Florida Accident Attorney Blog

South Florida's pain management clinics have come under increased scrutiny in connection with the illegal pill trade and trafficking of Oxycontin and other powerful prescription drugs.

The office of State Attorney Michael McAuliffe of Palm Beach County, Florida, is hosting a summit in West Palm Beach to look at the growing problem of pain clinics, drug trafficking, and prescription drug abuse. The Prescription Drug Abuse and Pain Clinic Summit, held in late Feb., will bring together medical officials, law enforcement personnel, and policymakers to examine the problem.

Last year, several pain management clinics in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach County and Broward County, Florida, came under investigation for illegally selling prescription drugs. (See Florida Elder Care Alert: Fort Lauderdale, Broward & Palm Beach County Pain Clinics Scrutinized.) SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) reports that drug abuse among senior citizens is on the rise, as the Baby Boom generation ages.

Florida medication error lawyers have knowledge pertaining to product liability, prescription drugs, and medical malpractice as they all impact the care of our senior citizens.

Overdose of powerful prescription pain drugs such as opioids can lead to wrongful death. Experts at the Feb. 2010 Summit, which will be held Clayton Hutcheson Agricultural Center in West Palm Beach, will discuss legislation for greater self-regulation in the Florida medical industry.

West Palm Beach summit takes look at prescription drug abuse, pain clinics
Sun-Sentinel.com Feb. 22, 2010

Drug Use Rising Among Seniors; Baby Boomers Continue Using, SAMHSA Says
Jan. 11, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida State Attorney Michael F. McAuliffe, Palm Beach County, Florida

American Academy of Pain Medicine

Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, issued a patient update on its website regarding the case of a nurse who reused IV tubes and bags on cardiac stress-test patients -- possibly exposing them to blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The case came to light last fall when news media reported that a nurse at the South Florida medical center had been reusing lengths of IV tubing and bags on cardiac patients who submitted to intravenous stress tests between Jan. 2004 and Sept. 2009. (See Medical Liability Raised in Broward General Hospital Contaminated Blood Case: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Police Investigating).

Broward General issued a patient notice update on its website Feb. 15, 2010, on how many potentially affected patients had been contacted by certified mail to come in for screenings; how many had confirmed receipt; along with other patient communication data related to this case. According to the medical center website, 1,851 patients may have been exposed to disease by this nurse's actions. Patients are being voluntarily tested for HIV, and Hepatitis B and C. The medical center reports that to date, 929 patient test results had been received from LabCorp.

Though Broward General states that the nurse responsible for reusing IV equipment in pharmalogical stress tests acted independently, many questions about medical liability and negligence surround this troubling case. The medical center website states that after Feb. 15, 2010, updates on patient notice efforts will be posted every other week.

Fort Lauderdale medical negligence attorneys familiar with the Broward General Medical Center case in South Florida work with patients and families whose members may have contracted serious diseases due to practices not in keeping with proper medical protocols and sterile procedures.

Broward General Patient Notice Update: Feb. 15, 2010

Broward General Chemical Stress Test Issue

Concerns about the quality and safety of Toyota vehicles continue to mount, as the car manufacturer issues yet another safety recall -- this time for the four-wheel drive 2010 Tacoma pickup truck.

There is concern that the front drive shaft in some 2010 Tacoma trucks could be cracked -- an equipment manufacturing defect that could lead to malfunction and loss of vehicle control, which in turn could cause serious car and truck accidents.

The Tacoma recall is just the latest in a series of public safety and public relations problems for Toyota, which has been in the headlines since late last year when news of fatal car accidents blamed on faulty gas pedals came to light. An additional braking problem with hybrids such as the Prius prompted an additional recall -- while Toyota had shut down manufacturing and tried to come up with fixes for millions of vehicles.

Florida truck accident attorneys with experience handling product liability and defective auto parts cases monitor safety recalls such as this one closely. The Toyota Tacoma recall is a voluntary recall for owners to bring their trucks to a dealer for the drive shaft to be inspected and repaired, if needed. The Toyota website states that owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail beginning in March.

Pickup trucks used to be mainly driven by construction workers and others who needed a powerful vehicle to haul equipment and supplies for work purposes. Now pickup trucks with modern comforts and amenities, such as the Toyota Tacoma, are driven by many people who simply like to drive trucks -- whether for off-roading, commuting to work, taxiing the family, or pulling trailers for recreational activities such as boating. If you live in Florida and are driving a 2010 Toyota Tacoma, contact your local dealer or visit Toyota.com for more information.

Truck recall adds to Toyota's troubles
AFP, Yahoo! News Feb. 13, 2010

Toyota Extends Recall To 2010 Tacoma Trucks
AP, Fox40News.com Feb. 12, 2010

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recall on 8,000 2010 Model Year Tacoma 4WD Trucks to Inspect the Front Drive Shaft
Toyota.com News Release, Feb. 12, 2010

Related Web Resources

Toyota.com: 2009-2010 Recall List

Toyota.com: Tacoma

Florida Governor Charlie Crist says he would approve a ban on texting while driving in the Sunshine State if pending highway safety legislation passes, according to a report this week in a Fort Myers, Florida news outlet.

Distracted-driving traffic accidents in Florida cause injury and death on our highways and streets. The problem of drivers talking on cell phones and typing text messages is a major concern among Florida and national safety advocates:

> Currently 19 states ban all drivers from texting while driving, while another 9 ban the practice for youth-aged drivers.

> The U.S. Dept. of Transportation also banned texting while driving for commercial vehicles, in an effort to cut down on bus and truck accidents.

> President Obama banned Federal employees from texting while driving.

The pending Florida highway safety legislation (SB 328 and HB 323) is one of several highway-safety bills targeting distracted driving in Florida. If passed, drivers caught texting while driving would be subject to fines. Texting while driving has become a more serious and dangerous traffic safety problem, as more and more people -- including teenagers -- use cell phones and hand-held devices to type and send each other text messages. Fatal car accidents have been linked to texting while driving. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that 1.6 million traffic crashes annually -- or 28% of all auto crashes -- are caused by cell phone use or texting while driving.

Fort Myers car accident injury lawyers are well aware of what can happen when drivers take their eyes off the road in South Florida, even for just an instant.

The risk of causing a serious traffic accident increases when drivers are doing other things and not paying attention to what's around them. Florida's busy interstates, highways and city streets are challenging enough for drivers. Texting is an example of how technologies that bring convenience to our automobiles -- when used while driving -- can cause serious car crashes, injury, and death.

Florida legislators propose fines for drivers who text
News-Press.com Feb. 9, 2010

Related Web Resources

National Safety Council: Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Florida drivers with a Honda in the garage can now share in Toyota owners' headaches and safety concerns, as they all flock to auto dealers for recall repairs. This week Honda recalled hundreds of thousands of cars due to concerns about potentially dangerous airbags. Honda issued a news release stating that the airbags could inflate with too much pressure -- enough force to rupture the air bag casing, which could cause serious personal injury or even death.

Toyota's latest safety recall involves its popular hybrid model, Prius -- which reportedly has a glitch in the braking system. Owners report the brakes fail to engage immediately when applied over rough roads, which could lead to serious auto accidents. The Prius recall adds to the public relations nightmare for Toyota, which hit news headlines late last year for problems with gas pedals becoming ensnared in floor mats.

The Toyota gas pedal recall expanded to millions of cars, trucks, and SUVs earlier this year, with reports of gas pedals being slow to rise when drivers try to decelerate their vehicles.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida product liability lawyers with experience in personal injury cases involving defective auto parts are watching these latest consumer recalls carefully. CNN reports that there are already several lawsuits in the works against Toyota, as nervous consumers wonder if the car in their driveway is safe to drive.

Honda recalls 438,000 cars for airbag hazard
CNN.com Feb. 10, 2010

Toyota Recall -- Special Coverage
CNN.com Feb. 9, 2010

Related Web Resources

Toyota Recall Information

Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding Expansion of Driver's Airbag Inflator Recall
Honda News Release, Feb. 9, 2010

A day of kiteboarding off South Florida's Treasure Coast turned tragic as a 38-year-old man was reportedly killed in a shark attack, possibly involving multiple sharks.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office reported that a lifeguard saw a kite board surfer in trouble about 500 yards off shore near Stuart, Florida. The lifeguard, who paddled out to assist, found Stephen Howard Schafer on his board bleeding and surrounded by sharks. The victim was brought to an area hospital but died of his injuries.

Stuart, Florida is in Martin County south of Fort Pierce and north of West Palm Beach, in the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Kiteboard surfers strap their feet to a board and are pulled along the water by a sail. Like traditional surfing, it's a form of water recreation enjoyed by adventurous people who appreciate Florida's sun, sand, and surf. A Palm Beach County, Florida accident lawyer is aware that any type of water sports recreation comes with some risk of injury or even death. This includes boat accidents, personal watercraft accidents, surfing accidents, and parasailing accidents.

A Miami, Florida newspaper reported that the beach in Stuart remained open after the fatal shark attack. The last fatal shark attack in the Sunshine State occurred off the Florida Panhandle in 2005. It is unknown at this time what type of sharks were involved in this fatal attack near Stuart, Florida.

Kiteboarder dies in rare fatal shark attack off Florida
Associated Press, Miami Herald Feb. 4, 2010

Lifeguard describes rescue of shark attack victim
Associated Press, Yahoo! News Feb. 4, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida Museum of Natural History: How to Avoid a Shark Attack

International Shark Attack File

Wikipedia: Kitesurfing

Martin County Florida