VT. Carbon Monoxide Wrongful Death/Personal Injury Lawsuit Settled

The Associated Press has announced the victims of carbon monoxide poisoning in Burlington, VT have settled out of court with the parties they named in their lawsuit.

Although not revealing the amount, the 23-year-old woman, who nearly died in the incident is said to be pleased with the settlement. The estate of her boyfriend, who died in the poisoning, also settled out of court.

In January 2005, carbon monoxide poisoning in the Redstone Apartments, which houses roughly 200 residents, killed one and sent nine others to the hospital. The investigation revealed a faulty boiler and a recalled pipe were to blame for the leak resulting in 40 times the normal level of carbon monoxide.

UVM students occupied most of the rooms of the apartment building, which did not have carbon monoxide detectors at the time of the incident.

Both families sued the building and maintenance companies of the Redstone Apartments and the installers of the heating boiler and pipe. […]

Dakota Urology Clinic Sued for $5 Million in Medical Malpractice

Five plaintiffs are asking for $5 million in damages from the Siouxland Urology Center in Dakota Dunes, SD. claiming negligence, medical malpractice, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In the 22 page class-action lawsuit the patients claim Siouxland Urology breached the standard of care by re-using certain disposable medical equipment which caused damages to the patients. Manufacturers recommend the equipment used in cystoscopy procedures be used only once. Siouxland Urology denies any unsterilized equipment ever came into direct contact with patients.

South Dakota Department of Health has ordered the Center to change its cystoscopy practices and the Center is offering a free blood test to check for HIV and Hepatitis for the 5,200 affected patients.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a form of medical negligence, you may have a medical malpractice claim. Our attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys are experienced and successful medical malpractice litigators and we fight to protect the rights of patients. […]

$3 million Settlement Reached in SC Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Misread CT scan causes death of young girl

A 29-year-old mother of three has reached a settlement agreement with six doctors at the Chester Regional Medical Center in South Carolina for medical negligence which caused her daughter’s death in 2005.

According to the lawsuit, the young woman sought medical help at the emergency room on three occasions for severe abdominal pain. The CT scan was misread the first two times. On her third trip to the emergency room, the doctors and surgeons found she suffered from a twisted bowel and performed surgery. They found her intestine was dead because the blood supply had been cut off. She died the night of her operation from her untreated medical condition.

The lawsuit alleges if the CT scan had been read correctly the first time at the emergency room, the condition could have been corrected and the young woman’s life would have been saved. […]

$11 Million Verdict Awarded For Death of Brain Injury Victim

Largest verdict awarded against assisted living facility in the United States

An Arizona jury has awarded $11 million to the widow of a 36-year-old man with traumatic brain injury who died after ingesting foreign objects at an assisted living facility.

The verdict included $2 million for the decedent, $5 million for the wife and $4 million in punitive damages. Attorneys in the case say it is the largest verdict ever awarded against an assisted living facility in the United States.

It is indeed tragic when a person with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) does not receive proper care. We at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are committed to handling claims of Pennsylvania individuals sustaining traumatic brain injury. We are committed to spending the time with you and your family members to gain a deep understanding for each and every way the injury has affected your life. […]

Never Means Never Under New Policy Under Medicare

Editor: In this world of skyrocketing health-care costs and financial crises, some good news has finally come to the average American consumer and taxpayer.

Last week, Medicare changed its rules to withhold payment for certain “never events” — medical mistakes that should never occur, such as administering the wrong blood type or leaving an instrument inside a surgical patient. Medicare also says it won’t pay for serious bed sores, injuries from falls and urinary tract infections caused by catheters, among other things. Four state Medicaid programs, including Pennsylvania, as well as several of the nation’s largest health insurers, are following suit.

It’s about time. Unlike any other service we consume, we have been living — and dying — with a U.S. health-care system that rewards mistakes and profits by making patients sicker. Hospitals that fail to prevent deadly post-operative infections, turning three-day stays into three-month stays, […]