New Jersey Personal Injury Blog
New Jersey Garbage Truck Worker Killed by Company Vehicle
A 53-year-old garbage truck worker from Paterson, NJ died recently after he was struck by the vehicle on which he was working. A fellow employee called the Franklin Lakes, New Jersey Police Department to report the incident, stating that he “struck one of the members of his crew” when he was backing up the truck. Police officers arrived at the scene to find the worker under the garbage truck. The worker was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The driver of the truck received a summons for careless driving, and Gaeta Recycling Co. Inc, the garbage truck company, received summonses for failing to maintain the truck’s lights. According to the police, the incident seemed to be accidental, and the vehicle violations are not contributory; however, the circumstances of this truck accident are still under investigation. Read the rest »
January Is Cervical Health Awareness Month
According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that approximately 13,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015, and about 4,000 of those women will succumb to the disease. In order to promote cervical cancer awareness and prevention, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition and the American Social Health Association have designated January as Cervical Health Awareness Month.
Fortunately, due to cancer research and better testing and treatment, great strides have been made over the past 30 years, with the average number of cervical cancer related deaths declining by at least 50 percent. This decrease in mortality is largely due to regular screening resulting in early detection, and vaccinations against HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), now known to be a precursor to cervical changes that ultimately can result in a proliferation of cancer cells. Read the rest »
First Responders Seek Compensation for Toxic Exposure
Sixteen first responders recently filed a lawsuit surrounding various health conditions suffered after they responded to a train derailment and toxic spill that occurred in Paulsboro, NJ in 2012. The responders claim that the rail company failed to properly train railroad workers to prevent accidents of this nature from occurring and that local emergency response officials/entities or agencies failed to provide necessary respiratory protection to rescue and response crews.
The 82-car freight train derailed when crossing the East Jefferson Street Bridge in Paulsboro. It was carrying roughly 20,000 gallons of toxic vinyl chloride used for making PVC plastic. Exposure to the highly flammable gas is known to cause damage to the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys when inhaled. Long-term exposure has also been linked to liver cancer. Read the rest »
Was My Newborn A Victim of Medical Malpractice?
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to injury during and after the birthing process, so it is important and required by the standards of care that doctors and medical staff take considerable precautions to ensure that a child’s well-being is protected. If a complication occurs, such as a breech birth or inadequate uterine contractions, healthcare providers are responsible for proceeding accordingly to protect the child and mother from harm.
If your newborn was injured during childbirth, it may be due to shortcomings in your care prior to and during delivery. During the post-birth neonatal period, a newborn may also be seriously injured as a result of negligent care. Read the rest »
DuPont Chambers Works Fined for Safety Violations
In May 2014, a complaint was filed after hazardous chemicals leaked out of a DuPont tanker truck. Workers at the facility were exposed to the chemicals. Following this incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) decided to conduct an investigation. According to a news report in The South Jersey Times, OSHA has cited DuPont Chambers Works for 11 safety and health violations at their New Jersey location. The proposed penalties include $120,300. in fines.
Investigators found that the chemicals used at the New Jersey plant are “corrosive and volatile.” OSHA investigators also stated that this particular facility stores and utilizes on premises toxic, corrosive, explosive, and flammable liquids. This means that workers are at risk of toxic exposure and even burn injuries. Read the rest »
Cerebral Ischemia at Birth
The health of all cells in the body is affected by the amount of blood flow to that area of the body where the cell is located. Less blood flow to an organ generally equates to less oxygen supply to the cells of that organ. When there is a lack of “perfusion” (or blood flow) to the brain, it can result in the death of cells, also known as ischemia. If the brain tissue ischemia or death of cells in the brain is significant enough, it can result in a brain injury manifested by various neurological conditions. This cell and brain damage can result in a short period of time, especially in the fragile brain of a child during labor and delivery… or the brain of a newborn.
The injuries that can result from cerebral ischemia depend on a number of factors, including how many cells die and how long the brain tissue was deprived of oxygen (anoxia), or had a diminished supply of oxygen (hypoxia). Cerebral ischemia and its associated brain injuries may result in cerebral palsy, developmental delays, vision impairment, mental retardation, cognitive loss, hearing loss, seizure disorders, and even death. Read the rest »
Burn Injuries from Defective Products
Burn injuries are painful, costly as far as the medical treatment required and often result in permanent scarring and/or other disfigurement. A burn from a flame or hot object, or a scald from a hot liquid or an electrical burn from a defective product can cause permanent injuries, including nerve damage, that may affect the victim’s quality of life. When these types of injuries result from the use of a product, it is necessary to determine if the product was defective. In addition, it must be determined if the product’s instructions regarding its use, or warnings to the public regarding potential hazards were deficient. A combination of any or all of these shortcomings may result in an injury.
Have you suffered an injury because the smoke detector failed to work properly? There have been a number of recent recalls for defective smoke or fire alarms as well as for household appliances that were manufactured overseas in countries such as China. If you were burned by a defective appliance that was manufactured overseas, you may be able to, with the assistance of experienced legal counsel, prove that the product’s defects caused your injuries, and that the product was not fit for the purpose intended. Read the rest »
What Happens When Doctors Fail to Diagnose Stomach Cancer
The failure to properly diagnose stomach cancer or any cancer in a timely manner equates to medical malpractice, and can have significant consequences for the patient.
There are certain standards of care a healthcare provider must meet in treating patients, especially when evaluating a patient relative to a potential diagnosis of cancer. In particular, a healthcare provider must be aware of and recognize the signs and symptoms which might be indicative of stomach cancer. Read the rest »
Falling Tape Measure Kills Worker at Jersey Construction Site
Construction workers are not the only people in harm’s way at a worksite. Visitors and deliverymen at construction sites, as well as general public passers by can be injured without warning in a New Jersey construction accident.
At any construction site, there may be potential hazards such as live wires, trenches, power tools, and falling objects.
Accidents vary in their nature and severity. In one incident in Jersey City, New Jersey, a man was killed by a tape measure that fell from above. In that particular construction accident a 58-year-old independent trucking company employee was killed while making a delivery to a New Jersey construction site, when a tape measure fell from a worker’s belt from 50 stories up. According to a news report in The Daily Record, the accident occurred at a downtown Jersey City construction site. Officials stated that the one-pound tape measure fell from the 50th floor, first struck some construction equipment and then hit the deliveryman as he stopped to speak with another worker. The victim sustained head injuries that proved fatal. His hard hat was reportedly in his truck at the time of the accident. Read the rest »
Google Looking for New Technology to Help Detect Cancer
Google is currently working on technology that will be able to diagnose cancers and impending heart attacks without invasive blood tests. If successful, the new technology will be able to detect a number of diseases at an earlier stage than is currently possible. According to a recent BBC news report, Google is developing disease-detecting nanoparticles that would enter the bloodstream and report findings or otherwise communicate with a wrist-worn sensor. A patient undergoing this diagnostic testing would have to do is swallow a capsule containing the nanoparticles and wear the sensor. The development of this technology is only in the early stages, but it could have a significant impact on early diagnosis and detection of various diseases including cancers. Read the rest »