Raleigh Personal Injury Blog

Workers' compensation: Struck-by accident kills factory mechanic

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

A North Carolina food plant employee lost his life in an industrial accident on a recent Tuesday. The records of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration indicate 11 incidents of safety violations were identified at this facility during the past five years. Reportedly, the deceased worker was a mechanic who had been working for Smithfield Foods for about 10 years whose family will likely be eligible for workers' compensation survivor's benefits.

According to a spokesperson for N.C. Department of Labor, the 55-year-old man was repairing a conveyor belt when the accident happened. While on a scissor lift, he attempted to relieve pressure from the conveyor chain by switching the airline hose, when a cylinder struck his head. Emergency workers rushed to the scene, but the worker's life could not be saved.

Common causes of workers' compensation benefits claims

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in workers' compensation on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

Safety authorities who travel nationwide to assess workplace safety say they come across the same basic safety hazards and violations in all the different industries they visit in North Carolina and elsewhere. The same will likely reflect in an analysis of workers' compensation claims that are filed by injured workers. Reportedly, negligent housekeeping causes many injuries, mostly because spills and clutter are not cleaned up promptly, causing many falls from slips and trips.

Working at heights also poses hazards that do not always receive the deserved attention. Many workers are not equipped with fall protection, and those who have fall protection often lack proper anchor points. When it comes to forklifts, authorities say the need to rush causes most lift truck injuries because operators take shortcuts by speeding with overloaded lift trucks, and distractions also cause problems. Confined spaces are factors in many tragedies because employers fail to establish and enforce permit systems for these dangerous areas.

5 common bartender injuries

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. on Monday, October 8, 2018.

Working as a bartender can be a fun job. You get to make a lot of different beverages and interact with entertaining customers. However, bartending is also a physically and emotionally demanding job. Making and serving alcoholic beverages is not for the faint of heart.

As a bartender, you encounter all the hazards of working in a kitchen and restaurant, but you generally have a small space to call your own. Here are a few ways you may sustain an injury while mixing cocktails.

Travis Barker pursues medical malpractice suit

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in medical malpractice on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.

Punk rock fans in North Carolina might be most familiar with Travis Barker for his drumming when he performs with his band, Blink-182. However, recent headlines have had less to do with his musical skill and more to do with his ongoing medical problems. Now, the popular drummer is seeking compensation for alleged medical malpractice.

Earlier in 2018, Barker was suffering from blood clots for which he sought treatment. At some point during his course of treatment he needed a routine MRI, but there were complications at the time. He needed to be sedated for the MRI, which required the use of intravenous medication. However, attending staff supposedly could not find a good vein on the drummer.

Motor vehicle accidents: Family killed on drive home

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

Criminal charges were filed against a tractor-trailer driver who allegedly caused a devastating, fatal crash. A North Carolina family was traveling home from a vacation when they were involved in the multi-vehicle accident. None of them survived. These types of motor vehicle accidents can be especially difficult for surviving family members, who must shoulder the burden of financial damages while also processing their grief.

The family of four had originally taken the train for their out-of-state vacation, but they were unable to return to North Carolina via the same route because of activity from Hurricane Florence. Instead, they rented an SUV and headed home on I-85. At some point, traffic began to slow, and the SUV, a nearby van and a tractor-trailer were forced to come to a stop.

Common types of medical malpractice

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in medical malpractice on Saturday, September 15, 2018.

Going to the doctor can be a nerve-wracking experience for patients in North Carolina. Not only are they suffering from some type of injury or illness, but most understand that there is a chance they might not receive necessary treatment. Here are the main types of medical malpractice that patients should be aware of when they seek care.

Misdiagnosis is common and occurs when a medical professional fails to render the correct diagnosis. This could either be telling a patient that they have a clean bill of health, or diagnosing the individual with an illness he or she is not suffering from. In both situations, patients will not get the treatment they need. Delayed diagnosis is similar, and usually involves a doctor initially rendering an incorrect diagnosis before eventually landing on the correct one. However, there is still a delay in treatment and the possibility of further injury.

Jury awards millions for medical malpractice suit

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in medical malpractice on Monday, September 10, 2018.

Rendering an accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for the safety of all patients in North Carolina. Any failure to do so could result in serious and even permanent injury, as was the case for an out-of-state patient who now lives with incapacitating brain damage. A medical malpractice suit filed by her family recently ended with an award of $7.4 million for damages.

In early Oct. 2013, the then 76-year-old woman went to an emergency room complaining of a chronic cough. An X-ray found what looked to be a mass somewhere in her lungs, and doctors suspected that she might have lung cancer. It is unclear what testing followed this initial discovery, but she was back in the hospital later that same month. Doctors performed an MRI and discovered lesions that could either be the result of spreading lung cancer or an infection in her brain.

Are all injuries visible after a car accident?

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. on Saturday, September 8, 2018.

Getting into a car accident is a jarring event. Even if you just endure a fender bender, a collision can leave you feeling shaken, anxious, and more often than not, addled by physical pain. The latter is true even if you do not immediately see any visible evidence of an injury. While a broken bone or laceration will likely be apparent as soon as it occurs, there are other injuries that can be serious yet invisible.

The following are three examples of injuries that can occur because of an auto collision that may not be immediately visible following the incident. Be careful, and if you have been involved in a wreck, do not assume that you are uninjured just because you do not see visible symptoms.

Motor vehicle accidents: Teen killed on Blue Ridge Parkway

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is often a peaceful area for North Carolina drivers to enjoy a slower pace and scenic view. Sadly, an out-of-state teen lost her life when the vehicle she was in crashed somewhere along this stretch of road. Authorities say that the driver of the vehicle may have been speeding, which is a common factor in many motor vehicle accidents.

The speed limit is 45 mph throughout most of the Blue Ridge Parkway, although in some places it drops to as low as 25 mph. Although it is not clear how fast the 21-year-old driver was going at the time of the wreck, police believe that he was speeding as he attempted to pass four other vehicles in one go. Unfortunately, he lost control of the vehicle as he rounded a curve and drove off an embankment.

Radiologists cited in many medical malpractice claims

On behalf of The Law Firm of Ledbetter & Titsworth, P.A. posted in medical malpractice on Wednesday, August 29, 2018.

X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and other common radiology tests can give otherwise nervous patients in North Carolina a sense of peace. But just how accurate are these tests? Or perhaps more importantly, how accurately are radiologists reading the results? A recent report found that radiologists contribute to 15 percent of diagnosis medical malpractice claims.

Coverys -- a medical liability insurer -- analyzed 10,000 claims that were closed from 2013 to 2017. Nearly 600 individual radiologists were cited among these claims and were the second most commonly cited professionals in diagnostic error claims, coming in behind general practitioners. Of all the claims involving radiologists, 80 percent cited the misinterpretation of test results.