Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has issued a formal apology for a doctor’s mistake in telling Chrissy and Joe Rivera that he would not perform a kidney transplant on their 3-yeard-old daughter because she is “mentally retarded.” Medical malpractice attorneys are appalled at the insensitivity of this doctor towards the difficult situation his patients were in.

The couple’s daughter, Mia, suffers from a condition called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and will die without a kidney transplant. Last month, a doctor told the family he would not recommend the transplant team perform the surgery.

Hospital officials issued an apology, wherein they admitted that they made a mistake in their communication with the Riveras and promised to review their processes and written materials to ensure that they are being sensitive to the needs of all families, including the needs of families with disabled children.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys: Parents Still Not Sure if Their Daughter Will Receive a Transplant

After public outrage spread across the country and an online petition drew thousands of signatures, CHOP said that it will consider Mia for the kidney transplant surgery she needs and invited her parents to meet with the organ transplant team. Mia’s parents still have not been told yet whether their daughter will be given the kidney transplant. The family had planned to search for a donor among their family members, not from the national donor waiting list.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving medical malpractice cases resulting from medical mistakes. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries as a result of a medical mistake or any other type of negligent care received by a medical provider, contact the medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

Philadelphia personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates report that McNeil Consumer Healthcare has announced a recall of seven lots of grape-flavored Infants Tylenol. Approximately 574,000 1 oz. bottles of Oral Suspension Infants’ Tylenol are included in the recall.

McNeil has received complaints from consumers having difficulty using the Infants’ Tylenol SimpleMeasure dosing system. The SimpleMeasure dosing system includes a dosing syringe, which a parent or caregiver inserts into a protective cover, or “flow restrictor,” at the top of the bottle to measure the proper dose.  The flow restrictor was pushed into the bottle when inserting the syringe in some of the affected bottles.

Grape 1 oz. bottles of Oral Suspension Infants Tylenol with lots number BIL0U00, BIL0V00, BIL3500, BJL2D00, BJL2E00, BJL2T00 and BJL2U00 are included in the recall.

Personal Injury Attorneys Have Filed a Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson in the Case of River Moore

In December, Messa & Associates filed a lawsuit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for the death of a two-year old boy, River Moore, after he ingested tainted Very Berry Children’s Tylenol.
River’s parents gave him a dose of Very Berry Children’s Tylenol after he developed a moderate fever.  Within 30 minutes, River began spitting up blood as his liver was being destroyed by the tainted drug.  The child died the following day. The Children’s Tylenol had been manufactured by McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Tylenol contains the active ingredient acetaminophen which has the potential to cause liver damage and even death when taken in large doses. Acetaminophen causes three times as many cases of liver failure as all other drugs combined, and is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States.

Personal Injury Attorneys Stress Johnson & Johnson’s History of Quality Control Issues

McNeil has had quality control problems dating back to at least 2004 and has admitted to a “stealth” recall of at least one product after it was found to be deficient. In the three years before the death of River Moore, the Fort Washington McNeil plant was repeatedly criticized by the FDA for its deficiencies. The plant was permanently closed in April 2010 when a recall was initiated after some of McNeil’s products were allegedly contaminated with foreign materials due to an equipment-cleaning problem.  At least 40 products manufactured at McNeil plants have been recalled in recent years, including the largest recall of children and infant medicine in history.

Personal Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving pharmaceutical and drug product injuries. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have been injured by Tylenol or any other pharmaceutical drug, or have endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

If you would like to speak with some right now, visit www.minfirm.com and click the icon to the right that says “CHAT LIVE!” Someone will be available to discuss your concerns with you immediately.

A student travelling to school on a school bus in Burlington County was killed after the bus collided with a dump truck yesterday morning. In addition to the child who was killed, more than a dozen other students suffered injuries as a result of the bus accident. After being rear-ended by a dump truck, the bus spun around and its back side slammed into a traffic light pole. Personal injury attorneys are saddened by this tragic turn of events.

The injured children were taken to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Three of the injured children were air lifted and others were taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Personal Injury Attorneys: School Bus Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries to Children

School buses are a widely used mode of transportation throughout the country transporting as many as 24 million children to school every day. School bus accident statistics reveal approximately 27 school aged children die in school bus accidents each year. School bus operators must adhere to strict guidelines when operating a bus. Violating those guidelines may result in dangerous circumstances which may lead to a bus accident that can injure passengers, pedestrians, and/or drivers and passengers in other vehicles.

Children are commonly injured between seven and eight o’clock in the morning (before school) or between the three and four in the afternoon (after school has ended).

Children injured by school buses have suffered serious, catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries, head injuries, burn injuries, back and neck injuries, amputations, fractured bones, internal injuries, or death. Three of the children sustained life threatening injuries and a young girl lost her life. The eleven year old was a triplet and the daughter of a New Jersey State Trooper, sources said.

Personal Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving bus accidents, truck accidents, and injuries to children. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If your child has suffered an injury as a result of a bus accident, truck accident, other motor vehicle accident, or any other type of personal injury, contact the Philadelphia personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

If you would like to speak with someone immediately, you can “CHAT LIVE!” with a Messa & Associates representative right now on our sister site. Simply click the icon on the right that says “CHAT LIVE!”

A recent study revealed that about 10 percent of physicians surveyed are not always honest with their patients. The article, published in the journal Health Affairs, questioned almost 1,900 physicians from different practice areas to detail what information they thought they needed to disclose to patients.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Doctors Don’t Always Disclose Medical Errors to Patients

Doctors were most likely to lie to patients about whether they committed any significant medical errors and whether they have a financial relationship with a drug or device company. According to the results of the survey, nearly one third of the physicians admitted that they didn’t agree with being honest with patients about serious medical errors. About 40 percent said they didn’t think it was necessary to tell patients about relationships or financial ties they have to drug or device companies.  Approximately 20 percent of the doctors surveyed said they didn’t think they always had to be entirely truthful with patients.  More than half of the doctors also said they did discuss all the risks or benefits of specific medical procedures with patients.

Doctors reported not wanting to disclose medical errors, especially if their mistakes didn’t cause any significant harm to patients, but the article’s authors suggested “informing patients fully about medical errors can reduce anger and lessen patients’ interest in bringing malpractice lawsuits.”

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving medical malpractice cases resulting from cardiac errors, including misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a heart disease. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice lawyers and medical experts are dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries as a result of a medical error, misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose or negligent care received by a medical provider, contact the medical malpractice lawyers of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

If you want to talk to someone immediately, visit www.minfirm.com and click the small icon that says “CHAT LIVE!” There, you can speak with a representative right now.

An $8 million verdict was awarded in Jefferson, Kentucky this week to the estate of retired surgeon David Griffin after his death was caused by nursing home negligence. Judge Brian C. Edwards presided over the two week trial. The verdict was returned after two hours of jury deliberation. It included $2 million for pain and suffering, $1 million for violation of the state nursing home statute, and $5 million in punitive damages.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Build Case Against Negligent Nursing Home

Dr. Griffin was staying at Treyton Oak Towers, a nonprofit nursing home located in Louisville, Kentucky. According to plaintiff’s attorneys William Garner and Matt Minner, Dr. Griffin was improperly transferred from a chair into his bed by nursing home staff who then tried to cover up their error. Plaintiffs assert that Griffin was moved without a lift and in the presence of only one nursing assistant, a violation of the facility’s care plan which required two assistants.

Minner said that the retired surgeon’s legs were broken during the transfer and instead of being immediately treated, he was placed back into bed as if nothing ever happened. Minner also said that the staff involved were then forced to modify medical records to cover up the incident. Unfortunately, because of a prior stroke he suffered, Griffin was unable to alert any of the home’s medical personnel to the agony he was in.

On September 24, 2008, Griffin was discovered with two broken bones. He was treated at a near-by hospital and later transferred to a new nursing home where he died on November 3.

In an interview, Minner spoke to the verdict, saying,

“We got justice today and are thrilled for our clients and thrilled for the elderly citizens of Louisville.”

Defense attorney for Treyton Oak Towers, Scott Whonsetler, said that the facility plans to appeal the verdict.

“We are profoundly, profoundly disappointed that we were unable to convey to the jury how much we cared for this man…we categorically deny that there was any cover-up whatsoever.”

Whonsetler also maintains that no abuse or neglect was ever substantiated. Unfortunately for Treyton Oak Towers, a jury felt differently.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

If your loved one is currently a resident in a nursing home or long term care facility and you believe that the care they are receiving may be considered abusive or negligent, contact the nursing home abuse attorneys of Messa & Associates. Our attentive and hard working lawyers are experienced and successful in earning large verdicts and substantial justice for those who have been wronged by sub-standard treatment. Call, toll-free, 1-800-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

If you would like to chat directly to a representative right now, visit www.minfirm.com and click on the icon that says “CHAT LIVE!” Someone will be available to help you immediately.

Personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates, P.C. are alerting their public of the recent recalls of separate coffee brewing accessories. Tassimo has recalled more than 1.7 million single cup coffee brewers and 4 million espresso coffee pads after approximately 160 consumers reported being sprayed with hot liquid and ended up with severe burn injuries.

Victims of the recalled Tassimo brewers and espresso pads include a 10-year-old girl who was hospitalized with second-degree burns on her face and neck and a 2-year-old girl who suffered second-degree facial burns.

BSH Home Appliance Corp. manufactured the recalled Single-Cup Brewers. They were sold in stores and online from June 2008 through February 2012 for between 100 and 250 dollars. The Tassimo espresso pads were manufactured by Kraft Foods Global Inc. and pose a burn hazard because they can get clogged and spray hot liquid and coffee grounds. They involve brands including Gevalia, Maxwell House, and Nabob, and were sold in stores and online from August 2011 through February 2012 for $8-$11 per package.

Personal Injury Attorneys Defend Victims of Defective Products who Have Suffered Catastrophic Injuries

Defective products can cause serious injuries to individuals whose use the dangerous products.  Often, these injuries are preventable if the manufacturers of the defective products used more precaution in manufacturing and designing their product. Injuries resulting from a defective, recalled product can be life-altering and require victims of defective products to receive ongoing medical treatment and other future care.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced with cases involving defective products whose complications resulted in fires or burn injuries. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring that you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have suffered a burn injury caused by defective product, or have endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry. If you’d like to chat with a representative immediately, please visit our other website, www.minfirm.com, and click on the icon that says “chat live.”

A 4-month-old baby was pronounced dead yesterday at Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children after paramedics responded to calls saying the boy was not breathing. The child was among about 25 children being cared for in a Northeast Philadelphia row home being operated as a daycare.
According to the Department of Public Welfare, the home is not a licensed daycare facility. Officers said they didn’t suspect foul play, but they question the daycare not being licensed through the state as well as the number of children being cared for in the home. Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are concerned for the well-being of area children enrolled in city daycares.

The baby boy is the second infant to die at a Philadelphia daycare in four months. In October 2011, a 7-month-old baby girl died after being found unresponsive in a crib at the Apple Blossom Learning Tree Day School in Center City Philadelphia.

Personal Injury Lawyers: Supervision is Very Important in Preventing Injuries Philadelphia Daycare Injuries

Daycare injuries to children are often caused or worsened as a result of poor supervision in a daycare. Reports indicate that child injuries occur at a higher rate when child caregivers are not supervising children or children are not in the view of a caregiver. Children who are closely supervised are less likely to suffer a serious personal injury.

In addition, supervision allows a caregiver the additional time to react to a perceived risk and potentially prevent an injury to a child from occurring. The time that the child caregiver would have to respond to a dangerous situation could make a huge difference in the injury to a child and allow a caregiver to take action immediately to avoid further injury.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers

The attorneys at Messa & Associates have pursued cases involving injuries and death of children in daycares. We have obtained verdicts and settlements for families, including a $5.75 million settlement awarded to the family of a 2-year-old child who died at a daycare while being improperly supervised by her caregivers.

The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving daycare injuries and injuries to children. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury lawyers and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If your child has suffered an injury at a daycare or has endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury lawyers of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

Avandia manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has agreed to settle more than 20,000 pharmaceutical and drug injury cases on behalf of patients claiming the drug causes heart attacks. Avandia was once the world’s best-selling diabetes pill, generating $3 billion in annual sales, but was withdrawn from the market in Europe and firmly regulated in the U.S. because of studies linking the drug to increased risks of heart attacks. Personal injury attorneys brought over 15,000 pharmaceutical and drug injury cases last year involving patients’ claims that Avandia caused heart attacks and strokes, all of which GSK agreed to settle. The company will spend at least $700 million to settle those claims. In addition, GSK has also agreed to pay $3 billion to resolve government claims that it illegally marketed Avandia and other drugs.

Personal Injury Attorneys: GSK Accused of Hiding Safety Information, Must Settle Pharmaceutical and Drug Injury Cases

Federal prosecutors have investigated whether the company promoted nine of their drugs for unapproved uses and attempted to silence critics of the drug. In 2007, a university professor reported that GSK officials pressured him to stop raising questions about the safety of Avandia when it came on the market in 1999.

More than 2,500 Avandia pharmaceutical and drug injury cases have been consolidated in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. The judge has appointed a mediator to attempt to resolve the remaining cases. At least 85 percent of the remaining cases must by settled before a 75-day deadline previously set by the judge, or the cases will be scheduled for trial. So far, no Avandia cases have been considered by a jury.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving pharmaceutical and drug product injuries. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have been injured by a pharmaceutical drug, a negligent medical provider, or have endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

Medical malpractice attorneys urge everyone to know the signs/symptoms of heart disease as doctors can fail to diagnose and treat it on time. February is American Heart Month and a great time to learn more about heart disease. Heart disease is used to describe buildup in the walls of the arteries that make it more difficult for blood to flow, creating a risk for heart attack or stroke. In addition, heart disease can also include heart failure, arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat), and heart valve problems. More women die of heart disease than of all forms of cancer combined, says the American Heart Association. Medical malpractice attorneys want to bring awareness to enormous threat of Heart Disease.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys Discuss Some Symptoms of Heart Disease

Although more severe symptoms are hard to ignore, heart disease can be misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed by a physician. Common misdiagnoses include heartburn, or other less severe causes of chest pain. Patients experiencing heart failure, a heart attack, or another type of heart disease may suffer additional injury or death from delayed treatment in a hospital Emergency Room.

Typical symptoms of heart disease can include chest pain—varying in degree of severity. Chest pain may be accompanied by extreme sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, chills, nausea, and vomiting, anxiety, paleness, or cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips, feet and hands.

If you experience symptoms in the chest which may be related to heart disease, seek medical attention right away and ask for an EKG, blood test or some other diagnostic test. Do not leave the hospital if you are still experiencing pain, or feel you have not received proper medical treatment.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorneys

The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling medical malpractice cases resulting from cardiac errors, including misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose heart disease. Our extremely skilled team of medical malpractice attorneys and medical experts are dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you or a loved one have suffered personal injuries as a result of a medical error in failing to diagnose heart failure or attack, or any other type of negligent care received by a medical provider, contact the medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call, toll free, at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

A U.S. judicial panel approved requests Tuesday by the National Football League and personal injury attorneys to try four similar cases— representing more than 300 retired players or spouses—before the same federal judge in Philadelphia. Personal injury attorneys
The lawsuits fault the NFL for negligently handling concussion-related and other head injuries. It also accuses the league of training players to hit with their heads, failing to properly treat them for concussions, and trying to conceal for decades any links between football and brain injuries.
According to his attorneys, former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Brent Boyd is the only living player so far diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE. CTE is a degenerative brain disease typically found in autopsies of people who have suffered multiple head injuries. Autopsies of more than a dozen former NFL and NHL players have revealed the condition.
Similar lawsuits have been filed by other former players in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Florida and Philadelphia against the NFL. Those cases may also be heard before the same judge.

Personal Injury Attorneys: Traumatic Brain Injury is a Lifelong Injury

Traumatic brain injury is an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force. It is estimated that 1.7 million people in the U.S. sustain traumatic brain injuries each year; and at least 3.17 million children and adults live with a permanent disability as a result of a traumatic brain injury. Those affected by a traumatic brain injury may experience memory loss; concentration or attention problems; slowed learning; and difficulty with planning, reasoning or judgment. Physical challenges of traumatic brain injury include fatigue, headaches,
problems with balance or motor skills, sensory losses, and seizures. Traumatic brain injury can also lead to respiratory, circulatory, digestive and neurological diseases, including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. For many people, traumatic brain injury is a lifelong disease process requiring access to a full continuum of medically necessary treatment.

Personal Injury Attorneys in Philadelphia and New Jersey

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving traumatic brain injury cases. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury attorneys and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, brain disease, severe head injury or have endured any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury attorneys of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.