Reminder: WA State’s New Car Seat Law Goes into Effect January 1, 2020

On April 19, 2019, Gov. Jay Inslee signed updated car-seat and booster seat laws for Washington State to better protect children in car accidents. We are issuing a reminder that the updated law goes into effect on January 1, 2020.

The American Academy of Pediatrics updated their recommendations for car and booster seat usage in March of 2011 and then published these updated recommendations in August, 2018. The law in Washington State will catch up to the recommendations this coming year.

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Prevent a Runner Killed in Car Accident Tragedy with Cold Weather Running Safety Tips

Serious runners run all year; even when it gets cold, dark and wet outside. Unfortunately, poor weather increases the already high chances that a driver won’t see a runner until it’s too late. Runner killed in car accident statistics are not tracked specifically but we know that pedestrian fatalities remain high. Data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) shows that there were 6,283 pedestrian deaths in 2018 alone; the highest number since 1990.

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Fresh Express Salad Kit Recalled Over Fears of E. Coli Contamination

According to the FDA, eight people have been sickened and three have been hospitalized after eating a Fresh Express salad kit possibly tainted with E. coli. This strain of E. coli (0157:H7) is different from the E. coli outbreak tied to romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas, California region. Federal officials say that it’s possible that the kits contained romaine lettuce from the Salina area but as of now, they have not identified a particular ingredient in the mix that is contaminated with the bacteria. The illnesses were reported from three states: Wisconsin, North Dakota and Minnesota.

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Who’s At Fault in Car-Runner Collisions?

There are many reasons that runners run on roads or sidewalks, rather than on trails. Women may not feel safe running on secluded trails for one and two, even people who run on trails often end up having to cross streets or complete part of their run on a sidewalk, parking lot or roadway. There are safety risks for runners whenever they run alongside motor vehicle traffic. Most runners have at least one story about almost being hit by a driver who didn’t see them, and many have actually been hit by a driver. The tragic reality is that a runner doesn’t stand much of a chance against a motor vehicle; car-runner collisions usually end very badly for the runner.

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Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning: Personal Injury

In the Pacific Northwest, shellfish are considered a local delicacy and they’re served at high-end restaurants throughout the year. Restaurants and seafood stores owe a duty of care to their clients to serve and sell healthy shellfish that won’t make people sick. Unfortunately, the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is real in Washington State. According to the Washington State Department of Health, people can get PSP from eating shellfish contaminated with a toxin from the phytoplankton Alexandrium catenella. The biotoxin affects the nervous system and paralyzes muscles. If shellfish with high levels of PSP are ingested, they can cause grave illness and even death. Part of what makes shellfish contaminated with PSP so dangerous is that you cannot kill the biotoxin by cooking or freezing them.

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Boarding Patients in Emergency Room Hallways Can Increase Risk of Medical Error

The reality in most emergency rooms around that country is that many patients wait several hours to be evaluated, treated and finally admitted to the hospital. Far too often, patients end of “boarding” in emergency room hallways as they await for a hospital bed to open. This opinion piece published on NPR, talks of a bedridden patient with chest pain who spent 47 hours in the hallway before they were finally moved into an open spot in the cardiac unit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, two-thirds of American hospitals boarded patients in the ER for more than two hours while waiting for an inpatient bed, affecting about one in five patients.

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New Jersey Patient Receives Kidney Intended for a Different Patient: Wrong Patient Surgery

As reported by the BBC.com, a patient at a New Jersey hospital was given a kidney meant for a different patient earlier this month. The patients – who have not been identified – had the same name and were of a similar age. The wrong patient surgery was discovered one day after the transplant surgery by a member of the hospital’s clinical team. A spokesperson for the hospital says that this was an “unprecedented event” and that both patients have now received kidneys and are doing well. The patient who was supposed to receive the original kidney was given a different one about a week later.

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How does Physician-Patient Privilege Affect Wrongful Death Cases?

Physician-patient privilege is a legal concept that protects a patient’s right to privacy of their medical records. This means that without a patient’s consent, a physician is not usually permitted to share their patient’s private or protected health information with anyone. There are some exceptions to physician-patient privilege, including a court order for medical records.

The protection of patient records becomes difficult after someone is deceased, with some believing that a patient’s privacy should continue after their death while others believe that privacy should end after death.

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CDC Announces Romaine Lettuce Recall

On November 22, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), public health and regulatory officials in several states including The Maryland Department of Health, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections across 16 states connected to romaine lettuce harvested from the Salinas, California growing region. This outbreak is caused by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that caused outbreaks linked to leafy greens in 2017 and to romaine lettuce in 2018.

The lettuce was sold under many different brand names and has “Use By” dates ranging from October 29, 2019, to November 1, 2019. They have establishment number “EST. 18502B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. All types of romaine lettuce are included in the recall including precut lettuce and salad mixes that have romaine such as spring mix and Caesar salad kits, baby romaine, hearts of romaine and whole heads of romaine.

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How are Wrongful Death Settlements Paid Out? Are Wrongful Death Settlements Taxable?

Wrongful death lawsuits are brought against a defendant accused of legal fault for the death of a loved one. The defendant may be a negligent driver, doctor, employer, caregiver or manufacturer or any other person or entity whose negligence caused the death of your loved one. A representative of the estate brings the claim on behalf of immediate family members or other parties depending on the laws of the state. The purpose of a wrongful death claim is to recover damages through a wrongful death settlement.

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