Erik L. Peterson Personal Injury Law Blog

A Hawaii circuit court judge has found the state of Hawaii liable in a fatal 2005 wrongful death lawsuit. The fatal accident occurred when a vehicle drive by Denise Callo plunged over the side of a scenic overlook, killing Callo and one passenger, James Makekau, as well as causing serious injuries to another, Tiffany Romena who suffered minor injuries after the vehicle driven by Callow went over the side of the scenic overlook.   The overlook was in disrepair – it was an... Read More

Recently, a study published in Pediatrics showed a link between the use of epidural anesthesia and birth injury.   The epidural anesthesia study revealed that maternal fevers sometimes caused by the anesthesia could result in birth trauma including brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

This risk is cause for concern, with more than 60% of women who give birth each year receiving an epidural.   Epidurals are administered during labor in the lower back to... Read More

A Missouri woman has died in a tragic Hawaii hiking in north Maui.  Reports indicate that the vacationer fell about 25 feet off a waterfall.  Susan Stephens of Chesterville, Missouri sustained massive head injuries as a result of the fall and died on the way to the hospital.  No foul play is suspected, but the accident remains under investigation.

Many times, tourists and other visitors are injured while exploring Hawaii’s many beautiful – and often... Read More

Jury selection has begun in a multimillion-dollar medical malpractice lawsuit  arising out of a birth injury.  The birth injury lawsuit against Indian River Medical Center arose out of the actions undertaken by medical staff and two physicians at the hospital.   In 2008, the infant at the center of the case was born dead.  She was resuscitated, but now suffers from cerebral... Read More

The Contra Costa Times reports that L.A. County is expected to settle a medical malpractice lawsuit this week arising out of actions at the County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  The birth injury lawsuit alleges that physicians and staff at hospital in question failed to perform an emergency cesarean section after a pregnant woman showed signs of fetal distress.  The infant was later diagnosed with neurological... Read More

Numerous factors can lead to car accidents ¿ from disregarding road signs to recklessly speeding through intersections, to failing to pay attention to others on the road.  But one of the top fears of California motorists when it comes to concerns regarding car accidents is driver distraction.  In fact, San Francisco drivers worry more that their fellow drivers are texting or talking on their cell phones than that they have been drinking.

According to a California Office of Traffic... Read More

New spinal cord injury research out of Ohio State University is providing hope to victims of these devastating injuries.  Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) can result from auto accidents, sports accidents, medical malpractice and other traumatic injuries.

Those suffering from spinal cord injuries may require life-long medical care.
Complications of SCIs include paralysis, chronic pain and bladder and bowel... Read More

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has just affirmed a $7.5 million medical malpractice verdict  awarded by the District Court of Guam.  The court found that staff at the Anderson Air Force Base family clinic failed to recognize “alarming” neurological symptoms that led to a patient’s permanent disability.

When a physician, hospital staff or other health care professional fails to... Read More

The Los Angeles Times reports that the rate of cerebral palsy, a birth complication, has dropped.  Cerebral palsy is a type of brain injury that affects motor function, including muscle tone, motor skills and movement.  It is typically caused by brain damage occurring before or during the birth process.

 The precise causes of cerebral palsy are unknown, but it has been linked to pre-mature births... Read More

Sacramento News reports that a family has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after their daughter lost part of all four of her limbs due to a bacterial infection.

Malyia was brought into... Read More