In May, a bus crash on Interstate 95 resulted in the deaths of four people, with 54 injured. According to the police, the bus ran off the road and overturned, coming to rest upside down on its roof. (Reuters) In March, a bus also traveling on Interstate 95, this one returning to Manhattan from a […]
Congress Looks at Bus Safety Regulations Read More »
With every year, and every new portable device, the problem of DWD—Driving While Distracted—grows. North Carolina has already enacted a total ban on texting while driving, and on using a cell phone while driving for drivers under age 18. Should the ban on cell phone use while driving be extended to everyone? It’s one thing
Young Victim Pushes for Cell Phone Ban Read More »
Who has been looking at your medical records? According to an article in the News & Observer, you’ll soon be able to find out. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), medical records are supposed to be private and protected. Every time you go to see a new physician, you will be asked to
Are Your Medical Records Safe? Read More »
North Carolina’s consumer protection division fields questions and complaints about virtually any topic of interest to residents across the state. If you can buy it or use it in the state of North Carolina, the consumer protection division gets feedback about it. In total, the office received 21,879 complaints during 2010. That’s about 85 complaints each
North Carolina’s Top 10 Consumer Complaints Read More »
A disturbing article published in The New York Times reports that 92% of nursing homes employ one or more people who have been convicted of at least one crime…it amounts to 5% of all all nursing homes employees have had at least one criminal conviction. About half of nursing homes employ five or more people
Criminals Found Working At Nursing Homes Read More »
The ideal doctor is brilliant, caring, and infallible. Unfortunately, that ideal is impossible. At HensonFuerst Attorneys, we handle enough medical malpractice cases to know that doctors and hospitals make mistakes. Many times those “mistakes” could have been prevented if standard medical had been given, or if the hospital followed proper quality procedures. When serious, preventable
Patients and their families won a class action lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., which operates 22 assisted living facilities in California. Although the jury originally awarded $670 million, the case was settled for $50 million. Yes, it’s much less, but it also means that the patients will actually get compensation now, while they are
California Nursing Home Lawsuit Settled for Millions Read More »
Aging isn’t always dignified. That’s especially true for people with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease dismantles a person’s life piece by piece: short-term memory is the first to go, followed by long-term memory, recognition of family members, recognition of self, all cognitive abilities. In addition, a person loses physical capabilities–the ability to walk, to talk, to balance,
Dementia in Nursing Homes Requires Special Care…and Compassion Read More »
This week, Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed into law SB 326, a landmark nursing home safety reform bill. This legislation is designed to improve living conditions by increasing the number of nursing home inspectors and nursing staff, and increasing licensing fees. And–perhaps most important–there are provisions designed to reduce chronic violence that has been reported
Nursing Home Reform in Illinois Read More »
In 2004, 74-year-old nursing home resident Julia McCauley, who had dementia, was left unattended and without an alert device on her wrist. According to an article in the Boston Globe, Ms. McCauley “apparently wheeled herself through the double doors and fell down eight steps.” Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley attempted to prosecute the nursing home–Life
Massachusetts Court Denies Prosecution of Nursing Home Read More »