Author: Tom Yost

Attorney

Patient Safety Tips: How to Take Charge of Your Healthcare

Posted on by Tom Yost

Patient safety measures help prevent mistakes and medical malpractice. As studies show that preventable injuries and errors are on the rise, it is no surprise that injured patients initiate most medical malpractice lawsuits. At the Yost Legal Group, we are too familiar with the injuries that occur with what began as a regular hospital visit. As a patient, it is essential to take an active role in your healthcare encounters. Here are some tips to enhance patient safety when receiving care.

Take Notes

In an increasingly complex healthcare system, it can be difficult to know who exactly oversees your care at each stage of a potential diagnosis or procedure. Taking notes can assist you while identifying the functions of each staff member involved in your care. Keeping personal records of your treatment can also help pinpoint if malpractice occurred; this is because mistakes can happen during an exam, surgery—even in a misdiagnosis or prescription error.  Writing down the facts of your encounters and the names of each staff member providing treatment puts you in the driver’s seat of your healthcare.

Be Your Own Health Advocate

You are the expert of your own body! Whether you notice changes in your breathing or are in extreme pain, your observations about your body are important. Further, be prepared to offer your healthcare providers a list of any medications you are currently taking—most pharmacies are happy to provide you with a wallet-sized, printed card with your current medications and doses listed.   The truth is that no one cares more about your treatment and recovery more than you do! You are not only a patient but a partner in determining your best care.

Ask Questions

You should be knowledgeable about your medications, upcoming procedures, and diagnoses. While hospital staff are required to answer patient questions, speaking with knowledgeable individuals is also an excellent way to learn about your ailments.  So, do not hesitate to get informed about your care. Staying curious not only allows you to understand what is going on with your body, but a more in-depth understanding helps gauge if you are receiving the correct treatment or seeing the right physician.

Get a Second Opinion

Everyone has had an experience of not being able to get in contact with your doctor, or not being heard in an appointment. To make matters worse, finding the correct professional can be a real challenge! However, looking up online reviews of your doctors and your hospital’s safety ratings can be a good starting point. Doctors have diverse educational backgrounds that allow them to see your healthcare differently. Even hospitals have different levels of care, ranging from a Level 1 community hospital to a Level 3 hospital commonly are affiliated with a major university. Overall, the work of seeking out a physician who gets your unique circumstances, and a hospital facility with the level of services to meet your needs, can avoid more issues in the future.

You can help create a safer healthcare environment for all patients. Medical malpractice happens often, and many injured patients are unknowingly entitled to compensation. If a preventable mistake by a healthcare professional has hurt you or a loved one, contact The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW. Our Baltimore medical malpractice team is available to provide a free and confidential consultation about your rights as a victim of medical malpractice.

Pope’s Summit On Sexual Abuse In The Church Acknowledges The Problem But Is Short On Solutions

Posted on by Tom Yost

The first Vatican summit on sexual abuse confirmed that misconduct happens within the Catholic Church and has for decades.  After international pressure, the conference was intended to make steps toward resolving wide-spread abuse among its clergy. Catholic priests and bishops are facing criminal trials across the globe. Currently, 17 states in the U.S. have continued investigations into pedophile priests. But no resolution to this cultural problem within the church has been clearly defined.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has released a groundbreaking report confirming sexual abuse against 1,000 children from a grand jury investigation. Subsequent investigations in other states confirmed similar criminal misconduct. Only months into 2019, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, have also named some 300 clergy members who engaged in illegal sexual activities. Mid-Atlantic results add to the growing list of some 1,300 credibly accused American priests in these recent investigations.

The cycle of clerical abuse and subsequent cover-ups by the Catholic Church has been impossible to ignore any longer. Some clergy members in the highest levels of authority have been implicated in covering up what has been described as a culture of sexual abuse of children and others. The outcome of the Pope’s four-day Summit did not provide concrete ways in which the church will stop abuse within its leadership. One thing, however, is clear; the public will not expect the church to police itself in these matters.

Discussions among Catholic Church leadership does not right the wrongs of countless pedophiles within its membership. There is a renewed interest to criminally prosecute pedophile clergy, even for events that occurred decades ago. The Catholic Church and other churches are cooperating by turning over records of reported misconduct. Although some church communities have acknowledged destroying those records, criminal trials are being conducted around the world.

To date, legal action has proved the most effective way victims can hold their abusers accountable. If a clergy member abused you or a loved one, you might be entitled to compensation. Our trusted sexual misconduct attorneys at The Yost Legal Group are available to help hold leadership responsible for their criminal behavior.  Call 1-800-YOST-LAW for a free and confidential discussion about your options for a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church.

Thousands of People are Injured or Killed Each Year Because of Fatigued Truck Drivers

Posted on by Tom Yost

Each year, over 200,000 accidents occur between large trucks and automobiles killing approximately 4,000 people and severely injuring thousands more.  Most collisions occur during good weather conditions on straight roadways.  A large number of accidents are due to sleep-deprived truck drivers.  Despite the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration setting industry regulations which limit the number of consecutive hours a trucker can drive, drivers are still often overly fatigued due to long hours on the road.

Under current regulations, after ten hours off duty, a driver can drive up to 11 hours within the next 14-hour window.  Drivers are also limited to driving a maximum of 70 hours every 8 days.  However, many truck drivers suffer from a condition called obstructive sleep apnea.  Studies have shown that those who suffer from sleep apnea are not as well-rested as those without the condition.  Therefore, a driver with sleep apnea is less alert and more likely to doze off while driving.  Unfortunately, federal legislators do not require drivers to be screened for obstructive sleep apnea so many do not even know they have the condition.

On a sunny day in August of 2010, a Maryland woman was killed and her 12-year-old son suffered a traumatic brain injury which permanently disabled him while they were on vacation in Ohio.  The driver of the tractor trailer behind them dozed off at the wheel and slammed into the back of their rental car when it came to a stop at a construction zone.  The woman was killed instantly and her son was critically injured and near death with a crushed skull.  The driver of the tractor trailer, a 30 -year industry veteran, had slept 3 hours and 20 minutes before starting work at 3:00 a.m.

A fatal or near-fatal accident due to truck driver fatigue can happen at any time.  Drivers continue to drive even while exhausted.  If you or a loved one has suffered harm which resulted from a tractor trailer accident, call the experienced truck accident lawyers at The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW (1-800-967-8529).  We will investigate your case and help you get the justice you deserve.  Call today for a free consultation.

Alert Today – Alive Tomorrow: How to Avoid The Dangers of Distracted Driving

Posted on by Tom Yost

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in the United States each day as a result of distracted driving. The increased popularity of cell phone use in recent years has drivers paying less attention to the road and more attention to phone calls, text messages, and social media apps. Despite 15 states banning hand-held cell phone use and 47 states banning texting while driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that around 660,000 drivers are still using cell phones or other electronic devices while driving every day. This has caused an epidemic of distracted driving across the country, with drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists facing unintended and sometimes even deadly consequences.

The state of Maryland is not exempt from feeling the fatal effects of distracted driving. In 2015, an Anne Arundel County woman was indicted in the first texting-while-driving case in the county involving a death. Cellphone records show that the 21-year-old woman was sending text messages at the time that she turned her vehicle off a side street and crashed into a 30-year-old motorcyclist who had the right of way. The motorcyclist died from his injuries and the young driver was charged with negligent manslaughter. This is just one of many examples of an accident that could have been prevented if the driver of the vehicle had not been driving distracted.

Despite the alarming number of distracted driving incidents occurring daily, there are simple steps that can be taken to minimize the risks of distracted driving. First and foremost, don’t pick up the phone. If you need to respond to a phone call or text message while alone, pull over and park your car before doing so. Alternatively, you can assign a passenger as the “designated texter” and allow them access to your calls and messages while you drive. To eliminate the temptation altogether, put your phone in the backseat, trunk, or glove compartment during your trip. If this makes you uneasy, several phones and apps now have settings that will disable your cell phone while your car is in motion, ensuring that you can’t get distracted by the device while behind the wheel.

Distracted driving can be easily prevented, but that doesn’t mean that every driver on the road will stop picking up their phone when it rings or typing up a quick text message in response to a family member or friend. If you or a loved one has been harmed as the result of a distracted driving incident, call the experienced auto accident attorneys at The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW (1-800-967-8529). We will review every detail of your claim at no cost to you and will help give you the answers you deserve. Call today for your free consultation.

Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Update in Maryland

Posted on by Tom Yost

Accounts of predatory priests and childhood sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church have hurt many populations and continue to affect those in the mid-Atlantic region.  In August 2018, a 1,000-page grand jury report issued after a two-year investigation revealed sexual abuse of children across dioceses in Pennsylvania, and cover-ups from the Vatican. Encouraged by the grand jury report, other states have begun similar reviews of church conduct in their dioceses.

In Maryland, progress has taken place following the September 2018 launch of the Attorney Generals’ involvement to pinpoint sexual abuse by clergy. To date, the state’s office has begun a review of over 50,000 internal files released by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and a list of 30 credibly accused priests from the Maryland Provinces Jesuits. Awareness of wide-spread sexual abuse has also resulted in the creation of The Office of the Attorney General Child Sex Abuse Hotline for Maryland residents. This hotline is a tool for victims to report knowledge of abuse and can be reached at 410-576-6312 or by email at report@oag.state.md.us.

In Pennsylvania, the Catholic Church started the Survivors’ Compensation Program to aid recovery from the 300 predatory priests named in the grand jury report. While not a perfect solution, the church offered opportunities for victims is helpful as legal resolve is sometimes difficult to achieve. Following the state-mandated timeline is the main problem in sexual abuse cases. This Statute of Limitations allows abuse cases to be filed only a few years after sexual abuse happened. As such, many victims of childhood sexual abuse find their Statute of Limitations has expired once they are ready to take legal action. Further, while timeline reform for sexual assault cases is under discussion in many states, it is not yet a reality for all victims.

The question remains if Maryland state prosecutors will institute criminal actions against abusers. It is also uncertain if the Catholic Church will use a similar compensatory program as seen in Pennsylvania. However, the repercussions of the two-year grand jury report have prompted needed investigation around the country. And as victims bravely speak out in hopes of stopping the culture of pedophiles within the Catholic Church, justice seems inevitable.

If a person of power in the Catholic Church has abused you or a loved one, you may be entitled to compensation. Our trusted sexual misconduct attorneys at The Yost Legal Group are available to help hold those in clergy positions responsible for their shocking behavior.  Call 1-800-YOST-LAW for a free and confidential discussion about your options for a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church.

The Truth Behind Dangerous Medical Devices

Posted on by Tom Yost

Recently, attorney Tom Yost sat down with Elsa, from WMAR’s Midday Maryland to discuss the potential dangers of medical devices, specifically Essure birth control and metal on metal hip implants. He talks about the way in which the FDA approves these devices and allows them to be sold. As well as what the next steps should be if someone has this device and is being harmed by it.

Essure is a non-surgical permanent form of birth control that was offered as an alternative to tubal ligation. The device consists of two metal coils made of nickel that are inserted into the fallopian tubes. Often times this device tends to migrate or cause these women terrible side effects that may include: nickel poising, heavy bleeding, and severe abdominal or pelvic pain. The only way to stop these symptoms from occurring is to have a hysterectomy to remove the device. The FDA took Essure off the market in December 2018.

The metal on metal hip implants made from manufacturers including Smith & Nephew and Stryker have recalled a number of their implants due to the fact that these devices are failing way too early. Often times those with the implant had a metal on metal hip and the metal began corroding into the bloodstream causing cobalt poising or metallosis. Since the implants were failing at a much higher rate instead of lasting the projected 10 to 15 years as originally advertised, this would result in the person needing a revision surgery. The litigation for these hips is taking place at the District Court in Baltimore.

If you are one of the 750,000 women in the United States with the Essure implant or part of the 20,000 to 30,000 men and women with a metal on metal hip, here are the next steps that you should take. Research the device that you currently have. Determine if the side effects that you have read about are what you are experiencing and discuss with your doctor. Submit an adverse event report to the FDA in regards to the manufacture distributing a defective device. Reach out to a lawyer because there may be a time limit on how long you have to file a claim.

Here at The Yost Legal Group we feel that these big manufacturers should be held liable for the sale of these products. If you or a loved one has been harmed by Essure or the metal on metal hips, or if you would like more information about these products, contact The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOSTLAW today for a free consultation. The attorneys at the Yost Legal Group will investigate your potential claim and lawsuit.

Shoulder Dystocia and Lack of Oxygen to the Brain

Posted on by Tom Yost

Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby’s head emerges during delivery, but one or both shoulders remains trapped behind the mother’s pubic bone, preventing completion of delivery of the baby. This may cause the baby to suffer from oxygen deprivation if the umbilical cord is compressed between the baby’s body and the mother’s pelvis, or if the baby’s neck is compressed at an angle that prevents blood flow.  An interruption of the baby’s oxygen supply (hypoxia or asphyxia) during delivery can result in a permanent brain injury commonly diagnosed as hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

The chances of a baby having a hypoxic brain injury as a result of shoulder dystocia increase the longer the baby is stuck in the birth canal.  Therefore, shoulder dystocia is always an obstetric emergency which must be very promptly recognized and treated.  Treatment requires the attending medical staff to use one or more procedures, or obstetric maneuvers, to release the trapped shoulder and delivery the baby. Once the baby is delivered, careful monitoring is required to assess the baby’s initial neurologic condition, including a check of the baby’s color, muscle tone, cord blood gas level, and brain wave activity.  Abnormal findings in the first hours and days of life, such as irregular muscle tone, seizures, trouble sucking, and/or severe acidosis (cord blood gas level with a pH value which is less than 7 (pH < 7) would all be indicators of an HIE brain injury.

Although there are other risks associated with shoulder dystocia,  including brachial plexus injury (nerve damage to the shoulder, arm, or hand) or bone fracture (typically the collarbone or shoulder blade), a hypoxic brain injury is the most severe result of shoulder dystocia because it may cause permanent brain damage limiting a child’s growth and development for a lifetime.

If your child suffered a birth injury, contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). The attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced, caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

The Yost Legal Group – Experience. Compassion. Results.

Maryland Drivers Ignore School Buses’ Red Flashing Warning Lights, Needlessly Endangering School Children

Posted on by Tom Yost

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) boasts that students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely than traveling by car. Buses are also equipped with many safety features bright yellow paint, flashing red lights, and stop sign arms to direct and navigate traffic.  But Maryland drivers are often ignoring the bright red flashing lights and driving by school buses as they pick up or drop off students.

The law in Maryland is clear, drivers must come to a complete stop when the flashing red lights on a school bus are activated and wait until the lights have been turned off before proceeding forward.  This always applies to all traffic traveling in the same direction as the stopped school bus. It also applies to vehicles traveling in the opposite direction except where there is a divided median.  Only where there is a is a concrete median or grass median dividing the lanes, can traffic traveling in the opposite direction of the bus proceed.  Violators of this Maryland Motor Vehicle Code can be given a fine of up to $570.00 and have three points assessed on their driving record.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is encouraging police to better enforce this law designed to protect children while getting on and off school buses.

The MDSE has conducted surveys in all 24 counties to determine the extent this law is being violated.  In the latest survey for the 2017-2018 school year, there were 3,812 school bus driver reports of vehicles not stopping when students were being loaded or unloaded from school buses.  However, the real numbers measured by bus cameras are much higher.  Counties are beginning to expand school bus camera enforcement programs where school buses have cameras that take pictures of vehicles as they pass school buses with their flashing red lights on. Under the program, the owner of the vehicle which passes a stopped bus with flashing red warning lights is given a $250 ticket.

Montgomery County school bus camera enforcement program cited 4,800 car owners for violations in the 2016 school year when only 12 buses had cameras installed. In the 2018 school year, 500 of its 1,200 buses had cameras installed to record dangerous motorists who did not stop for school buses.  Montgomery County counted 19,566 citations issued to the car owners where their vehicle dangerously and illegally passed a school bus with red flashing lights.  Expanding the school bus camera enforcement program is critical to making reckless drivers aware of their obligation to stop at red flashing lights. Student safety depends on drivers following the law to permit them to travel to school safely.

If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of a serious school bus accident, call the school bus accident lawyers at The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW (1-800-967-8529).  The Yost Legal Group has extensive experience in handling school bus accident claims in Baltimore and throughout the state of Maryland. We will review every detail of your situation at no cost to you and help provide answers you seek. And, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

The Yost Legal Group – Experience. Compassion. Results.

Preeclampsia, Placental Abruption and Birth Injuries

Posted on by Tom Yost

It is estimated that every 1 in 100 births is affected by preeclampsia and placental abruption. These conditions can not only cause harm to the baby, but to the mother as well. Often times these birth injuries can have an impact on the child for the rest of their life.

Preeclampsia occurs when an expectant mother develops high blood pressure, usually after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and this complication of pregnancy can also affect other organs such as the liver and kidneys. The earlier in the pregnancy that preeclampsia occurs, the greater the risk it creates for both mother and baby. One of the biggest signs that an expectant mother may have preeclampsia is if her blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.  Preeclampsia can also cause organ damage and a drop in blood platelets.  In addition to checking blood pressure, diagnosis of preeclampsia can include blood work (to check for low platelets or thrombocytopenia), and urinalysis (to check for an elevated level of protein in urine, or proteinuria).

The developing baby, too, is at risk from preeclampsia, with its complications including reduction of blood flow to the placenta, which can restrict the baby’s growth (fetal growth restriction) or separation of the placenta from the uterine wall (placental abruption) which can cause life-threatening bleeding to both mother and baby, and loss of oxygen to the baby.  If there are any signs of a placental abruption an immediate delivery, usually by caesarian (c-section), may be required. Failure to promptly deliver the baby can result in permanent brain damage due to loss of oxygen (hypoxic brain injury).

If your child suffered a brain injury at birth, contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). The birth injury attorneys at The Yost Legal Group are experienced and caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Vulnerable Children and Adults in Group Homes Face Risk of Abuse

Posted on by Tom Yost

Many questions and concerns should be considered when an individual and their family members or guardian explore long-term residential care options. The terminology used to describe these residential facilities varies. For example, they may be referred to as group homes, care homes, or residential care facilities.  Sadly, one consideration concerns whether placing an individual in such a facility exposes them to the risk of abuse.

The development of group homes resulted from a societal need to provide care to vulnerable people with complex care needs. Care homes are designed to help such people by providing a communal environment where health and social care providers meet the cognitive and physical needs of the residents on a 24-hour basis. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, as many residents suffer from the harmful effects of neglect or abuse.

Statistics regarding the amount of abuse that goes in these facilities shocks the conscience. An organization based in Los Angeles called The Disability and Abuse project, a group whose focus aims at combating physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of people with developmental or intellectual disabilities collected important data concerning this issue. In conducting a recent nationwide survey, they gathered more than 7,200 responses.

The results of the survey found that 70% of those with developmental disabilities in group homes had been neglected, assaulted, or otherwise physically or sexually abused. More than 50% of these individuals alleged suffering physical abuse, while 41% reported sexual abuse. Similar studies have shown that people with developmental disabilities are more likely to be victims of abuse by someone they know. Unfortunately, they are also more likely to remain in abusive conditions. Although these statistics may appear to be alarming, experts believe they are actually understated, as a considerable amount of the abuse that takes place is never reported. Regrettably, the abuse occurring in these residential facilities often affects victims who are less likely to have access to the justice system, such as being able to consult with an attorney.

If you suspect your loved one has suffered and been the victim of abuse within a group home, call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259), for a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

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