The ER is a daunting place – and lately, the anxiety of an unexpected health problem has been compounded by the hazards associated with overcrowding. ER visits across the country reached a 10-year high in 2015, and in 2016, there were 145.6 million ER visits, with 12.6 million of them leading to hospital admission. These numbers have a significant impact on quality of care – and the resulting mistakes and lack of adequate attention are putting patients at risk.

Continue Reading Hospital and ER Overcrowding Leads to Increased Patient Risk

A new study published by the medical journal The Lancet, has revealed that sepsis accounts for 1 in 5 deaths globally. Additionally, sepsis is the most common cause of deaths in the hospital in the United States. According to the study, it is estimated that there were 48.9 million cases of sepsis in 2017, resulting in 11 million deaths. The study also found that highest incidence of sepsis occurred in children and the elderly. This is concerning because sepsis is most dangerous for these populations.

Continue Reading Sepsis Accounts for 1 in 5 Deaths, Leading Cause of Death in Hospitals

What do you do if you believe a family member or a friend has become unable to care for themselves or their finances? This is a very stressful and troubling question that, unfortunately, many people end up asking themselves.

In some instances, the individual has an estate plan in place. This might include a power of attorney, or other directive, that indicates who will make important decisions for the individual in the event that they are unable to do so. Sometimes, there is no estate plan, but the individual does not have the capacity to execute estate planning documents, including a power of attorney. All is not lost.

Continue Reading Becoming a Guardian in Pennsylvania

Over the course of my career as a personal injury attorney, I have had the unfortunate experience of explaining to countless injured individuals that I am unable to handle their case. While this is never an easy conversation, any skilled personal injury attorney will tell you that it is a necessary part of the job.

In this blog post, I will explain how and why we make these decisions, and what you can do to maximize the chance that an attorney will take your case.

Continue Reading I’m Injured, Why Won’t Any Lawyers Take My Case?

Hospital safety grades have been released for Pennsylvania Hospitals. The grades are handed out by The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group is a national non-profit organization that collects and reports hospital performance data. The organization’s mission is to improve safety, quality, and affordability of health care in the U.S.

The Leapfrog grading system rates hospitals based on incidence of infections, problems with surgeries, incidence of falls, incidence of bed sores, quality of medical staff, among other safety issues.

Continue Reading Safety Grades Released for Pennsylvania Hospitals

Employers, and likely all businesses, now have a specific duty to safeguard their employees’ personal data that is stored on internet-based computer systems, according to a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Prior legislation only required companies to report potential or actual data breaches to the individuals or businesses whose information may have been, or was, compromised.

Continue Reading Pennsylvania Companies Must Protect Employees’ Sensitive Data

Stated simply, medical malpractice, or medical negligence, is medical care or treatment that falls below the accepted standard of care and causes actual harm to a patient. In a medical malpractice lawsuit, the law places the burden on the patient to prove that a medical provider deviated from the standard of care and caused harm. The first part of the test, establishing the medical provider deviated from the acceptable standard of care, can be fairly straightforward and is often the easier question to analyze and answer.

Continue Reading In Medical Malpractice, “Causation” is Often the Most Difficult Element to Prove

Pennsylvania permits the shipment of malt and brewed beverages to Pennsylvania residents by wholesalers or retailers of another state or country. This license permits the holder to ship up to 192 fluid ounces per month to any one resident for his or her personal use. No more than 96 fluid ounces of a specific brand may be shipped to any one Pennsylvania resident in one calendar year.

Continue Reading Pennsylvania Direct Malt or Brewed Beverage Shipper License

Currently in Pennsylvania, a medical malpractice lawsuit may only be filed in the county where the alleged malpractice occurred. This more restrictive than the venue rule for other types of civil cases, which provides more flexibility and gives plaintiffs more control over where their lawsuit is filed.

Continue Reading Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Committee Considers Change to Med Mal Venue Rule