Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Almost 70 Percent of All Rhode Island COVID-19 Deaths Occurred in Nursing Homes: Your Right to Seek Legal Action
As in other areas of the country, the pandemic has taken a toll on Rhode Island nursing homes, where a majority of the state’s deaths have occurred. Specifically, out of a total of 342 deaths in the state of Rhode Island, 220 of them have been nursing home residents, which represents almost 70 percent… Read More »
New Study Finds That Emergency Rooms Are Dangerously Underdiagnosing Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries
A new study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine has revealed that emergency rooms are regularly underdiagnosing mild traumatic brain injuries (which are often synonymous with concussions) to the detriment of patients, who are, as a result, failing to receive proper treatment. Unfortunately, these injuries can lead to chronic neuropsychological symptoms (also known as… Read More »
It Is Time to Start Doing Better in Our Hospitals
As recently pointed out by the New York Times, medicine, with its many life-saving accomplishments, can also cause harm. While the first and most important principle in medicine is to do no harm, this has been a challenge with the current pandemic, which has forced hospitals around the country, including here in Rhode Island,… Read More »
New Study Indicates That Electronic Health Record Systems in Hospitals Are Missing More Than 30 Percent of All Drug Errors
Doctors in the United States make approximately 1.25 million medication errors every year, which includes administering combined drugs that, together, result in harm to patients, as well as providing drugs in dangerous dosages. According to the Institute of Medicine, this kills up to 9,000 Americans each year. Virtually all hospitals now rely on electronic… Read More »
Wrongful Death Lawsuits Linked to The Pandemic Begin, Warning Facilities Still Failing to Take Precautions
The fallout from employers, hospitals, and other businesses not doing enough to protect employees from the catastrophic injuries associated with the coronavirus has already begun, with several now being sued for wrongful death claims as a result. This not only includes companies that operate nursing homes and which are now being accused of lacking… Read More »
Pedestrian Deaths Skyrocket in Rhode Island During Pandemic, Even with Fewer Cars On the Road
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, although there are currently fewer cars on the roads due to the pandemic (specifically, two-thirds less traffic), there has also been a spike in reckless driving and speeding as well, including some drivers going more than 100 miles per hour on highways. In fact, in some cities,… Read More »
Risks Customers May Face with Businesses Reopening in Rhode Island
In late April, Governor Raimondo and the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health announced their plans for the “safe” reopening of Rhode Island, which includes lifting the stay at home order and allowing businesses to reopen “under strict public health guidelines.” What this ultimately means is that, because COVID-19 exposure is still… Read More »
As More And More People Are Harmed by The Coronavirus Here in Rhode Island, Some Healthcare Workers Seek Immunity from Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for A Reason
The coronavirus has affected what feels like every area of our lives; from our ability to go to work and feel safe there, to spending time with loved ones, to even spending time outside, doing the things we love to do. Unfortunately, the pandemic is also overwhelming our nation’s hospitals to the point where… Read More »
Providence Journal addresses Social Host Laws |One of Attorney Kiselica’s More Challenging Cases
Providence Journal features one of Attorney Kiselica’s More Challenging Cases Here is the article as it appeared in Providence Journal: Judge: Suit extending social-host law to URI students can proceed By Katie Mulvaney Journal Staff Writer Posted May 7, 2020 at 4:49 PMUpdated May 7, 2020 at 5:04 PM PROVIDENCE — In a case that spells college students beware, a Superior Court judge has ruled… Read More »
Catastrophic Injuries – And Sometimes Death – For Workers at Amazon Facilities
The Guardian recently did a feature on unsafe conditions at Amazon warehouses, where employees are under pressure to work faster such that some warehouse locations have incurred high injury rates that are three times (or higher) the national average for warehouses in general according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These injuries… Read More »
