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News to Know: Substandard Senior Care, Defective Products, and Medical Errors

April 21, 2020  ·  By HM&M

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At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, we pride ourselves on being informed when it comes to current news that affects our clients.

Once a month, we round up a list of articles that impact our practice areas, including but not limited to, defective products and medical errors.

Continue reading below for this month’s roundup of news you need to know.

Is your senior loved one receiving substandard care?

The recent coronavirus outbreak has brought national attention to the living conditions of patients within nursing homes nationwide.

In an effort to curb poor care, the U.S. Department of Justice created a task force to develop training materials to help prosecutors hold nursing home owners and operators accountable.

With stronger oversight and tighter enforcement, the task force focuses on three areas:

  • Inadequate infection control procedures (ex: unsanitary, unsafe, or unclean conditions).
  • Patient abuse and neglect (ex: presence of bedsores, decubitus ulcers, and open wounds).
  • Understaffing (ex: lack of proper treatment policies).

If any of the above played a part in causing harm or hurt to your loved one, the nursing home is legally liable for resulting injuries. Contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your loved one’s rights to compensation are fully assessed and protected.

Can you sue for a defective product that causes an injury?

Have you made a purchase from Amazon in the past? Chances are, you have, but did you receive a defective product?

After a Pennsylvania woman suffered permanent blindness in one eye from a retractable dog leash, a federal appeals court ruled that Amazon is responsible for defective products sold by its third-party vendors.

The reason being: Amazon doesn’t allow customers to communicate directly with vendors. Thus, Amazon is the seller in this case.

The judge called the case a “relatively uncharted area of law,” noting Amazon would have to remove some items from listings if the giant retailer were legally required to research its products and police its sellers more closely.

Were you injured as a result of a defective product? Contact an experienced attorney to help you conduct a thorough investigation.

Did you receive a medical misdiagnosis? You’re not alone.

Medical diagnostic errors affect millions of Americans every year, resulting in potentially harmful complications, including disability or even death.

To eliminate diagnostic error, the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) launched a series of reports and journals, highlighting key goals for the medical community. This includes:

  • Fostering teamwork between patients, families, and providers.
  • Improving medical education.
  • Applying health information technology.
  • Identifying and learning from diagnostic errors.
  • Creating a culture that improves how doctors make diagnoses.
  • Establishing a reporting system.
  • Offering funding for diagnostic research.

Implementing these goals will improve how medical professionals track diagnostic error.

If you or your loved one was misdiagnosed resulting in injury or illness, talk with an experienced attorney.

Speak with an experienced attorney about your situation.

At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, we help people get the justice they deserve. For a free consultation, contact us today.

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