Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

According to a new study, the “July Effect” is real. Not only is July the month when medical school graduates are most likely to begin their residencies in teaching hospitals, but, it is also when teaching hospitals see a 10% rise in deadly medication mistakes. It is important to note, however, that the study, only suggests but doesn’t confirm that the new medical residents are to blame for these errors. There may be no link between the two at all.

Common reasons why a new medical resident might make a medical mistake:
• Professional inexperience
• Lack of sleep
• Fatigue from working 36-hour shifts
• Unfamiliar with hospital setting environment

The study, which can be found in the latest issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, was conducted by researchers at the University of California at San Diego who investigated over 62 million US death certificates between 1979 and 2006. 244,388 of the fatalities involved medication errors that occurred in hospitals. The statistics showed that except for at teaching hospitals in July, the chances of a medication mistake happening on any other month was relatively the same. Medication deaths involving unexpected allergic reactions and those that occurred outside hospitals were not included in the study.

In recent years, many teaching hospitals have put into place better supervision, policies to prevent medical mistakes caused by sleep deprivation, and other safeguards.

Regardless of which medical professional makes a medication error, this type of mistake can cause health complications, allergic reactions, and even death. Any type of medical mistake that causes personal injury or wrongful death to the patient can be grounds for a Washington DC medical malpractice lawsuit.

The 'July Effect': Worst Month For Fatal Hospital Errors, Study Finds, ABC World News, June 3, 2010

Hospital Errors: Be Wary Of The 'July Effect' (VIDEO), The Huffington Post, June 4, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Journal of General Internal Medicine

Teaching Hospitals, AAMC

Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog

Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

Continue reading " Washington DC Medical Malpractice?: July is Worst Month for Deadly Medication Mistakes at Teaching Hospitals " »

As loved ones and friends gathered on Tuesday to mark the one year anniversary of the deadliest DC Metro train crash in the Metrorail’s history, the attorneys for eight of the families gathered in court to file a motion opposing Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s petition, submitted last month, to dismiss their Washington DC wrongful death complaint on the grounds that because WMATA is a “quasi-government entity” it has “sovereign immunity.” The family of one of the victims, train operator Jeanice McMillan, is not included in the legal action.

The plaintiffs have accused WMATA of bearing no responsibility for the deadly Red Line crash that killed nine people and injured at least 70 others when one Metro train rear-ended the back of another train last June. One train ended up on top of the other, and firefighters had to cut open train cars to rescue some of the victims.

Metro contends that filing the “partial” motion to dismiss is standard and routine in a Washington DC wrongful death lawsuit. It says that it hopes that the case will be “resolved or tried as soon as possible.” The civil trial is tentatively scheduled for September 2011 but Metro wants it delayed until 2012.

Meantime, the National Transportation Safety Board plans to review its final report of its probe into the deadly DC train accident in July. NTSB also says it has made progress in its investigation into three other Metro train crashes.

In February, a Metro train’s front wheels derailed at the Farragut North Station. In January, two maintenance workers died when they were run over by a hi-rail truck that backed into them. In November, a train operator and two cleaning crew workers sustained minor injuries when a train struck a stopped train at a rail yard.

Grief, bitterness at ceremony marking year anniversary of D.C. Metro crash, Washington Post, June 23, 2010

Families: Metro wants suit dismissed, Washington Post, June 22, 2010

NTSB Plans July Meeting On Metro Train Crash Probe, My Fox, May 20, 2010

D.C. Metro Remembers Victims of Its Deadliest Crash, Infozine.com, June 23, 2010

Related Web Resources:

Washington DC Metro Train Accident Death Count Goes Up to 9 Fatalities, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, June 24, 2009

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authorityy

National Transportation Safety Board

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the most dangerous time for drivers in the 15 – 20 age group—not to mention that car crashes are the number one cause of all teen fatalities. Traffic safety experts say that one reason for the increase in teen traffic deaths during this time of the year is that with school out many teenagers have more free time on their hands without parental supervision and later curfews. All of these factors can lead to more hours spent on the road at night, a period of day where teens are at higher risk of crashing their motor vehicles.

Summer parties and more social outings can also turn underage drinking into a greater concern now than during the regular school year. According to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, which combats underage drinking and drunk driving in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, there is a 50% increase in teen drunk driving fatalities during the summertime.

Steps that teens can take to prevent injury to themselves or others in a Washington DC traffic crash:

• Don’t drink and drive
• Don’t talk on the cell phone or text message while driving
• Avoid driving late at night or when you are tried
• Obey the speed limit
• Wear your seat belt

It is important that parents supervise their teens’ driving habits, while making sure that they are educated about the dangers of careless and reckless driving. Motorists can be held liable for Washington DC personal injury or wrongful death in the event that their negligence hurts or kills another person.

Teen driver risks in high gear over summer, USA Today, June 21, 2010

Summer Months Deadliest for Teen Drivers, Washington Regional Alcohol Program, May 25, 2010 (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Teen Driving

Teen Drivers, CDC

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Continue reading " With Summer Here There Are Steps Teen Drivers Can Take to Avoid Causing Washington DC Car Accidents " »

According to a new report, the local governments in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia are doing a good job in their efforts to crack down on distracted driving. The report from the Governors Highway Safety Association is called "Curbing Distracted Driving: 2010 Survey of State Safety Programs.”

The report notes that combating distracted driving has become a priority for many states, with many of them enacting tougher laws and coming up with more education programs and media campaigns to educate people about the dangers of driving while distracted. The District (along with Maryland and 42 other state) also now make it a point to collect distracted driving data when Washington DC motor vehicle crashes occur. Also, Washington DC now includes the issue of distracted driving in its driver education classes and driver’s license test, while using social networking sites to make known the dangers of cell phone talking and texting while driving.

The GHSA’s report, however, does note that more effort across the board needs to be made to get teenagers to become more aware that distracted driving is dangerous. Seeing as multi-tasking while driving is dangerous for even the most experienced drivers, it is important that teens, who have the least amount of experience when it comes to operating a motor vehicle, have their full attention on the task at hand so that they don't increase their chance of injury or death.

Distracted driving has fast become a leading cause of US car crashes—especially with the so many people using cell phones to talk and text while driving. According to AAA, distracted driving is a cause of about 3 million auto accidents each years.

Our Washington DC car accident lawyers know how devastating it is to lose someone you love in a motor vehicle crash that could have been prevented were it not for other parties’ negligence.

Region's Distracted Driving Crackdown Gets High Marks, WJLA, June 16, 2010

Curbing Distracted Driving: 2010 Survey of State Safety Programs, GHSA

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

AAA Exchange

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Continue reading " Washington DC Stays Vigilant in Fight to Prevent Distracted Driving Accidents " »

Too much of anything isn’t always good for you. In an article by AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard, she talks about how medical overtreatment can sometimes do a patient more harm than good.

Neergaard says that up to one-third of medical tests and treatments are unnecessary, including:

• Controversial fetal monitors that mistakenly indicate that a baby is in distress. These inaccurate results can lead to unnecessary C-sections.
• Subjecting a patient to too many CT scans can increase his/her cancer risk
• Unnecessary stents given to patients with blocked heart arteries can increase the chance of health complications
• Prescribing antibiotics for illnesses that can't be treated with medication
• Giving a patient too much anesthesia
• Prescribing multiple drugs can increase the likelihood of adverse drug reactions

Medical overtreatment refers to giving a patient more medical care than he/she required. In many cases, the outcome ends up the same or worse for the patient than if he/she had been given enough rather than too much medical care. Patients who experience medical overtreatment may have undergone unnecessary, invasive, painful and medical procedures and tests that could have been easily avoided if only the patient received the right amount of medical care.

Washington DC Medical Malpractice
If you or your loved one has suffered because a medical provider made a medical mistake, did not provide you with the proper medical tests or medications, wrongly diagnosed your condition, or administered too many tests or treatments that were unnecessary, you may be able to pursue Washington DC medical malpractice recovery from the liable parties.

Overtreated: More Medical Care Isn't Always Better, ABC News, June 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Medical Malpractice, Nolo

Medical Malpractice, Insurance Information Institute

Continue reading " Can Providing A Patient with Too Much Medical Care Be Grounds for a Washington DC Medical Malpractice Lawsuit? " »

Wiring and brake issues that can pose a safety hazard are prompting Chrysler to recall nearly 600,000 Jeep Wranglers and minivans in the United States. Chrysler is also recalling another 100,000 motor vehicles abroad.

Included in the recall are 288,968 Jeep Wranglers (2006 – 2010 models) over a possible auto defect that can cause brake fluid to leak. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that partial brake loss can occur if the Jeep’s front inner fender liners rub against the brake fluid tubes and a leak happens. The automaker is also recalling 284,831 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans (2008 & 2009 models) over a wiring problem that can cause a fire to brake out inside the sliding doors. According to Chrysler Group LLC, there are to date no reports of injuries and car accidents related to these auto defects. However, it was just last week that Chrysler recalled 35,000 Dodge Calibers and 71 Jeep Compasses because of a possible sticky gas pedal problem similar to the issue that has affected millions of Toyota vehicles.

Washington DC Auto Products Liability
Our Washington DC auto products lawyers want to remind any victims and the families of those killed in car crashes caused by defective auto parts that you do have legal options that can allow you to pursue the maximum recovery possible from a liable automaker. Car manufacturers are entrusted with making motor vehicles that are safe for use and when they fail to fulfill this duty, serious injuries and deaths can result.

Examples of potentially dangerous auto defects:

• Sticky gas pedals
• Ill-fitting floor mats
• Brake problems
• Accelerator defects
• Roof crush
• SUV rollover
• 15-passenger van rollovers
• Engine defects
• Tire defects
• Door latch failure
• Seatbelt failures
• Seatback collapses
• Airbag defects
• Window defects

Chrysler recalls nearly 700,000 minivans and Jeeps, citing brake and wiring problems, Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2010

Chrysler Recalls Dodge Caliber Over Sticky Pedals, MoneyNews, June 4, 2010

Related Web Resources:
NHTSA

Office of Defects Investigation, Safercar.gov

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog