When Dogs Attack by: Karin Murphy

Man's Best Friend Can Be Violent. By: Karin Murphy

Despite being man's best friend, it is a sad truth that over 4.5 million people are bitten each year by dogs in the United States. Even worse, tens of thousands of people need to undergo reconstructive surgery each year as a result of these attacks. Tragically, statistics show that children are most often the victims of dog bites. In fact, injuries to children can be particularly physically and emotionally devastating.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, there were about 72 million dogs in the U.S. in 2016, equaling about one dog for every 4 people.

Unfortunately, 4.5 million people are bitten by those dogs annually, and 20 percent of those people will need medical attention for their wounds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about one out of five dog bites will become infected.

Recently, an elderly woman from Queens was killed and her son with special needs was mauled by the dog she was planning to turn in.

Last month, Louise Herminda, 75, was planning to return the dog, a mastiff, because it was too aggressive and uncontrollable, neighbors said. But she apparently waited too long. The dog attacked Herminda, causing what police described as trauma to her upper torso area. She was pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian Hospital. 

Herminda's 39-year-old son, who has autism, was also mauled in the attack. He suffered non-life threatening injuries to his lower-left leg.

6 months ago, a woman was attacked by three pit bulls in Rocky Point, New York. Elana Tsaregorodheva says the three dogs mauled her 3-year-old boxer at Hallock Landing Beach. She suffered multiple injuries. 

Dog bites or attacks can include:

Puncture wounds, lacerations, and bone injuries

Head, facial, arm, leg, and back injuries or even death. 

Serious infections from bacteria such as Pasteurella, Staphylococcus, and methicillin-resistant Staph Tetanus can occur in deep puncture wounds.

Because not all dog owners vaccinate their dogs, rabies is always a consideration when someone gets bit. While rabies isn't as common in the U.S. as it is in other countries, the possibility of infection remains, so anyone who is bitten by a dog they don't know should seek medical treatment immediately.

The Sanders Firm

If you or a family member has suffered a serious personal injury as the result of a dog bite, you may be entitled to compensation. The Sanders Firm has been helping people for 50 years and understands how to effectively represent clients who have been injured in due to a dog attack. 

If you feel you may have a personal injury case on your hands after sustaining a serious dog bite injury, call us today at 1.800.FAIR.PLAY for a FREE case evaluation, or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free case review. There is no obligation.

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Long Island Hospital Safety Grades: National Rankings Released By RYAN BONNER (Patch National Staff) - April 25, 2016 5:01 pm ET

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by employers and health-care providers, announced its spring 2016 hospital safety rankings Monday, a measure of how safe a hospital is for patients.

Hospitals were given a letter grade from A through F based on several factors. Of the 2,571 hospitals studied nationwide, 798 earned an A, 639 earned a B, 957 earned a C, 162 earned a D and 15 earned an F.

At the state level, New York was ranked 44th in the nation. Vermont was ranked No. 1; six hospitals in the state were ranked, and five were given an A grade. Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Minnesota rounded out the top five.

State rankings were based on a percentage of state hospitals receiving an A grade.

Leapfrog looked at medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections to determine the grades. The goal was to determine a patient's risk of further injury or infection if they visited a certain hospital.

Hospitals given a B rating by Leapfrog had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death than A hospitals. That number jumps to 35 percent in C hospitals and 50 percent higher in D and F hospitals.

Leapfrog ranked 143 New York hospitals. Here are the grades Long Island hospitals received. (Visit the full list to learn more about individual rankings.)

A

• John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Port Jefferson
• Huntington Hospital, Huntington
• St. Francis Hospital of Roslyn, Roslyn

B

• Eastern Long Island Hospital, Greenport
• Mercy Medical Center, Rockville Centre
• South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside
• Southampton Hospital, Southampton
• St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, Smithtown
• St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson
• Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola

C

• Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, West Islip
• Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow
• North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset
• Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park
• Franklin Hospital, Valley Stream
• Glen Cove Hospital, Glen Cove
• Plainview Hospital, Plainview
• Syosset Hospital, Syosset
• St. Joseph Hospital, Bethpage

D

• Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Patchogue
• Southside Hospital, Bay Shore
• Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead

F

• Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook

A Comment From Sanders Firm Attorney 

Theodore F. Goralski

"Patch reports on Long Island Hospital safety rankings. Many Long Islanders with the means and the ability to choose travel to Manhattan hospitals for quality care. This national ranking of hospitals shows that there may be good reason for that. Only three of 23 area hospitals received an A grade for patient safety. There are more facilities with D's and F's than A's and C was the most common grade. This means that there is significant risk of further injury or infection when admitted to a Long Island hospital. At The Sanders Firm, we have decades of experience protecting patients. The Sanders Firm Supports patient safety. If you or a loved one have been injured due to substandard hospital care call 516-741-5252 or email us at tgoralski@thesandersfirm.com for a free consultation."

Allegations Chemo Drug Taxotere Causes Permanent Hair Loss

ARCH 21, 2016By: Whitney TaylorDANGEROUS DRUGS

The chemotherapy drug Taxotere has been touted as a powerful cancer fighter for many years, helping those with some types of cancer find effective treatment for their illness.

However, one of the potential side effects related to Taxotere, permanent hair loss, has not been widely publicized by the drug’s manufacturer, Sanofi. Patients who have not been warned about this potential side effect may be diagnosed with permanent alopecia after their cancer treatments.

Now, some of those patients are considering legal action against Sanofi, claiming lack of adequate warnings left them at a distinct disadvantage when choosing their cancer treatment.

What is Taxotere?

Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug prescribed to treat some types of breast, lung, stomach, prostate, and head and neck cancers. It is also currently under investigation for the treatment of additional cancers, including ovarian, bladder and pancreatic cancers. The drug is given intravenously and dosing depends on the type of cancer and the patient’s height, weight and overall health.

Taxotere and hair loss

Taxotere is linked to numerous side effects common with other chemotherapy medications, including nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, and hair loss. However, while temporary hair loss is a common byproduct of some chemotherapy treatments, permanent hair loss is not typical. In fact, Taxotere is the only medication at this time that has been linked to reports of permanent hair loss among some cancer patients.

No warning of permanent alopecia

To date, the warning label for Taxotere in the US has not indicated the drug could cause permanent alopecia or hair loss. This has left some chemotherapy patients vulnerable to permanent disfigurement without knowledge that they were putting themselves at risk. Even more troubling is the fact that other chemotherapy medications that are just as effective as Taxotere are not linked to permanent hair loss.

Despite the lack of a proper warning, studies have indicated permanent alopecia may be a risk with Taxotere for some time. According to a recent product liability lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in California, a 2005 study known as the GEICAM 9805 demonstrated that nearly 10 percent of the test patients that took Taxotere in this study suffered persistent alopecia that lasted at least 10 years and five months. In 2006, a Colorado oncologist noted that more than six percent of the patients he treated with Taxotere continued to suffer with hair loss for many years after their treatments.

In December 2015, the FDA acknowledged there have been reports of permanent hair loss in some patients using Taxotere. That announcement by the FDA preceded a label change for the product, noting the possibility of permanent hair loss.

Seeking legal action

Now, individuals like the plaintiff in California are filing lawsuits against Sanofi, alleging the company did not provide adequate warnings about alopecia risks. Those plaintiffs are seeking damages for their permanent disfigurement, asserting that if they had known about this risk with Taxotere, they would have chosen a different chemo drug.

The plaintiff in California is seeking damages in excess of $75,000, which necessitated the lawsuit filing in federal court. This plaintiff, like others now pending in courts across the country, states in her complaint that Taxotere use left her with “severe and permanent injuries that are lasting in nature.”

Product liability lawyers at The Sanders Firm are are currently reviewing cases involving Taxotere hair loss. For a free evaluation of your case, contact our offices today at 1-800-FAIR-PLAY.

A Personal Note From Partner, Ed Nitkewicz

         Advocate For Your Children!

I have been a personal injury attorney since 1992 when I was admitted to practice law in New York.  Since then, I have represented scores of people who were injured in automobile accidents, through medical negligence and from product defect. I have tried complex cases before juries  in both the Federal and State Courts of New York. Notwithstanding my resume, I was unprepared for my most important case ever: representing my own son on the Committee for Preschool Special Education for the South Huntington School District. You see, my son Edward was diagnosed with Autism in early 2001.  After he was diagnosed, I was emotionally devastated and cared little about acronyms such as IDEA, CPSE, CSE, LRE, or IEP. Instead, I wanted my son to be "all better."  I wanted to believe the speech teacher who told me that there was a little boy wrapped up inside this "shell" who just needed a little help getting out. I wanted him to have every treatment and therapy he was entitled to have as soon as he was supposed to have them. And I was angry that my poor child was developmentally disabled, angry enough to nearly alienate anyone from the education team who dared utter the word "no" to me. All parents of children diagnosed with autism or other developmental disability grapple with fear and anger over not just the disability but the overwhelming process of securing services for our children. Many parents fight with their school districts. Others sit quietly relying on the special education process to provide for their child. In almost all instances, we worry that we are not doing enough for our children.

When do I need an attorney or an advocate for my child? Hiring an advocate or attorney costs money. However, when communication has broken down between you and the district, consultation with a quality advocate or attorney can help you avoid further litigation (and the cost of it). This is often accomplished by bridging a communication impasse or by teaching you techniques to harness your emotions and to concisely ask for what you believe is most appropriate for your child's unique needs. You can always call The Sanders Firm for a consultation: 1.800.FAIR.PLAY