Every year, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announces its priorities, in part to inform the public about its activities, but also to put potential wrongdoers on notice that they will be under extra scrutiny. The announcement also is intended to make otherwise recalcitrant people comply with the law, which both protects the public and reduces the likelihood of … Read the rest
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Coronavirus Spread Highlights Importance of Good Hygiene
With cases of coronavirus now appearing in the United States, there are increasing worries about the impact that the disease will have, particularly on children, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions. While authorities are urging people not to panic, many Americans are concerned about the danger the coronavirus poses. The coronavirus highlights the importance of having medical institutions … Read the rest
Limo Safety Bills Signed into Law in NY
Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a package of limousine safety bills into law, intended to deal with a series of fatal crashes on Long Island and across the state that resulted in calls to address the problem. The laws specifically address the issue of rented stretch limos, which are commonly hired for formal events like proms, weddings and bar mitzvahs, … Read the rest
Nearly Three Quarters of Nursing Homes Are Understaffed
A recent study in the Journal of Health Affairs has estimated that as much as 75% of all nursing homes are significantly understaffed. The study compared the number of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and nurse aides to the staffing requirements set forth by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). What they found was that many … Read the rest
Practice Fusion Pays $145 Million Settlement for Opioid Kickback Scheme
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a $145 million settlement with Practice Fusion, a company that furnished software used for keeping electronic health records (EHRs). The settlement describes a scheme in which Practice Fusion’s software would encourage doctors to prescribe more opioids, which in turn would earn them a kickback from a pharmaceutical company. The pharmaceutical company … Read the rest
Study Find Sepsis to Be Leading Cause of Death in Hospitals
According to a new study in the medical journal The Lancet, sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitals in the United States, and also one of the leading causes of death worldwide. By their estimates, a full fifth of all deaths in 2017 were related to sepsis, with incidence rates being particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, … Read the rest
Pain and Suffering Claims Reinstated in Nursing Home Malpractice Case
The First Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a plaintiff’s pre-mortem pain and suffering claim that was initially dismissed by the district court. The claim is part of a 2014 case involving a woman who had been transferred to a New York City nursing home after hospitalization for severe respiratory distress and pneumonia, where she eventually died of cardiac arrest … Read the rest
Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegal Distribution of Opioids Resulting in Overdose
A doctor in Manhattan pleaded guilty early in December to illegally distributing fentanyl and oxycodone to patients who did not medically require it. As a result, at least one of his patients is dead from an overdose, having been prescribed hundreds of times the amount of oxycodone generally prescribed for medical purposes. The doctor, who worked for a major Manhattan … Read the rest
New Report Shows FDA Failed to Adequately Address Opioid Crisis
A new report by researchers at Johns Hopkins University shows that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) failed to adequately address the opioid epidemic that has caused enormous suffering throughout the United States. The documents show the FDA failed to appropriately conduct oversight of the pharmaceutical industry and did not adequately train doctors to handle opioids and the associated risk … Read the rest
PG&E Settles Wildfire Lawsuits for $13.5 Billion
PG&E Corp., one of the largest utility providers in the country, has settled numerous lawsuits related to wildfires allegedly caused by its faulty equipment. The lawsuits arose around so-called “jumper cables,” which have been found to have a high likelihood of breaking or malfunctioning, which have resulted in at least 22 wildfires between 2017 and 2018. A federal judge has … Read the rest
