Piles of urine-stained clothes on the floor. A bed stripped of sheets and bowed and broken in the middle. A cup of liquid filled with dead ants. That was the condition of Wally Lassiter’s bedroom at a Schenectady group home in 2017. On July 4, as the region was in the midst of a heat wave, the 26-year-old developmentally disabled man was found dead in his bed while wearing multiple layers of shirts. A former employee who provided photographs to the Times Union that showed the condition of Lassiter’s room last year said the man’s untimely death was horrifying but not surprising. What Legal Issues Can Arise in Group Home Neglect Cases? Cases involving group homes and facilities caring for vulnerable individuals may involve: Negligence Wrongful death Failure to supervise Medical neglect Abuse of developmentally disabled adults Violations of state regulations Families deserve answers when a loved one suffers serious injury or death due to inadequate care. About Scott E. Charnas Scott E. Charnas is a New York trial attorney with decades of experience representing victims and families in serious injury and wrongful death cases. Read the full story at Times Union: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/a-death-at-schenectady-group-raises-questions-13179533.php

For years, patients have assumed that if a medical device reaches the market, it has been properly vetted, tested, and cleared for use. The reality is far more complicated. The recent FDA Class I recall involving certain Stryker temporomandibular joint (“TMJ”) implants used to reconstruct or replace the jaw joint connecting the lower jaw to the skull, underscores a larger concern in medical device safety: even highly specialized implants can reach patients before critical design issues are fully discovered. According to the FDA, the recall involved a discrepancy between the screw-hole position listed in the design specifications and the actual fossa design, creating a risk that screws could penetrate the cranial vault and lead to dural tissue damage, bleeding, cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, or other serious injury. As someone who has spent years representing victims injured by defective medical and dental devices, I can tell you this is not an isolated event. “What’s alarming is not simply that recalls happen,” said Scott E. Charnas, Esq., founder of Charnas Law Firm, P.C. “It’s the frequency with which we continue to see patients suffer life-altering injuries tied to products they were told were safe. In many of these cases, patients are only discovering the true source of their injuries years later.” The numbers surrounding medical device recalls continue to raise serious questions across the healthcare and legal industries. According to FDA data, thousands of medical device recalls have been issued over the past decade, including Class I recalls reserved for situations involving a reasonable probability of serious injury or death. The medical device industry itself exceeds $500 billion globally, with manufacturers often operating under aggressive timelines to bring products to market. For patients, the consequences are not abstract; they are physical, financial, and permanent. Many individuals impacted by defective implants face: • multiple revision surgeries • chronic nerve pain • infection risks • bone loss and structural damage • long-term disability • substantial medical costs and lost income “We continue seeing cases where patients trusted the system, trusted their doctors, and trusted the manufacturers behind these devices,” Charnas added. “When those systems fail, the impact follows people for the rest of their lives.” The broader issue extends beyond a single manufacturer or product category. Litigation involving dental devices, orthopedic implants, surgical mesh, joint replacements, and other implanted products continues to grow nationwide as more patients come forward alleging inadequate warnings, flawed design, and insufficient long-term testing. Regulatory clearance does not always equal long-term safety, and that distinction matters. As scrutiny surrounding medical device oversight intensifies, accountability will continue becoming a central issue for manufacturers, regulators, and healthcare providers alike. Patients deserve transparency before products enter the market — not years after injuries have already occurred.

Scott Charnas was featured in The New York Times for his work advocating for cyclists’ rights in New York City, highlighting his role in bringing complex bike-law issues from the streets into the courtroom. The article examined his legal challenges to enforcement practices involving so-called “phantom violations,” as well as broader questions surrounding cyclist safety, roadway design, and fair application of the law. The coverage underscored Scott’s early and sustained involvement in this area of the law, positioning his work within a growing movement to protect vulnerable road users through litigation and policy accountability. See the full story at The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/nyregion/a-new-breed-of-lawyers-focuses-on-bicyclists-rights.html

Charnas Law Firm, P.C. represents patients nationwide harmed by medical negligence, misdiagnosis, surgical errors, and serious healthcare malpractice. Medical Malpractice Patients place their lives in the hands of medical professionals. When that trust is breached through error, delay, or negligence, the consequences can be permanent or fatal. We represent individuals and families in complex medical malpractice cases requiring rigorous investigation, expert analysis, and disciplined litigation strategy. Holding Medical Providers to Professional Standards Medical malpractice cases are among the most heavily defended and technically complex forms of litigation. We work with leading medical experts to establish deviations from standard of care, prove causation, and present clear, compelling claims. Our focus is accountability, pursued with precision, discretion, and resolve. Misdiagnosis & Delayed Diagnosis Failure to diagnose or delays in treatment can allow conditions to worsen, eliminating critical treatment options and causing irreversible harm. Medication & Treatment Errors Improper medication, dosage mistakes, or failure to monitor patients can lead to serious and avoidable medical outcomes. Surgical Errors Errors during surgery including wrong-site procedures, retained instruments, or preventable complications can result in severe injury or death. Life-Altering Medical Injury Medical negligence can result in permanent disability, loss of function, or long-term medical dependency. We litigate cases involving profound, lasting harm.

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Charnas Law Firm, P.C. is a nationally focused personal injury law firm with over 30 years of experience representing victims of catastrophic injury, negligence, and wrongful death. Three Decades of Fighting for the Injured—and Winning. Scott Charnas has spent his career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, advocating for victims in matters with life-altering consequences. He approaches each case with precision, focusing on facts, strategy, and preparation. Clients trust him for his honesty, resolve, and commitment to results when it matters most. A 30-Year Track Record in High-Stakes Litigation Scott has spent his entire career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. His results speak for themselves, with decades of multi-million-dollar recoveries across major accidents, premises liability claims, and complex negligence cases. Landmark Cases with Lasting Impact Scott has been involved in landmark litigation, including representing the victim in the first nationally televised rape trial, the so-called “Big Dan’s” case, later examined in Netflix’s Trial by Media (Episode 5); b ringing the first case against the manufacturer of the now-discredited dental appliance, “AGGA”, eventually contributing to its being pulled from the market. Selective, Strategic, and Personally Involved Scott doesn’t run a volume practice. He takes on select cases so he can devote the time, strategy, and direct attention each one requires. Clients work with him personally; a key reason he consistently delivers strong results in cases others won’t touch. It's Why Clients Choose Scott Charnas When Everything Is on the Line Forever Grateful “From the moments of our first consultation through the process of litigation, negotiation and ultimate settlement, I felt fully confident in Scott’s ability to represent me with integrity. This was very important to me, I wanted to be represented by a lawyer I could be sure would not only act in my best interests, but work for me in a way which was congruent to my ethics.　 Scott was that person. He took care to be compassionate as well as professional. I am forever grateful for his being there for me when I needed counsel.” – G. Benkert As Seen on Netflix Trial by Media: “Big Dan’s” examines the collision of justice, media, and public scrutiny in one of the most disturbing televised trials of its time. Featuring legal insight from Scott Charnas, the episode unpacks how live coverage reshaped the courtroom—and forever altered the lives of those involved. When Everything Falls Apart, We Help You Rebuild One moment can redraw the rest of your life. A devastating accident, a catastrophic fall, a medical failure — suddenly you’re facing surgeries, lost income, and a system designed to overwhelm you when you’re at your most vulnerable. In high-stakes markets like New York and Boston, you need more than a lawyer. You need a strategist who knows how to win. Scott Charnas has spent his career representing victims in cases where the consequenc es are permanent and the opposition comes prepared. He understands the pressure, the fear, and the financial uncertainty that follow a life-altering injury — and he steps in to take on that burden with precision and force. If an accident has changed your life, you deserve a lawyer who brings the same intensity and focus to your case that you bring to rebuilding your future. Scott delivers that — every time.