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The estate of Dina Wyckoff of Franklin Lakes, NJ was recently awarded $1.28M. The suit alleges that doctors did not treat Wyckoff properly, ultimately leading to her death by cancer in August 2016.  

The lawsuit asserts that doctors, including staff from St. Clare Hospital in Denville, NJ neglected to take a proper biopsy from Wyckoff in 2013. The results of the biopsy indicated that Wyckoff was cancer-free. As a consequence of this negligence, her then-treatable cancer progressed to a terminal state. According to the attorney representing her estate, if the cancer was found in 2013, Wyckoff would have a 50-68% chance of living at least five years. 

Medical malpractice is a leading cause of wrongful death cases. Unfortunately, while we typically expect hospitals and doctors to treat us with optimal care, this is not always the case. There are a plethora of errors that medical professionals and institutions make regularly, including issues with surgical techniques, anesthesia, birth injuries, and bedsores. In fact, it is estimated that there have been over 300,000 premature deaths attributed to medical malpractice in the United States each year. 

Since the new year and month of January often mark a spike in divorce rates, it is important to remain cognizant of financial strategies to consider after a divorce has proceeded. Following these tips will help to create peace of mind after the stresses of a divorce. 

Cancel Joint Bank Accounts

After a divorce, it is important to fully separate joint checking accounts as well as shared credit cards. Experts suggest requesting an account suspension if a credit card balance cannot be paid off. It is important to replace these accounts with new ones. Especially considering the financial strain of a divorce, it can be wise to responsibly use a credit card of bridge loan to help with expenses in the short term. It can help to make a list of shared accounts while married and replace this with individual accounts. 

On December 28, a 55-year-old pedestrian was struck by a driver while traveling in Carlstadt in attempts to catch a NJ Transit bus. According to authorities, the man was crossing the highway after leaving his shift at a nearby gas station. The accident occurred at a busy four-way intersection. The driver who hit him was traveling north, and had the right of way. It appears that the victim did not obey the walk signal. 

It is dangerous crossing the street due to overly aggressive drivers in New Jersey. Unfortunately, innocent pedestrians sustain serious and permanent injuries or even death caused by negligent drivers. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 130,000 hospitalizations for crash incidents inflicted on pedestrians. Pedestrian accidents can often bring harmful physical consequences with them including fractures, brain injuries, as well as paralysis and injury to internal organs. 

The speed of the driver at the time of the collision has a strong effect on victim fatality. For example, while the chance of victim fatality during a 20 mph collision is only 5%, this figure increases to 85% when the speed of the collision is 40 mph. If a pedestrian is struck while walking in a designated crosswalk, liability on the part of the driver is clear. Drivers have a duty to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk. 

As with any relationship-conflict, divorces exist on a wide spectrum of high and low conflict. Generally, many low-conflict marriages can result in low-impact divorces, while high-conflict marriages typically lead to high-conflict divorces. When trying to assess the conflict level of your relationship with a partner that you are going through a divorce with, consider these factors:

Mediation

Low-conflict marriages are typically low-conflict divorces. As such, these divorces can sometimes be settled with meditation, which can be a less expensive alternative to divorce. A successful mediation can result in a friendly divorce after proceedings. Alternatively, high-conflict divorces often require more significant litigation in order to protect assets and secure favorable custody agreements if children are involved.

Newark, NJ citizen and nursing home assistant Monique Beaucejourwas recently charged for the manslaughter of 85-year old Fannie McClain, who perished while under Beaucejour’s care at Waterview Nursing Home in Cedar Grove, NJ.

According to officials, Beaucejour was aware of McClain’s fall and consequent head injury on August 13, 2019. However, despite McClain’s declining medical condition, Beaucejour neglected to find assistance, and instead blamed the fall on another patient who was suffering from dementia. In fact, she left McClain alone and re-entered the room nearly thirty minutes after the fall, while pretending that it was her first time seeing McClain in the deteriorated state. As a result, McClain suffered three deep wounds on her head, a broken neck, and a brain bleed. For this reason, Beaucejour is currently being charged with reckless manslaughter, obstruction, and neglect of the elderly.

The Waterview Center has responded to this incident claiming that, “We are very concerned about this incident as the safety and well-being of our residents is our highest priority…”. Despite this statement, this incident shines a light on the rising amount of nursing home abuse cases in both New Jersey and the United States.

A divorce can often be a tiring and complicated process for a family. When embarking on this often long and arduous process, it is essential to consider best practices to take in order to maximize legal protections during the divorce process.

Here are some tips that can be taken in order to maintain a strong position during a divorce lawsuit:

1. Close Joint Credit Card Accounts