South Carolina Lawyer Blog

When a person is in a traumatic car accident, every minute counts. The sooner they can be put into the hands of a trained medical team, the higher their chance is of survival. This time after the traumatic event is referred to in the medical community as the “golden hour”, the time in which life and death hang in a delicate balance.

John Hopkins Study On Emergency Response Time

There have been many studies on the effect of emergency response time to the survival rate of victims. Unfortunately, many of these studies have not taken into account the seriousness of the injuries, comparing broken legs with cardiac arrests. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 2012 actually took the level of injury into account, making it a true study of how response times affect survival.

The study looked at the difference between helicopter versus ground emergency response in patients requiring a level 1 or a level 2 trauma center. Since the air response is much quicker, both to the scene and to transport back to the medical center, the idea was to see the difference that time made in survival. The study analyzed over 700,000 patients 15-years or older and their survival rates after being ground transported or airlifted to a trauma center.

• Survival for the level 1 trauma centers was 16% with air transport


• Survival for the level 2 trauma centers was 15% with air transport

Unfortunately, even with the study information, helicopter response teams are much more expensive than ground crews, thus they may not be utilized as often as they should.

The “Golden Hour”

When a person is in a serious car accident, the response time by emergency services can be a matter of life and death. That precious hour after sustaining life threatening injuries is when they hang in the balance, waiting for the medical treatment that will medical treatment that will ultimately decide their fate.

For instance, in the case of cardiac arrest, every second counts in an emergency situation. If the heart is shocked with a defibrillator within the first 5 ½ minutes, their chance of survival increases. Since most response times are much higher than that by medical emergency crews, many people die in those few precious minutes.

An example of how local authorities can make a difference is apparent in the case of Rochester, MN, home of the Mayo Clinic. They realized the need to save cardiac arrest victims and decided to give police officers, often the first response people on the scene, defibrillators. In 12 years, 37 of 73 cardiac arrest victims were first shocked by police officers. By doing this, they raised their cardiac arrest survival rate from 30% to 44%, one of the highest in the nation.

The importance of emergency medical care is crucial to every town and city. Increased response times can make all the difference, whether it is by using helicopters or thinking outside the box like Rochester city officials did. Each second counts and many lives are in the hands of these services.

The above blog was prepared by Chicago car accident attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers

33 North Dearborn Street, #1930

Chicago, IL 60602

(888) 424-5757

Resources related to accident response in car accidents:

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/johns-hopkins-study-survival-rate-higher-for-traum/nN3yS/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/ems-day2-cover.htm

Failure to make workplaces fully safe and accessible may be behind recent findings that workers with disabilities are injured almost twice as often as other workers. A study that appears in the September issue of the American Journal of Public Health concludes that improvements to workplace conditions could help disabled workers avoid injuries.

The researchers looked at the U.S. National Health Interview Survey spanning 2006 to 2010 and uncovered a pattern of unnecessary and increased injuries for disabled workers. They found that disabled workers are more likely to be injured from falls or transportation accidents. They also more likely to be injured in accidents not directly related to work activities.

Disabled workers were injured in work activities at the rate of about 6 in 100, compared with a rate of 2.3 for every 100 workers without disabilities. Disabled workers also were injured in accidents not tied to job activities at the rate of 16 in 100, more than twice the rate for other workers.

Need for Safety Programs

Dr. Huiyun Xiang, the study’s co-author and a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, said in a press release that the study “shows the need for better accommodation and safety programs in the workplace and the need for a safer working environment.” Improvements in workplace conditions and better communication could not only help prevent injuries for workers with disabilities, but also could improve safety for all workers, the study’s authors say.

Employers may not be doing everything they can to make sure messages about safety are clear and understandable for all workers. Workers with disabilities may need different efforts, like differently colored paper or ink, Braille lettering or verbal communication.

If You Are Injured, Contact an Experienced S.C. Personal Injury Attorney

Since 1959, the Louthian Law Firm has helped obtain favorable verdicts and settlements for countless numbers of clients injured in workplace accidents in South Carolina. Let us help you, too. For a free evaluation of your claim, call the Columbia, S.C., personal injury lawyers at the Louthian Law Firm at 888-662-2896 or 803-454-1200 or fill out our confidential online form.

People who work evening or night shifts, rotating shifts or irregular shifts may suffer from a serious but invisible workplace danger: an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Researchers who examined the results of more than 30 different studies found that shift workers are more likely than others to have a heart attack or stroke, according to a report on MedlinePlus.

The experts looked at information from more than 2 million patients. They found that shift workers are about 23 percent more likely to have a heart attack than non-shift workers. They are also about 5 percent more at risk for strokes.

Night shift workers were the most affected, with a 41 percent higher risk of heart-related illness. The lead researcher, Dr. Daniel Hackam, said shift work could be to blame for many heart attacks and strokes in the United States. “Since we are now in a 24/7 society, this problem is not likely to go away any time soon,” Hackam said.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, who teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles, pointed out that the findings support other research linking shift work or irregular hours to increased risks of heart-related illnesses and strokes. With an estimated 15 million people in the United States working odd schedules or evening and night shifts, the findings point to a serious workplace health problem.

Health Precautions for Shift Workers

Dr. Hackam said that all employers and employees need to be aware of these health risks. He suggested regular screenings for shift workers to check for signs of heart problems.

Workers should take extra steps to protect and improve their health, especially heart health, the experts say. Make sure you get enough sleep — especially high-quality sleep — if you work nights or irregular hours. Avoid junk food and caffeine, and try to sneak in a quick nap before work.

Contact a South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Attorney

The Columbia, S.C., workplace injury lawyers at Louthian Law Firm have experience in workers’ compensation cases. If you have been injured at work, call us at 1-866-410-5656 or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

We are committed to providing personal service and to obtaining fair compensation for all our clients.

The Mayo Clinic has agreed to pay more than $1.2 million to settle a federal lawsuit claiming it billed the government for lab tests that it never performed.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the lawsuit was filed under the False Claims Act, which allows “qui tam” suits by citizens acting as whistleblowers. The Justice Department became involved after the lead whistleblower, physician and attorney David Ketroser, filed his suit in 2007.

Ketroser and other whistleblowers will split about $229,800 as their share of the settlement.

The whistleblowers and the Justice Department accused the Mayo Clinic of accepting payments from Medicare and Medicaid for lab tests that it never conducted. In a statement, the Mayo Clinic said the payments were the result of a billing error and denied that it had intentionally overbilled Medicare and Medicaid.

The allegations related to lab tests performed from 1999 to 2007. After Ketroser filed suit, the Mayo Clinic changed its billing practices and voluntarily repaid more than $260,000 to the federal government. Mayo had seven days as of Aug. 2 to pay the additional $1 million.

Government Encourages Citizens to Act

The Mayo Clinic settlement is among a growing number of settlements and awards that have helped the federal government stop big business fraud, thanks to whistleblower lawsuits. The federal government has been more and more interested in pursuing investigations begun by whistleblowers, particularly involving health care providers.

As we have mentioned, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced an additional $300 million in her budget to pursue health care fraud. Health care fraud includes wrongdoing such as false claims or fraudulent billing for services under Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

If You Suspect Fraud, Contact A Whistleblower Lawyer

If you work for a health care employer or other business that may be defrauding the federal government, you may be able to file suit under the False Claims Act and share in a settlement. Talk to the experienced South Carolina whistleblower attorneys in the Louthian Law Firm who can tell you whether you have a case. Remember, the False Claims Act will protect you from retribution by your employer.
We will review your case at no charge to you. Call us today at 888-926-9942 or fill out our convenient online form.

Too many U.S. nursing homes are using dangerously strong antipsychotic drugs to keep patients with dementia drugged, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In fact, 2010 data shows that 17 percent of nursing home patients had daily doses above recommended levels.

Claire Curry, a consumer advocate, said, “The drugging of nursing home residents has long been a national disgrace.”

To help curb the misuse of drugs in nursing homes and elder care facilities, CMS announced that it’s beginning a Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, which will include efforts to eliminate drug misuse for dementia patients. Officials say they hope the program will help reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs by 15 percent before the end of 2012.

As advocates like Claire Curry point out, improper and potentially dangerous misuse of drugs is a problem that affects hundreds of thousands of nursing home and long-term care patients. In the case of antipsychotic drugs, the drugs themselves even come with so-called “black box” warnings from the Food and Drug Administration, stating that the drugs can cause the death of patients with dementia.

Dr. Shari Ling, CMS deputy chief medical officer, has said that the use of powerful antipsychotic drugs among nursing home patients has grown in recent years—much of it among patients with dementia. This is particularly dangerous because, as Ling points out, dementia patients often cannot communicate their needs.

The government efforts to reduce drug misuse among elderly patients or those with dementia in nursing homes will include training for nursing home staff focused on care standards, making information about antipsychotics more available to nursing homes, and recommendations for alternatives to drugs. Those alternatives include things like outdoor activity, exercise and pain management therapy.

Whether these efforts will actually reduce improper prescriptions remains to be seen. The Food and Drug Administration has been warning doctors and caregivers against prescribing antipsychotic drugs to the elderly—especially those with dementia—since 2005. In a 2011 report, government researchers warned that improper use of the potentially dangerous drugs would probably continue, as alternative therapies and policies cost too much for many nursing homes to actually use.

About The Louthian Law Firm

The Louthian Law Firm, P.A., of Columbia, S.C., has been obtaining fair compensation for personal injury victims since 1959. The firm was founded by Herbert Louthian, who has more than 50 years of trial experience and is licensed to practice in all courts in South Carolina. The Louthian Law Firm focuses on personal injury cases involving nursing home abuse; medical malpractice; car, truck and motorcycle accidents; and other serious and catastrophic injuries throughout South Carolina. For a free, confidential case evaluation, contact the firm by phone at 888-662-9820 or through its online form.