Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys encourages increased awareness of suicide prevention

September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention to raise awareness that suicide can be prevented. The tragic death of Robin Williams has drawn the nation’s attention to the topic of suicide. The outpouring of grief for Williams has including extensive conversations on the topics of mental health and suicide prevention. It was reported that Williams was battling severe depression when he took his own life.

Suicide Rate is Increasing

Suicide is an increasing public health concern. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported that in 2011, the most recent year for which data are available, 39,518 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in America. It is estimated that one person will die as the result of suicide every 13 minutes in the U.S. The vast majority suffers from some sort of clinical depression or another mental illness, […]

Personal injury lawyer warns about aviation dangers

Just this past weekend, two people were killed in a small plane crash in New Hampshire, five in a small plane crash in Colorado, one in Florida, two in Texas, and one off the coast of Virginia among others.

An investigation by USA Today that was reported in the publication this summer talked about the lack of safety and hidden defects linked to small aircraft crashes. USA Today reported that nearly 45,000 people have been killed in crashes of small airplanes and helicopters since 1964. While federal investigators are often quick to blame pilots, USA Today found many instances in which defective parts and dangerous designs were the cause of crashes, deaths, and injuries. The USA Today investigation found that many defects have persisted as manufacturers covered up problems, failed to fix defects and lied to regulators. Apparently, some defective parts remained in use for decades, […]

Personal injury lawyer recommends steps to take if you are the victim of medical malpractice

Attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys represented an estate and a widow in a medial malpractice case against a hospital in the death of her husband. The suit claimed that the hospital’s nurse did not follow hospital policies nor the surgeon’s orders when she administered a medication when it was not indicated, causing the death of the patient. Last week, a jury awarded the patient’s estate $1.5 million in the medical malpractice case.

According to an article in Pro Publica, a study in a current issue of the Journal of Patient Safety reports that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year who go to the hospital for care suffer some type of preventable harm that contributes to their death. That would make medical errors the third leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease and cancer. […]

How to Protect Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A scare at a Dunmore, PA hotel this past weekend brought attention to the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. According to WNEP News, 200 people were evacuated from the Dunmore Best Western after police said a furnace in the hotel malfunctioned. The Scranton Times reported that between 20 and 30 were taken to area hospitals to be evaluated for possible CO inhalation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that every year, nearly 500 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning. CO is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled.

Where is Carbon Monxide Found

CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by fuel-burning space heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, water heaters, fireplaces, portable generators, wood-burning stoves, and car and truck engines. […]

Community Health Systems hacked, affecting many in NEPA

Hackers broke into Community Health Systems, stole data on 4.5 million patients

Community Health Systems, the owner of Moses Taylor and Regional Hospitals in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre General, Tyler Memorial near Tunkhannock and First Hospital in Kingston, announced Monday that it was the target of a cyber attack.

Community Health Systems operates 206 hospitals across the country, including those mentioned locally. The company said that hackers broke into its computers and stole data on 4.5 million patients. According to reports on Fox News, they believe the attack originated in China.

CNN reported that the hackers gained access to names, social security numbers, addresses, birth dates and phone numbers, which is considered a breach under HIPPA. Anyone who received treatment from a physician’s office tied to a network-owned hospital in the last five years, or was merely referred by an outside doctor may be affected. […]