Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

March 17, 2014

College Fraternity Injuries Hazing, Death, and Liability

Serious injuries and fatal accidents have been linked to hazing rituals on college campuses nationwide. Fraternity organizations and college campuses can be held liability in some personal injury and wrongful death cases. Our personal injury attorneys in Boston are committed to representing victims and their families in cases involving hazing rituals. We know that every case is unique and involves competing stories and various facts and circumstances. Despite the challenges of fraternity hazing cases, our attorneys know how to investigate injuries to college students and will take every necessary step to hold accountable the individuals and entities identified as responsible.

In a recent Massachusetts case, the hazing death of a Baruch College Freshman was ruled a homicide. According to reports, the 19-year-old college freshman died following a traumatic head injury while pledging to become a member of Pi Delta Psi in December. The coroner ruled the death a homicide after the victim was blindfolded in a violent game and forced to carry a sand backpack while members jumped on him as he as trying to walk. At some point, the pledge went unconscious.
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March 15, 2014

Failure to Perform a C-Section and Birth Injury Malpractice

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The number of babies born by C-section has been steadily on the rise in the United States since 1996. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these numbers are up 60%. In Massachusetts, one in three women will now have a C-section, compared to one in five in 1997. The Department of Public Health published a report that showed C-sections were up from 10 percent of all births to now over 35% of all births in the United States.

While some of these surgeries are elected by the mother, others are opted for by obstetricians to prevent injury during childbirth. Despite the benefits and popularity of C-section, new guidelines are also urging doctors to reduce the number of C-sections performed to prevent serious injury or death to mothers and infants. The guidelines, published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, urge doctors to opt for vaginal delivery in the absence of any complications. The new guidelines also suggest that women should not be able to elect C-section before 39 weeks.

Birth injuries related to C- section have been on the rise; however, the failure to perform a timely C-section could also result in injury or death. Our Boston birth injury attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of patients who have suffered injury as a result of medical negligence. We will take the time to review the facts of your case and aggressively pursue maximum compensation on your behalf. In addition to representing clients in medical malpractice cases, we are also committed to raising awareness regarding birth injuries and risks to mothers.
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March 12, 2014

Boston Residents Want Repairs: Dangerous Intersection

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Residents faced with potholes, failed traffic signals, and other signs of disrepair may be put into serious danger. Municipalities, cities, and states are responsible for ensuring that roads are safe for travel. Now Boston residents are taking action to see that a part of the city is repaired to stop accidents from happening. According to CBS Local, South Huntington Ave. in Jamaica Plain is one of the most accident-prone blocks in Boston. Some residents are scared to walk on the sidewalk because of the likelihood of an accident or collision.

There are any number of reasons an intersection may be unsafe. Blind spots, improper traffic signals, and failed maintenance can make an intersection even more dangerous. Our Boston pedestrian accident attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of residents an helping clients recover compensation after an injury. In addition to helping victims and their families, we are committed to raising awareness to keep Boston streets safer for all residents.
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March 11, 2014

Prescription Drugs: Safe Patient Awareness Week

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Patients trust that their doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals are doing everything possible to keep them safe from harm. Unfortunately, a trend of over-prescribing painkillers has led to substance abuse and addiction. Safe Patient Awareness Week urges patients to be aware of potentially harmful drug prescriptions and long-term risks associated with drug use. The public awareness campaign also urges drugmakers, doctors, and other medical providers to make sure that patients are safely monitored while taking pharmaceuticals to prevent against addiction.

According to the National Safety Council, the number of prescription related deaths has risen 300% since 1999. There are 45 deaths every day in the United States that are related to prescription overdose. Our Boston personal injury attorneys are dedicated to raising awareness to prevent serious injury and wrongful death related to prescription overdose. We are also committed to protecting the rights of patients and their loved ones who have been impacted by dangerous drugs or irresponsible medical providers.
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March 10, 2014

Massachusetts Supreme Court Looks at Arbitration Agreements in Nursing Home Contracts

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Arbitration agreements are increasingly common in nursing home contracts. Arbitration agreements stipulate that if there is a dispute between the nursing home resident and the nursing home facility, it must be handled via binding arbitration rather than in a court of law. This can make it difficult for plaintiffs to pursue legal action to obtain full compensation in cases where a nursing home has failed to live up to patient obligations.

Arbitration agreements can seriously curtail the rights of nursing home residents, and are part of an effort by nursing homes to reduce the potential risk of liability they face. In other words, instead of stepping up and making sure that the homes actually do right by patients, nursing homes are instead trying legal tricks to make it harder for plaintiffs to get damages after they are hurt.
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March 4, 2014

More Proposed Malpractice Changes- Do They Miss the Mark?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Medical malpractice reform has been much discussed as a means of lowering healthcare expenditures, even though evidence has repeatedly suggested that malpractice is not a significant factor in driving costs.

Despite solid evidence that the vast majority of plaintiffs recover large malpractice payouts only in cases where they have been seriously injured, new proposals continue the fight to fix a system that is not really broken.

Recently, for example, an opinion article was published in Bloomberg View arguing for a “safe harbor” for doctors in malpractice suits provided they followed “evidence-based” protocols. The suggestion is that we should move away from a local customary-based practice standard and instead judge doctors based on whether they follow national practices that are more widely accepted.
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March 3, 2014

Boston Construction Accidents Often Caused by Falling Objects

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Falling or flying objects are a common hazard faced by construction workers.

In fact, our Boston construction accident lawyers note struck-by accidents are one of the four deadliest dangers found on construction sites, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

More than 25 percent of all deaths in construction are the result of struck-by accidents, which also account for about 10 percent of all occupational deaths.
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February 27, 2014

Could Balance Exercises Help You Prevent a Fall Injury?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Fall injuries are on pace to become a leading cause of trauma-related deaths in the United States, and falls currently cause thousands of people to get badly hurt in the Boston area each year. To help combat this problem, the Boston Globe recently published an article with some balance exercises that people could do to reduce their risk of a fall.

While these exercises may be helpful to some, the sad fact is that falls are often caused by the negligence or wrongdoing of others and not by anything that the victim did or didn’t do. Balance exercises only go so far to prevent a fall, especially among vulnerable populations. Property owners, and especially nursing home operators, have a duty to prevent falls from happening and should be held liable if they fail to live up to this obligation. A Boston injury lawyer can help victims who have been harmed by a fall to take legal action and pursue a claim for damages.
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February 25, 2014

Burn Injury Awareness Week Aims to Protect Kids

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In Massachusetts, Burn Injury Awareness week was held in early February to remind the public of the serious risks of burn accidents. While burns are most often attributed to fires, the reality is that fire is not the leading cause of burns in Massachusetts. Instead, as WWLP reports, the leading burn injury cause is hot liquids scalding kids under the age of five.

Young children and the elderly are generally considered to have the greatest risk of suffering a burn injury, although burns are also very common in certain workplaces as well. No matter what age someone is or how a burn happens, burn injuries have something in common: these injuries are often very painful and very expensive to treat. Prevention should be a top goal, and those who do sustain a burn injury should speak with a Boston injury lawyer for help as soon as possible to ensure they have the money they need for plastic surgery and other treatments.
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February 22, 2014

Discouraging C-Sections Could Affect Birth Injury Rates

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The number of caesarean sections has increased significantly in recent years, in part because of doctor concern about potential malpractice claims. A woman who is in labor too long could experience serious complications and extended labor could cause birth injuries to infants. Cesarean sections are viewed as a solution that reduces the potential for problems from long labors and protects doctors from being sued for failure to act on signs of fetal or maternal distress.

Now, however, the Boston Globe is reporting that two prominent medical groups have issued new guidelines to encourage more vaginal births. The guidelines are encouraging doctors to allow first-time mothers to stay in labor for longer and to push harder to try to increase the number of infants born without resorting to a C-section. While these new guidelines could actually result in better outcomes for parents and children, it is also essential that doctors carefully monitor all labors to ensure that they don’t endanger the life of the child.

Families affected by birth injuries should consult with an experienced Boston birth injury lawyer. Conditions such as Cerebral Palsy can be caused by a difficult birth and can affect a child for the rest of his life, so it is important for families to be fully compensated for birth injury.
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