Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

April 5, 2015

Non-Profit Camp for Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors

Head injures are among the most serious types of personal injuries suffered. Those who are fortunate to survive a traumatic brain injury may be left dealing with physical and mental disabilities, which may affect them for the rest of their lives. These victims will require years of treatment and rehabilitation.

According to a recent article from the Washington Times Reporter, a non-profit group is working to raise funds to send head injury victims to a camp where they can have a more enjoyable time during the rehabilitation process.

At noted in the article, head injuries are caused by a variety of different types of accident and injuries. At around 40 percent, the vast majority of head injury, including traumatic brain injury, is a result of a fall accident. If you have been injured in a fall accident in the greater Boston area, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer to see if you have a premises liability case.

April 3, 2015

Young Children Suffered Burn Injuries at Amusement Park

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from IJReview, a family was at an amusement park in Phoenix, Arizona when their two children were injured on a boat ride. The two boys were riding bumper boats when their boat broke down. A park employee attempted to restart the boat’s motor, when the gas tank burst into flames, and a massive fireball erupted from the engine, causing the two boys to suffer second-degree burns.

Park managers have a released a statement expressing their condolences to the family for any pain and suffering experienced by the child and said they are investigating why the fire occurred and are speaking with the ride’s manufacturers about what went wrong with the boats.
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April 1, 2015

Burlington, Mass. Daycare Provider Charged in Murder of Child

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In yet another recent example of a tragic injury occurring to child by a daycare provider, Wicked Local Burlington reports the operator of an unlicensed daycare facility near Woburn was recently charged in connection with the death of a child in her care, which occurred last year.

Authorities say approximately one year ago, a mother left her six-month-old daughter with a neighbor who regularly provided daycare services for families in the area at her home.

Later that afternoon, defendant called mother and informed her that her daughter had stopped breathing. When mother arrived, she saw defendant performing CPR on the child, who was still lying still and non-responsive. Mother quickly called 911. Defendant told first responders baby was unresponsive after she vomited following being fed.
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March 31, 2015

Daycare Operator Charged in Shaken Baby Case

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from the Washington Post, the operator of a daycare facility has been arrested and charged in connection with what is believed to be a shaken baby injury to a nine-month-old child.

Witnesses say victim dropped her daughter off at the daycare center before going to work. Later that afternoon, daycare owner called 911. When first responders arrived, daycare owner allegedly told EMTs she gave the baby her bottle and placed her in a swing. She said the baby started to cry, but quickly stopped, so she assumed infant had fallen asleep. She went to answer a knock at the front door, and when she returned a few minutes later, the child wasn’t breathing. At this point, she told EMTs she performed CPR on the baby and got her to breathe again.

EMTs took the baby to Children’s National Medical Center, where doctors tell a different story. Court records show doctors saying infant had bleeding above two halves of her brain and the pattern of injuries suggest child was not breathing for an extended period of time. Hospital records indicate the baby was in the moderate to severe end of the spectrum used to quantify the severity of shaken baby syndrome.
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March 29, 2015

Brady v. Urbas: Informed Consent in Medical Malpractice Cases

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Brady v. Urbas, a case from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, involved plaintiff who suffered from long-term foot problems. Her foot issues were due to toe deformities.

Plaintiff had been going to the same podiatrist for years, and he was successfully able to perform surgical procedures to treat the problems with her left foot. At this point, he continued to treat the deformed toes on her right foot.

Plaintiff’s primary problem on her right foot was a medical condition known by doctors and patients as hammertoe. Hammertoe in her second toe caused her middle toe to rise, so it was sitting above the natural plane of the sole of her foot. This made it extremely painful when wearing shoes.
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March 27, 2015

Keys v. Alta Bates Summit Med. Ctr.: Medical Malpractice Claims

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Keys v. Alta Bates Summit Med. Ctr., an appeal from the California Court of Appeal, involved a woman who was fatally injured during a surgical procedure on her thyroid. On the morning of the injury, patient’s daughter and sister took her to the hospital early in the morning. The surgery was completed in what doctors believed to be a successful manner and transferred patient to the postoperative recovery unit.

While in recovery, a nurse observed plaintiff’s breath to be noisy at 6:45 p.m. Nurse believed this noise was caused by a stridor, which involves an obstruction to the upper airway. The nurse called a code for a rapid assessment team to come and check on patient’s condition at 6:46 p.m., and the team arrived at 6:48 p.m. This team was made up of a respiratory therapist and an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse. The team left patient’s room at 6:57 p.m.

While the respiratory code team was in patient’s room, they called her surgeon at 6:50 p.m. and informed him about her respiratory issues. Surgeon arrived at some time before 7 p.m. Once there, he attempted to reposition patient and suction her nose and mouth. He then tried to remove her bandages and sutures to relieve pressure, and she stopped breathing at 7:23 p.m.
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March 25, 2015

Hodson v. Taylor: Premises Liability Claims

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Hodson v. Taylor, a case from the Supreme Court of Nebraska, involved plaintiff who was injured in a lake accident. Plaintiff and group of friends were invited to lake house owned by the parents of a member of group. All members of the group were around 18 at the time of the accident.

The family owned a pontoon boat, which the teens took out on the lake. The teens had each consumed several beers and would drive the boat to a location where they would jump into the water several times and swim around. After going to a few locations in the lake and engaging in these activities, the boat made a stop at the group’s final location. At this point, members of the group jumped off the boat repeatedly and swam around in the lake.

At one point, plaintiff jumped off the pontoon boat and hit an object he believed to be the bottom of the lake. None of the teens were sure of the lake’s depth at the time of his injury, but they all reported they swam without touching the bottom. Hitting the object in the lake was the last thing plaintiff remembered from that day.
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March 23, 2015

Unlicensed Child Care Provider Charged in Child Death

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent report from Fox News, a judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of woman who ran an unlicensed childcare center in Indiana. While defendant did not have a license to run a daycare facility, it was within state law, because she was watching fewer than five children at a time.

Authorities allege defendant battered a child to death and then tried to cover his death up by claiming the child choked to death. The young victim was 19 months old at the time of his death.

Prosecutors say this is not the first time defendant has had issues with the law. In 2006, she was charged with neglect of a child in her care. In that instance, child’s mother went to police after her two-year-old was injured by a blanket that had become tied around her child’s neck. Fortunately, her child survived that incident.
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March 21, 2015

New England Ski Area Accident Injures Seven

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Skiing is a fun activity enjoyed by many throughout Massachusetts and the New England area, even with winter coming to an end in our area. Buses are still leaving from Boston to take skiers up to Maine for a weekend of skiing.

According to a recent news report from Fox News Springfield, seven people were injured in a chairlift accident. A mountain spokesperson said four of the injured were taken to taken to a local hospital for treatment, and first responders at the ski area attended to the other three.

According to reports, there were 200 skiers on the lift at the time of the accident. The lift was a “quad” designed to carry four riders on each chair, with multiple chairs suspended from a moving cable. For reasons still under investigation, the chairlift abruptly stopped moving up the ski slope and started to move backward.
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March 19, 2015

Special Needs Child Injured After Jumping from School Bus

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Parents of special needs children are often in the often stressful position of having to rely on others to take care of their loved one during the day. According to a recent news article from AZ Central, a special needs child was seriously injured when he jumped from a school bus in Phoenix, Arizona.

Witnesses say the 11-year-old boy suffered a serious head injury after he jumped from the moving school bus and is listed in extremely critical condition. The young victim was a student at a special academy connected with an elementary school. He was traveling with the bus driver and his personal aid when he apparently ran for the back door of the school bus.

When police responded to the scene of the morning accident, they provided immediate medical attention and transported victim to a local child trauma emergency room. This was not the first time victim had attempted to escape from the bus while it was moving, as he had also tried to go out the back door the previous Wednesday.
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