South Carolina Personal Injury Law Firm Blog

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

A Virginia woman was awarded a $3 million medical malpractice verdict against a local gynecologist after her hysterectomy went terribly wrong.  Due to a state law capping such awards, the judge reduced the award to $1.9 million.

According to the lawsuit complaint, the patient was badly injured when a hysterectomy performed by Winchester, Virginia physician Katherine Averill in 2007, resulted in her vagina being stitched to her rectum.   The patient required several additional surgeries to correct the problem, including a colostomy procedure.

The doctor’s practice closed in November, 2009.

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; stand by your side throughout the legal process; and get you the best possible results. For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

Labels: medical malpractice

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

A New Cumberland, Pennsylvania woman who was hit by a pizza delivery driver, while she was crossing the street in a crosswalk, has been awarded $910,000 compensation for her injuries.  The 61-year-old who now primarily gets around in a wheelchair, had her right side crushed requiring her to have her head stapled together and to have 3 inches removed from her leg.

The lawsuit held the delivery driver and his employer, Sidoti’s Italian Grille and Pizzeria in Lower Allen Township, liable for the damages.  Neither the driver nor the pizzeria defended themselves against the lawsuit.  Sidoti’s lacked insurance coverage for the crash, and they never responded to the legal correspondence or filings.

Since Sidoti’s does not have insurance, the lawyers will seek to enforce the damage award by securing a judgment against the firm and its assets, a process that could become difficult if Sidoti’s files for bankruptcy protection.  The victims’ insurer has covered her $250,000 in medical bills to date.

If you have been in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Crash Award

Labels: AutoAccident

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

A Parkton, Maryland woman was awarded $650,000 for injuries she sustained when a car struck her as she was crossing a driveway.  The driver, who was texting on her cell phone at the time, left the scene of the accident but was later identified and found.

The 22-year-old college student now suffers from complex regional pain syndrome and has had to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted in her back to ease her pain.  The device will need to be changed every nine years, leading the jury, who only deliberated for an hour, to award future medical expenses as well.

The award consisted of: $48,000 for past medical expenses, $152,000 for future medical expenses, $2,900 for lost wages and $460,000 for pain and suffering. The pain and suffering award falls below the statutory cap on noneconomic damages.

If you have been in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Car Accident Award

Labels: car crash

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

A settlement of $235,000 has been awarded to the parents of a Uniontown High School cheerleader who was injured when the school bleachers collapsed on her.  The girl, who is now 17-years-old, suffers permanent scarring from her injuries which included a broken nose, broken teeth, broken ankles and facial scratches.

The accident occurred in January 2008, during a cheerleading practice when the girls were asked to push the bleachers into their storage position to make room for the practice.  Taylor Wrona, who was 14 at the time, and another cheerleader were pinned under the bleachers when they collapsed.

A Fayette County judge approved the settlement in which $137,989 is to be placed into a federally insured account in Taylor Wrona’s name until she turns 18 or by further order of the court.

The other girl seriously injured suffered a fractured leg, broken ankle, nerve damage and scarring.  A lawsuit filed by her family is still pending.

Personal injury deals with injuries caused by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another, the attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. Call us for a free consultation at 1-866-410-5656.

Personal Injury

Labels: personal injury

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

A $2.45 million judgment was awarded to the estate of a woman who died after being treated for ovarian cancer during a four-year period when she actually had PMP, a rare cancer of the abdomen. The woman succumbed to cancer in January 2009.  The suit was brought against Stamford Hospital doctors Iris Wertheim and Isodore Tepler.

After going to Wertheim with pain in her side in August 2001, the woman was told she had ovarian cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, as well as removal of her appendix.  A pathologist studied the tumors that were removed during surgery and diagnosed PMP, although Wertheim ignored the information and referred her to Tepler, an oncologist, for treatment of ovarian cancer.  

After being told by Tepler she was cancer free in March 2002, the woman returned for an exam in October 2003 where she was then told she had extensive cancer.  She underwent aggressive chemotherapy treatment by Tepler, yet her cancer continued to spread.  She then consulted with another physician who confirmed she had PMP and underwent abdominal surgery to remove her colon.

Experts testified for the plaintiffs stating that with proper diagnosis and treatment the woman would have lived another 10 years.

The lawsuit gained national attention because the survivor winning the award, who is also a woman, won loss of consortium.   The couple had been together for 25 years.  Connecticut enacted the same-sex civil union bill on Oct. 1, 2005, which gave same-sex couples the same rights as married couples.  Prior to that only married couples could sue for loss of consortium.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients.  Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Medical Malpractice

Labels: medical malpractice

Friday, July 9th, 2010

A 78-year-old woman, who suffered from burns and permanent scars after a medical device was placed too near her supplementary oxygen and later exploded, has been awarded $1.2 million by a Macomb County, Michigan jury.  

The woman was being treated at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital for a heart attack when she fell out of bed and suffered facial fractures and a deep cut over her eye.  The attorneys argued that the injuries resulted from a hospital resident’s actions in October 2007.

Hospital representatives said in a statement that they respect the jury’s verdict and extended sympathy to the patient and her family.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients.  Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Michigan Medical Malpractice

Labels: medical malpractice

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

A jury in Alameda County, California, found Enterprise Rent-A-Car liable for $15 million in the death of two sisters involved in a crash while renting one of their cars.

The parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Enterprise when experts found that the accident was caused when their daughter lost the ability to steer the vehicle due to leaking power steering fluid. Two of their daughters died when they crashed into a tractor trailer in October, 2004.

Enterprise did not complete the recommended repair work on the PT Cruiser the two were riding in even though they had received a recall notice warning that the power steering hose on the car could leak.

If you have been in an accident, it’s important to make sure you understand your legal rights. You may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, funeral costs, as well as compensation for wrongful death or permanent disability. Contact the experienced car accident attorneys at the Louthian Law Firm for a free evaluation of your case at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online consultation form.

Labels: WrongfulDeath

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

Side effects of Pfizer’s stop-smoking drug, Champix (known as Chantix in the United States) has caused Health Canada to issue strong warnings, reports NewsInferno.

The warning was issued following concerns of mood changes, hostility, suicidal behavior, and sometimes fatal skin reactions in some patients taking the popular drug.  The drug must now carry a boxed warning about the serious safety issues.

Last year the U.S. FDA issued a similar warning saying psychiatric side effects seen among Chantix users at that time included 98 reports of suicide and 188 reports of attempted suicide.  Although there was speculation some psychiatric problems could have been from nicotine withdrawal, the FDA found many of the reported problems occurred while Chantix users were still smoking.

Pfizer still maintains the safety of Chantix/Campix claiming the serious effects are often seen in people who try to stop smoking, calling it nicotine withdrawal.  The controversy over the safety of Chantix continues, as do numerous lawsuits over Chantix’s association with psychiatric problems.

Prescription drugs can have serious side effects. The Louthian Law Firm has pursued prescription drug injury and other personal injury lawsuits in South Carolina since 1959.  If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed by an unsafe prescription drug, call us today at 1-800-410-5656 for a free evaluation of your unique case.

Chantix/Champix Drug Warning

Labels: pharmaceutical news, products

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

The Star-Telegram reports the family of a 27-year-old man who died of injuries suffered in an explosion at a natural gas processing plant has been awarded $82.5 million by a Harris County (Texas) jury.

In May, 2007, the young man was injured when a hot-oil treater exploded and he died at the hospital the next day.  The award will go to his widow and the couple’s three young children, including a son born shortly after his father died.

Exterran Energy Solutions L.P of Houston – formerly Hanover Compression L.P. – will be liable for the damages if the award is upheld.  The plant, built by Hanover, is owned by Fort Worth-based Quicksilver Resources, a natural gas producer. 

The jury found Hanover was grossly negligent and 90% responsible for the accident and Quicksilver was 10% responsible but not guilty of gross negligence.  Quicksilver was not responsible for any monetary damages because the company provided workers’ compensation insurance for its employees.  The young man was a Quicksilver employee.

A “wrongful death” is a death caused by the carelessness (negligence) or misconduct of another person or organization. The Louthian Law Firm has vast experience in pursuing wrongful death lawsuits.  Call us today at 1-800-410-5656 for a free evaluation of your unique case.

Wrongful Death

Labels: WrongfulDeath

Monday, June 7th, 2010

The Post-Standard reports a New York state Supreme Court jury has awarded a home-care nurse almost $1.7 million for permanent nerve damage following her baby’s birth three years ago.

The lawsuit was filed against Community General Hospital after the hospital administered an intramuscular injection in an attempt to stop the woman’s vomiting following the birth of her third child. The suit claimed the injection was given too low causing damage to the woman’s sciatic nerve. 

The 34-year-old mother now suffers from lower back pain and is unable to sit or stand for any length of time and has other physical problems as a result of the nerve damage.  Although she still works as a home health care nurse, her doctors believe her condition will become worse.

The Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have many years of experience in medical malpractice cases and we are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients.  Call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

N.Y. Medical Malpractice

Labels: medical malpractice