Bluestein Attorneys | Blog

If you or someone in your home recently purchased or used a product that malfunctioned and caused property damage or injuries, you probably have questions about what to do next.

As a victim of a potentially defective product, you must be prepared with information about how to file a legal claim against the responsible party.

Among healthcare professionals like nurses, residents, and doctors, slips and falls are one of the top causes of workplace injury. It's not only the medical staff who may become severely injured due to a slip and fall injury in a hospital or other medical facility, however. 

Patients, visiting friends and family, non-medical support staff like janitors or administrative assistants... anyone who steps foot in a medical facility could be at risk of being injured due to a wet, uneven, or dangerous surface. 

We have a few pieces of helpful advice to lower your risk, whether you work in a medical facility or you're a patient or visitor.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Marti Bluestein – a founding partner of Bluestein Attorneys – has been recognized as one of the South Carolina Super Lawyers®. This year, partner Allison Sullivan has received the honor as well.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Allison P. Sullivan, a partner with Bluestein Attorneys, is one of nine University of South Carolina School of Law alumni who have been named as Compleat Lawyers for 2019.

Nurses and other healthcare workers consistently top the Bureau of Labor Statistics' list of occupations most likely to suffer an on-the-job injury, and it's no wonder — nurses, medical assistants, and other healthcare professionals work dangerously long hours while caring for sick, injured, or even hostile individuals.

With nursing shortages in South Carolina and nationwide, the rate of nurses injured at work may end up getting worse before it gets better. 

What are the top causes of injury in healthcare workers? Read on to find out.

Back in 2016, we posted about how wrecks involving tractor trailers were on the rise. Unfortunately, that trend has continued, in part after a number of changes to the regulations surrounding tractor trailer operations.

With sleep-deprived drivers on the road for longer hours and towing heavier loads, the possibility of a potentially serious semi wreck has risen year-over-year since 2014 (according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and shows no sign of decreasing significantly any time soon.

What time is a semi truck wreck most likely to happen? You might be surprised by the answer.

While exposure to asbestos in the workplace is less common than a few decades ago, there are still many older buildings and industries in South Carolina where developing an illness or injury as a result of asbestos exposure is possible, especially along coastal areas that have had heavy involvement in the shipbuilding industry.

There are a lot of reasons someone might slip and fall, whether they're out shopping or running errands or find themselves slipping and falling in the workplace. 

Even a seemingly minor slip and fall can lead to serious injury that costs time and money in doctor's visits, medical treatment, and potentially even time off work to allow the injury to fully heal.

If someone is injured as a result of slipping and falling in a public place or the workplace, the owner of the property the injury occurred on, or the business owner, may be liable for those injuries.

In the case of an on-the-job slip and fall injury, individuals filing a Workers' Compensation claim may be able to recover costs associated with treatment for and recovery from their injury.

Everyone knows someone who has had a misdiagnosed illness or injury.

Either symptoms weren't taken seriously, the patient felt they just weren't listened to at all, or an incorrect diagnosis led to treatment that at best did no good and at worst caused very real harm.

If a physician fails to accurately diagnose a harmful medical condition in a timely manner, patients may in some cases be able to pursue a legal remedy by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, medical malpractice laws are complex, and 'malpractice' isn't as simple as 'the diagnosis was wrong'.

Radiation exposure has long been a potential risk associated with military service, primarily for individuals who performed what Veterans Affairs refers to as "radiation-risk activities" (as defined in 38 CFR 3.309(d)(3)), including nuclear weapons testing, but these specific tests are not the only potential risk for those serving in the military to be exposed to harmful radiation levels.

In order to file a VA Disability claim for cancer related to radiation exposure, a veteran would need to be able to prove a connection between their cancer diagnosis and radiation exposure during military service.

Proving service-connection for radiation-related cancers can be difficult and complex. The more information you have before moving forward, the better.

Let's take a closer look at what cancers are associated with radiation exposure during military service.