For many, vaccinations are a rite of autumn that can help prevent serious illness or lost days of work all through the winter. Getting a yearly flu shot is particularly important for the elderly or for people with compromised immune systems, as those groups are more susceptible to infectious diseases than others. While these routine vaccinations are important, negligence on the part of those administering the vaccine can cause larger problems than the flu. Here are three ways that vaccines can trigger a malpractice lawsuit: 

Many people have a fear of elevators – claustrophobia mixed with a fear of heights. A healthy fear of escalators might be more logical. More people are injured on escalators and moving walkways than elevators, despite the fact that elevators far outnumber them.

Children and the elderly are the most prone to escalator accidents, mostly from falls or from getting their hands and feet caught. What can be done to reduce the risk? Can anyone be held legally responsible for escalator injuries?

As ubiquitous as social media is these days, it’s been known to get people in trouble for things they’ve said – comments and posts that are new or old. And if you’re a plaintiff in a personal injury trial, you must know that everything you do and have done will be under scrutiny and can be used against you.

When most people hear the terms nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, what likely springs to mind are things like bedsores, malnutrition, medication errors, falls and unacceptable living conditions.

While this is certainly accurate, the unfortunate reality is that these terms have recently expanded to include yet another form of deplorable and demeaning conduct: social media abuse.

Indeed, major media outlets and public advocacy groups have recently reported on an alarming rise in the number of nursing home residents across the country being unknowingly victimized by staff members who post dehumanizing videos and photos of them on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

As appalling and unbelievable as this type of conduct is, the good news is that it is now on the radar of federal officials.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an eye-opening report in which it declared sepsis, a condition that the agency said is responsible for over 258,000 fatalities per year, a medical emergency.

What makes sepsis so especially problematic, say experts, is that many Americans are otherwise unaware of its extreme danger. Indeed, the Sepsis Alliance has determined that fewer than 50 percent of Americans know what the condition actually is despite the fact that it was the cause of death of such high-profile figures as Jim Henson, Patty Duke and, most recently, Muhammad Ali.

In recognition of this reality and the role played by failures to diagnose, today’s post will take a closer look at the condition.

Though they train for crisis situations, it is not fair to expect miracles or perfection from those who respond to 911 emergencies. They aren’t doctors or rolling hospitals. They must make quick decisions under chaotic or even hostile circumstances.

Maryland law shields first responders, EMTs, paramedics and ambulance drivers from liability for bad outcomes of good faith efforts to help those in distress. But emergency personnel and their employers may be legally accountable for injury or death when they are reckless with protocols or derelict in their duty.

Limited immunity for EMS personnel

The Maryland Good Samaritan Act provides volunteer fire departments, rescue squads and ambulance crews with immunity for ordinary negligence. The Maryland Fire and Rescue Act provides similar immunity to police officers, firefighters and medics employed by governmental entities. Although these laws do not extend to commercial ambulance companies, private ambulance drivers,  EMTs (emergency medical technicians) and paramedics are somewhat immune under the same good faith doctrine.

Hundreds of people — passengers, pedestrians and motorists — are injured each year in mass transit accidents in the Baltimore area. Some people forfeit their right to compensation by waiting too long to bring a claim. Other victims never pursue legal action, believing that government entities are immune.

A public transit agency can be held liable — the same as an individual or corporate entity — but there are special rules and restrictions. Your best recourse is to work with a lawyer who has actually filed and won such claims.

Do I have to be a public transit passenger to sue the transit agency?
No. Pedestrians who were struck by a bus or train, while crossing the street or waiting at the station or bus stop, may have claims. Occupants of other vehicles that collided with a bus or train may have grounds to sue. And of course, passengers who suffered lasting injury while riding, boarding or unboarding may have claims. According to Metrobus, the most common “customer injuries” (passengers) are collision-related, followed by slips, trips and falls.

While bad drivers can be found almost anywhere, some states definitely have more than their fair share. In fact, according to a report compiled by CarInsuranceComparison.com, there are certain states with worse drivers than others.

So, where does Maryland rank when compared to other states? Does it have the worst drivers? No, but it can certainly do better.

According to a recent report published in The BMJ – an online international peer-reviewed medical publication formerly known as the British Medical Journal – medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind only heart disease and cancer.

In fact, this report, which was authored by two researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, determined that more than 250,000 people die each year because of medical mistakes – a conclusion based on extrapolated data and the review of various studies published since 1999.

By now, the Pokémon Go craze has spread almost everywhere in the nation, including Baltimore. While this popular game – which requires players to capture animated Pokémon characters projected on their cellphone screens amid the player’s actual surroundings – has coaxed countless kids and adults off the couch, it has also gotten several people injured. In fact, the internet is rife with stories of people walking into traffic, trees and even off rocky ledges as they try to catch Pokémon on their cellphones.