A wrongful death lawsuit in Omaha named a Nebraska hospital responsible for the death of a child. The toddler, who was only 23-months-old, needed liver, pancreas, and small bowel transplants.  Unfortunately, she suffered an infection after the surgery and was given the drug heparin. Heparin is used to treat and prevent blood clots in the veins, arteries, or lungs.  The medication is also used to reduce the risk of blood clots before undergoing surgery. The parents filed the lawsuit because their child passed away at the center after … [Read more...]

A total of five people including two children were taken to a hospital after an accident Wednesday night on Old Percival Road in Columbia. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said a man was driving east on the road and a woman with three kids was coming from the opposite direction.   The Highway Patrol said the woman was turning left into a driveway when the wreck occurred.  It happened at 6:15 p.m. The crash caused the man's Nissan SUV to overturn. All five people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.  Police ticketed the woman … [Read more...]

Trampolines are a usually a source of entertainment and fun for children, but sometimes they are more dangerous than they seem. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, trampolines cause more than 100,000 injuries a year.  Most of these injuries happen to children under the age of 18 and occur right in your own backyard. The Today Show recently ran a story showing the dangers of trampolines.  It involved one young child who broke his leg in two places on the trampoline. Trampoline injuries are becoming more and more common with … [Read more...]

The retailer failed to report drawstrings that posed a strangulation and entanglement hazard in children's outerwear Read Full Consumer Safety Report The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on July 12, 2011 that Macy's Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $750,000. The penalty agreement has been conditionally accepted by the Commission. The agreement resolves CPSC reports that Macy’s knowingly failed to report to CPSC immediately, that the retailer had sold children's sweatshirts, … [Read more...]

The focus on patient safety and efforts to avoid medical malpractice in recent years has been on problems in hospitals rather than in outpatient settings such as doctors' offices and urgent-care centers. Hospitals have been the main target for malpractice investigations and have come under scrutiny for medication errors, hospital-acquired infections wrong-site urgeries. However, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that serious errors that result in malpractice awards also regularly take place in … [Read more...]

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Changzhou Globe Tool Group Co. Ltd. have voluntarily recalled about 20,000 Task Force 5-ton electric log splitters for potential amputation and laceration hazards. The CPSC announced the product recall on July 7, 2011. The recall was issued across the country after learning that the electric log splitters have a hydraulic arm that, during use, slides under the handle used to move the machine. A severe hazard is posed when people place their hands on the handle of the arm while the … [Read more...]

California authorities say a family of four died in a plane crash last week when a plane hit the ground first, then slid into the Watsonville Community Hospital's medical building, bursting into flames. The man who co-owned the plane that crashed said he knew the family from Santa Cruz.  David Houghton was in the plane with his wife, Dede, and their two children, Luke and Ryan, flying to a family reunion. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board say they do not know how the crash happened; but stated the plane did not … [Read more...]

A woman in North Carolina has filed a lawsuit against a Dentist in Durham alleging medical malpractice and battery. The woman claims she had 24 teeth pulled from her mouth instead of the 6 she agreed to have removed. Four years ago the then 18-year-old patient went to the Dental facility to have four wisdom teeth and two molars pulled.  However, when she woke up from the sedation, she realized she was missing the majority of her teeth. A few days after the surgery, the woman said she and her boyfriend called the dental facility to find … [Read more...]

An Iowa Interstate Railroad official does not believe a train ran over a teenager who was passed out between the rails in downtown Des Moines.  The accident left  the teenager with only minor injuries. The railroad's chief operating officer Mick Burkart said there is about 10 inches of space between a train and railroad ties, which is barely enough room for someone to lie underneath. Nevertheless, the 17-year-old  told police that's what happened Sunday night. He claims he got drunk and passed out, then woke up underneath the … [Read more...]

A woman in Massachusetts was hospitalized in a fuel gel accident that is the latest in a disturbing trend of exploding firepots. According to the Patriot Ledger, the woman was at a social gathering when she went to refill a pot of bug repellant fuel gel. But as she poured the fuel gel into the lit ceramic pot, the pot and gel exploded shooting flames onto her. The Ledger reported the woman’s clothes caught on fire and she suffered multiple burn injuries. She was taken to a hospital and was reportedly in good condition. The … [Read more...]