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• Mattel Recalls Magnetic Toys Due To Swallowing Hazard

  David Lowe | November 27, 2006 4:07 PM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  Mattel has issued a recall notice for Polly Pocket magnetic toys in the wake of reports that three children have been hospitalized for intestinal perforations after swallowing small magnetic parts found in these doll play sets. Mattel is recalling 2.4 million sets, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recalled products include the following: Polly Pocket Polly...

• Dog Attacks

  David Lowe | August 09, 2006 6:54 AM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  A tragic story from Florida focuses the spotlight once again on the exceptional danger presented by some breeds involved in dog attacks, particularly pit bulls, Rottweillers and Akitas. In this case, two pit bulls mauled an elderly man to death while he was taking out the garbage. Another story this week describes the long process of recovery for a toddler attacked by a pit bull this past...

• Study Says Medical Errors Leading Cause of Death in Hospitals

  David Lowe | April 05, 2006 8:28 PM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  Medical errors remain a leading cause of death and injury at hospitals nationwide, and the effort to improve patient safety at the facilities "is too slow and should be a cause for great alarm," according to a study released on Monday by HealthGrades, the Syracuse Post-Standard reports.For the study, researchers examined the records of Medicare beneficiaries treated at about 5,000 hospitals...

• Truckers Hours of Service Rule Threatens Highway Safety

  David Lowe | February 28, 2006 8:09 PM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  "That (DOT) chose in both rules to expand driving hours is astounding given its statutory mandate to make safety its highest priority and Congress's specific directive to the agency to reduce fatigue-related incidents," said Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.Truck driver fatigue has wreaked havoc here in Wisconsin recently. In October, 2005, a truck driver...

• Malpractice Victims Would Lose Under Proposed Limits On Fees

  David Lowe | February 26, 2006 8:32 PM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  The hospital and insurance industries have come up with another way to insulate themselves from accountability to victims of medical malpractice: remove the incentives of attorneys to accept these cases by cutting their fees. A bill that would limit attorneys' fees in medical malpractice cases is set for hearing on Monday, February 27 in Madison. It would limit attorney fees in medical...

• GOP Once Again Attempts to Impose Malpractice Caps

  David Lowe | February 21, 2006 9:21 AM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin are trying once again to circumvent the jury system by introducing legislation to impose caps on jury awards in medical malpractice cases. In July, 2005, the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out the statutory limits on awards for pain, suffering and disability, emphasizing that the then-existing cap of $445,755 was arbirtary and unconstitutional. Citing concerns that...

• Another Run At Medical Malpractice Caps?

  Staff Writer | February 09, 2006 11:08 AM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  It seems the $8.5 million verdict awarded to Jessica Greenfield in a medical malpractice lawsuit last week has sparked another push at attempts to cap awards on pain and suffereing. The Wisconsin Medical Society is supporting the push for caps and giving the standard lines about doctors being forced out of the state due to high med-mal insurance premiums. However, study after study continues to...

• Brachial Plexus Birth Injury Report Released

  Staff Writer | January 09, 2006 10:03 AM | 0 CommentsMilwaukee, WI

  Jeff Guzman at Napoli Bern in NY posts about the release of the most recent edition of Child Neurology which argues that, contrary to claims by obstetricians, the majority of brachial plexus injuries do not occur in utero.Jeff notes that most studies of brachial plexus injuries are done in adults, where injuries usually take several days to be apparent via EMG.However, the textbook of Child...