What is Malpractice?
Malpractice is, “Any professional misconduct, unreasonable lack of skill or fidelity in professional or fiduciary duties, evil practice, or illegal or immoral conduct.” (Black’s Law Dictionary 1111. 4th Ed. Rev. 1968). It refers to negligence or misconduct by a professional that eventually leads to a client or patient being injured or damaged.
Malpractice is commonly referenced in the medical sense. However, malpractice exists in other professions such as accounting and law. Medical malpractice may involve a doctor giving the wrong diagnosis or botching a surgery, resulting in direct harm. Legal malpractice could involve a lawyer mishandling a case due to incompetence or neglect, resulting in their client losing out on financial gains or wrongfully spending time in prison.
Malpractice cases are usually resolved with legal proceedings where the plaintiff seeks monetary compensation from the accused professional. They depend on the proof that the plaintiff was not only harmed, but that the malpractice by the professional was the direct cause. This process is meant to hold professionals accountable for their actions, and protect innocent individuals from the consequences of negligence and misconduct. In cases where professionals are found to commit malpractice, such as Gregory v. McInnis et al, they are often restricted from practicing in that specific field again.
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Parents Urged to Keep Button Batteries Out of Kids’ Reach
In March we published an article regarding the choking hazards posed to children that swallow “Buckyballs,” or small, round magnets from an adult stress-relieving desk toy. Now, health officials are targeting a new choking hazard for children – “button batteries.”
“Button batteries” are common, coin-sized batteries that are found throughout the house. These batteries are found in electronic games and toys, flashlights, calculators, remote controls, key fobs and even in electronic greeting cards. Unfortunately, children find the small, shiny objects appealing and are swallowing the batteries, holding them in their mouths, or inserting them in their ear canal or nasal cavity.
According to a study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy, an estimated 65,788 patients under 18-years-old have visited a hospital emergency room due to a battery-related exposure incident between 1990 and 2009. That equates to nearly 3,289 battery-related emergency room visits annually. […]
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Young Drivers In Denial That Distracted Driving Affects Them
Just last week we reported on a study from the University of Leeds that found drivers with just one hand on the wheel that are engaged in a “secondary task” are at increased risk of an accident. Now, researchers at Bridgestone Americas report that while teenage drivers realize distracted driving is dangerous, they don’t see everything that takes one hand off the wheel as a distraction.
The survey, that underscores the findings by those at the University of Leeds, found that even though many teenagers and young adults claim they understand distracted driving, they are in denial that it affects them. In fact, one-third of those surveyed admit to reading text messages while driving, and nearly 25% surveyed do not believe that talking on the phone while driving is dangerous.
The company surveyed 2000 drivers aged 15- to 21-years-old. Among the findings, […]
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Children Left in Parked Cars at Risk for Heatstroke
In anticipation of another hot summer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has kicked off a campaign warning Americans of the dangers of leaving children unattended in a hot car. The NHTSA reminds adults that children left alone in a car, even in the most moderate temperatures, can be seriously injured or die from the heat in the vehicle.
To educate the public, the NHTSA announced its first-ever national campaign to prevent child heatstroke deaths in cars, urging parents and caregivers to think “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.”
The NHTSA reports that 33 children died due to hyperthermia (heatstroke) in 2011. Two children have died due to hyperthermia thus far this year. According to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, since 1998 there have been at least 529 vehicle-related hyperthermia deaths. More than half of the deaths occurred in children under 2 years of age, […]
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PA Drivers: Keep Both Hands on the Wheel!
Studies on distracted driving seem to be dominating the news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 15 people die, and 1,200 more are injured, nationwide every day due to an accident caused by a distracted driver. While cellphone use is the primary focus of distracted driving campaigns, a new study found that when a driver has just one hand on the steering wheel the risk of an accident increases.
In a study conducted using a driving simulator in Great Britain, researchers at the University of Leeds found that people who eat while driving have a reaction time that is 44 percent slower than those who have both hands on the wheel. The report, “Two Hands are Better Than One,” also found that drivers who sip coffee while behind the wheel are 22 percent slower in their reaction speed and were 18 per cent more likely be unable to maintain a steady central lane position. […]
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Pennsylvania’s Bike Safety Law In Effect
March saw the enactment of Pennsylvania’s anti-texting law. Continuing the effort to improve safety for all Pennsylvania residents riding the state’s highways, Governor Tom Corbett enacted another safety law in April – the bike safety law. Noting that biking is great exercise and an efficient mode of transportation, state Rep. Ron Miller, R-York sponsored the law that went into effect April 2.
“We need to do all that we can to promote the activity and protect bike enthusiasts through legislation that makes it safer for them to enjoy their sport,” said Miller in an article in the Morning Call.
The bike safety law requires motorists to leave a 4-foot “cushion of safety” when passing a bicyclist. The motorist can cross the center line when passing the cyclist as long as it is safe. In addition, the new law calls for bicyclists “to use all reasonable efforts to avoid impeding the normal flow of traffic.” […]
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