Pittsburgh Personal Injury Law Blog

People in Pennsylvania work many different types of jobs. Some are safer than others, but people can be hurt in almost any type of job setting. Some of the injuries are minor and do not have a big effect on a person's life. However, others can require significant medical care and force the person to miss work and lose income as a result. This can be very devastating for the injured worker as well as their family, especially if the injured worker earns a significant portion of the family's income.

There are a number of different ways that a person can be injured as well. They could be injured in falls, accidents involving machines, burns, injuries from repetitive motions, occupational diseases and many other different ways. Fortunately, if a person is injured at work, he or she may seek workers' compensation benefits. This compensation can cover both the medical costs as well as a portion of the lost income.

If you are one of the many Pennsylvanians who has had to make the difficult decision to place your parent in a nursing home, it undoubtedly was one of the hardest choices you ever had to make. Even though you know that your parent needs the daily care that nursing homes provide, still (s)he is always on your mind, and you worry about his or her health, safety and welfare.

Given the horror stories about nursing home abuse and neglect that keep appearing in the news, it is no wonder that you worry. Despite federal and state laws protecting nursing home residents, millions of older people receive substandard care. While you cannot be there at all times to watch over your parent and make sure (s)he is getting needed and deserved care, here are some things to watch out for when you visit:

The birth of a baby is usually a very joyous time in parents' lives as they welcome a child into this world. The hope is that everything goes smoothly and they have a healthy baby, but not every parent is that lucky. There are many things that can go wrong, and there are complications that can arise. When they do, the hope is that the medical professionals do their jobs correctly and do everything in their power to help the child. Unfortunately, from time to time mistakes are made, and a child's condition may worsen as a result.

This unfortunately happened to a couple that gave birth to a child in Pennsylvania. The child was born with an internal bleed in her head. The child was brought to the neonatal intensive care unit. While in the unit, a doctor wrapped the child's head with an ace bandage and misdiagnosed the child. At a medical malpractice trial, experts testified that the doctor not only misdiagnosed the child, but that it is not medically accepted practice to wrap a child's head who has that condition.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident who had to make the difficult decision to place your parent in a nursing home because of his or her deteriorating physical and/or mental condition, it probably was one of the most heart-wrenching decisions of your life. You know you cannot care for him or her yourself due to your family situation, your work schedule, and all the other things you must deal with on a daily basis, but (s)he nevertheless is always on your mind. You worry that (s)he may not be receiving the care (s)he needs and deserves.

You may have more to worry about than you realize, especially if your parent suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. A new Human Rights Watch investigation found that nursing homes across the nation routinely administer antipsychotic drugs to patients who do not need them, often without their knowledge or consent.