Sokol & Associates, P.C.FindLaw IM Template2024-01-17T15:44:25Zhttps://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1201496/2020/04/cropped-ID-32x32.jpgOn Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=497932024-01-17T15:44:25Z2024-01-17T15:44:25ZInternal injuries usually involve internal bleeding
For example, someone who hits the steering wheel with their stomach or whose safety belt stops them from flying out of the vehicle in a high-velocity crash could have severe internal bleeding in their abdomen. Bleeding in the torso is also possible, as is internal bleeding within the skull.
Trauma to the head or violent motions that shake the brain inside the skull can lead to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that could put someone's life in danger. Internal injuries often slowly grow worse over time after the initial trauma. If people do not receive a prompt diagnosis, they could be at risk of worsening symptoms. In some cases, internal bleeding can reach a point where someone's life is at risk.
It is also possible for someone to have stable injuries that they overlook at first. A stable fracture remains aligned after the bone breaks, allowing someone to use the affected body part at least a bit. It might be days later as their pain worsens or after they experience a secondary trauma, like losing their balance on a stairway, that they realize they had a broken bone the whole time. Even a spinal cord injury can be stable and prone to worsening if someone experiences a secondary trauma.
Therefore, individuals involved in high-speed or particularly violent crashes may need to go to a medical facility for a thorough evaluation to check for internal injuries. Learning about the potential medical risks of a car crash can be beneficial for anyone who regularly travels in a motor vehicle.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=497922023-10-19T13:58:09Z2023-10-19T13:58:09ZAnesthesia mistakes
An anesthesiologist undergoes rigorous training to safely render someone unconscious or unable to feel pain. There are a variety of different medications that anesthesiologist can utilize, and they need to choose the best options given the procedure someone will undergo and their personal medical history. Unfortunately, anesthesiologists can make mistakes such as mixing up two drugs or administering the wrong dose, which could very well lead to tragic consequences.
Mistakes regarding the procedure itself
A surprising number of surgical errors involve major mistakes on the part of the medical professionals performing the surgery. Surgeons may make mistakes by performing a procedure on the wrong side of the body or the wrong body part. Sometimes, they may confuse their patients and perform the wrong procedure on a patient. Such errors can lead to catastrophic consequences for the patient, possibly including death or future ineligibility for the treatment that they should receive.
Retained foreign bodies
Surgeons usually have multiple professionals assisting them in the operating room, which should mean that oversights and gross errors are non-issues. However, surgeons across the country leave items inside patients while closing up their incisions with surprising frequency. The objects left behind in someone's body could include clamps and scalpels that present an immediate risk of physical injury to a patient's body. They might also leave behind sponges or gauze that could cause severe infection if not removed quickly.
Surgical errors can be very expensive to correct and can drastically affect someone's long-term prognosis. Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is a reasonable response to the realization that a surgeon or anesthesiologist has made a major mistake while providing patient care and caused harm as a result.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=497912023-07-21T10:03:24Z2023-07-21T10:03:24ZPediatric care costs more
Most people are aware that healthcare costs have risen substantially in recent years, but not everyone understands the trends related to those costs. Researchers have found that the costs for children's medical care have increased more rapidly than the costs for comparable care when the patient is an adult. Sometimes the difference is because children need additional care. A disfiguring wound might require multiple surgeries and procedures as a child continues growing. Additionally, even seemingly simple injuries, like broken bones, can have much more significant medical implications for young people whose bodies are not yet done growing.
Parents may lose wages to provide care
On the surface, a parental injury might seem like a more devastating and expensive experience because they would need to take a leave of absence from work. However, when a child is in the hospital or has major injuries, it is common for the adults in the family to take a voluntary leave of absence from employment so that they can provide care for the children instead of leaving them with retired family members or at a daycare facility. In extreme cases where a child suffers a spinal cord injury or brain injury that would forever affect their life, a parent may have to make the difficult choice to sacrifice their career entirely to stay home and provide support for the child.
Families that fail to account for the ways that injuries to a child may be different than the average injury claim may end up accepting an inappropriately low offer from insurance or foregoing a lawsuit when there are both losses and actual fault on the part of the other party to justify taking such action. Recognizing why car crash injuries for children can prove more costly for a family than injuries to adults may help a household better respond to the aftermath of a recent collision.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=497842023-04-17T19:15:47Z2023-04-17T19:15:47Zcommon types of HAIs include urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections and pneumonia. These infections mainly occur when healthcare workers fail to follow proper infection control protocols, exposing patients to bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.
Hospitals owe patients a duty of care
Hospitals and healthcare providers are legally obligated to provide their patients with reasonable care. This often involves protecting them from any foreseeable harm, which includes ensuring hygienic conditions at the health facility. Failure to do so in ways that indicate that providers are upholding professional standards of care may be a breach of the duty of care. If so, the offending healthcare provider could be held liable for the resulting harm suffered by the patient.
Proving negligence is crucial to getting justice
You may be entitled to compensation if you acquire an infection while receiving treatment or from a healthcare provider who failed to follow the proper safety procedures. However, you’ll need to prove how negligence or another form of substandard care led to your HAI.
If you would not have acquired the infection had you sought treatment in a different health facility, this reality could point to negligence. Still, it may be difficult to prove this situation accurately, which is why medical experts may have to be called in to shed further light on what could have led to your HAI.
Get help with your medical malpractice claim
Medical malpractice claims can get complicated due to the intricate nature of healthcare professional standards and the challenges associated with gathering evidence to support a case. Proving negligence is perhaps the most challenging bit of a medical malpractice claim. Individuals who have suffered preventable harm must also observe specific deadlines and follow the laid-down procedures for filing such a claim. Therefore, it is in your best interests to have strong legal representation in order to better ensure that your case is as solid as it can possibly be.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=497832023-01-12T21:07:45Z2023-01-12T21:07:45Zsuffer a TBI. This isn’t the case. The violent force of the impact can lead to the brain slamming into the skull, which can cause severe damage if the impact is hard enough. Because of this, anyone who’s involved in a crash should keep an eye out for symptoms of a brain injury.
#2: Symptoms might be delayed
The symptoms of a TBI might not occur right away. They may be delayed for days or weeks. Some of the more common symptoms of a TBI include:
Headache that doesn’t go away even with rest or medication
Changes in vision, including seeing spots or objects becoming blurry
Ringing in the ears
Altered sleep patterns, including inability to sleep or sleeping more
Mood swings that occur without warning
Difficulty with communication, including speech and hearing
Problems with short-term and long-term memory
#3: Working might be difficult or impossible
Suffering from a TBI can mean that you’re unable to work. Some people might be able to have their employer provide specific accommodations that enable them to do their job duties effectively. Still, the uptick in doctor’s appointments and other care needs might make working difficult.
Brain injuries always require immediate medical attention, which can be very costly. For individuals who are harmed by another person’s negligence, seeking compensation is possible. This is a way to recover the costs of medical bills, missed wages and other related expenses. Oregon sets time limits for these cases so be sure that you don’t wait too long to take legal action.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=496582022-10-14T19:43:21Z2022-10-14T19:43:21ZDiagnostic failure is a leading form of medical malpractice
When you look at the nationwide data related to diagnostic mistakes, it is clear that modern medicine fails many Americans. Roughly 12 million people every year experience some sort of noteworthy diagnostic error when seeking professional medical care.
Although many of those patients will go on to get the treatment they need or bounce back from undergoing the wrong care, some of them will suffer catastrophic consequences. Somewhere between 40,000 and 80,000 patients die annually in the United States as the result of a diagnostic error. Misdiagnosis and failed diagnosis are among the leading causes of medical malpractice deaths in the country.
Your rights when a doctor gets it wrong
Recovering from a diagnostic error may mean undergoing different treatment than you expected and incurring substantially more financial expense. Sometimes, patients negatively affected by a diagnostic mistake have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Families who have lost a loved one because of a diagnostic error may also have grounds for a claim against the medical professional or facility involved.
Identifying diagnostic mistakes after they occur can help families obtain justice for this common and sometimes deadly form of medical malpractice.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=496142022-07-15T00:05:16Z2022-07-15T00:05:16ZThe Doctors Company, obstetrics, pediatrics and orthopedics were the top three areas of medicine that were named in pediatric malpractice claims. The kinds of claims that may involve those departments could include:
Birth injury claims
Failure-to-diagnose claims
Claims about missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses
The people victimized in those claims were under the age of 21 (in most cases).
How many pediatric claims actually get paid out?
According to the study, around 37% of all of the 1,215 claims covered did result in a payout. In those cases, the mean indemnity payment was $630,456 and the mean expenses paid were listed at $157,592.
If you look closer by group, you’ll see that the highest mean expense was among neonates. The lowest payouts were made to teen claimants.
What are the most common neonatal patient injuries?
Based on the statistics, the most common injuries involved the brain (48%) and arms (19%). Other commonly injured areas included the legs and penis, and some cases involved blood damage of some kind.
In 13% of cases for neonatal patients, the patients passed away. This continues for other age ranges, though patients in their first year of life were much more likely to pass away based on the study. Deaths in the first year of life jumped to 30% compared to 15% for children between 1 and 9 and 13% for teenagers.
What was the most common complaint about the medical services?
Looking at the claims, the most common complaint about the services came down to:
Obstetrics-related treatments for neonates
Failed, wrongful, or delayed diagnoses for all other groups
As a parent, knowing that your child could be a victim of medical malpractice is a devastating thought. If your child has been hurt or passed away from delayed diagnoses or other errors, you deserve an opportunity to seek support and take action. You may be able to seek compensation for what your child has gone through.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=496132022-04-13T20:27:40Z2022-04-13T20:27:40ZYou can travel a long way while looking down at your phone
According to federal data about distracted driving, you travel a much bigger distance than you might guess when you look down to read that text message. If you spend just five seconds looking at your phone while traveling at 55 mph, you will go approximately the length of a football field without looking at the street in front of you.
You won't notice in time if an animal or a child darts into the road or the driver in front of you slams on their brakes. Additionally, you will have a cognitive hangover even after you put your phone down that will last for nearly half a minute. Your ability to refocus on traffic conditions isn't instant, and it takes time for your brain to focus on the tasks involved with safe driving.
Every time you look down at your phone, you distract your brain and put yourself at risk of missing major changes in front of you.
Distracted drivers are everywhere
Once you understand how dangerous reading a text could be, you may make more of an effort to ignore your phone while out on the road. However, there is no guarantee that the people sharing the streets with you are as responsible as you are. If you get hurt by someone distracted at the time of the wreck, you may be able to file a claim against their insurance or even take them to civil court.
Being able to identify possible warning signs of distracted driving in other vehicles and knowing your rights if it affects you will improve your safety on the road.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=495842022-01-04T21:00:49Z2022-01-04T21:00:49Zmedical mistakes. It’s up to you to stop them if they are calling you by the incorrect name or if you see that they’re trying to give you a medication that you haven’t ever heard of. You deserve clarity before receiving any treatment and should always be informed.
What kinds of questions should you ask your doctor or nurse?
When you’re working with a new doctor or nurse, it’s a good idea to have some simple questions ready for them. Ask if they are familiar with working with patients with your diagnosis (if you have one). Ask questions about a diagnosis or test they’re giving you, so you know what to expect.
If you’re not sure about something that’s happening, you have a right to a second opinion. You also have a right to refuse treatment in some cases.
Advocating for yourself helps prevent medical errors
When you take control and responsibility for your own health history, you can help prevent some serious errors. You may notice that you didn’t receive a medication on time. You may speak up and say that the mark on your leg for surgery is on the wrong side. You might even say that you never received your allergy wristband even though you have serious reactions to certain drugs.
Speaking up and pointing out errors, no matter how small, will put you in a better position and greatly reduce the likelihood of errors. While errors should never occur, doctors and other medical staff are human. You can play a role in helping them avoid errors and keeping yourself safe.]]>On Behalf of Sokol & Associates, P.C.https://www.sokolandassociateslaw.com/?p=495712021-10-11T18:15:27Z2021-10-11T18:15:27Z91,000 report serious injuries. In other words, while car crashes are a major source of child deaths, your car isn't where your child is the most likely to get hurt.
Where are your children most at risk of a serious injury?
Where children play, they also get hurt
Play is a big part of how children develop their physical abilities and personalities. While out on the playground with other children, your kid will learn social rules. They will also attempt to perform increasingly difficult physical tasks, starting with going up the stairs and down the slide and culminating in swinging from the monkey bars.
Failure at any of those tasks might lead to a serious injury. Every year, roughly 200,000 children go to the emergency room in the United States because of injuries they suffered on a playground. Over the course of 10 years, almost 150 children will likely die on playgrounds. It's worth noting that most injuries took place on public playgrounds, while most of those fatalities occurred at home or private playgrounds, like those in the yard of a daycare provider.
You may have to pursue an insurance claim against the school or the daycare facility to recover your medical expenses, as health insurance likely won't pay a claim for care if they believe premises liability plays a role.
Minimizing risks shouldn't mean isolating your children
Yes, playgrounds are dangerous, but they are also where your children will learn so much and find exciting ways to challenge themselves. Although playgrounds can lead to injuries, that doesn't mean you should tell your children that they cannot go play on the slides.
Instead, it means that it's important for you and them to be aware of their physical limitations and to know your rights in case anything does happen. Knowing how to cover the medical bills when your children get hurt will make it easier for you to be an advocate for them during their recovery.]]>