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Errors that occur during surgery can sometimes have devastating consequences and change a person’s life forever. Seattle personal injury attorneys have represented a number of injured clients who have suffered permanent disabilities or have had to undergo unnecessary procedures, pain and suffering, and medical expenses as a result of surgical errors.

According to a news report in the North Platte Bulletin, a couple recently filed a lawsuit against the doctor who they say performed an unnecessary and botched surgery that damaged the woman’s vocal chords permanently. The complaint states that the doctor recommended removing all or part of the woman’s thryroid gland to treat a goiter. During the procedure, the doctor explained to the woman that he would do the necessary monitoring to prevent nerve and vocal chord damage.

However, after the surgery, the woman started to have symptoms such as hoarseness and shortness of breath. After getting a second and third opinion, it was determined that the doctor who performed the thyroidectomy did not employ a monitoring device. As a result, the woman had to have additional procedures to correct the botched surgery and has still been left with damaged vocal chords, permanent shortness of breath and scars from the additional procedures.
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Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. has issued a product defect recall for about 447,000 baby car seat carriers after many reports of the child restraint handle coming loose and infants falling and getting injured. According to an Associated Press news report, at least three infants have been injured. They have sustained bumps, bruises and even head injuries. The Indiana-based manufacturer of the car seats has also gotten 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the products.

This recall involves several brands of car seats, commonly sold in retail outlets, including Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney. The defective car seat carriers were sold at department and children’s product stores all over the United States from January 2008 to December 2009. This recall is being conducted by Dorel, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
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A construction worker was killed at a work site on Guemes Island, according to a KIRO TV news report. The accident reportedly occurred when an 1,800-square-foot home fell off its foundation and crushed one of the workers to death. Six workers were lowering the house in order to comply with building codes, when the house slipped. Five of the workers apparently, were able to escape, but one worker was killed after being trapped and crushed by pieces of the structure.

A majority of construction accidents are caused by falling objects. Many of these involve catastrophic injuries or death because of the nature of such accidents. However, the sad truth is that most of these accidents are entirely preventable. The big question in such cases is whether the construction company or contractor was following all federal and state construction safety standards. In this case, were all the workers trained to perform the job they were doing? Did they follow all safety procedures? Were they being properly supervised? Was this accident the result of someone else’s negligence or a defective product?
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A jury has awarded $51,000 to the family of a nursing home resident, who died after suffering a large bed sore that ate through her skin, to the bone. According to a recent news report, the jury also decided that the nursing home should cover attorney’s fees incurred by the resident’s children over five years. The 88-year-old resident died in December 2004 after she underwent a procedure to remove bedsores and treat bone infections caused by the nursing home’s extreme neglect including, failing to clean her. Nursing home administrators maintained that the woman had bedsores on other parts of her body and that she did not suffer them as a result of negligence.

Nursing home negligence lawsuits may not yield as much as other personal injury cases in terms of damages. However, in this case, the family gets the satisfaction of holding the facility accountable for their wrongdoing. The civil justice system is about righting a wrong and holding those who broke our nation’s civil laws responsible and financially liable to the victim. That’s exactly what happened here. The nursing home has been made to pay for their wrongdoing.
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A Consumer Reports analysis of a federal safety complaints database is showing that more than 40 percent of sudden acceleration complaints involve Toyota and Lexus models. According to a recent news report, the study looked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) safety complaints database, which apparently also found Ford standing out with a significant number of complaints relating to sudden acceleration.

Consumer Reports analyzed all 5,916 reports on 2008 models and identified 166 cases in which the complaint described unintended, sudden acceleration that the driver could not control. A fatal car accident in San Diego which killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family led Toyota and NHTSA to issue a safety advisory on floor-mat entrapment. Toyota is also preparing for a massive recall involving 4 million vehicles to modify gas pedals and make other changes to remedy potential sudden acceleration problems. Consumer Reports’ research found that sudden acceleration incidents were distributed over 22 brands with 47 complaints about Toyota models and five about Lexus vehicles.
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A recently published article on Ezines addresses spinal cord injury causation and how a person can increase their awareness to lower the chance of injury. Nobody ever dreams they will be the one to sustain a life-altering spinal cord injury, but this kind of injury does happen. In an instant, your entire world can be turned upside down and changed forever. As a Seattle personal injury attorney, Kirk Bernard knows that everyone can take a proactive approach to prevent spinal cord injuries by learning the major causes of these types of injuries and the simple measures that can help reduce the risk of injury.

To learn more about the most common causes and types of spinal cord injury and how you can protect yourself from suffering spinal cord injury, please refer to the entire article.

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A woman was injured after she crashed into a van hauling a trailer with granite slabs on Highway 305, the Kitsap Sun reports. The woman was traveling north on the highway in a Toyota Camry. Those who saw the incident told officials that the woman was veering in the lanes. Apparently, she first veered right and then to the left of the van before smashing into the van’s trailer. The car struck the van on the rear of the driver’s side. The impact from the collision knocked the trailer loose, causing the trailer’s tires to blow out. The granite slabs spilled and broke on the highway. The woman was transported to a Seattle hospital. Police are investigating this crash.

Such accidents are extremely dangerous because debris spilled on the highway could cause additional accidents and possible injuries. In such cases, it is very important to pinpoint the cause of the accident. It is possible here, that a mechanical problem with the Toyota, or a product defect caused the driver to veer and drive erratically in the first place. In any auto accident where malfunctions or auto product defects are suspected, it is critical that the vehicle be preserved in its current state unaltered, so it can be examined by an accident reconstruction expert carefully, for defects and other problems.
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A recent Articlebase post by Kirk Bernard discusses the 7 most common motorcycle accident injuries. For motorcycle enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like hitting the open road. Motorcycles offer a sense of freedom that cars and trucks simply can’t. Because motorcyclists aren’t as protected as those who drive cars, however, accidents typically result in more severe injuries. In discussing the catastrophic consequences of spinal cord injury, disfigurement, and emotional trauma, the article acts as a way to heighten the awareness of motorists and motorcyclists of these risks in hopes that less serious motorcycle accident injuries will take place.

To learn more about motorcycle accident injuries to help prevent them from taking place, please refer to the full article.

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A police officer was injured in a Seattle car accident, when a 21-year-old driver in a sport utility vehicle turned in front of the officer’s car. According to a Fox news report, the police officer was on his way to work when the SUV suddenly turned in front of him at the intersection of East Pine and Boylston on Capitol Hill. The officer was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were not considered to be major or life-threatening. The driver of the SUV was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious crime in Washington State. According to the Revised Code of Washington Section 46.61.502, driving under the influence is when “a person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug if the person drives a vehicle within the state.” It is also illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.
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Washington construction site accidents often occur because workers lack the training and education that is necessary to do their jobs. Not having the tools or training to do your job can cause devastating injuries and tragedy. According to a news report, a construction site worker recently sustained injuries after he had to jump off a steam roller, which went out of control. Officials say they believe the worker steered the machine incorrectly while working on a new roadway. The man apparently lost control of the steam roller used for paving the roads and it rolled down a hill. Thankfully, the worker did not suffer life-threatening injuries and no one else was injured. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.

In such cases, accidents may be avoided by making sure that workers have the appropriate training and supervision needed to safely perform a job. This is especially true when it comes to operating heavy machinery. If it is determined that a construction worker was injured as a result of defective or malfunctioning machinery, he or she can file a third-party claim against the manufacturer of the defective product seeking compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering and other related damages.
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