Maryland Food Poisoning Lawyers:
Apple Cider Linked to E. Coli Illnesses

Reports of E. coli food poisoning in Maryland have led to a recall of Baugher’s Apple Cider. Potential apple cider food poisoning lawsuits are being reviewed for individuals who have suffered severe illnesses resulting in hospitalization or the need for medical treatment. Read more

Maryland Avandia Lawyers Continue to Review Lawsuits

A new Senate report suggests that GlaxoSmithKline PLC has been well aware of the Avandia heart attack risks, but fought to keep the drug on the market, causing hundreds of users to suffer a heart attack or congestive heart failure that may have been avoided by taking another diabetes drug. Read more

Baltimore County Carbon Monoxide Law Expands Alarm Requirements

Landlords in Baltimore County have eight months to install carbon monoxide alarms in all units heated by fuel-burning equipment, according to a new law enacted last month. The law is designed to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in Baltimore-area apartments, which could result in severe and potentially life-threatening injuries for tenants. Read more

St. Joseph Hospital Stent Implant Lawsuits: Towson, Maryland

Many individuals who received a coronary artery stent implanted at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson Maryland by Dr. Mark Midei have recently been notified by the hospital about an investigation or clinical review, which noted differences or inaccuracies in the original report. This may have a substantial impact on patients’ care and long-term health. Read more

Maryland Hospital Infection Risk Will Be Reduced With Monitoring of Hand Washing

State health officials have unveiled a new program to lower the number of Maryland hospital infection cases through improved hand washing at hospitals across the state.

Teams of staff members at 45 of the state’s 47 hospitals will covertly monitor the hand washing practices of Maryland hospital staff in an effort to improve hand washing habits at hospitals statewide. The program, called the Maryland Hospital Hand Hygiene Collaborative, was made possible through $100,000 in federal stimulus money that was part of a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at lowering the rate of Maryland hospital infections.

Hand washing has been repeatedly identified as an excellent tool in reducing the rate of hospital infections, which would result in a reduction in the number of Maryland hospital infection lawsuits. The CDC reports that there are more than 2 million U.S. hospital infections acquired each year, leading to more than 90,000 deaths annually.

State officials say the program is not designed to penalize hospital staff spotted not undertaking the best hand washing practices. Instead, the program will gather data on hygiene practices at facilities across the state to help determine where hospital staff needs the most improvement in hand washing hygiene practices. Officials also hope that the program will raise awareness for hospital hand washing hygiene.

A number of health care organizations representing doctors and patients have gotten behind the initiative. Supporters say that the program costs very little to implement, but is likely to provide excellent results in combating hospital infections.

Doctors Community Hospital Fined for Failing to Report Medical Mistakes

The state has fined Doctors Community Hospital in Landham, for failing to notify Maryland health regulators of serious hospital medical mistakes that occurred at the facility. The Washington Post reports that the Maryland hospital in Prince Georges County paid a $30,000 fine last month for a failure to report eight incidents where potential medical malpractice led severe injuries, and in one case, death. The hospital fine was originally $95,000, but the state reduced the amount in return for the hospital using the remaining $65,000 on development of a patient safety program.

A state law requires that all Maryland hospitals make public disclosure of any medical mistakes that result in harm to patients. The fine is the first of its kind in the state since the law was enacted five years ago.

According to the article published June 15, 2009 in the Washington Post:

In some cases, state regulators found, Doctors did minimal investigations to determine what went wrong and did not classify the errors by their level of seriousness, as required by law. A few near misses, in which patients escaped serious harm, were never investigated, documents show. Those included a reported assault on one patient by another’s visitor, an eight-day delay in getting medication to a 49-year-old man with a history of heart failure, and a case in which an antibiotic was given to a 65-year-old woman by a technician who mistook it for plain IV fluid.

Maryland is one of more than 20 states with laws on the books requiring hospitals to report mistakes or infections that could have been prevented. There is also federal law requiring all hospitals to report any disciplinary actions against doctors. However, the situation at Doctors Hospital is not unique, and appears to be occurring nationwide, according to a recent report by the consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen.

In a report released earlier this month, Public Citizen found that half of all hospitals in the U.S. avoid reporting disciplinary actions against physicians, usually by exploiting legal loopholes. The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) was established 17 years ago, but in that time, only half all hospitals have actually used the mandatory system.

Many hospitals avoid such reporting by levying disciplinary actions that are designed to fly under the radar of federal reporting requirements. This can include disciplinary periods of less than 31 days, requiring a leave of absence instead actual disciplinary action, or simply not disciplining physicians who have been known to make mistakes.

Doctors Hospital had reported only three errors to the state since 2005, and while other area hospitals were investigated, only Doctors was fined. Officials at Doctors Community Hospital say they plan to hire a registered nurse who will head the hospital’s patient safety program, and the state has promised to review the hospital’s progress in several months.

MARYLAND HOSPITAL MALPRACTICE LAWYERS

Our Maryland medical malpractice lawyers investigate potential claims for mistakes and errors that result in serious physical harm at area hospitals. To review a potential claim on behalf of yourself, a friend or family member, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

Baltimore City Lead Poisoning Recovery Act

UPDATE: Please note that House Bill 1156 died in committee and it is unclear whether it will be reintroduced in the next legislative session

This week, the Maryland House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider new legislation which would make it easier for individuals who were injured by elevated lead levels to obtain compensation through a Baltimore city lead paint lawsuit.

The Baltimore City Lead Poisoning Recovery Act, House Bill 1156, is designed to enable property owners and victims of lead poisoning in Maryland to file a lead paint lawsuit against the various manufacturers who used the additive in paint they sold under a “market-share liability” theory. This would allow Baltimore City lead poisoning victims to file a lawsuit, even in situations where it is impossible to identify the specific manufacturer who caused their injury.

According to an article in the Maryland Daily Record from March 6, 2009:

[Baltimore City Del. Samuel I. "Sandy"] Rosenberg’s proposal would require poisoned individuals or landlords suing to recover remediation costs and lost rent to show that the lead-pigment manufacturers listed as defendants made, produced marketed or sold their product in the relevant Baltimore area before the poisoning occurred. If a judge or jury finds for the plaintiff, damages would be apportioned among the lead-pigment manufacturers based on their share of the relevant market.

Supporters of Rosenberg’s measure say it would make it easier to recover damages because the plaintiffs could recover against manufacturers to the extent they contributed to the general risk of lead poisoning. Many plaintiff attorneys say it is nearly impossible in Maryland to recover damages in these cases because of the immense difficulty in proving that a specific paint caused the poisoning.

A similar bill was defeated last year by corporate lobbying groups, but that legislation would have allowed lead paint victims throughout the state to file lawsuits without identifying the specific manufacturer of the paint used in the property. The current legislation would only apply to Baltimore City, which has the largest number of reports of lead poisoning in Maryland, accounting for roughly 70% of the elevated lead level blood tests were found for the entire state in 2007.

In recent years, the overall number of Maryland lead poisoning cases are down, but problems associated with lead paint continue to cause substantial health issues in Baltimore City. If young children or infants inhaled lead paint dust or ingested paint chips that flaked off of the walls, it could lead to long term health issues throughout their life, including:

• Brain Injury
• Damage to the Nervous System
• Seizures or Convulsions
• Decreased Growth Rate
• Mental Retardation
• Coma
• Death

BALTIMORE LEAD PAINT LAWYERS

If your child, a friend or family member have been diagnosed with elevated lead levels or lead poisoning in Maryland, request a free consultation and claim evaluation with our Baltimore Lead Poisoning Lawyers.

Maryland Peanut Butter Food Poisoning

According to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of February 18, 2009, there were 10 Maryland salmonella food poisoning cases associated with the recent outbreak cause by contaminated peanut butter.

Throughout the United States, there have been 654 confirmed cases of peanut butter food poisoning, giving Maryland only about 1.5% of the nationwide toll in the outbreak.

Only six states have not had any citizens affected by the salmonella outbreak at all: Montana, Alaska, New Mexico, Louisiana, Delaware and South Carolina. The largest number of reports come from Ohio, who has 94 cases. In other mid-Atlantic states near Maryland, Virginia has 21 reports, New Jersey has 23 reports and Pennsylvania has 19.

The Maryland salmonella outbreak has been linked to contaminated peanut butter, peanut paste and peanuts processed by Peanut Corporation of America. Investigations have determined that Peanut Corporation was aware that their product may have been tainted with bacteria that causes food poisoning, yet continued their shipments.

The peanut products produced by Peanut Corporation of America were used as ingredients in thousands of consumer products sold throughout the United States. They were also used in large tubs of peanut butter sold to nursing homes, schools, hospitals and other food service locations, though there is no indication that these large tubs were distributed to Maryland.

Our Maryland food poisoning lawyers are reviewing potential peanut butter lawsuits for any individuals who have been diagnosed with salmonella poisoning after eating any products that contain peanut butter. This could include peanut butter crackers, peanut butter cookies, ice cream with peanut butter or a number of other products.

If you, a friend or family member have suffered symptoms of food poisoning, request a free consultation and claim evaluation. Salmonella typhimurium symptoms could include:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever

CONTACT A MARYLAND FOOD POISONING LAWYER