regarding injuries sustained from accidents including but not limited to the following:

work accidents – we will explain why it important to have a good relationship with boss
motorcycle accidents – you will understand what is responsibility
car/trucking accidents – we will show why its is important to use hight quality Fortis Skid Steer Tracks
trip and falls in public places – you will understand about importance of social activity
defective products/products liability – you will learn why quality matters
medical malpractice/medical negligence – you will get advises how to choose doctor and what basic question you should ask him
dog bites – you will get basic knowledge of dogs behaviour

Do I need a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you find yourself facing mounting medical bills for conditions caused by one of the aforementioned accidents, you should definately contact a New Jersey personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney will meet with you to discuss the merits of your case, and help you decide the appropriate action to take. An experienced personal injury attorney (like those at the Mininno Law Office), will have access to experts and resources to perform an in-depth analysis of data such as medical records, MRIs, CAT Scans, pathology studies, product design, safety standards, and OSHA regulations.
It is important that you act quickly, however. Due to statutes of limitations, waiting too long could be waiving your right to file suit.

What Will a Personal Injury Attorney do for Me?

A personal injury attorney at the Mininno Law Office is going to help you decide the right course of action. He’ll go through all of the facts, records, and data surrounding your case, and make an educated decision as to whether or not your case has merit, meaning, will a judge feel that you deserve to be compensated. If you decide to move on with the case, the personal injury attorneys at the Mininno Law Office will work hard to present the best possible case. And they do it on a contingency fee basis. A contingency means that we get paid, contingent upon the winning of the case. We don’t make money unless you make money. We work for free until we win. Case evaluations and consultations are free.

Product Liabilty and the Minnno Law Office

Fears that BP will escape sufficient liability when it comes to compensating victims of this monstrous tragedy are real and well founded. The passage of the SPILL Act will certainly do great things for the recovery efforts of victims and their families. Manufacturers and responsible parties should never be able to skirt their duties of compensation.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a defective product, the product liability attorneys at the Mininno Law Office will work ’round-the-clock to help you get the money you deserve. Act now if you are suffering injury or loss to the negligence of a manufacturer. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380in Philadelphia.

NUVARING Named in Product Liability and Wrongful Death Lawsuits

attorneys new jersey wrongful death nuvaring product liabilty — NUVARING causes potentially life threatening complications including bloodclot, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

NUVARING is a transparent, flexible, vaginal ring that provides month long birth control by emitting a continuous dose of estrogen and progestin for 21 days. The device releases a combination of ethinyl estradiol, a form of the hormone estrogen, and etonogestral. These substances are supposed to prevent ovulation as well as minimize any sperm penetration, thereby preventing unwanted pregnancies. It gained FDA approval in 2001.

NUVARING is marketed as providing the same efficacy as birth control pills but with the convenience of month-long protection. To a woman who wants the benefits of birth control but not the trouble of remembering to take a pill every day, NUVARING sounds great. Unfortunately, NUVARING has provided more than month long contraception.

Numerous lawsuits are being filed against pharmaceutical companies that marketed or manufactured the product at one time. Suits claim that the manufactureres of NUVARING not only knew about the potential side effects related to the use of NUVARING, including increased risk of stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and sudden death, but failed to reveal them to women, or the FDA during the approval process. Some 300 product liability lawsuits are being filed, stating that NUVARING caused plaintiffs to suffer from serious, life threatening blood clots. Wrongful Death suits in New Jersey and Nebraska are pending.

Are You A NUVARING user?

If you currently use NUVARING as a contraceptive, seek medical attention immediately. If you are suffering from complications due to NUVARING, seek the help of a product liability attorney. New Jersey product liability attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to answer any questions you have, and to offer a free case evaluation.

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

Nine Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

The Mininno Law Office takes a firm stand against New Jersey nursing home abuse. We fight against careless and negligent facilities, and we do our best to post useful information to assist those dealing with sick loved ones and nursing homes. Yesterday, we posted advice on how to pick a quality nurisng home. Today’s post will deal with signs that your loved one may be being abused or neglected in their long term care facility.

Below is a list of red flag symptoms concerning nursing home abuse and neglect. Noticing any of these should prompt immediate action.

Nursing Home Abuse: 9 Red Flags

Bedsores or open wounds (also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers): A sure sign of neglect. Bedsores form when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface for a prolonged period of time. Failing to reposition bedridden patients often results in bedsores.

nursing home abuse and negligence Mininno Law Office new jersey — Nursing home abuse and negligence are very real threats to residents at some facilites.

Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains or fractures: Mysterious injuries such as these could be attributed to roughness and mishandling of feeble and fragile patients.

Falls in shower, out of bed or out of chairs, resulting in injury: This is a sign that patients are being left to fend for themselves during difficult tasks like moving from the bed to the bathroom. Many patients need help to complete these tasks, and without being checked on regularly, can easily hurt themselves trying to do it alone.

Dehydration, malnutrition, or weight loss: Residents being neglected will often suffer from some, or all, of the above symptoms. Abuse and neglect can lead to depression, which in turn could result in malnutrition and weight loss.

High staff turnover: If a nursing home staff is constantly new and residents are being treated by new caregivers all of the time, the likelihood that that they are receiving quality care is very low. Errors occur often amoung new staff members. Workers leaving and going elsewhere could also be a sign that they are underpaid and overworked. Underpaid and overworked nursing home staff are a large source of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; vaginal or anal bleeding; torn, stained or bloody garments: Unfortunately, sexual abuse is a very real issue in nursing homes. If you notice any of these signs, act immediately.

Loss of resident’s possessions, or sudden changes in the resident’s will, bank accounts or other financial documents: Theft and fraud are very real and very prevalent forms of nursing home abuse. If anything goes missing, whether it be belongings or money, investigate immediately.

Refusal or delays to have visitation with the resident: If a nursing home is guilty of abuse or neglect, of course they won’t be quick to allow you to come and see your loved ones. Often, if they allow visitation, they will refuse to let you be alone with your loved one. This is something to be very weary of. Now, your loved one does not feel comfortable telling you what’s really going on.

Over-sedation or overuse of restraints: Caregivers have gone to jail for using unprescribed morphine to calm patients they feel are “combative.” This is a life threatening practice, and has taken lives in the past.

What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse

If you notice one or more of the above symptoms, it is likely the nursing home facility you have entrusted with the care of your loved one is acting negligently. Do not wait to seek help. A nursing home abuse attorney will be able to sit down with you and discuss what happened, what you’ve seen, and determine if you have a case against the care facility. 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.

Six Steps to Skirt Nursing Home Abuse

New Jersey Attorneys - nursing home abuse — Nursing home abuse is an ugly truth in a necessary industry.

Nursing home abuse can play an extremely daunting role in where, when, and even if we decide to place our loved ones in a long term care facility. Trends of abuse, negligence, theft, and fraud seem to be taking over an industry that should be known for it’s kindness, compassion, benevolence, and dependability.
Choosing a nursing home can be overwhelming and scary, so the best way to go about the task is to be prepared and know exactly what to look for in a good and trustworthy nursing home. Below are six steps you can take to ensure that you are choosing the right facility to trust with the care of your loved one.

Steps You Can Take to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse

Step 1: Ask for documentation that will prove that the facility employs regular background checks to ensure that employees of the facility have no record of violent, sexual, or financial crime. Verify that employees are in good standing with the law and that they have the proper credentials to be working in this field. A nursing home in good standing and employing qualified workers will have no problem turning this paperwork over. The National Association on State Units on Aging reported that “An increased risk of abuse is found at nursing homes that have a history of serious noncompliance, particularly if abuse has occurred in the facility in the past.”

New Jersey Lawyers - nursing home abuse — Follow these steps to help keep your loved one from being abused in a nursing home.

Step 2: Request information verifiying the minimum staff to patient ratio, how many hours per week employees work (including max overtime), and leave instructions to notify you should these policies change. Overworked employees are a huge source of abuse and negligence in nursing homes. Make sure the people caring for your loved ones are not responsible for too many patients for too long. The probability of abuse increases as staff to patient ratio decreases.

Step 3: With regard to step 2, verify the number of patients in the home with dementia, and who are physically dependant on nursing home staff. A high number of dementia patients should be accompanied by high number of employees. According to a report done by the National Center of Elder Abuse, nursing home abuse is more common in facilities that are home to a high number of demetia patients, as their required care is far more demanding.

Step 4: Ask about the facilities grievance policy. What is their protocol for reporting complaints? Is it policy to retaliate against staff members who report abuse? What about a patient who reports abuse? Facilities should offer anonymous reporting options to both staff and patients, and investigate all complaints thouroughly.

Step 5: Ask about the facility’s training policy, and whether or not it offers ongoing abuse prevention courses, as well as other courses to keep staff up to date on the newest and best methods of care. The Department of Health and Human Services reports “Besides improving competence and knowledge, training also offers a vehicle for building [staff] self-esteem, which also may help to reduce stress and burnout.” The report also states that ” . . .training can also prepare staff to respond appropriately to difficult situations, such as dealing with physically combative residents, which have the potential to trigger abuse.”

Step 6: Visit often and unannounced. Nursing home abuse is much more likely to occur to patients who do not have visitors, as there will be no consequence if no one is there to find out. If your visits are unannounced and frequent, staff members responsible for the care of your loved one will be forced to “stay on their toes,” providing the best possible care for the resident.

If Nursing Home Abuse Occurs

Nursing home abuse is an awful thing to deal with, and facilities that employ abusive tactics toward residents, or put profits before patients must suffer the consequences of this behavior. The long term care industry is a necessary one, as most of us are not qualified to care for our elderly loved ones when they get too sick to care for themselves. This industry needs to be one we can trust in. If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need the help of a nursing home abuse 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 help you get the compensation you deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Sparks Campaign

Omni CEO Avery Eisenreich is under some intense fire, including allegations of nursing home abuse, as it’s been recently discovered that Omni Nursing homes in New Jersey have some of the worst bed sore percentages in the state. An Omni home in Rochelle Park, NJ provided the kind of abusive and negligent care that resulted in 45% of it’s short stay residents developing bedsores.

Homes within the Omni chain include Bristol Manor,Rochelle Park; Castle Hill, Union City; Harbor View, Jersey City; Palisade, Guttenberg; Cedar Hill, Cedar Grove; Chancellor, Irvington; Chateau at Rochelle Park; Hudson Manor, Secaucus; Newport, Jersey City; Pope John Paul/St. Mary’s, Orange; Riverton, Rahway; Riverview, Paterson; Silver Care, Cherry Hill; and St. Cloud, West Orange.

The Campaign

New Jersey workers have launched a campaign regarding the bedsore rates and nursing home abuse in Omni nursing homes. The campaign employs television and radio ads, google ads, mobile billboards, and even a website. The campaign calls out Avery Eisenreich for his misspending of funds that have been alotted him for the purpose of improving quality of care, as well as improving pay rates and working conditions for his employees. In 2007, Omni made over 20 million dollars in profit. Eisenreich even received millions of dollars from New Jersey’s Nursing Home Quality of Care Improvement Fund intended for the betterment of care provided to residents at Omni nursing homes. All of this money seems to have been pocketed by Mr. Eisenreich, as no employee of his has received a raise in over two years, no new training programs were offered to those employees, and clearly, the quality of care has not improved.

Nursing Home Abuse Should Not be Ignored

This issue is a serious one, and unfortunately, not uncommon. The profit before people mentality seems to run rampant in the long term care industry. Omni’s home in Rochelle Park has put 45% of it’s short stay residents at risk for infection and death caused by bedsores. This kind of nursing home abuse can not be tolerated. If you or a loved one have been affected by nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need to contact a nursing home abuse attorney to help you receive the compensation you are owed. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call for free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380in Philadelphia.

BP Cuts Corners and Defective Well Causes Blast

New Jersey Attorneys - Defective Products — BP's defective well on the Transocean rig, Deepwater Horizon, causes an explosion that kills 11 people and causes the worst oil spill in US history.

Defective products are dangerous and potentially life threatening products that have either been designed, manufactured, or tested poorly or inadequately. Many deaths have resulted from defective products; products like cribs, toys, cars, and even clothing. Manufacturers of defective products that cause injury or death must be held accountable, which is why BP finds themselves in even hotter water. It’s been reported that BP’s negligence and desire to save money at the expense of thoroughness and safety directly resulted in the explosion on the Transocean rig “Deepwater Horizon,” which killed 11 workers and caused the biggest oil spill in United States history. They cut corners in 5 essential areas of preparation to save time and money.
However their shortcuts ended up proving more costly, time consuming, and above all, deadly. Lawmakers have faulted BP’s design of the oil well, the process they used to prepare a hole that was to be capped, their decision to skip testing the integrity of a very important cement sealer, the use of mud to clear gas from the well, and elimination of a final step to seal the well.

5 Areas of Defectiveness

Well Design

Five days prior to the blast, there was about 1200 feet of well that needed to be secured. The correct method for securing the remainder of the well would have been a tieback liner. This method would provide multiple barriers that would block the flow of gas that could trigger an explosion. BP decided that this method would be too costly and time consuming. Instead they used a “long string casing” (a single steel liner) that saved them at least 3 days and 7-10 million dollars. The casing was sealed in only two places, and did not provide the same protection against explosions that the proper method would have.

Centering the Casing

Centering the well casing reduces the risk of channel formation that could allow gas to flow up the well. On April 15th, BP informed Halliburton that they would use 6 “centralizers” on the well, when Halliburtons records showed that 21 “centralizers” were actually necessary. Objections were raised, but BP acted on none of them. On April 18th, a Halliburton account representative by the name of Jesse Gagliano reported that “the well is considered to have a severe gas flow problem.”

Cement Bond

The cement bond log is a test to assess the integrity of the seal. BP skipped this test prior to the explosion. Lawmakers said that skipping the test “may have been driven by concerns about expense and time,”. Conducting the test would have cost $128,000, while canceling the work was about $10,000, the lawmakers said.

Gordon Aaker, a failure analysis consultant with Engineering Services LLP in Houston, said it was “unheard of” not to conduct the test and called BP’s decision “horribly negligent.”

Mud Circulation

A widely used and recommended practice is to fill a well with weighted mud during the drilling process before cementing. This process takes about 12 hours and allows workers to check for gas leaks and eliminates debris. BP also decided to eliminate this step.

Lockdown Sleeve

A Lockdown Sleeve is a piece of equipment that holds the well’s casing in place. It works to prevent the casing from floating above the head of the well and letting gases build up. Both Transocean and Halliburton have stated that eliminating this step was a key procedural mistake on BP’s part.

Have You Been Affected by a Defective Product?

These five major errors have caused great loss to our gulf coast and to the families of the 11 workers that died in the blast. All of it so that BP could save some money. If you or a loved one have been injured by a defective product, don’t let the manufacturer get away with their negligence. Contact us 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.

RN Charged with Murder in Nursing Home Abuse Case

On Monday June, 7th, registered nurse Angela Almore was brought up on nursing home abuse charges involving the death of an alzheimer’s patient at the Britthaven senior care facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Almore, 44, was indicted on one count of second degree murder, and six counts of felony patient abuse. She was allegedly administering morphine to patients who were not prescribed the highly controlled substance used for pain management. Nine of the 25 patients in the alzheimers unit at Britthaven tested positive for morphine. Six of the victims were hospitalized, while 84 year old Rachel Holliday died February 16th.

Rachel Holliday and Nursing Home Abuse

No autopsy was performed on Holliday, but the medical examiner that reviewed her records determined “pneumonia related asphyxiation” her cause of death. It also determined that “morphine toxicity” was a contributing factor. It should be noted that military and workplace drug tests consider 2,000 nanograms per 1 milliliter of urine to be a positive test result. Holliday’s tests revealed her levels at 50,000 nanograms per milliliter.

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall does not believe there will be any other arrests in the case. “At this point, there is nothing to indicate that anyone else was involved,” he said.

Britthaven’s Response to Nursing Home Abuse

The North Carolina Nursing Home Licensure Section will be conducting it’s own investigation to determine if procedural violations may have played a part in the availability of the morphine to be used in events of nursing home abuse. Positive findings could result in penalties and fines for Britthaven, as well as procedure upgrades at their locations in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virgina.

Britthaven has placed all of the those working at the time of Holliday’s death on paid leave to begin an investigation. A patient’s family member believes that Britthaven is taking positive steps towards improvement.

Do You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing Home Abuse is becoming overwhelmingly prevalent in today’s long term care facility industry. These homes and care centers should be places we can trust with the well being of our elderly loved ones. Instead, they are becoming frightening and dangerous places to live. Rachel Holliday lost her life to crimes of nursing home abuse. The trend has to be haulted. We must do what we can to fight these corporations, and stop them from putting money before care.

If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by nursing home abuse, do not remain silent. The attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to help you get the compensation you are owed. Please contact us for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

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