Archive for September, 2011

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26
Sep

Mistake By Temp Nurse The Cause Of Oakland Patient’s Death?

September 26, 2011

A 66-year-old Oakland, California, woman who was a patient at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center died Saturday while under the care of a nurse who was temporarily hired by the hospital to cover for nurses who were on strike. According to The Oakland Tribune, hospital officials are calling the accident one of the worst mistakes in the hospital’s history.

The hospital had hired 500 contract nurses to cover for a one-day strike on Thursday. Administrators then sent staff who participated in the strike home on Friday when they arrived for work. Under one of the temporary nurse’s care, the patient was given an improper dose of medication and later died as a result.

One nurse who works in the unit where the patient was placed believes their replacements were, “Not familiar with the policies and procedures, or with the equipment.”

Dr. Steve O’Brien, the hospital’s chief medical officer, issued an apology soon after, stating that the incident was being fully investigated.

Since 2007, the California Department of Public Health has collected more than $4.6 million dollars in fines from hospitals in cases where one in twenty-eight medical mistakes that occurred was deemed inexcusable.

The California Wrongful Death Attorneys with Berg Injury Lawyers would urge patients who have suffered at the hands of under- or un-qualified medical staff to contact them at 1-800-400-BERG, or by filling out an online consultation form, for a free evaluation of your case.

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19
Sep

Army Did Not Properly Treat Soldier Who Died Of Rabies

September 19, 2011
Experts and family members are saying the Army made mistakes in the Rabies treatment of a now deceased Army veteran from Livermore, California. According to the Contra Costa Times, the Army only administered half of the soldier’s treatments due to issues with expired vaccinations.
 
The soldier told his family members he was bitten by a stray dog in January while breaking up a dog fight in Afghanistan. After the bite, he shot the malicious stray and the Army had the animal tested for Rabies. The test came back negative, but the Army was unsure if the correct animal had been tested. The soldier was seen by medics on base who administered the first three rounds of the vaccination, but did not give the last three shots because by then, they had expired.
 
An associate professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine who is an expert on Rabies says the doctors should have administered the drugs, despite their expiration date, as it still may have save the man’s life.
The California Dog Bite Attorneys with Berg Injury Lawyers encourage anyone who may be traveling to impoverished or third-world countries to be vaccinated against this deadly disease.

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12
Sep

California DUI Arrests Up During Labor Day Weekend

September 12, 2011

Every year there are hundreds of people injured or killed on American highways by drunk drivers over Labor Day weekend. Some years, such as this one, are more dangerous than others because of higher numbers of these drunk drivers. According to The Reporter, there were 1,399 arrests this year alone over the recent holiday weekend.

The California Highway Patrol issued a press release early last week releasing the numbers, noting an increase from 1,360 arrests over the same time period last year.

The release also stated that 14 people had died throughout the state of California over the four day period from the Friday before the weekend to Labor Day. That’s quite a jump from the 10 who died last year in holiday collisions, said California Highway spokesperson, Officer Elon Steers. Steers added that 13 of the 14 killed were not wearing seat belts at their time of death.

Officer Steers explained that 242 DUI arrests were specifically made in the bay area over the holiday, which was an increase from the 221individuals that were brought in last year on the charge.

The California Auto Accident Attorneys with Berg Injury Lawyers see all too often the outcome of accidents involving drunk drivers, or the lack of seatbelt use. That is why they often spearhead programs such as their Safe And Sober campaign, which offers free cab rides to those who have over indulged, on certain holidays. Their cause was recently discussed in an interview with founding attorney, William Berg

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6
Sep

California Veteran Dies After Contracting Rabies Overseas

September 5, 2011

It doesn’t always have to be a traumatic injury to warrant a soldier needing disability benefits. Some debilitating or fatal illnesses, as invisible as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or as obvious as HIV, can inhibit as soldier’s ability to do their job as much as an amputation can. In one such case, a soldier who called Livermore, California, home recently died after contracting rabies while overseas.

CBS-San Francisco reported the 24-year-old Army Specialist was based out of Fort Drum in New York, with the 10th Mountain Division. He had returned home in May following deployment to Afghanistan with the 615th Military Police Company, when he began to show signs of the disease. It is unclear how and where the soldier contracted the illness, but military officials have said they have determined the man did not become infected while in New York.

Rabies is a disease contracted normally through the bite of an infected animal. It causes death through creating swelling in the brain and, in human cases, can take several months before seeing signs of the disease. Symptoms start out very much like the flu, but gradually worsen to the point of paralysis and hallucinations. If untreated, lmost all cases are fatal, with death coming within a week.

The California Veterans Disability Attorneys with Berg Injury Lawyers understand traumatic injuries aren’t the only cause for a soldier, or their family, to need benefits. Contact them today by filling out a free online consultation form to take a closer look at your case.

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