Antelope Valley Personal Injury Lawyer - All Topics

Elderly Sexual Assault Victim Gets $12.5M In Suit

Rick Patterson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:17:55 GMT

A 94-year old woman who was sexually assaulted while she lived in a convalescent home in Santa Clarita was awarded $12.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages by a jury.

Sophie Schwartz, who has dementia, was sexually assaulted in her room by Jose Vazquez. He was an illegal immigrant who worked at the facility as a dietary aid.

Schwartz's attorney Gregory Owen, of Owen, Patterson & Owen, said Vazquez admitted he was drunk at the time, and he and other workers often drank on the job. Schwartz sued Vazquez and the owners of the facility, Oakdale Heights Management Corp.

In a plea deal, Vazquez was sentenced to eight years in prison for attempted rape, according to Owen.

"This was a very emotional trial on many different levels," he said. "What this case does is send a message to the entire elder care industry that if you come into our community and open up shop with the intention of farming old people for profit you will be held accountable in the place it hurts most -- your wallet."

The jury found that the corporation purposefully falsified employment documents at the time of Vazquez's hiring and violated several California laws governing the care of dementia residents.

According to Owen, Vazquez had a master key allowing him access to every resident's room, despite the absence of a valid background check and no training for dealing with the elderly.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Eighth Grader Killed in Apparent Hit-and-run

Rick Patterson — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:57:00 GMT

Classes were canceled Friday at Harvard-Westlake middle school after the hit-and-run death in Brentwood of an eighth-grader, students said.

Julia Siegler, 13, was hit by a silver Mercedes about 7:20 a.m. Friday while crossing Sunset Boulevard near Cliffwood Drive to catch her school bus, police said.

Friends at school called Julia an excellent student, and “pretty much one of the nicest people in our school. Everybody loved her,” said a friend who did not want to be identified.

About 60 students were reportedly on the bus that Julia was trying to catch, and she may have seen the Mercedes approach and tried to run out of the street, witnesses said. She was taken to UCLA Medical Center, where she died.

Investigators were calling the accident a hit-and-run.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Lifescan Recalls OneTouch SureStep Test Strips

Rick Patterson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:29:00 GMT

LifeScan issued a voluntary recall of eight lots of OneTouch SureStep Test Strips, used by people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose levels at home. The recall is due to the fact that the strips may provide falsely low glucose results when the glucose level is higher than 400 mg/dL.

If patients use the falsely low test results to determine their insulin dose, they may give themselves too little insulin, which could result in poor blood glucose control. High blood glucose must be recognized and treated promptly to avoid serious complications, such as coma and death.

The eight lots of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips being recalled are identified in the firm's press release. Lot numbers are located on the outer carton and test strip vial. LifeScan estimates approximately fourteen thousand packages (50- and 100-count) of consumer OneTouch SureStep Test Strips were distributed nationwide between August 1, 2009 and January 28, 2010.

It is important that patients with recalled test strips continue to test their blood glucose. Patients with access to a meter that does not use OneTouch SureStep Test Strips should use this other meter to test their blood glucose until replacement product from LifeScan arrives. If an alternate meter is not available, patients may continue to test using the recalled OneTouch SureStep Test Strips. However, if patients obtain results above 400 mg/dL, they should contact their healthcare professional for further instructions because their glucose may be significantly higher.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Cyclist Killed in Compton Hit-and-run Accident By Distracted Driver

Rick Patterson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:12:00 GMT

A bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Monday riding near South Dwight Avenue and West Compton Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The victim, 40-year-old Ovidio Morales, a father of five, was treated by Compton firefighters, but died of his injuries.

A surveillance video shows a motorist hitting a cyclist in Compton Monday who later died of his injuries -- then fleeing as witnesses looked on.

Th accident occured around 8 a.m. when a silver or gray 1990s Ford passenger van, possibly an Aerostar, struck the man, backed up to check on the victim and then sped away.

According to witnesses, the driver ran a red light while talking on his cellphone.

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at the Compton sheriff's station at (310) 605-6500.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Update: McNeil Recalls All Lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets

Rick Patterson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:35:00 GMT

McNeil and FDA notified healthcare professionals of an expansion of the December 2009 recall. McNeil Consumer Healthcare has now applied broader criteria to identify and remove all product lots that it believes may have the potential to be affected, even if they have not been the subject of consumer complaints. Consumers who purchased product from the lots included in this recall should stop using the product and contact McNeil Consumer Healthcare for instructions on a refund or replacement. The affected product names and lot numbers for the recalled products can be found in firm's Press Release. Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For the original Press Release, click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Two Injured in Car Accident in Newhall

Rick Patterson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:45:55 GMT

Two men were in critical condition after crashing their car into a utility pole on Sierra Highway in Newhall on Tuesday afternoon.

The names and ages of the two people in the car were not immediately available, but the passenger is believed to be a student at Canyon High School. Emergency crews took them to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for treatment.

“The car wrapped around the pole on the driver’s side,” said Fire Station 73 Captain Steven Ralston.

Northbound lanes of Sierra Highway near Newhall Avenue were closed about 20 minutes while emergency responders cut the driver and the passenger out of the wreckage, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Bryski.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Alcohol Blamed in Death of Fresno Woman Involved in Car Crash

Rick Patterson — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:27:50 GMT

According to CHP report, an Exeter man will be arrested on DUI and manslaughter charges if he survives the injuries suffered in a fatal car crash Wednesday night.

The man, Tomas Hernandez, 23, was heading north in his 1991 Honda on Road 204 near List Avenue when he lost control and collided head-on with a Nissan pickup that was southbound on Road 204. The crash occurred at 7:05 p.m.

The driver of the Nissan, Andres Rubio Soltero, 42, of Cutler, had minor injuries and was taken to Kaweah Delta Medical Center. The 38-year-old female passenger, Sylvia Ziranda, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hernandez was pinned in the vehicle for more than an hour and later was flown by helicopter to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. He was in critical condition late Thursday with severe head trauma and broken bones. All three were wearing safety belts, according to the CHP report.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Plane Found After Crashing in San Bernardino Foothills

Rick Patterson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:17:00 GMT

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a plane that crashed earlier this week was discovered early this morning with two bodies inside. The bodies are believed to be the pilot and a passenger, but he victims have not yet been publicly identified.

The plane, a twin-engine Cessna 340 was found at 1:50 a.m. about six miles northwest of the Rialto Airport in the San Bernardino County foothills, said Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the FAA Western-Pacific Region.

The plane departed on Monday from Henderson, Nev., and was headed for Compton. A family member of one of those on board reported Wednesday that the plane had not arrived at its destination.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, Gregor said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident, he said.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Alabama Hospital Added to Radiation Overdose Probe

Rick Patterson — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:21:46 GMT

Huntsville Hospital is the latest hospital to be added to a federal investigation that began in Los Angeles in October. The FDA's investigation is in response to reports of hairloss by patients that received an overdose of radiation while undergoing a CT perfusion brain scan to test for a stroke.

Becky Coudert, a teacher with Madison County Schools, who had the scan at Huntsville Hospital on September 8, is one patient believed to have received an unecessary dose of radiation. In addition to a band of hairloss from ear to ear, Coudert is also experiencing loss of balance and memory loss.

Upon initially reporting her symptoms to Huntsville Hospital, Coudert was not given any information regarding a possible issue witht the radiation machine.

The issue lies in an error in the machine's settings which reset when the machine is reconfigured. In Los Angeles, the error went undetected for 18 months.

Rick Patterson, an L.A. attorney with Owen, Patterson and Owen, said he now represents clients from Los Angeles, as well as Coudert in Huntsville.

"The hospital has not been forthcoming with the period of time the CT scanner might have been misprogrammed and the number of people who might have been affected," said Patterson. "The important thing is there might be other people in Huntsville who have been exposed to the radiation."

Further complicating the federal investigartion, the hospitals involved used machines from two different manufacturers. In Huntsville, the hospital used a scanning machine made by G.E. Healthcare. Other hospitals used machines made by Toshiba, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Patterson said neither machine beeps nor offers any warning if radiation levels are set too high.

Huntsville Hospital is working to contact about 60 patients who they believe received brain scans that federal regulators now say may have emitted too much radiation.

The FDA on Monday urged hospitals across the country to review the patients who have received the scan, to check the dosage levels provided and to be careful in the future that "dosing protocols are followed every time."

Call 866.654.4947 or visit us today if you or someone you know might be suffering the symptoms of a severe radiation overdose.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Recall Announced After Bacteria Found in Vick's Nasal Spray

Rick Patterson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:20 GMT

Procter & Gamble is recalling Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the United States, Britain and Germany after finding it contained bacteria, the company said.

Procter & Gamble said it announced the voluntary recall after finding the bacteria in a small amount of product made at a plant in Germany.

There have been no reports of illness from the bacteria, but it could cause serious infections for people with weakened immune systems or those with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Procter & Gamble said late Thursday.

The bacteria poses little risk to healthy people, the company said.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Procter & Gamble said it detected the problem during routine quality control at the plant. Analysis so far shows the problem is limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product, which were sold only in the three countries affected by the recall, the company said.

In the United States, the recalled product is Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-hour Decongestant Ultra Fine Mist with lot number 9239028831.

In Britain, the company is recalling Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray with lot number 9224028832.

In Germany, the recalled product is Wick Sinex Schnupfenspray Dosiersystem with lot number 9224028833.

All recalled products are in the 15-milliliter size.

Lot numbers are listed on the outer carton and the bottle, the company said.

Consumers with the product should discard it, and they may call the company for a replacement coupon or refund, the company said. More information is at the company's Web site, www.pg.com.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson