Glick Law Firm, P.A.

Oil well drilling, both onshore and offshore, is a very dangerous industry. Oil rig explosions and oil well accidents are some of the most costly in human lives. Gas leaks that result in explosions are the most dangerous of these accidents. Accident frequencies in the oil and gas industry are lower than other industries, but when accidents to happen in the oil industry, the consequences are devastating because the main products in the industry are combustible and highly explosive. Safety is always an issue in the oil rig industry.

Drilling operations are subject to dangerous blowouts, and all phases of oil and gas production and processing present dangers of explosions and fires. Handling heavy pipe and other equipment associated with this industry also involves health and safety risks.

Some oil field accidents happen in remote and hostile environments such as swamps, deserts, jungles, and offshore. Many oilfield accidents happen as the result of requiring the oilfield workers to reside at or near the workplace for long periods of time. Working conditions associated with this pattern of living and working can cause problems such as long work hours, social isolation, cramped working and living areas, and transportation risks. When facilities are located in remote areas, the transportation of workers by airplane, boat or helicopter can pose significant risks, also.

Working in the oil industry offshore presents a whole set of dangers in addition to those stemming from the combustible nature of the natural gas and the extremely high pressures in many deep wells. In recent years, the oil industry has witnessed a series of major fires and explosions with loss of life in both production installations and refineries.

Regardless of whether you are working onshore or offshore, oil rig and oil field accidents, when they happen, can be deadly.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an oil industry accident, please contact the experienced Oil Rig Accident Attorneys at the Glick Law Firm, P.A., serving clients in Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida.

In many situations where medical care or treatment is provided, medical professionals are required to obtain the patient's "informed consent." Although the specific definition of informed consent may vary from state to state, it essentially means that a physician or other medical provider must tell a patient all of the potential benefits, risks, and alternatives involved in any surgical/medical procedure or other course of treatment and must obtain the patient's written consent to proceed.

If this duty is breached and an injury or death results, the patient or the patient's survivors may have a legal claim for damages. An experienced medical malpractice attorney will help you determine whether you have a claim and will represent your interests throughout the legal process.

The concept of informed consent is based on the principle that a patient has the right to prevent unauthorized contact with his body, and a physician has a duty to disclose information to the patient so that he/she can make a reasonable decision regarding treatment based on an understanding of the treatment being provided.

The failure to obtain informed consent is a form of medical negligence. Physicians themselves, rather than a nurse or other healthcare professional, is the best choice to speak to patients about informed consent. The physician should cover the following when talking to the patient about informed consent:

· The diagnosis
· The purpose of the treatment or procedure
· The benefits and risks of the treatment or procedure
· Alternatives to the treatment or procedure
· The risks/benefits of those alternatives
· The risks/benefits of not having any treatment or procedures

If the patient understands and agrees to the treatment or procedure, the consent form must be signed and dated, and a copy of those documents will be placed in the patient's chart.

Is Consent Always Necessary?

There are situations where informed consent may not be necessary or where it may be implied. For instance, a doctor would not typically ask a patient if he has permission to listen to his heartbeat with a stethoscope, so the consent to do so is implied. In emergency situations, there is not always time to obtain a patient's informed consent, or the patient may not be physically able to give informed consent. If an emergency involves a risk to the patient's life or the patient is not able to communicate, consent may be implied under the rationale that the patient would have consented in he were able to.

In most cases, parents can give informed consent for treatment of their minor children. However, some states allow young adults under 18 to play a more active role in their medical treatment including the process of informed consent. Some states have passed laws that allow minors to consent, without parental approval, to health care treatments related to drug abuse, mental health and sexual activity.

An experienced medical malpractice attorney such as the attorneys at the Glick Law Firm, P.A. in Boca Raton, Florida will advise you regarding your informed consent medical negligence claim. Please call or email the Glick Law Firm, serving clients in Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, today to schedule your free initial consultation.

A birth injury is any damage sustained during the birthing process, most often occurring during transit through the birth canal. A difficult birth or an injury to the baby may occur because of the baby's size or the position of the baby during delivery. Birth injuries may also occur if the birth canal is too small or the fetus is too large (this sometimes occurs when the mother has diabetes). The rate of birth injuries is much lower than in previous decades, but birth injuries do still happen and the results can often be devastating to the life of the child.

The following is a list of conditions that may be associated with a difficult birth:

· Premature babies (babies born before 37 weeks)
· Prolonged labor
· Shoulder dystocia
· Abnormal birth position
· Large babies (more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces)

Some of the resulting injuries of these difficult births include:

· Facial paralysis: During labor or birth, pressure on a baby's face may cause the facial nerve to be injured. Forceps may also cause this. The injury is often seen when the baby cries for the first time as there is no movement on the side of the face with the injury and the eye cannot close.
· Fractures: Fractures of the clavicle (collarbone) is the most common fracture during labor and delivery. The clavicle may break when there is difficulty delivering the baby's shoulder or during a breech birth.
· Brachial palsy: Brachial palsy (also known as Erb's Palsy) occurs when the brachial plexus (group of nerves that supplies the arms and hands) is injured. This happens often when there is dystocia. Tearing of the nerve may result in permanent nerve damage. A newborn with Erb's palsy will have his arm straight down at his side and will not move it and sometimes the arm may be slightly turned with a bent wrist and straight fingers.
· Cerebral palsy: CP is a permanent and irreversible crippling condition that affects the brain and central nervous system. Possible causes of CP during the birth process are unrecognized or untreated signs of fetal distress; the baby being stuck in the birth canal because of its size or position; placenta being prematurely sheared by the birth process; and untreated umbilical cord compression.

The birth of a child is supposed to be one of the happiest occasions in an adult's life, and most deliveries go smoothly without incident. However, complications do arise during pregnancy and delivery, and these problems may result in serious and long-term injury to your newborn baby. If the harm to your baby was avoidable, it is important to be aware of your legal rights regarding the birth of your newborn.

If you or a loved one has suffered a birth injury as a result of medical malpractice in Boca Raton or anywhere in south Florida, please contact the experienced Birth Injury Attorneys at Glick Law Firm, P.A. today to schedule your free initial consultation.