Antelope Valley Personal Injury Lawyer

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

Certain Lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Reliever Recalled Due to Smell

Rick Patterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:24:10 GMT

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is conducting a voluntary recall of certain lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets (acetaminophen) 100 count bottles. This recall is due to identification of an uncharacteristic smell or taste associated with these lots that led to a small number of patients reporting nausea and related symptoms.

The following five lots are being recalled: Lot #08BMC013, Lot #08BMC020, Lot #09BMC034, Lot #09CMC036, and Lot #09CMC040.

Patients who have these products in their possession should stop using the product and contact their healthcare provider if they have medical concerns or questions.

For more information call (800) 962-5357 or click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Cardiovascular Systems ViperSheath Sheath Introducer Recalled Due to Fracturing

Rick Patterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:02:49 GMT

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. and FDA notified healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of all lots of the ViperSheath Sheath Introducer on behalf of Thomas Medical due to reports about stretching or fracture of the sheath during use.

In the event of a device fracture, separated segments of the device may require unplanned open surgery to remove the retained segments or control bleeding. Since this device is coil reinforced, any separation of the cannula (a flexible tube inserted into the body) has the potential to expose portions of the coil, creating the potential for vessel dissection or perforation.

The recall encompasses products distributed from March 25, 2009 to October 21, 2009, and includes the following lot ranges and catalog numbers:

Lot range: S28117 through S29174
Catalog numbers: VPR-ISH 5 X 85, VPR-ISH 6 X 85, VPR-ISH 7 X 85, VPR-ISH 5 X 45, VPR-ISH 6 X 45, VPR-ISH 7 X 45

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Hit-and-run Driver Faces Manslaughter Charges in Death of Disabled Man

Rick Patterson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:06:00 GMT

A driver who hit a disabled man in Santa Ana will be facing vehicular manslaughter charges now that the victim has died.

Police said Fred Dole had helped a neighbor put up lights on Halloween at his home near Wellington Avenue and Lacy Street. Dole decided to get a better look at their work, so he wheeled himself across the street when a van slammed into him.

Witnesses said the driver stopped briefly and then took off.

Dole was severly injured and taken to a nearby hospital. The 62-year-old never regained consciousness and died this past weekend.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Certain Lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Reliever Recalled Due to Smell(2)

Rick Patterson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:45:00 GMT

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson

Judge Approves $5.75 million in UC Davis Malpractice Suit

Rick Patterson — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:36:02 GMT

A Sacramento judge approved a $5.75 million settlement to the parents of a 4-year-old boy who filed a medical malpractice suit against the UC Davis Medical Center. The parents' attorneys claimed that the injuries sustained during childbirth on December 1, 2004 caused the plaintiff, Cannon Hoops, to suffer permanent neurological injuries.

Superior Court Judge David I. Brown endorsed the compromised agreement.

"As a result of the injury to his brain during his birth, the minor plaintiff has cerebral palsy and will require lifetime attendant care for his basic activities of daily living," Beverly Hills lawyer Dr. Bruce G. Fagel said in a declaration.

The settlement is the largest the university system has ever paid to settle a medical malpractice claim.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Rick Patterson