Lansing Personal Injury Lawyer - new jersey

New Jersey Man Awarded $10.3 Million Following Improper Repairs to Safety Railing

Devon Glass — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:09:33 GMT

Michael Hess was awarded $10.3 million following successful settlement negotiations by his attorney, Raymond Gill, Jr. Mr. Hess suffered serious injuries, including three fractured vertebrae, a dislocated shoulder, nerve damage, hearing loss, and a closed head injury when he hit his head on the cement. His fractured vertebra required metal plates to be surgically implanted to help stabilize his spine, and his shoulder dislocation also required surgery. Mr. Hess injured his nerves while using the crutches during the recovery from his surgeries.

All of these unfortunate injuries resulted from an improperly maintained railing at a shopping center owned by Paragano Properties. Mr. Hess was leaning against a railing on an elevated walkway at the Echo Plaza when the railing gave way causing him to fall approximately 4 feet. It was discovered during the lawsuit the railing Mr. Hess was leaning against had been repaired the day before. The railing was not repaired properly, as it was only held together with wire after being “fixed,” and there were no warning signs on the railing.

This unfortunate incident could have been avoided had the repair work been done properly or if a simple warning sign was posted on the railing. Thankfully Mr. Hess was advised by an attorney and was able to receive a fair and reasonable settlement for his injuries. Before anyone jumps on and says this was a ridiculous settlement, please remember both sides were represented by attorneys and the defendants agreed to settle the claim for this amount.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

New Jersey CVS Prescription Error Leads to Infant Overdose of Cough Syrup

David Mittleman — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT

CVS has had its share of problems lately. In fact, I've written about outdated products still on shelves at stores in Connecticut and New York. Luckily, both attorney generals for those states filed suit against the pharmacy and CVS has already settled with NY AG, Andrew Cuomo, for $875,000. However, there appears to be more problems with CVS stores on the East Coast, but not the same problems as before.

Angela Trowbridge bought her infant son, Jayden Trowbridge, his prescription cough syrup at a Roselle, New Jersey CVS and administered it to the 8-month old baby as the label instructed. However, when Jayden refused to sleep for four days straight and acted jittery and anxious, Angela began to suspect something was wrong. In fact there was something terribly wrong--Jayden, who weight 19 pounds, was taking the amount of medication appropriate for an 120-pound adult.

According to a New Jersey newstation that covered the story, the original prescription document that CVS received from Jayden's pediatrician had the right dosage. Specifically, the doctor's scrip instructed Angela to give Jayden 1/4 of a teaspoon every 12 hours. Instead, the pharmacy's label on the syrup instructed a dosage of 1 full teaspoon every 12 hours. Nevertheless, the CVS pharmacist claims that he simply filled the prescription as it was called in. Angela is extremely concerned that Jayden may have permanent damage and has demanded answers from CVS.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Wrong Way Driving Of The Rich And Famous: New Jersey GOP Governor nominee Chris Christie

Devon Glass — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:29:23 GMT

Steve Lombardi had a 20-part series on the subject that touched on pretty much all aspects of the wrong way driver. It is still pretty rare compared to most car accident causes, but it's something that is so obviously wrong there is no excuse for such behavior. I mean, it would be difficult for someone to argue, with a straight face, that driving the wrong way down the street and causing an accident is somehow not their fault. These types of incidents can happen to anyone, just ask former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, the current Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey.

Back in July 2002, Christie was involved in an accident with a motorcycle when his car drove the wrong way down a one way street. According to the police report:

Veh #1 [Christie] states he was traveling west on Murray St. and was lost. He reached Chilton St. The light was red so he inched forward attempting to make a right on red but never saw the one-way traffic sign. He then stopped upon observing oncoming traffic, Veh #2 [Mendonca] also braked. The motorcycle fell on its side and slid into his vehicle. Veh #2 states he was traveling on Chilton St. when Veh #1 turned in front of him.

This is not the most egregious example of wrong way driving, but it's certainly something where Christie drove his car the wrong way on a one way street and it resulted in an accident where the motorcycle driver was taken to the hospital. The interesting part is that Christie was not ticketed for this accident. Apparently Christie informed the police officer on scene he was a US Attorney, although it's not clear this allowed him to get out of receiving a ticket.

I would only add that it's highly unlikely you or I would have not been ticketed under similar circumstances. I guess if you are going to be involved in an accident when you are clearly at fault, it's best to be a well connected person of influence. That way you are not going to be held responsible for your actions.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Department of Justice Cracks Down on Insurance Fraud

David Mittleman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:34:25 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that the former managing pharmacist of a New Jersey pharmacy has pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent claims to health insurers. Ruben Aguilar admitted to conspiring with others to submit claims for prescriptions that the pharmacy never dispensed over a five-year period spanning from 2002 to 2007. Aguilar could serve up to five years in prison and be forced to pay a hefty fine.

Among the many insurers that fell victim to the fraud was the federal Medicaid program, which insures low-income individuals in conjunction with certain state Medicaid programs. Medicaid and Medicare, which insures those over 65 years old and certain other qualifying individuals, are frequent targets of attempted fraud. The Department of Justice has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prevent waste and abuse in the system. The goal is to keep the cost of these federal programs down, thus saving money and improving the quality of services provided.

Aguilar’s plea came on the same day as a major health care fraud sting operation resulted in the arrests of 53 individuals, including doctors, executives, and beneficiaries, in the Detroit area. In addition, eight Miami-area residents were arrested today on similar charges.

These recent arrests are a clear indication of the administration’s aggressive policy of attacking Medicaid and Medicare fraud. If you become aware of fraudulent activity, you can report it by e-mailing HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Jury Awards $11 Million in New Jersey Dental Malpractice Case

David Mittleman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:54:00 GMT

The family of Francis Keller, a New Jersey man who died shortly after having his wisdom teeth removed, will receive about $11 million following a jury verdict in their favor. Mr. Keller died in 2005 when his dental surgery caused excessive swelling in his mouth and throat, resulting in his being unable to breathe. The surgery was performed by Dr. George Flugard.

Good dental hygiene is crucial to one’s overall good health. While many of us might consider a trip to the dentist to be an unpleasant experience, no one expects their dentist to commit malpractice. Unfortunately, dental malpractice claims are not uncommon. If you or someone you know is the victim of substandard dental care, contact us to see if we can help.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman