Blog - CGWC

New Year's Eve Safety Tips - Saturday, December 29, 2007

New Year's Eve concludes the year-end holiday season. Unfortunately, due to carelessness and intoxication, a deadly end awaits all too many revelers every New Year's Eve. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of death any day in the U.S.A., but on New Year's Eve, the chances of being killed in an automobile accident are higher than most times of the year. As with any other day of the year, there are ways to decrease the chances that you will be a victim.

1. Designate a driver: Whether you arrange for a cab or limousine, or assign the task to a friend who promises not to drink, designate a sober driver BEFORE you take to the streets on New Year's Eve.
2. Avoid driving: If possible, arrange an evening that doesn't require you to drive. The safest place on New Year's Eve could be your own home, a hotel, a resort, or some other place where you can rest in bed after the party without having to drive anywhere.
3. Be aware of your surroundings: Watch for erratic driving or other dangerous or reckless behavior by others. Pay attention and recognize dangerous situations, so you can prevent an accident or take evasive action.
   
4. Look out for others: Don't let friends drive drunk. Remind them that they could hurt someone else if they drink and drive, or act irresponsibly or unsafely.
5. Travel in groups: Especially for women on the town alone, it is always safer to travel in groups. Groups who set out with safety first on their minds are more likely to keep each other on a safe path all evening. And for the ladies, traveling in groups decreases the chances that they will be a victim of a sexual assault.

Holiday Roads More Dangerous This Year - Saturday, December 22, 2007

Holiday traffic increases the risk of injury or death during a season that should be filled with happiness, love, and peace. Indeed, anytime of year, automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for Americans 5 years of age to 27 years of age.

Ownership of Nursing Homes by Private Equity Investors Challenged - Saturday, December 15, 2007

In the last several months, the ownership of nursing homes by wealthy private equity companies has come under scrutiny. State legislatures and the federal government are conducting hearings addressing concerns that the purchase of nursing homes by these groups of wealthy investors decreases the quality of care provided to residents. CGWC partner Nathan P. Carter was asked to testify at Florida Senate hearings this past week and was quoted in an Associated Press article distributed widely by most media outlets, including CNN and major Florida newspapers.

Mr. Carter testified that wealthy investment groups set up complex layers of corporations and limited liability companies or partnerships in order to make it harder for injured or abused residents to sue them. Mr. Carter says the elimination of real legal accountability in turn removes incentive to operate nursing homes safely and provide the highest quality of care.

In Florida, this is particularly ominous since most nursing homes operate with no real liability insurance to cover injuries or deaths caused by negligence, neglect or abuse by their staff. This is true despite a state law enacted in 2001 requiring liability insurance. This is because loopholes in the law have not been closed by the governor's office or the Agency for Health Care Administration. AHCA, a part of the administrative branch answerable to the Florida Governor, has failed to enact or implement regulations imposing minimum levels of liability insurance, so this law is largely ignored. Instead, nursing home operators are entering into complex agreements with investment companies to avoid accountability to residents for injuries and to Medicare and Medicaid for fraudulent or illegal billing.

The Thin White Line - Monday, December 03, 2007

When police officers cover for one another, the "thin blue line" between law enforcement and lawlessness disappears. There is likewise a thin white line in the medical field.

According to a survey led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, about half of all doctors admit to keeping quiet about errors by incompetent or unethical colleagues. Almost half of the doctors surveyed admitted they knew of serious medical errors that they did not report, even though they knew medical mistakes should be reported. While 85% of the doctors surveyed agreed that patients or their relatives should be told about significant errors, this clearly does not translate into the daily practice of most physicians. Doctors often don't practice what they preach. The survey also showed that 93% of doctors said they should provide care to patients regardless of ability to pay, but only 69% said they accepted uninsured patients.

The U.S. Institute of Medicine found in 2000 that almost 100,000 people die annually due to medical errors in hospitals alone. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by medical malpractice, you deserve a trial lawyer who is experienced in handling medical negligence cases. The attorneys at CGWC have a wealth of experience in handling medical negligence cases.

Pacifiers Recalled - Choking Hazard - Sunday, December 02, 2007