Author Archives: Kimm Ebersole
TBI Levels of Consciousness
Is the Patient Conscious? Different levels of Consciousness in Brain Injury Cases Evaluation of conscious pain and suffering depends on a careful analysis of medical records and first answering the question of whether the patient was conscious. Consider this case: Terry Palache was a policeman who responded to a burglary scene. One of the… Read More »
Medical Cost Projection as Lower Cost Option
Medical Cost Projections vs. Life Care Plans As the courts open back up and cases are moving forward, effective strategies for settlement are even more important to consider. Life Care Plans (LCP) and Medical Cost Projections (MCP) are often used to ensure that all potential monetary recovery for future care is investigated and protected…. Read More »
Elder Abuse
Reporting Incidents of Elder Abuse “No, you can’t pretend it did not happen. Yes, we have to report it.” This conversation between a caregiver and an administrator takes place in some healthcare facilities after a patient is injured. The fear of being fired, fined, cited, or sued results in hiding a percentage of incidents…. Read More »
Maternal Deaths
Maternal Death – A National Tragedy Maternal deaths in the United States in 1960 were 37 per 100,000 births with a decline during the 1980s into the late 1990s where it leveled off at nine per 100,000 births. After 1997, the rate of maternal deaths began rising again until 2008 when it plateaued at… Read More »
Danger in the Workplace
The Dangers of the Workplace When three Amazon workers died in one month in one state (New Jersey), that got our attention. Is that a high rate or a low rate for this type of work? In 2019, 5,333 workers died in the U.S, and about 20% of the worker fatalities occurred in… Read More »
Analyzing Medical Records/Pain and Suffering Reports
Analyzing Records for Damages “The proof is in the pudding.” “The devil is in the details.” You know those expressions – they remind us that cases are won and lost on the details. The detail-oriented inspection of medical records is time-consuming yet rewarding in revealing what happened to a patient as a result of… Read More »
Devastating Dog Bites
Devastating Dog Bites “OH, what a cute little doggy!” the child coos. That cute little doggy latches onto the child’s face, sometimes with catastrophic results. The anatomy of the dog’s mouth is responsible for the damage created. The dog’s front teeth grab and compress tissue, and the smaller teeth can also tear the skin…. Read More »
Road Rage
Road Rage: The Deadly Cause of Crashes Many of us are angrier than we were several years ago. Stress, weariness with restrictions, loneliness, irritability, frustration, increased alcohol consumption, poor anger management skills – we can blame the pandemic for changing our coping behavior. We have read about air rage in airplanes (refusing to wear… Read More »
Heterotopic Ossification
Heterotopic Ossification – Bones Gone Awry One of the dreaded complications of trauma and surgery, heterotopic ossification (HO) can cause significant discomfort for patients. This process creates bone where there should be none – in muscle, soft tissue, tendons, ligaments, skin, muscle, fascia, or virtually in any part of connective tissue. HO is also… Read More »
Hospital Acquired Infections and Nursing Home UTI’s
Healthcare Associated Infections and Death: Catheter Use and Urinary Tract Infections A Massachusetts settlement of $2 million resulted after a seventy-seven year-old woman died from septic shock. The nursing home resident was transferred to the defendant’s facility for rehabilitation following injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision. She arrived with a Foley catheter and… Read More »
