According to research by the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers either fail to use their signals when changing lanes or properly turn them off 48% of the time. Even when making a turn, 25% of drivers still do not use turn signals.

The SAE study concludes that the failure to use turn signals results in about 2 million traffic collisions annually. Alarmingly, that’s more than twice the 950,000 accidents linked to distracted driving, which has received significantly more attention by safety advocates.

“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering and author of the report.

As the study highlights, although turn signals are simple to use and “extremely effective,” many drivers still fail to comply. Therefore, it is important to reinforce that “all drivers have an ongoing duty to use it, just as they have a duty to stop at a stop sign or at a red light.”

Source: MSNBC

The Laurel accident attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious car accident. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our accident lawyers are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

As reported by WTOP.com, police have decided to step up their efforts to deter speeders as well as aggressive and distracted drivers that are putting other drivers at risk. Assistant Police Chief Kevin Davis recently announced the “Take 30 for Traffic” program, based on a similar effort in Baltimore.

“Police officers are mandated that they spend 30 minutes out of each and every one of their shifts, in these traffic target zones,” Davis says. The county chose ten designated zones based on the number of fatal vehicle and pedestrian accidents as well as stolen vehicles and robbery statistics. The areas are: Chillum, New Carrollton, Calverton, Lanham, Kettering, Landover, Forestville, Oxon Hill, Hillcrest Heights and Clinton.

Davis hopes that the increased enforcement will help further reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the county. Since the start of the year, Prince George’s County has already been making progress. It has seen 12 fatal crashes, as compared with 22 last year.

For more information about your legal rights following a Prince George’s County car accident, please see our previous posts.

The Prince George’s County accident attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious car accident. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our accident lawyers are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

As Bowie medical malpractice attorneys, we know that medication errors can often lead to serious injuries, particularly when pharmacies do not take the proper steps to ensure the drugs are safe and sterile. In this case, the patients had all undergone some type of eye procedure. As a result of the contaminated medication, 23 suffered some degree of vision loss and 24 patients had to undergo another eye surgery, according to the CDC.

Investigators linked many of the cases to a dye and an injection including triamcinolone and other products from Franck’s Compounding Lab. The Food and Drug Administration tested unopened bottles and unused syringes of the dye collected, finding multiple bacterial and fungal species.

The CDC has subsequently warned doctors and patients to stay away from “compounded products labeled as sterile from Franck’s.” However, the pharmacy has not recalled or halted production of other sterile compounded products.

As reported by MSNBC, this is not the first time this pharmacy has faced scrutiny. The 2009 deaths of 21 polo horses were linked to a mix of vitamins and minerals compounded by the pharmacy.

For more information on pharmacy medication errors, please check out our previous posts.

The Bowie medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

As Baltimore birth injury attorneys, the findings are alarming given that premature babies are at greater risk for a number of complications, including birth injury. Because premature babies have more fragile bodies, they are more susceptible to birth injuries during and after delivery.

The report, Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth, was published by The March of Dimes Foundation, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, Save the Children, and The World Health Organization. As the report further highlights, preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks completed gestation) is the leading cause of newborn death in this country. Babies who survive an early birth often have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other lifelong problems.

How We Can Help

For parents, the birth of a child should be a joyous event. Unfortunately, happiness can quickly be replaced by fear and anger if your child is injured before, during, or following delivery. As Baltimore birth injury attorneys, we know how devastating a birth injury can be, particularly if it could have been prevented. In many cases, a malpractice lawsuit can help ensure that your child receives the necessary care to lead a happy and otherwise healthy life.

The Baltimore birth injury attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

As Baltimore malpractice attorneys, we are concerned that this practice is putting patients at risk. The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, suggests that some patients who receive blood transfusions actually fare worse. The study also revealed that doctors often use transfusions more frequently than might be necessary.

“Over the past five years, studies have supported giving less blood than we used to, and our research shows that practitioners have not caught up,” said Dr. Steven M. Frank, leader of the study published in the journal Anesthesiology.

“Blood conservation is one of the few areas in medicine where outcomes can be improved, risk reduced and costs saved all at the same time,” he said in a statement. “Nothing says it’s better to give a patient more blood than is needed.”

As reported by Medscape, researchers acknowledged that many doctors order blood transfusions because they view the risks for viral transmission as low and that transfusions have few consequences. However, transfusions are not without risks, including immunomodulation, increased nosocomial infection, and possibly cancer recurrence.

“Clinicians should be cautious in giving blood to patients when the risks might outweigh the benefits,” the study concludes. “Reducing such risks should be the goal of any well-managed blood utilization program.”

“Transfusion is not as safe as people think,” Dr. Frank noted.

The Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

When it comes medical malpractice, every case is different. The settlement amount offered in your case will depend upon the specific facts, including the injury and the extent of the damages.

There are many nuances that determine a reasonable settlement amount, such as:

• Impact the injury has on earning capacity
• Impact the injury has on life functions
• How the jury perceives the injured party
• The atmosphere in the geographic area concerning medical malpractice

How We Can Help

The bottom line is that only an experienced attorney can give you an idea of what type of settlement you might expect.

If you believe that you may have suffered from medical malpractice, it is important to speak with an attorney who specializes in this area as soon as possible. Upon meeting with a medical malpractice attorney, you will be asked to explain what happened in as much detail as possible. It is helpful to bring a copy of your medical records as well. The attorney will then be able to discuss your legal options with you.

The Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

If the accident was caused through no fault of your own, but by someone else’s carelessness, the law entitles you to compensation for your injuries and suffering. As we have mentioned on this blog, Baltimore car accidents can be attributable to a number of different factors including speed, driver error, intoxication, and distraction.

Having an attorney that understands both liability law and how the car insurance companies operate is imperative to obtaining the compensation you deserve. In addition, the negligent driver responsible for your injuries is almost always represented by an attorney on behalf of his/her insurance company.

How We Can Help

If you have been involved in an accident involving a car, truck or motorcycle, contact our experienced injury attorneys to learn what legal options may be available to you. We are here to help you get through this tough time in your life.

The Baltimore accident attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious car accident. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our accident lawyers are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

Lawmakers in Washington have recently raised concerns that hackers could target wireless medical devices and are urging the Food and Drug Administration to take action. With advances in technology, many medical devices medical devices can be monitored and controlled wirelessly. However, most devices are not secured against unauthorized access or tampering.

While hackers have not yet targeted medical devices, it is certainly possible. In 2008, researchers at the Medical Device Security Center demonstrated that devices like pacemakers and defibrillators could be hacked remotely, allowing an attacker to transmit a fatal shock to a patient or make it stop completely. Last summer, security researcher Jerome Radcliffe caught the public’s attention when he demonstrated how he could hack his own insulin pump at a security conference.

These security concerns prompted the Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board, which advises the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as well as the Office of Management and Budget, to send a letter to the NIST calling for reform. As the board noted in its letter, the lack of cyber security preparedness for software-controlled medical devices puts patients at significant risk. However, there is currently no single federal agency with responsibility for ensuring that the devices are secure before they’re marketed to the public.

Following the board’s letter, Reps. Anna Eshoo (D.-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D.-Mass.) asked the General Accountability Office (GAO) to prepare a report on the severity of the problem as well as what can be done to address it. That report is expected in July. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: Wired.com

The Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

Last month, defective heart defibrillator wires manufactured by St. Jude Medical Inc. were linked to at least 20 deaths. As we have reported on this blog, surgical vaginal mesh and metal-on-metal hip implants have also caused problems for thousands of patients across the country over the past several years. The new tracking system is designed to help the FDA detect malfunctions and alert the public more quickly.

As detailed by the Wall Street Journal, a unique device identifier, a bar-code-like identification number, would be assigned to medical devices. The number would be used by the FDA to monitor medical and billing records from hospitals and insurance companies for signs of defective devices.

“The unique identifier is the real game changer,” said William H. Maisel, deputy director for science of the FDA’s medical device center. “With that number and a medical database, you could see, for example, if the reoperation rate for a certain defibrillator has become statistically a high outlier.”

The FDA will reportedly release more details about the new system in the coming weeks. We will, of course, keep you updated.

The Laurel medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.

As we discussed in a previous post, a safety checklist, developed by Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., a critical-care specialist and patient-safety researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has been shown to prevent hospital infections. After central line infections were rising in Maryland at a rate faster than most states, local hospitals agreed to adopt these measures. They are also required to report their progress to the Maryland Health Care Commission.

In its latest report, the Commission confirmed that the infection prevention protocols are working in many hospitals. As reported by the Baltimore Sun, the rate of central line infections has dropped for the second year in a row.

“The progress that Maryland hospitals continue to achieve in reducing infections in ICUs is good news. The public reporting of [central line] infection rates has proven to be an effective tool for driving improvement,” said Marilyn Moon, chair of the Health Care Commission, in a statement.

Below are several additional findings detailed in the report:

• For the 12-months ending in June 2010, Maryland hospitals reported 424 such infections in adult ICUs and 48 in neonatal ICUs.

• The number dropped by 43 percent in the 12-months ending in December 2011, with 224 infections in adult units and 43 in neonatal units.

• Johns Hopkins Hospital, Meritus Medical Center and Washington Adventist Hospital had lower infection rates than the national average for 2011 and 40 other Maryland hospitals had rates that tracked the national average.

How We Can Help

Maryland courts have ruled that many of these infections are preventable and patients may recover for their injuries. Therefore, if you or a loved one have suffered from a serious hospital infection, it is important to speak with a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.

The Bowie medical malpractice attorneys of Hyatt & Weber, P.A. understand the potentially devastating impact of a serious medical mistake. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, we are here to help. Our injury attorneys are experienced and dedicated to pursuing the compensation you deserve.

To better understand your rights, contact us today at leads@hwlaw.com or 410-777-5707 for a free consultation.