On June 18, 2007, 9 firefighters tragically lost their lives fighting an out of control blaze at the Super Sofa Store in Charleston, South Carolina.

Over a year later their survivors are still trying to piece together what happened and how it can be avoided in the future. Eight of those families have filed lawsuits against a total of 32 defendants who allegedly contributed to the fire and the firefighters' deaths.

On December 9, 14 defendants agreed to settle with the grieving families, lowing the current total number of defendants to 18. The settling companies include several furniture manufacturers who, according to the lawsuits, failed to warn retailers and customers that their sofas contained polyurethane foam. Polyurethane is highly flammable, which likely contributed to the intensity of the store's fire.

The Super Sofa Store itself have been named as a defendant, but has not offered a settlement. An official investigation of the fire concluded that the store was a large fire hazard, citing padlocked doors, poorly marked and malfunctioning fire exits, and a cluttered layout. The city has purchased the lot on which the store was stood and is considering plans to convert it into a memorial for the fallen firefighters.

For more information about wrongful death and the law, contact a Charleston wrongful death lawyer through the Steinberg Law Firm by calling 843-720-2800.

Two lawsuits have been filed so far over the September 19 plane crash in South Carolina. The plane was carrying musicians Travis Barker and DJ AM, along with assorted assistants, when it crashed, killing both pilots and Barker's personal assistant Chris Baker. The accident has been blamed on defects in the aircraft. One lawsuit is being filed by Baker's widow Otilia Villar Baker on behalf of herself and their son Sebastian. The suit names the estates of both pilots as defendants, as well as Clay Lacy Aviation, Goodyear Tire and Rubber, and other aviation companies. It claims that the pilots were negligent in not aborting the flight, while the companies listed also allegedly contributed. Travis Barker is also filing a suit, but only against the companies. He is alleging that they collectively produced a defective aircraft, leading to his injuries. His suit does not name the pilots' estates. For more information about pilot negligence and professional malpractice, contact a Charleston wrongful death lawyer by calling the Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800.

Los Angeles, CA – The findings of an independent investigative report concluded that Martin Luther King-Harbor Hospital was negligent in the death of homeless Angeleno, Edith Rodriguez. Rodriguez died on the hospital floor, suffering a perforated bowel. She had been arrested and detained for a violation of parole, and was summarily ignored by nurses and cleverly avoided by the janitor who mopped the floor around her as she lay in agony.

The report stated that Ms. Rodriguez could have lived if she had received appropriate medical treatment, especially if such treatment had been granted soon after her detention. Not only that, but she had been in the hospital for fourteen hours the day before, and at least five other times in the previous month. Had Ms. Rodriguez been properly diagnosed the day before, her death could have been avoided.

If you have suffered due to a negligent healthcare provider, contact the experienced Charleston medical malpractice lawyers at the Steinberg Law Firm by calling 843-720-2800.

Tucson, AZ – Robert Sweitzer went to the hospital because he thought he was coming down with a severe cold. He was coughing, weak, and had notable back pain. Unfortunately, Sweitzer did not have a cold, but rather necrotizing pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which in its drug-resistant form is better known as MRSA.

Mr. Sweitzer was triaged at 7 p.m. and then he waited in the emergency room until he died eight hours later without having been seen again by a doctor. His widow, Rachel Sweitzer, has filed a lawsuit alleging that the negligence of hospital staff was responsible for his death. Now, not only has she lost her husband, but she is facing an expensive and extensive legal battle.

If you or a loved one has been hurt by a negligent healthcare provider, contact the experienced Charleston hospital negligence lawyers at the Steinberg Law Firm by calling 843-720-2800.

Omaha, NE – All it takes for lives to be ruined is three letters and two nodding heads. Just ask Mary Karaus, whose husband of 57 years, Jim, died after he was rushed to the hospital with a stroke and was given medicine to treat a heart attack instead of a stroke.

The doctor prescribed T.P.A., which is used to treat a stroke, but the nurse to whom he dictated the order wrote “T.N.K.”, a medication for heart attack patients, instead. When the nurse asked two doctors if they wanted to administer T.N.K., both answered that they did.

Although there were no immediately obvious complications, less than an hour after Mrs. Karaus left she received a call that her husband’s lungs had begun to bleed and he passed away shortly thereafter.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a negligent healthcare provider, contact the experienced Charleston hospital negligence lawyers at the Steinberg Law Firm by calling 843-720-2800.

Dr. Clifford Carrol, a gastroenterologist who formerly practiced at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, has become the third doctor to be named in medical malpractice complaints due to negligent practices. The complaints, which have been filed by the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners, alleges that an outbreak of Hepatitis C was caused at the Shadow Lane facility and a sister facility, the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, was caused by the doctors' negligence. Specifically, the doctors are charged with reusing syringes and causing the contamination of vials of anesthesia. The outbreak is known to have affected 9 patients so far, and was first detected on September 21, 2001. An additional 105 cases may also be linked to the case according to health experts. Dr. Dipak Desai and Dr. Eladio Carrera have also been named. Dr. Clifford Carrol is believed to be the physician who treated the "primary patient," meaning the person whose Hepatitis C has been spread to other people. If the doctors are found guilty of malpractice they face losing their licenses and fees of up to $5,000. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a negligent healthcare provider, contact an experienced Charleston medical malpractice lawyer at the Steinberg Law Firm by calling 843-720-2800