Annapolis Personal Injury Law Blog

What you need to know about deadly strokes

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday, December 10, 2018.

The statistics about strokes are enough to frighten anyone. It is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans and depending on your risk factors, it may be the biggest threat to your life. With one stroke happening every 40 seconds in the U.S., physicians are trained to quickly diagnose and, when time allows, treat the stroke before permanent damage or death occurs. Unfortunately, proper diagnosis does not always happen.

When a patient dies, or suffers serious, long-term disability in the wake of a stroke, it's important for that person's loved ones to ask whether the physician followed protocol. Before you can ask that question, it's important to have a baseline understanding of what a stroke is.

What should you do if your workers' comp claim is denied?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Sunday, December 9, 2018.

After going through the trouble of filing a workers' compensation claim, your claim may be denied for any number of reasons. It can be a stressful, frustrating process but you have the right to appeal.

Workers' compensation claims are often denied for simple mistakes on forms or because the employer denies fault over certain details included in your report. It may be difficult, but even after a rejection you can still appeal the decision.

Contractor misclassification barring you from workers' comp?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

Employees and independent contractors are treated differently under the law-and entitled to very different rights and benefits. An independent contractor is not eligible for workers' compensation, overtime pay, paid time off or employer-subsidized healthcare. Therefore, hiring independent contractors instead of employees can represent significant financial advantages for an employer.

Often times, employers will try to claim that an employee is actually a contractor-in order to avoid paying for such benefits. However, simply labeling a worker as an "independent contractor" is inadequate to classify them as such. Even filing a 1099 form for a worker does not automatically make them a contractor.

Does workers' compensation increase risk of an opioid addiction?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Friday, December 7, 2018.

A recent study has found that the opioid epidemic is greatly affecting Maryland employees who are receiving workers' compensation. Nearly one third of Maryland employees who were prescribed opioids while out on workers' compensation filled the prescription more than 90 days from the date of injury. The study sites that 90 days of opioid use is the definition of persistent use.

What the study found was that certain workers were more likely to become a persistent user of their prescribed opioid.

Have you been using your seatbelt incorrectly?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

Using a seatbelt is so simple that it's not even covered in most driver's education classes. You pull the shoulder and lap belt across your body and click the tongue into the buckle. When you hear the click of the tongue in the buckle, you release the slack in the belt and the belt tightens to support your body. According to one Maryland State Trooper, however, most people don't know about the critical second step.

A Maryland State Trooper recently shared with a local news reporter that there really should be two clicks that you listen for.

What is a repetitive motion injury?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

In many industries, workers are subjected to repeat tasks that end up causing an injury that is eligible for compensation. These are repetitive motion injuries.

A repetitive motion injury can be temporary or permanent, and they typically impact the muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons. These body parts are used in the same motion over and over again to the point of stress, which causes pain. Any occupation with repeated activities can cause employees to develop a repetitive motion injury, regardless of whether the job is hard labor or desk work.

Can you sue your psychiatrist for malpractice?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.

Psychiatry is a highly nuanced field of medicine. When a patient suffers while pursuing psychiatric treatment, it's not always clear whether the doctor has committed medical malpractice-for which there are legal repercussions-or poor doctoring-for which there are none.

In today's post, we outline five core areas that have historically yielded successful psychiatrist malpractice claims.

Keeping newly licensed teen drivers safe

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, December 3, 2018.

When teens get their driver's license, they may feel a great deal of independence. Their parents, however, may feel considerable worries. This includes fears about their child's safety.

Teens can face dangers when out on the roads. Some of these risks come from the conduct of other drivers. However, others can come from a young driver's own inexperience behind the wheel. For example, a lack of experience in driving might leave teens more prone to making poor safety judgments behind the wheel. This could include being more prone to making decisions that could lead to distracted, drowsy or drunk driving.

What benefits can injured Maryland workers receive?

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Friday, November 30, 2018.

A workplace injury can deeply impact a person. Given this, Maryland's workers' comp system can be very important for people in the state who have been hurt while working. Under this system, people who have suffered a qualifying work injury can be entitled to benefits which can help with recovering from an injury and coping with its effects.

Maryland's hospital safety rankings up, but still not stellar

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

Safety missteps at hospitals can lead to serious medical mistakes. This includes things like surgical errors, treatment errors, care errors or medication errors. Such medical errors, in turn, could expose patients to injuries, infections, illnesses or other health complications.

So, how good of a job hospitals here in Maryland do when it comes to safety has big implications for patients in the state.