A jury recently returned a verdict in a class-action lawsuit totaling nearly $619 million against one of the largest nursing home chains in the country. Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc., which owns and operates nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation therapy businesses, and hospice homes, was sued for egregious and repeated…
According to the Virginia State Police, five motorists were killed in Virginia over the long July 4th holiday weekend. Troopers also reported responding to 743 traffic crashes over the four-day counting period. Of the fatalities, one occurred in the Hampton Roads area (which is comprised of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach,…
According to a recent report, Hampton Roads (which is comprised of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Suffolk, and the Eastern Shore) had the highest number of car accidents that resulted in injury or death in Virginia from 2006 to 2008. On average, there was a traffic accident…
A medical malpractice lawsuit filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), which allows people to sue the federal government for medical malpractice committed at federally funded clinics, was recently decided in favor of the family of a 6-year-old boy who suffered brain damage at birth. As a result of…
Doctors and other healthcare professionals in Virginia and around the country were recently notified of a new program launched by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use. The “Safe Use Initiative” was started because “too many people suffer unnecessary injuries…
A recently released VA Inspector General report found ongoing problems at a Veterans Affairs hospital where nine patients died in surgery in six months – a mortality level more than four times the expected rate. As a result, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki pledged to send five top-ranking officials to investigate…
Every year, hundreds of people in Hampton Roads and throughout Virginia are the victims of dog bites. In fact, a Norfolk Health Department report listed 860 dog bite complaints in the City of Norfolk through July 2009. Moreover, the Virginian-Pilot has reported several stories so far this year involving deaths…
Despite having combined medical expenses of $555,662 and lost earnings totaling over $70,000 from injuries sustained at a Virginia Beach rental home, 36 plaintiffs are forced to share a mere $375,000 settlement. The injuries were sustained after the collapse of a third-story deck holding several dozen wedding guests at a…
I was stopped at a stoplight in Virginia Beach on my way to work this morning when I saw a car rapidly approaching in my rear-view mirror. Anticipating that the car was not going to stop, I pulled my car into the other lane while the approaching car skidded to…
Serious injury and death occur in the workplace at an average rate of 15 times a day nationally, according to a recent study by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Serious safety violations increased 12% from 2003 through 2007, while the average fine against employers for deadly workplace violations averaged…