Could your next surgery be recorded?
There are a number of protocols that hospitals use to reduce the risk of surgical tools being left in patients after a procedure, or being misplaced before or after a surgery. Essentially, some tools are bar-coded so that they can be electronically accounted for. With the increased use of technology...
More sanitation robots being seen in hospitals
In hospitals, cleanliness is a top priority. Not only is it important in maintaining a hospital’s reputation, the eradication of germs is crucial in maintaining patient safety. According to several media reports, more than 1 million infections are reported each year inside of hospitals. Also infections are the primary cause...
Good Samaritan Act to cover any employee providing aid
If you saw someone in need of assistance in your workplace during your working hours, would you rush to render aid? What if helping the person put you at risk of physical injury? It is probably safe to say most people would do their best to help those in need....
Do drivers of emergency vehicles have to use reasonable care?
If you see an emergency vehicle in your rear-view mirror, or one is approaching from ahead, it is expected that you pull over or yield the right of way to such a vehicle. However, when drivers of emergency vehicles see each other, which vehicle should yield? This is the question...
Choosing a doctor for Pennsylvania workplace injuries
When you suffer a workplace injury in the Harrisburg area, the workers’ compensation insurance your employer provides will likely cover any associated medical expenses. While workers’ compensation does allow injured workers to seek treatment from the doctor they desire, physician choice might be limited in some situations. The Pennsylvania Workers’...
Don’t let a technical mistake lead to a denial of disability benefits
You may have heard this fact before: most applications for Social Security disability benefits are denied, even when they are considered a second time. So why? The sad truth is that each year many Pennsylvania residents with legitimate disabilities are denied SSDI benefits because of technical mistakes. A disability may...
The modern traffic light turns 100 this week
If you drive a lot, you probably think that stoplights have been around forever; or at least as long as cars have been on the road. After all, how could a busy intersection ever function with just a stop sign (and a traffic cop)? Believe it or not, cities had...
Can I sue my employer for my work injury?
Unfortunately, workplace accidents in Pennsylvania occur all too often, leaving the state’s workers injured, disabled or even dead. When these accidents occur due to an employer or co-worker’s negligence, it is even more tragic as the accident likely could have been prevented. Many industries in Pennsylvania and elsewhere may have...
The perils of defective sunroofs
Imagine you are driving down the freeway. You could be on your way to work or heading to see family and friends. All of a sudden, the sunroof above you starts to crack and eventually shatters; sending shards of glass raining down on your head. While this scary and spontaneous...
What tends to contribute to road rage
If you are planning your Labor Day holiday weekend road trip, you are not alone. Like the preceding summer holiday weekends, it is expected that millions across America will take to the road for the last holiday weekend of the summer. With this higher volume of traffic comes the higher...
Simple change to patient IDs reduced order errors in neonatal ICU
A new experiment with naming protocols at a neonatal intensive care unit found that medical errors by the NICU’s staff members plummeted thanks to the new naming process. The incredible study, which is so simple at its heart that it makes you wonder why it isn’t done more often, was...
Soft tissue injuries in the construction industry
Work-related soft tissue injuries affect the body’s muscles, tendons, discs, nerves, ligaments and cartilage. Examples of these types of injuries include back issues like strain and, more seriously, herniated discs. Soft tissue injuries can also occur in the upper body affecting the neck, the shoulders and other areas of the...
Will a defective tire recall affect summer travel?
The summer driving season is heading towards the final turn. The Labor Day weekend holiday is a few weeks away, but you can imagine that traffic will be heavy on area highways as people try to get one last summer vacation in before school starts. In a couple of our...