Report Finds 1 in 4 Medicare Patients Harmed During Hospital Stays

Medical errors are a serious public health problem and a consistent leading cause of death in the United States. A report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General on May 9, 2022 revealed that one in four seniors covered by Medicare experienced some type of harm during their hospital stay in 2018. Twelve percent of patients experienced adverse events, characterized as medical care that led to longer hospital stays, permanent harm, life-saving intervention, or death. An additional 13 percent of patients experienced temporary harm events, which required medical intervention but did not cause lasting harm, prolong hospital stays, or require life-sustaining measures. Some of the temporary harm events were serious and could have caused further harm if medical providers had not treated patients in a timely manner.

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How Pregnancy Affects Car Accident Settlements

Getting injured in a car accident is always a scary and unsettling experience but it is even scarier for pregnant women who are protecting a fetus in their womb. A serious accident while pregnant can cause medical complications for both the mother and unborn child, including premature labor. When you factor in the additional potential for damages – injuries and expenses related to the accident and resulting injuries – it is reasonable to ask: how much can pregnant women get from a car accident settlement?

In this article, we will discuss the risks to a pregnant mother and her fetus from a car accident and car accident claims for pregnant women.

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Determining Fault in Accidents Caused by a Medical Emergency

It can be tricky to determine fault in any motor vehicle accident but when the driver who caused a crash was experiencing a medical emergency, it adds to the confusion. Insurance companies are just as interested in determining fault in accidents caused by a medical emergency as they are in any other accident.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident with a driver who experienced a medical emergency, it is in the injured party’s interest to seek help from a local car accident lawyer to help fight for the settlement you deserve.

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Eldridge Ave Scene of 2 DUI Crashes in Bellingham Over the Weekend

While most people take drinking and driving seriously after decades of public education campaigns, there are still far too many people who choose to get behind the wheel intoxicated. The choice to drive drunk often has deadly consequences for the driver, their passengers, and anyone they crash into. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each day about 28 Americans die in DUI crashes. In the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, more than 10,000 people died every year in DUI crashes. Tragically, these were preventable deaths.

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Will I Automatically Get a Car Accident Settlement?

People injured in car accidents because of the negligence of another driver have the legal right to file a claim that seeks compensation for their losses. This right should not be conflated with a guarantee; people injured in car accidents will not automatically get a car accident settlement and, in fact, not all insurance claims for car accidents result in settlements. At-fault insurance companies will do just about anything they can to weasel out of paying a fair settlement – or any settlement at all – if they can get away with it. They will use the lack of damage to your vehicle or your prior medical history to claim that you could not have been injured by their driver. This is why it is so important to seek the help of an experienced car accident lawyer who knows all the insurance industry tricks.

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What To Do If You are Hit by an Unlicensed Driver

Because of the risks involved with driving, all drivers in the United States, including Washington State, are required to have a driver’s license to operate a vehicle. Unfortunately, there is always a percentage of people who don’t comply. At any given time, there are people driving on U.S. roads without a valid license; most often because their license was suspended or revoked. This selfish choice puts other drivers on the road with them at risk of being hit by an unlicensed driver.

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What’s the Difference Between a Verdict and a Settlement?

When a person is injured because of the negligence of another, they may seek compensation for their losses (damages) through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. This compensation can come in the form of a verdict, or more commonly, an out-of-court settlement. The difference between a verdict and a settlement is that a verdict is decided in court and a settlement is an agreement between the plaintiff and defendant outside of court. Personal injury lawyers work hard to negotiate a favorable settlement for their clients because it is usually in everyone’s best interest to avoid a trial. When a fair settlement cannot be reached, personal injury attorneys represent their clients in court to fight for a verdict by trial.

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What to Do If You are in a Hit and Run Accident

A hit and run accident makes the stress and trauma of a car accident even worse, especially when someone is seriously injured or killed in the collision. When the person who may be responsible for the crash flees the scene without exchanging information with the other driver, there is a legitimate fear that the driver may not be held responsible for the accident and injuries they caused.

As car accident lawyers, we have seen an increase in hit and run accidents in the last 24 months. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), overall traffic crashes and injuries were down in 2020 but fatal crashes and fatalities increased and deaths in hit-and-run crashes jumped by 26 percent.

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How to Protect Yourself from Violent Crime Committed by Strangers

While we shouldn’t sit around worrying about being the potential victim of violent crime committed by strangers, it’s also a good idea to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Here are some examples of violence committed by strangers:

• Aggravated assault
• Mugging
• Sexual violence / rape
• Armed robbery
• School shootings, workplace shootings, and other mass shootings
• Homicide

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What Not to Say After a Car Accident

Anyone who has been in a car accident knows the amount of adrenaline that starts pumping through your body. It’s a very stressful situation that can make us drop our guard right at the time we need to keep our cool. It’s safe to assume that anything said to the other driver or a responding police officer after a collision will be used against you, making it more difficult to file a claim and get fair compensation for your losses. Read on to learn what not to say after a car accident so you can protect yourself.

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