Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

Hoverboard drama continues: may be seized or recalled

Published on: February 24, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In our last post we started a discussion on recalls. The www.recalls.gov website is a great place to start if you are curious about what recalls are out there. Although the site exists, the big problem is that consumers can’t constantly be hovering on the site waiting for the next dangerous product to pop up on the screen. If you think about it, we buy tons of new products every week, from grocery items to articles of clothing to gasoline. Any product that a consumer can buy has a potential of being dangerous. There’s no way for consumers to constantly know if one of the products they bought over the last decade may eventually harm them.

Recently a huge issue has come up in regards to hoverboards. These boards, which are self-balancing scooters, were really popular over Christmas. They made it under the tree in many homes in New York and across the nation.

Unfortunately, as reported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these hoverboards have been linked to as many as 52 fires so far. The boards have caused more than $2 million in property damage. They have even destroyed two homes.

Where can I find information about recalls?

Published on: February 23, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

This week we will be taking a deeper look at defective products and how the government issues recalls. We often hear about products being recalled from news reports either online or during a television broadcast. Some of our readers may wonder if there is one place they can go to find out about all possible recalls that could affect them.

There actually is a convenient place to find out what products are considered hazardous, unsafe or defective. The site is called www.recalls.gov. The site came to be as a group effort between six different agencies: the United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the United States Coast Guard, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The site lists recalls in various categories including cosmetics, environmental products, food, medicine, motor vehicles, boats and consumer products. The site will help you figure out what the most recent recalls are and who to contact regarding the recall.

What does a misdiagnosis look like?

Published on: February 19, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

We often talk about cases where someone was misdiagnosed by a medical professional. These cases can be extremely stressful because the victim may not be able to treat a condition properly if they do not know the facts. This situation can happen in many different ways.

For some people, it may be that the medical professional diagnosed them with the wrong ailment, causing them to put money and energy into treating the wrong condition. For others, the main issue may be that the doctor dismissed the patient’s concerns and told them there was no ailment in the first place. This can often happen if the proper medical tests are not ordered and the patient is not properly examined.

Finally, an individual may actually be diagnosed with a very serious condition that they do not actually have. Imagine being told that you have cancer and then later getting a second opinion just to find out that you are actually cancer-free. It seems unlikely, but it has happened before.

Woman misdiagnosed with MS filed negligence claim

Published on: February 19, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In our last post we started a discussion on the different types of cases that may involve misdiagnosis. While a small misdiagnosis may be temporarily inconvenient and may cause some serious frustration, if an individual lives out their life not treating the proper condition, it can be devastating.

As an example we can discuss a story that comes from abroad. Back in 1972 a woman was pregnant and started feeling weakness down her left side. The following year the woman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a disease that affects the spinal cord and brain. Basically a person’s own immune system attacks a protective sheath in the body that causes communication issues between the brain and the body. Over time the condition can cause nerves to deteriorate and they may become permanently damaged. There is no cure for the condition, although there are some treatments that may help manage the symptoms.

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen year-round

Published on: February 12, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When a snowstorm hits, many people take cover until it passes. Sometimes it’s the best option in order to avoid injuries due to slippery roads and sidewalks. Once the snowstorm subsides, the city works hard to clear the roads and sidewalks so that people can start commuting without a fear of being injured.

While we may sit around and wait for the city to do its job, it’s important for private entities to do their job as well. A company cannot rely on the city to clean its private parking lots or the sidewalks leading up to their property. Unfortunately, all too often, companies neglect to follow through on their duty to keep their property safe, leading to injuries.

And while the winter season can be notorious for slip-and-fall accidents, these types of accidents can happen during any time of the year. There may be various hazards that can cause someone to fall, such as spilled food, leaking water, unsecure rugs, and poorly maintained stairs.

Consumers say hair care product causes hair loss, file lawsuit

Published on: February 11, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Although most New York residents would hope that various industries are regulated in order to make sure a bad product does not injure consumers, that is simply not always the case. Take, for example, beauty products. Such products that do not make medical claims or contain drugs are not really regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Nor can the administration force them to reveal results of their testing or make them recall a product. Unfortunately, some products end up slipping through the cracks and injuring many individuals.

Currently, there is a class action lawsuit filed against the company that sells the hair care product called Wen. Some 200 women have joined the lawsuit and there have reportedly been some 17,000 complaints sent to the company regarding their cleansing conditioner and other Wen products.

According to news reports, the product is apparently causing hair loss for many individuals who use it. Some women experience large clumps of hair loss ending up with small bald spots. The company claims there is no scientific proof that their product is causing any problem.

Timely diagnosis important in urology conditions

Published on: February 10, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

There are many types of conditions that fall under the umbrella of urology. They could be as minor as bladder infections and as severe as prostate cancer. Urology is the branch of medicine that deals with the urinary system of both males and females and all disorders related to it. It may also deal with the male reproductive system.

While New York residents may have found that their primary physician is able to deal with a lot of the minor issues they have when it comes to their urinary system, there are some situations where it may be important to see a specialist.

For example, if you see blood in your urine, this can be an early warning sign of kidney or bladder cancer. Doctors will likely do a urine test, look at the bladder with a scope and possibly perform an x-ray.

Getting past the stigma of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit

Published on: February 9, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

There is a lot of stigma surrounding medical malpractice lawsuits. Some might think that far too many people file lawsuits against physicians or big entities every year in hopes of securing a big award. Considering they are covered by malpractice insurance, some might think that everyone is reaching for a chance to sue them.

But in many cases, that’s simply not the case. There are many patients in our country that are hurt every year by the negligence of medical professionals but feel too scared to file a lawsuit. They may feel like they don’t have a case, may not want to go through the effort and stress of filing a lawsuit, or they may feel bad for even considering it. While all these emotions are understandable, it’s important to remember the purpose of a medical malpractice lawsuit.

A medical malpractice lawsuit aims to secure compensation for individuals who have been hurt by the negligence of others. Some patients end up having to deal with unimaginable medical bills in order to deal with the medical error they experienced. Those same individuals may also end up being out of work for weeks or even months, causing them to lose significant amounts of income. While these individuals still may feel worried about the implications of filing a lawsuit, for many people it is the only viable choice that may help them get back on their feet.

Signs of a concussion and when to seek medical care

Published on: February 6, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Head injuries can be quiet culprits when it comes to bodily injuries. Someone may collide with another person while playing football or hit their head on the window after being T-boned by another vehicle. While the individual may realize that they have been injured, the severity of the injury is often unknown.

These incidents could result in someone getting a concussion. This is a type of traumatic brain injury that can severely affect the way a person’s brain functions. While symptoms are often temporary, a concussion can have more severe symptoms that may need medical attention or rehabilitation.

How does one know if they have had a concussion? There are some signs that often appear which our readers should watch out for. After a concussion, a person may feel confused or have amnesia. They may also experience a headache or some pressure in the head. Other symptoms include nausea, fatigue, slurred speed, and vomiting.

Minimally invasive surgery leads to woman’s death

Published on: February 5, 2016 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

There is some risk associated with undergoing just about any surgery. Whether it’s a lifesaving surgery or a cosmetic one, people in our state make decisions every day to go under the knife. When patients hear that the surgery they need is “minimally invasive,” they may feel a bit more secure in its safety. Unfortunately, even a minimally invasive surgery can have tragic outcomes if medical negligence is involved.

Recently, a jury awarded $3 million to the husband of a woman who passed away in another state. The woman had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst in 2009. Just two days later, she passed away. According to a news report, the woman’s bowel was pierced during the surgery. The medical malpractice claim said the surgeon failed to check the woman’s bowel for cuts, and that he also mishandled the woman’s complaints after the surgery.

According to the physician’s lawyer, the jury felt he did a good job on the surgery but should have told the woman to head to the emergency room “more urgently” after she started belching. The jury held the clinic and the doctor who did the surgery accountable for the incident. Two other defendants were not found to be at fault in this case.