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Man Arrested at Border Involved In USC Hit-and-run

Greg Owen — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:07:59 GMT

The man, Josue Luna, 32, was booked early Saturday as an accessory to a crime. He was attempting to cross back into the US from Mexico. According to the LAPD, he was released after posting $50,000 bail.

Luna was a passenger when his wife, Claudia Cabrera, 30, ran a red light at Jefferson Blvd. and Hoover, near USC, on March 29th. The couple's 2000 Infinity Sedan hit two students, killing Adrianna Bachan and leaving Marcus Garfinkle severely injured.

According to investigators, Marcus Garfinkle, 19, was carried 300-400 feet on the windshield when the car stopped and Luna pulled him off. Luna returned to the car and his wife drive off. The couple's 7-month old baby was in the back seat at the time of the accident.

Garfinkle suffered two broken legs and multiple other injuries. He remains hospitalized.

Claudia Cabrera, 30, was arrested April 2 and has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaugter and hit-and-run. She is being held on one million dollar bail.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Blue Bonnet Spread Recalled After Label Mixup

Greg Owen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:09:00 GMT

ConAgra Foods, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is voluntarily recalling a 1,120 cases of 15 oz. tubs of Blue Bonnet Spread. The lot was mispackaged as the lid used is for regular Blue Bonnet Spread and the tub portion describes the product as Blue Bonnet Light Spread. The product inside of the tub is regular Blue Bonnet Spread. As a result, the product tubs do not declare the allergen whey (milk), as an ingredient.

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product. No allergic reactions have been reported.

The product UPC on the tub is 27000-00930. The product lid will not have the blue ribbon graphic bearing the word "Light" that is found on the tub portion of the package. The rim of the lid will feature the batch code "2247923200" and a Sell By date of March 18, 2010.

ConAgra Foods became aware of the issue after receiving a report from a store where the tub did not match the lid or the case.

Consumers should return the product to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions may call 866-518-4177 (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST daily) or visit www.bluebonnet.com for more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Family of Boy Killed in Hyperbaric Chamber Files Wrongful Death

Greg Owen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:55:27 GMT

A 4-year-old boy and his grandmother were fatally burned when the hyperbaric chamber they were both in exploded. The grandmother died in the explosion. The boy, Francesco Pio Martinisi, suffered burns to 90 percent of his body and died one month after the explosion.

The family of the victims filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming the Ocean Hyperbaric Oxygen Neurological Center in Lauderdale-by-the-sea was negligent in the treatment of Francesco for cerebral palsy.

Martinisi and his grandmother traveled from Italy for the treatment in Florida. The Ocean Hyperbaric Oxygen Center is state-licensed and treats patients with brain injuries, cerebral palsy and those who have nearly drowned.

The facility had been cited several times for violations of local codes and fire safety standards. The Lauderdale-by-the-Sea fire marshal told the station that the center had several unresolved violations related to its hyperbaric chambers. The Broward County Sheriff's office told the station that the chamber involved in the explosion is old. It used an electric motor to seal the hyperbaric chamber shut. The marshal said there was no high-pressure alarm on the oxygen tank there.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Patients at Cedars-Sinai Receive Radiation Overdose; Hospital Fails to Inform All Affected

Greg Owen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:29:27 GMT

Four patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who received eight times the necessary amount of radiation were not informed of the hospital's error. Of the 206 patients who received radiation overdose, at least four were called and asked only about hair loss or other side effects. Those four interviewed by the Los Angeles Times reported only hearing of the error through news media.

The treatments occured between the months of February 2008 when computer protocols were modified on a specific scanner and continued until August 2009 when a patient reported hair loss. The reconfiguration was made in order to improve the ability to see blood flow to the brain.

Although the machine in question was used to perform various types of scans, the problem was limited to CT brain perfusion scans, which are used to diagnose strokes.

In a written statement Monday, Dr. Barry D. Pressman, chairman of the imaging department, said that his goal in speaking with patients was "to address any side-effects that may occur, without unnecessarily alarming them."

He said that any questions, including those about radiation levels, were addressed. "I sincerely regret if any patient feels that they did not receive the information they needed," he said.

The most severe side effect of the overdose is a brain tumor, though the chance is remote. Younger patients who received multiply scans are at highest risk as the risk of radiation is cumulative.

The discovery of the overdoses at Cedars-Sinai prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue an alert warning hospitals nationwide to check the settings on their scanners.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Philadelphia Police Officers Win $10 M Judgement

Greg Owen — Fri, 16 May 2008 21:45:50 GMT

The three officers were awarded a total of $10 million by a jury this week. The jury awarded $2 million to Raymond Carnation, $3 million to William McKenna, and $5 million to William's twin brother Michael McKenna after deliberating three hours.

The three former Philadelphia police officers claimed they suffered retaliation on the job after they showed opposition to discrimination they observed towards fellow officers who were African American. The three officers who sued the city of Philadelphia are white.

"We got justice," declared William McKenna, 42, of Northeast Philadelphia, outside the U.S. Courthouse the day after he and his fellow ex-officers - his twin brother, Michael, and Raymond Carnation - won the hard-fought case." They are hopeful they taught the city of Philadelphia something.

Dog Eats Woman Alive

Greg Owen — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:54:22 GMT

Mangled Mandy Peynado lay face down frozen in terror...as a rottweiler began eating her alive.
You may have seen the slogan "Punish the deed not the breed." Many feel strongly that the slogan is reasonable while others feel there should be extra measures taken to protect the public from breeds that have a propensity to be aggressive and have the body weight and strength to carry out a severe dog attack. The following story illustrates why many have concerns about specific breeds.

"She could feel his razor-sharp teeth CRUNCHING into her bones as the panting 12-stone [168 pound] beast CHEWED her arm off." Before starting on her other limbs. The attack lasted 90 minutes

Mandy Peynado, 48, lived through a nightmare of all nightmares. She worked for a pound in England and was very familiar with the rottweiler that attacked her. Diesel, a stray, was obedient. He would even heel or sit on command. In fact, he had never shown any kind of aggression at the pound and had even had more than a couple of belly rubs.

While out of his cage for a "potty break," he suddenly attacked the hand that fed him, Mandy's. While he literally chewed her flesh to the bone and then swallowed lumps of her flesh (her left arm was chewed to a nub), she lay there silently. "I didn't scream but at one point I made a noise or groaned. That just excited him, and he tore and shook me even harder." Besides, there was nobody there to hear. Nobody was due at the pound for another hour.

Suddenly, "the switch" that had been turned on in him had clicked back somehow. As quickly as his started the attack, he stopped, walked away and sat quietly in a corner. By the time she was found and taken to a hospital, she had lost a good portion of her left arm, and spent two weeks battling for her life in intensive care. She said "It's like bringing a lion into your home. They have been bred for a special reason. They shouldn't be kept in the house, especially with small children. The strength of their jaws is incredible. That dog weighed four stone [56 pound] more than me."I'm not anti-rottweilers but people have to be aware of what they are capable of." Clearly, her life will never be the same. Only you can decide where you stand on the issue regarding specific breeds. Awareness is key in making the right decisions for you and your loved ones regarding what pets are in your home.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Lawsuit Claims Negligence in Texas Daycare Death

Greg Owen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Attorneys representing Dallas' Rasansky Law Firm announced the lawsuit on behalf of the mother of a two-year-old girl who choked to death on a piece of gravel at a northeast Dallas daycare center in 2008.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit filed in the 44th District Court in Dallas, employees at the Woodbridge Day School located on Plano Road failed to notice when 2-year old Isabella Estep started choking on a small rock and collapsed inside the school on Oct. 31, 2008. Despite activity all around the unconscious child, 5-10 minutes passed before any school employees realized something was wrong. Isabella later died after being transported to a local hospital.

According to Texas Department of Family and Human Services, the girl's teacher, Mia Jennings, did not meet state required qualifications and was not trained in CPR and first aid. The investigation also discovered inadequate supervision.

Attorneys for Isabella's family also allege that the school's owners prevented the results of the investigation from being made public by selling the school. According to the TDFPS investigator, Mr. Hall said he wanted to "sell the operation as quickly as possible" if the state planned to close the facility. As a result of the sale, the school has continued to operate without information about Isabella's death being available on the state database used by other parents when selecting a day care facility.

The Dallas County medical examiner ruled the choking an accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Road Texting: An Accident Waiting to Happen

Greg Owen — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:23:01 GMT

Along with the ability to send text messages while driving comes the likelihood of more traffic accidents. Psychologists at the University of Utah say that texting behind the wheel is 50 percent more dangerous than talking on a cell phone while driving. Think about it, if someone was to use a typewriter or a laptop while driving it would be clearly insane. Although, the devise is smaller, texting is really no different. It is just as distracting.

There was a story reported on Wednesday on The Early Show relaying the clear message that the practice of texting while driving can cost lives - seems obvious enough. There are some horrible stories out there for example "On the day before Thanksgiving last year, high school senior Patrick Sims was driving less than a mile from his Denver home and texting a friend, when his girlfriend suddenly screamed. When Sims looked up, he was just inches from a cyclist in the bike lane." It was too late. Sims killed the 63-year-old grandfather and at the same time changed his life forever.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company conducted a survay wherein 37 percent of teenagers admitted that texting is distracting while driving - how could it be otherwise. When you think about that survay, that 37 percent are just the teens admitting texting is distracting. What about the teens who are still under the misguided notion that texting does not take away from driving at all. Using the maze of logic it took to come to that conclusion should be grounds to take the car away from a teen who has demonstrated a clear inability to reason and a likelyhood of an auto accident. As for Sims, he now talks to teens about his crash while texting and the life he took. He no longer has his license or cell phone. He is on probation and has served 10 days in jail.

Additional informaiton pertaining to automobile accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Statute of Limitations Upheld by Oregon Supreme Court

Greg Owen — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:52:17 GMT

A statute of limitations refers to a statute that sets forth the period of time, after the occurrence of a given event, that legal proceedings can be initiated relative to that occurrence.

Recently, the Oregon Supreme Court upheld the five-year statute of limitations in that state relative to medical malpractice suits that involve minor children. An Oregan woman filed suit against Providence Health System centering around the birth of her son eight years earlier.

In aunanimous opinion by Chief Justice Paul De Muniz the court ruled against her claim that laws in effect when Oregon was a territory blocked a five-year statute of limitations that the Legislature approved after Oregon became a state."It said it agreed with Christiansen that the five-year limitation "can lead to harsh consequences in some cases," but there is nothing in the state constitution to prevent the Legislature from setting the limit as it did."

Additional Information Pertaining to Medical-Malpractice

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Sheriff’s Office Offering Teen Driving Course

Greg Owen — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:41:05 GMT

Statistics in America show that the leading cause of death for young adults is automobile accidents. As a result, a teen driving course is being offered by the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office.

In addition to impaired driving being a course topic, other topics such as vehicular maintenance, vehicular dynamics and aggressive driving are covered. The Sheriff's department also offer driving course exercises such as braking, swerving and recovering their vehicle from spin outs. More than just teen drivers could use that particular course. All of the driving courses offered are directly supervised by instructors from the Sheriff’s department.

Additional Information Pertaining to Automobile Accidents

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen