Locks Law Firm

What You Don't Know Could (Seriously) Hurt You: 4 Things to Keep in Mind When Picking a Nursing Home

On March 6, The US Senate Committee on Finance held hearings in Washington on Elder and Nursing Home abuse and neglect. We all know that the Federal government is tied up with partisan politics in almost all respects. But this Committee heard gut-wrenching and horrific testimony from the adult children of elder victims, true episodes of neglect resulting in bed sores, falls, infections, sexual assault and death. Yes, you read that correctly: sexual assault, rape, of an 87-year-old victim in a nursing home. There was testimony from experts in the field, leaders in health care, all deploring the fact that fully one third of nursing home residents experienced harm in a 2014 study; and that 2 years ago, the US Inspector General warned the public of problems at nursing homes in 33 states, listing sexual abuse, substandard care and neglect as prime categories of mistreatment. The work of this committee is critical, as almost all nursing home residents are beneficiaries of Medicare and or Medicaid and these facilities depend on those agencies to get paid. We all understand that nursing homes exist to protect and shelter our most fragile and vulnerable loved ones as they seek to live their lives with dignity and respect on "the back end of life". How we treat our elders is certainly a fair measure of who and what we are as a society. If you or your family are faced with the heartbreak of a tough decision as to where to place Mom or Dad, keep in mind some important points for you to think about and watch for in your search:

Pennsylvania Adopts New Rule For Civil Procedure To Address “Doe” Defendants

Effective April 1, 2019, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has adopted new Rule 2005, which codifies the initiation of suit against “John Doe” defendants. This new rule lays out the proper procedure that Plaintiffs can use to initiate a suit against unknown defendants, commonly referred to as “John Doe” defendants.

Can We Prevent More Suicides?

The incidence of suicide is on the rise, and some have even termed it a public health crisis. On March 5 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new nasal spray medication for treatment resistant depression. The nasal spray, Spravato (esketamine) is a form of the well-known and widely used anesthetic ketamine. Ketamine was found to be an effective antidepressant in the 1990’s when researchers at Yale discovered these effects. These findings were confirmed by researchers who published their finding in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2006.

I Do It For Her

Although practicing law is often highly rewarding (e.g., helping a client obtain a favorable verdict or settlement and possibly affecting a positive change in the law), it can also be extremely frustrating. And exhausting.

Proposed Rule May Help Victims of Medical Negligence

“A Pennsylvania Supreme Court proposal that would allow medical malpractice lawsuits to be filed in Pennsylvania counties other than where the harm allegedly occurred has doctors warning of the potential for treatment delays and backlogged courts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Since 2003, medical malpractice lawsuits have only been allowed to be filed in the counties where the claim arose.” - Post Gazette

Pennsylvania jurisdiction over out-of-state corporations may be up in the air

Not long ago, it seemed clear that if an out-of-state corporation had registered to do business in Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania court could exercise personal jurisdiction over it by the doctrine of consent. That may now be up in the air. A Pennsylvania Superior Court opinion that found such jurisdiction, Murray v. American LaFrance, 2018 WL 4571804 (Pa. Super., Sept. 25, 2018), has been withdrawn and is waiting for reargument before a nine judge en banc panel of that Court.

Lyft agrees to pay their New York City drivers the minimum wage

This is a major win today for Lyft drivers of New York. The company, which was unhappy with these new regulations because they incentivized shorter rides and discouraged trips outside of the city, has given in and decided to pay their workers a liveable wage. The Independent Driver’s Guild had stated prior to this, contract drivers were only earning $11.90 before the law went into effect.

BREAKING: Accident reported in West Philadelphia, 31 injuries reported

The potential danger of mass transit came to reality this morning when two public transit vehicles were involved in a collision, along with a third vehicle. The accident, which occurred at the intersection of 41st Street and Chester Avenue in West Philadelphia, at 11:45 am involves at least 31 injuries.

FAKE NEWS! FAKE NEWS! (Or is it?)

The label “fake news” has gained acceptance since the Trump candidacy and presidency took hold on our country. It seems that in countless news outlets, both online and traditional, this label is tossed at anything a writer may disagree with---or that his funding source disagrees with! Fake news is a type of journalism that deliberately intends to mislead by the spreading of false stories---sometimes made up by a writer, sometimes made up by a “source” and then published. These stories are often then picked up by mainstream media outlets, some of which have polished a reputation for being regular purveyors of misinformation.

Customer Information Exposed in DiscountMugs.com Data Breach

Data breaches can be costly to your finances and overall privacy. If you received a notification letter or suspect that your information was affected, contact us today at 855-997-1975.