Understanding the Severity of Shoulder Dystocia

Shoulder dystocia is a type of birth injury that affects many newborns each year. This birth trauma can lead to serious complications. If your child has been injured, you should contact a Northern Kentucky birth injury lawyer for advice.

Warning Signs of Brachial Palsy Every Parent Should Know

Do you know the warning signs of a birth injury known as brachial palsy? If you believe your infant has brachial palsy that was the result of medical malpractice, contact an experienced Northern Kentucky birth injury lawyer at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297.

The Scary Truth About Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Infants can suffer brain damage from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.  This type of birth injury is frequently caused by medical mistakes and can be fatal.

This birth injury is characterized by damage to the cells in the central nervous system from oxygen deprivation.  Brain damage can occur when the baby does not receive enough oxygen.
There are various circumstances that can lead to inadequate oxygen supply to the brain.  Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy can result from a delayed C-section, prolonged labor and delivery, prolapsed umbilical cord, misread fetal heartbeat and doctor negligence.  It is also caused when the baby is in the birth canal too long.

Hypoxia can cause serious problems including mental retardation, developmental delay, cerebral palsy or even death.

As a parent, it can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly caused your child to suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.  If your child has sustained a birth injury, you should contact a Kentucky medical malpractice lawyer who can review your child’s situation to determine what caused the injury.  You may be able to recover compensation if doctor error led to the birth injury.

Birth Injuries Can Lead to Neonatal Death

Even with today’s medical advancements, birth injuries still occur at an alarming rate.  It has been estimated that as many as 6 to 8 injuries occur per 1,000 live births.  Some of these injuries can be prevented and should never have occurred in the first place.

Birth trauma occurs when an infant is injured from mechanical forces, including compression or traction, during the birth process.  The majority of birth traumas have a good prognosis and the injuries heal themselves.  Almost half of birth injuries are avoidable, as long as certain risk factors are identified.

Birth injury cases often involve factors such as prematurity, breech delivery, prolonged labor and fetal anomalies.  Sometimes birth injuries, such as shoulder dystocia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy or cerebral palsy, are caused by doctor error or a hospital mistake.  In these situations, delayed C-section, misuse of forceps or vacuum extraction, lack of oxygen or delayed birth are frequently to blame, which are generally preventable medical errors.

If your child has sustained a birth injury, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice case against the medical provider who caused the injury.  You should contact an experienced Kentucky medical malpractice attorney at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297.  The law firm represents injured victims in Ohio and Kentucky and has over 35 years of experience.

Cerebral Palsy Facts

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you know the devastation of realizing that your little one will face a life of health challenges and disability.  Cerebral palsy is defined by Wikipedia.com as “is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, motor, non-contagious conditions that cause physical disability in human development.”

Cerebral palsy affects approximately 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children.  Some of the other cerebral palsy facts include the following:

• Nearly 10,000 infants will develop cerebral palsy every year in the United States.
• It has been estimated that 800,000 people suffer from cerebral palsy in the United States.
• The average cost of cerebral palsy is almost $1 million over the lifetime of the person affected.
• Approximately two-thirds of children who have cerebral palsy are mentally impaired.
• Out of the 1000 infants born, approximately 2 to 3 will suffer brachial plexus birth injuries.

Cerebral palsy is often caused by a birth injury that results in brain damage.  The injury may have occurred during the birth process from a prolonged labor, which may cause oxygen deprivation.  Fever during pregnancy has also been linked to cerebral palsy among infants. There have even been cases of cerebral palsy caused from the negligence of the doctor, hospital or nursing staff.  In those cases, they can be held liable for medical malpractice.

Contact a Kentucky birth injury lawyer at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297 for legal advice. 

Understanding cerebral palsy

Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues surrounding children's birth injuries.

Cerebral palsy is a form of injury due to birth trauma. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has information and resources for parents who want to know more about cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a type of neurological disorder that happens in babies and early childhood. It affects that child's body movement and muscle coordination. Cerebral palsy is caused by problems in the parts of the brain that direct muscle movement. Most children who have cerebral palsy were born with it. The signs should occur before the child reaches 3 years of age.

The symptoms include:

• lack of muscle coordination
• stiff or tight muscles
• exaggerated reflexes
• walking while dragging one foot
• walking on the toes
• a crouched walk
• floppy or stiff muscle tone

For more information, contact NINDS at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm

Drugs for Osteoporosis Prescribed Unecessarily?

Merck, maker of osteoporosis drug Fosamax, marketed the drug to women who had a lesser condition called osteopenia on basis of the Bone Density Scan test that it created.

Defective Children’s Products & Toys are Constantly Recalled

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which regulates consumer products, constantly sends out press releases regarding toys and children’s products that have been recalled due to some type of defect.  In recent years, many of these recalls involved toys with lead based paint.

Toys and other products, such as cribs, playpens, outdoor play equipment and even clothing, have been known to cause serious injuries and death.  When defective products are placed on the market, children are often the ones who suffer.

The CPSC reported that in 2007, there were about 170,100 toy-related injuries involving children under the age of 15.  According to the report, there were 18 deaths that same year.  From 2003 to 2007, there was a significant rise in toy-related injuries.

Parents are rightfully concerned about the safety of their children.  Manufacturers often become too focused on the bottom line and cut corners to get products on the market faster.  Plus, many companies have looked to China as a way to cut costs, but countless products coming from this country have been tainted with lead.

Manufacturers can be held liable for defective toys that result in injuries.  If your child has been injured by a defective product, you should contact a Kentucky defective product lawyer at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297 for advice.

Food manufacturers make consumers responsible

    Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues regarding defective products.  A recent article in the The New York Times says that food companies are expecting consumers to be responsible for making sure the food they sell  is not filled with dangerous pathogens. 

    According to the article, ConAgra Foods which sells Banquet frozen pot pies detected some salmonella but was not able to pinpoint where it came from in the 25 ingredients included in the pies.  They decided to make the consumer responsible for what they call the “kill step,” the point at which the pathogens are eliminated.  ConAngra Foods, which sold 100 million pot pies last year, included food safety instructions that cautioned that internal temperature when cooking the pot pies  needed to reach 165 Degrees F.  ConAgra also added food safety instructions to its other frozen meals, including the Healthy Choice brand.

     The problem is serious with frozen foods.  Federal regulators such as the Federal Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention have pushed companies to include cooking instructions with detailed food safety guides, but some companies don't include these instructions, some are using outdated safety guidelines, and some have only abbreviated guidelines on the side of the boxes in tiny print that consumers probably don't read.

    According to the article, there are estimated to be 76 million cases of food-borne illnesses every year that go unreported or are not traced to the source.  Food safety experts think it is the responsibility of the food manufacturer to ensure their food's safety, not the consumer.

Defibrillator recalled by ZOLL Medical Corporation

    Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues regarding defective medical devices.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that the ZOLL AED Plus Defibrillator was recently recalled because it was defective.  The medical device was manufactured by ZOLL Medical Corporation from May 2004 through February 2009 and distributed from May 2004 through February 9, 2009.  It is possible that between 80,000 to 180,000 units are affected.

    The ZOLL AED Plus Defibrillator is used by emergency or medical personnel to treat patients who are undergoing cardiac arrest.  It analyzes an unconscious person's heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal heart rhythm.  The defective device has a problem with the battery and is considered a Class 1 recall -- the most serious type of recall and involves situations in which there is a reasonable probability that use of these products will cause serious injury or death.  By contacting the ZOLL company, consumers can download the correct software for the battery.  For more information, contact http://www.ZOLLAEDPlusbatteryhelp.com.

Fewer complications from heart device specialists

    Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues regarding defective medical devices.  A recent article in The New York Times cited a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association that reviewed the experiences of patients who received defibrillators and heart devices.

    The researchers reviewed more than 1110,000 cases between January 2006 and June 2007, and analyzed how the patients did both during and following the procedure.  The study showed that the rate of serious complication was lowest when the heart device was implanted by an electrophysiologist, a specialized cardiologist.  The study used information collected into a database that indicated what type of doctor implanted heart devices.  A growing number of people are having defibrillators and other heart devices implanted.  The study indicates that patients should request an electorphysiologist by the one to do the surgery, since that is their specialty.

   Some companies who produce defibrillators are spending money to train cardiologists in how to implant their particular kind of heart device, and they in turn will probably purchase those devices for surgery.  These doctors may be cardiologists but may not be electrophysiologists.

  

Pain Pumps: FDA Requires Warning that Use in Joint Causes Chondrolysis and Cartilage Damage

After two year of aggressive litigation by a handful of dedicated lawyers, the FDA has finally recognized that there is a huge problem with continuously infusing local anesthetics into the joint space after surgery for post operative pain relief.  Manufacturers like Stryker, I-Flow, Breg, DonJoy, Sorenson Medical, have been promoting these "pain pumps" to orthopaedic surgeons for almost ten years for use after surgery in the shoulder and knee.  Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed since patients have been developing total destruction of their cartilage after having the pump continuously infuse these drugs into their joints.  The new action by the FDA vindicates these injured patients. 

Cell Phones and Kentucky Car Accidents

There has been a lot of research into whether or not cell phones cause accidents. If you or someone you know has been injured in a Northern Kentucky car accident, you should contact an experienced Fort Wright car accident attorney at the law firm of Pschachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297.

Defective Maintenance Issues Can Cause Kentucky Truck Wrecks

We all share the Kentucky roadways with trucks. We all assume that these trucks are properly maintained. If you or someone you know has been injured in a Kentucky truck wreck, you should contact an experienced Northern Kentucky truck accident attorney at the law firm of Pschachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297.

Texting Ban on Kentucky Motorists passed by House

Kentucky House passes measure to ban Kentucky drivers from texting and driving, which will hopefully cut down on the car accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Yaz and Yasmin May Cause Stroke

If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin, you need to read this blog to learn about the warning signs of stroke. Contact an experienced Northern Kentucky injury lawyer if you have suffered serious Yasmin or Yaz side effects.

Taking Yaz or Yasmin May Cause Deep Vein Thrombosis

There are many serious Yaz and Yasmin side effects, including deep vein thrombosis. If you have developed this painful condition and are taking one of these oral contraceptives, you may be able to recover compensation.

Yaz Can Lead to Irregular Heartbeat

Yaz birth control can lead to serious health complications, including heart arrhythmia, also known as irregular heartbeat. If you have been injured from taking Yaz or Yasmin, you may be entitled to compensation.

Hyperkalemia is a Potential Complication of Yaz Birth Control

Hyperkalemia is a potentially fatal condition that may be caused by Yaz or Yasmin.

Lawsuit Filed Against Bayer for Misrepresenting Safety and Effectiveness of Yaz

Two pension funds for city employees and firefighters have filed a lawsuit against the drugmaker Bayer, claiming that the company misrepresented the effectiveness and safety of Yaz in an effort to boost sales.

The federal complaint in Philadelphia was recently made public.  It states that Bayer unlawfully promoted the birth control product from March 2006 to March 2009 by keeping secret the side effects associated with the contraceptive.  Some of the serious health affects that are believed to be caused by Yaz include heart attack, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, kidney failure and liver failure.

Women taking Yaz have complained that they experienced some of these severe side effects caused by the contraceptive.  Numerous lawsuits have been filed as a result against Bayer.

In the lawsuit involving the pension funds, the plaintiffs have alleged that the drug manufacturer downplayed the risks of Yaz when it promoted the product.  According to the lawsuit, the TV ads “misleadingly and deceptively” promoted Yaz for uses that were not approved by the FDA.

If you have been injured from taking Yaz, you may be entitled to compensation and should contact the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297 for more information.

Yaz Can Lead to Too Much Potassium in the Blood

Some women may be at a higher risk of developing serious health problems from Yaz or Yasmin birth control.  Numerous women have claimed that these birth control products have led to major health issues, including heart attack and stroke.  The problem is believed to be caused by one of the ingredients in the birth control that can increase the potassium levels in the blood.  This increased potassium can result in a serious condition, known as hyperkalemia.

Women who are already at risk of high potassium levels may be more prone to suffer from Yaz or Yasmin.  For example, women who are taking other medications that can cause increased potassium could be in danger of experiencing adverse health effects.  Anyone taking Yaz or Yasmin should consult with their doctor for more information.

It is believed that Yasmin and Yaz has been a factor in cases involving heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, kidney disease and deep vein thrombosis.  These birth control products are among the most popular oral contraceptives in the United States. 

If you have suffered a serious medical condition and you believe that Yasmin or Yaz may have been the cause, you should contact an experienced Northern Kentucky injury lawyer at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297 for legal advice.

Yaz Lawsuits Reveal New Evidence of Problems

Last week the New York Times ran a story about the increasing number of complaints and lawsuits related to injuries suffered by women who have taken the birth control drug Yaz or its sister product Yasmin.  They say that the drugs put women at higher risk for blood clots, strokes and other health problems than some other birth control pills do. 

The health questions and the lawsuits may rattle consumer confidence, but the warnings from federal health authorities about advertising and quality control raise larger questions about Bayer’s approach to complying with government rules, said Michael A. Santoro, an associate professor at the Rutgers Business School who has studied ethics in the pharmaceutical industry.

FDA Issues warning Letter about side effects of YAZ birth control

In October 2008, the FDA issued a warning letter to Bayer, the manufacturer of YAZ about the problems related to the drug that were being reported by numerous patients.  A key ingredient in YAZ has the effect of raising potassium levels and can result in blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. 

Additionally, the FDA warned Bayer not to promote YAZ as a drug for Premenstrual Syndrome.

Types of sports-related injuries

Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues surrounding children's injuries.

There are more than 30 million children who play different kinds of organized sports in the US, while others play in recreational activities. According to a 2002 report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nearly 1.9 million of those children are injured and the most common injury is musculoskeletal.

What types of sports related injuries are there?  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIAMS/National Institutes of Health

• Sprains
• Strains—injuries to muscles or tendons.
• Growth plates—the area of developing tissues at the end of long bones in growing children.
• Repetitive motion injuries—repeated stress on bones or inflammation of tendons occur when muscles and tendons are overused.
• Heat-related injuries—these include dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
• Keeping kids hydrated
• *Adapted with permission from Patient Care magazine, copyrighted by Medical Economic

Protecting children from unintentional injuries

Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues surrounding children's injuries.

Many children are injured each year by accidents. USA Safe Kids is an organization dedicated to helping children and their families. According to their website, the children at the highest risk of injury are younger children, males, minorities, and poor children. They feel it's important to educate parents about how they can protect their children and reduce this significant risk of injury.

According to USA Safe Kids, children from low income families are twice as likely to die in a traffic accident, four times more likely to drown, and five times more likely to die as a result of a fire. Unfortunately, statistics show that death rates for children of low-income families are increasing, mostly from firearm and pedestrian injuries.  The USA Safe Kids website also says that Black and Native American children have disproportionate death and injury rates due to higher levels of poverty and lower levels of education, employment and income. 

USA Safe Kids also says that children in rural areas have a greater risk of unintentional injuries and death, from drowning, traffic accidents, firearms, fires, and agricultural injuries. Statistics also show that young male children are at a greater risk of injury because of risk-taking and rougher play than females.