Posted on September 24, 2021 in Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing homes are supposed to provide a safe environment for people who need assistance meeting their daily needs. Unfortunately, many facilities fail to live up to this responsibility, and residents can suffer serious harm due to nursing home abuse. One issue that has become a concern for many residents and their loved ones is the improper use of sedatives, antipsychotic drugs, and other medications.

Increase in Schizophrenia Diagnoses for Nursing Home Patients

Some nursing home residents suffer from dementia, and there are certain medications that are approved to treat these conditions. Some types of antipsychotic medications may be used for these patients, but these drugs can be dangerous, leading to increased risks of infections, heart disease, falls, among other risks. These drugs have been described as “chemical straitjackets,” since they may be used to sedate patients that nursing home staff members believe are troublesome or disruptive.

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 Posted on September 17, 2021 in Personal Injury

A rear-end collision is often considered to be a minor type of car accident, especially when compared to a head-on collision or other high-speed accidents. However, rear-end accidents can still be very harmful to the occupants of a vehicle, while also causing extensive damage to a vehicle or other property. Drivers or passengers who suffer injuries can work with an attorney to determine how they can receive compensation from the driver who caused an accident.

Common Injuries in Rear-End Collisions

Even when collisions occur at low speeds, they are likely to place a great deal of stress on a person’s body, which can lead to serious injuries. Passenger vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, and the momentum of a vehicle that strikes another vehicle from behind will be transferred to the vehicle being struck and the people inside it. This can cause a person’s body to be jerked backwards and forwards, leading to injuries such as:

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 Posted on September 13, 2021 in Slip and Fall

It may seem like a slip and fall accident would only result in minor injuries. Even in serious cases, most people would expect a victim’s injuries to be limited to issues such as broken bones or dislocated joints that can be painful and debilitating but not permanent. However, situations where these types of accidents lead to fatal injuries are much more common than most people would expect. In fact, falls account for around 23 percent of all preventable deaths in the United States, adding up to almost 40,000 wrongful deaths each year. When fatal slip and fall accidents occur when a person was on someone else’s property, the property owner may be held liable for any form of negligence that led to the accident.

Causes of Fatal Slip and Fall Accidents

A fall accident can be fatal if it causes a person to strike their head on the ground or another object. This can result in traumatic brain injuries, and depending on the force of the blow, these types of injuries can be severe enough to cause permanent, irreparable brain damage. If a person’s skull is fractured, pieces of bone or foreign objects may penetrate the skull and damage brain tissue. If brain damage is severe, it may cause a person to fall into a coma or permanently lose consciousness, or brain function may cease altogether, leading to death. Head injuries may also cause hemorrhaging of blood inside the cranium, placing pressure on the brain that may lead to death.

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 Posted on August 30, 2021 in Defective Products

Americans expect to be protected from products that could be harmful to their health. Unfortunately, there are many ways that people can become exposed to toxic chemicals and other dangerous substances. In many cases, exposure to these types of chemicals occurs because of the pesticides and herbicides used on crops. Recently, issues related to chlorpyrifos, a commonly-used pesticide, were brought to light when the federal government took steps to ban the use of this chemical on crops used for food. Those who may have been exposed to this dangerous product will want to understand its potential effects and their options for addressing the injuries they have suffered.

Dangers of Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that has been in use since 1965. It has been used on multiple different types of crops, including apples, strawberries, citrus fruits, peaches, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and soybeans. Until 2000, it was also used as a household pesticide to kill insects such as cockroaches, ants, or mosquitos.

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 Posted on August 20, 2021 in Defective Medical Devices

Modern medical technology has accomplished some amazing things, and it has helped patients address many serious diseases and health conditions while improving people’s quality of life. Unfortunately, not every advancement has been beneficial, and there are some cases where treatments or devices used by medical professionals have caused harm to patients without adequately addressing their medical conditions. Defective hip replacements are one type of device that has resulted in injuries for a large number of patients. Those who have had hip replacement surgery should be sure to understand the potential risks they may face, and know that an attorney can help these patients determine their legal options.

Problems With Degrading Hip Implants

Hip replacements may be beneficial for patients who have experienced deterioration of bones or cartilage in the hip joints, injuries such as broken bones, or inflammation of tissue. Ideally, a hip replacement will provide a patient with increased mobility while reducing the pain and stiffness they experience.

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 Posted on August 13, 2021 in Nursing Home Negligence

While nursing homes can provide much-needed care and assistance for elderly people who are unable to fully care for themselves, nursing home residents are at risk of serious harm due to abuse and neglect. Patients can suffer multiple different types of injuries because of negligence by a nursing home and its staff members. Bedsores are some of the most serious health conditions that can occur. Family members should be aware of the ways that bedsores can affect a loved one in a nursing home. By working with a personal injury attorney, they can determine whether a facility can be held responsible for these types of injuries.

Types of Bedsores

Bedsores are also referred to as pressure ulcers, and they can occur when constant pressure is placed on certain parts of the body. This can cut off blood flow, resulting in damage to the skin, as well as the underlying tissues. Nursing home residents are at risk of bedsores if they are bedridden or if they stay in the same position for extended periods of time. Bedsores can form on the areas of the body that are in constant contact with a bed or other surface, such as the hips, buttocks, shoulder blades, or heels.

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 Posted on July 28, 2021 in Car Accident

To operate a motor vehicle safely, one must think clearly, reason responsibility, and maintain muscle coordination. Alcohol consumption weakens all of these functions. Any injury caused by a car accident can be devastating and the injuries caused by a drunk driving accident are often preventable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly half of the vehicle fatalities in Illinois involve alcohol. Unfortunately, drunk driving is even more prominent during the summer months.

Illinois Drunk Driving Accidents

Across the nation, summer accounts for the highest level of drunk driving-related fatalities. This increase in deadly accidents makes it imperative to understand the dangers of drunk driving. Because alcohol can weaken the driver’s attention and control of the vehicle, the resulting injuries tend to be much worse. Impaired drivers may swerve, speed or even drive the wrong way on a highway, potentially leading to a head-on collision.

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 Posted on July 23, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

When medical errors are made, they can have serious, long-term effects on the victim. Unfortunately, sometimes these victims are fetuses or newborns. Medical errors may transpire during the pregnancy and labor or delivery phases of childbirth. Such mistakes can result in the severe suffering or disability of a child. In some of the more severe cases, medical malpractice during pregnancy or childbirth can even result in the death of the baby or the mother.

Common Medical Complications During Pregnancy

There are many issues during pregnancy that can result in serious consequences if undetected. The detection and treatment of these issues is the responsibility of the obstetrician. Such conditions that may prove serious if undetected during pregnancy include:

Gestational diabetes

Birth defects

Ectopic pregnancy

Pre-eclampsia

Pre-term labor

Anemia

Breech position of the baby

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 Posted on July 15, 2021 in Personal Injury

When parents drop their children off at daycare, they trust that the staff will keep their child safe. Unfortunately, some daycare facilities do not meet these expectations. When a child is injured at daycare, nursery school, summer camp, after-school program, or another type of childcare facility, the facility may be liable for damages. The parents may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, and other costs.

When is a Child Care Facility Legally Responsible for a Child’s Injuries?

As any parent can tell you, children get hurt all the time. However, daycare facilities are legally obligated to prevent reasonably foreseeable injuries. The facility should be kept clean and free of hazardous objects. Children should be properly supervised. Staff should be vetted for any history of child abuse. When a daycare facility fails to uphold this duty and a child is harmed as a result, the daycare may be legally responsible for the child’s injuries.

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 Posted on July 08, 2021 in Defective Products

While most companies conduct thorough testing before releasing their products to the public, certain defective products slip through the cracks. Roundup, for instance, is found to increase the risk of some cancers by 40 percent. If you have contracted cancer after using this popular weed killer, you may have the right to take legal action.

Why Is Roundup a Dangerous Product?

Roundup contains the ingredient glyphosate, which disrupts enzymic pathways in plants. The product may be effective at killing weeds, but it may harm humans in the process.

There have been several studies that have shown a correlation between Roundup and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This form of cancer targets the white blood cells called lymphocytes and is slightly more common in men than women. Studies show that cancer doubled between 1975 and 2006 and was more common among people who were exposed to glyphosate-containing herbicides or resided on farmland that is frequently treated with herbicides. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) listed glyphosate as a likely human carcinogen.

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