Pittsburgh Wrongful Death Law Blog

Wrongful death claims may arise in a variety of ways

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

The loss of a beloved family member can be a devastating blow to a Pennsylvania household. Though no legal action can ever bring back someone whose life has been tragically cut short by an accident or act of negligence, wrongful death claims can provide survivors who have lost relatives with financial damages to help them move forward. Many different types of accidents and sets of circumstance can provide the basis for a wrongful death claim. This post will discuss just a few of those possible events.

One of the most common instances that may result in a wrongful death claim is a vehicle accident. When a person dies as a result of another person's negligent or reckless driving conduct, then the decedent's surviving family members may have financial losses, including medical expenses, funeral costs, and lost wages. Fortunately, these damages may be recoverable through a wrongful death action.

Birth complications require medical attention and care

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Birth Injury on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

There is a big difference between a birth complication and a birth mistake. A mother and a baby in Pennsylvania may experience a birth complication if, during labor, the baby's positioning makes it impossible for the mother to deliver the child. A birth mistake may arise if the mother's doctor fails to address this sometimes life-threatening complication with the proper treatment or intervention.

Baby position is only one of the many birth complications that doctors must stay ahead of to ensure that both mothers and infants get through delivery without suffering injuries. Another birth complication that often plagues first-time mothers is prolonged labor. A labor that does not progress can cause significant problems for both a mother and her unborn child and may require a doctor to step in to move the process along.

A rare but real danger related to asbestos

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Products Liability on Friday, April 13, 2018.

Pittsburgh is one of the blue-collar capitals of the world. From steel workers to pipe-fitters, railroad workers and shipyard employees, its history is rich in factory employment and manual labor jobs. The problem is those characteristics have also caused Pittsburgh residents and workers to be at risk for asbestos-related illnesses. Asbestos contains microscopic fibers that pose a danger to your health if you breathe them in or ingest them during exposure.

The thing about asbestos is that it doesn't usually cause harm if left undisturbed. When you crumble it or it disintegrates (perhaps due to wetness or other issues), the micro fibers are released into the surrounding atmosphere, placing you or anyone else nearby at risk. Mesothelioma is a rare but devastating and incurable cancer associated with asbestos exposure. If you show symptoms of this disease, the care you receive may be directly related to how well you understand your rights and what type of support you secure.

How severe are the stages of pleural mesothelioma?

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Work-Related Deaths on Friday, April 13, 2018.

As you worked many hard years in the shipyard, you likely understood that your hard work allowed you to provide for yourself and your family. As a result, you may have appreciated the opportunity to have employment that allowed you to meet this important goal. Because of the loyalty you felt to your profession, you may have felt betrayed when you found out that asbestos exposure has resulted in your developing mesothelioma.

While different types of mesothelioma exist, pleural mesothelioma remains the most common as it accounts for 75 percent of these cases. With this type, a tumor has developed in the lining of your lungs, and inhalation of asbestos fibers typically contribute to its development in this area of the body. Now, you may wonder what doctors can do to treat your condition.

Without proper warnings, consumer goods can be dangerous

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Products Liability on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

Oftentimes when Pittsburgh residents buy an item at the store they have a reasonably good idea of what the product should be used for. For example, they may buy a cleaning product to use in their home or they may buy a power drill to perform household maintenance and repairs. In either case, the purchase of the item was likely due to a need that the person needed fulfilling in order to improve the state of his or her life.

From cleaning products to building tools and everything in between, consumer goods are subject to review to ensure that they do not pose risks to those who use them. When those risks cannot be removed from the products without making them ineffective, warnings must be used as substitute forms of caution. A cleaning product may offer a warning to avoid consuming the product or getting the product in one's eyes as it may contain a caustic chemical that could harm the human body. Likewise, a power drill may include instructions and warnings cautioning the user from using the drill near water to avoid risks associated with electrocution.

What is the Nursing Home Reform Act?

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Nursing Home Deaths on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

Nursing homes throughout Pennsylvania receive funding from a variety of sources. While many collect fees from the residents who utilize their services, others receive state and federal money. Some receive financial aid from government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and those that do are required to abide by the terms of the Nursing Home Reform Act.

The Nursing Home Reform Act provides regulations regarding what facilities must do to in order to continue to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. For example, nursing homes must employ sufficient staff members for the number of residents they serve and they must be able to provide their patients and residents with adequate supervision. The Nursing Home Reform Act mandates that nursing homes have care plans for all individual patients and that they have access to the necessary medical tools and devices that their patients require.

What are the risks associated with a vacuum-assisted delivery?

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Birth Injury on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

When a woman and her unborn baby need help moving through the labor and delivery process, medical professionals may use a variety of interventions to support them. One of those interventions is vacuum suction, which attaches a vacuum cup to a baby's head and pulls the baby through the birthing canal. While many babies in Pittsburgh have been safely born with the use of vacuum suction, the intervention does pose risks that can cause serious birth injuries to mothers and infants.

For example, a vacuum-assisted delivery can result in a range of injuries to a baby's head, neck and upper body. From minor injuries to the child's scalp to serious fractures to the bones of the head, vacuum suction can be a hard process on a delicate newborn.

Construction workers face many work-site hazards

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Work-Related Deaths on Thursday, March 29, 2018.

Construction workers provide important services to the Pittsburgh community. Without them, new houses would not be built, commercial spaces would not be renovated, and other significant infrastructure projects would be left uncompleted. However, these skilled individuals face many dangers every day when they arrive at their job sites. This post will provide an overview of the hazards that construction workers can encounter and that may cause serious injuries and death to them if an accident occurs.

One major risk that construction workers face is harm caused in falls. Workers are often required to be fitted with safety gear when their jobs take them up high, but the failure to be tied to a safety line may result in a worker falling a significant distance and suffering a serious injury.

Falling dressers hurt many children each year

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Products Liability on Wednesday, March 28, 2018.

There is no question that if a child thinks they can climb on something, they will. Whether it is a ladder, a play structure or a piece of furniture, if a child can get their hands on it there is a good chance that they will try to get on top of it. Our readers in Pittsburgh who are parents may easily remember instances of finding their little ones up on top of tables, counters and other household surfaces where they had no business being.

According to Consumer Reports, American children are suffering more injuries from toppling over furniture than in years past. In particular, the magazine discovered that in 2016 around 2,800 kids were hurt from furniture that fell over. That figure was an increase of around 33 percent over the prior year and most of the pieces of furniture in question were dressers.

Wrong-site surgeries cause preventable pain and suffering

On behalf of Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.

Undergoing an invasive medical procedure can be an overwhelming experience. Our readers who have had to have surgery, whether medically necessary or elective, can attest to the many procedural steps that must be undertaken before they were finally administered anesthesia prior to their operations. In hospitals and clinics throughout Pennsylvania, doctors and medical personnel are expected to practice safe surgical practices to make sure they perform the right procedures on the right patients at the right times.

This is because wrong-site surgeries are a major problem in the United States. A wrong-site surgery happens when a doctor performs a surgical procedure on the wrong part of a patient's body or on the wrong patient. For example, if a patient needed to have their left knee replaced and their surgeon replaced the patient's right knee instead, this error would amount to a wrong-site surgery.