Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Posted in Cerebral Palsy & Brain Damage

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In New York, as a result of traumatic brain injuries 385 people per day visit emergency rooms or are hospitalized as inpatients. 140,000 New Yorkers are injured every year, that’s 3 times the capacity of Yankees Stadium!

The main cause of traumatic brain injuries are falls and motor vehicle accidents, mostly car accidents but motorcycle accidents as well as bus and truck accidents are also a common cause of traumatic brain injuries. Assault is the third cause of TBI in New York. Other leading causes of brain injuries include bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents or people struck by or against type of accidents.

Here are some findings based on the most recent statistics from the New York State Department of Health Department

– New Yorkers above 65 year old are the most at risk to fall and be hospitalized for a traumatic brain injury.

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Stephen-Mackauf-thumbOur partner Stephen Mackauf and John E. Hall Jr. from Hall Booth Smith, P.C. will co chair the 12th Annual Advanced Forum of the American Conference Institute on Obstetric Malpractice Claims on June 26th-27 2013 in Philadelphia.

This two day forum is the nation’s foremost gathering of medical experts, insurance professionals, risk managers, leading plaintiff’s and defense lawyers in the field of Obstetric Malpractice. Participants will be able to attend highly specialized workshops and presentations covering the following subjects:

  • The state of obstetric malpractice
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Stephen Mackauf will serve as the Co-Chair for the American Conference Institute‘s 11th Annual Advanced Forum on Preventing, Managing and Defending Against Claims of Obstetric Malpractice held from June 27 to June 28 at the The Union League of Philadelphia. The event is the nation’s premier obstetric malpractice conference and covers the evolving standards of care, emerging theories of liability, and new defense strategies in the obstetric malpractice field. Luke M. Pittoni of Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach, LLP will be co-charing the conference.

The conference will bring together many experts in the field who will provide the most up-to-date information on complex medical issues and litigation hurdles, including:

  • Emerging standards of care, including the use of hypothermia
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Fetal monitoring system display

Los Angeles County officials are expected to approve a $2.8 million settlement of a medical malpractice suit filed against medical staff at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center over their failure to perform an emergency cesarean section after signs of distress. The 18-year-old woman, Guadalupe Fernandez, gave birth to a son who was later diagnosed with neurological injuries from fetal distress, according to court records.

Even after a completely normal prenatal course, a fetus may not tolerate the stresses of labor well. The main way that doctors and nurses have of following fetal well-being during labor is the electronic fetal heart monitor. If the fetal heart monitor shows evidence of fetal oxygen deprivation (fetal distress), the first step is try to make the problem go away by changing the mother’s position, giving the mother some oxygen to breathe, and increasing her IV fluids but decreasing or discontinuing any Pitocin that may be running. If these measures are not successful, then a fetus that is showing evidence of distress must be delivered via an emergency Cesarean section as soon as possible in order to prevent permanent brain damage.

Many medical malpractice cases revolve around the claim that the evidence of fetal distress on the monitor tracing was not properly assessed and that the baby sustained permanent brain damage (often cerebral palsy) because of the prolonged oxygen deprivation that resulted from the failure to perform an emergency Cesarean section.

Los Angeles County will also pay a $16,208 Medi-Cal lien issued against the family and waive Fernandez’s bill of $19,455 in addition to covering nearly $52,000 in legal costs, including attorney fees, in the case.

As a result of any settlement, the hospital is required to devise a plan of correction, much of which has already been implemented. Part of the plan involved a comprehensive survey to assess the hospital system’s protocols, along with training and credentialing procedures. According to the county, a further review of the hospital’s treatment history showed complication rates are at or below national benchmarks.