Posted on December 12,2013 in Articles

For patients in Sangamon County, many don't expect that a routine procedure could potentially have life-threatening consequences. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, medical negligence is third in line after heart disease and cancer as one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

Why hospitals aren't likely to stop medical malpractice

By definition, medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional provides a patient with substandard treatment, or the results of their care cause harm or even death. Types of medical malpractice are varied. A patient may be the victim of medical negligence if:

• Their doctor or nurse gives them the wrong dosage of a medication or they given the wrong medication altogether.
• A surgeon operates on the wrong part of their body.
• They are misdiagnosed with an incorrect illness.
• Things are left in their body after surgery.

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 Posted on December 05,2013 in Firm News

Those who drive semi-trailers through Sangamon County are only qualified to do so after having passed numerous tests regarding road safety and awareness. Yet even such extensive training doesn’t make them immune from some of the regular problems that drivers face behind the wheel, such as fatigue and drowsiness. The trouble is that when these drivers experience such problems, their massive trucks are much more unforgiving than a compact sedan, as abrupt movements from overcorrection can send them and their cargos flying. Anyone in the path of such an accident could be in great danger.

Such was the tragic case of an Illinois State Trooper who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his idling police car on the Tri-State Tollway. The driver was hauling over 9,000 lbs. of fuel en route to Kentucky when it’s believed that he became fatigued. Witnesses saw the truck drifting off the road when it struck the Trooper’s vehicle. Attempts to save him proved futile. While the driver was not found to have any drugs or alcohol in his system, he is still facing charges for violating trucking regulations prohibiting drivers from traveling over 14 hours without sufficient rest.

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 Posted on November 25,2013 in Firm News

Most cases of nursing home neglect in Springfield tend to center on employees neglecting or behaving inappropriately towards the residents in their care. But what about those times when violence occurs between two residents? Often the people residing at these centers suffer from conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Even though these people are typically placed in isolated units away from the general resident population, they are still often in close quarters with others dealing with the same struggles that they are. Knowing this, it may not then seem that shocking to hear of residents acting out against each other. Yet when one of these incidents result in an injury to one or both of the parties involved, who’s responsible? Can a nursing home or care center be held liable for the action of those not under its employ?

Apparently so, at least according to the Virginia Department of Social Services. A local assisted living center was found to not have provided a safe environment for a woman who was attacked by a fellow resident, resulting in injuries that required her to be treated at a local hospital. The man who attacked her had been known to be aggressive towards others, and was reported to have even had a previous altercation with this same woman. According to the woman’s daughter, that incident went unreported. Even though the daughter was notified in this case, the investigation report from Social Services claims that the staff had failed to protect other resident’s from the man’s aggressive behavior.

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 Posted on November 19,2013 in Firm News

Many in Springfield dedicate much of their lives to the companies that they work for. While one might argue that dedication is only due to the financial remuneration that they receive, he or she may be discounting the pride that many have for their employers. Those employees hope that pride and dedication is repaid during those times when they need their employer's support the most. And while most companies are pretty good about honoring their obligations to their employees, there are those rare times when an employee is left without needed assistance from his or her employer. Sadly, that lack of help often affects an employee's dedication, leading to further complications in a working relationship.

A Chicago man no doubt had such feelings of neglect after being denied needed workers compensation benefits after sustaining a workplace injury that left him laid up for almost two weeks. The man fell down the stairs at the Wendy's restaurant that he worked for, injuring his shoulder. Much to his surprise, the company only offered one day of worker's compensation. Community supporters rallied on behalf of him and other employees who felt mistreated by the restaurant's management group, but no word was released as to whether the company planned to compensate him for any more of his lost wages.

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 Posted on November 15,2013 in Firm News

The long haul truckers driving through Springfield are typically well-trained to handle the vehicles that they operate. Yet that doesn't mean that they are immune to accidents. Because of the challenges that come from the extreme size of the vehicles, even a momentary slip can result in a tragic accident. In the event of such an accident, the large cargos that these tractor trailers typically haul can quickly turn into a downpour of dangerous debris, which could prove catastrophic for the vehicles around them.

A recent roadway accident involving an 18-wheeler coming to Illinois from Tennessee illustrates this point. The massive vehicle overturned near a Tennessee elementary school. The cause of the accident: A massive sneezing fit brought on by a head cold from which the driver was suffering. Much of the 35,000 lbs. of shelving fell from the truck in the accident. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Yet while this accident occurred in a rural area on relatively clear roads, it could just as easily have happened on a crowded Illinois freeway, jeopardizing any vehicles near the truck as it turned over and turning seemingly harmless shelving panels into dangerous flying projectiles. Imagining such a scenario, it's clear to see how dangerous such an accident can be, and all as a result of a momentary loss of control by the driver.

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 Posted on November 13,2013 in Firm News

We previously covered a story about a Chicago nursing home patient who caught fire at a nursing home only a few days before he was to be released. Tragically, the nursing home failed to provide sufficient care before the rescue crew arrived, and it is believed that had nursing home staff sufficiently aided the man he could have survived. What is truly upsetting about this case is that the nursing home has been cited for failing to properly train staff, meaning the staff on duty likely did not how to properly care for burns.

As our article also mentioned, nursing homes can have numerous safety concerns and they may not be the safe and comfortable care facilities Illinois families expect. This is not to say that all nursing homes are mistreating their patients, but it is an unfortunate reality that some facilities do not treat their patients properly.

While no one in Illinois wants to learn that a loved one has been injured in a nursing home, it is comforting to know that the legal system can be used to hold negligent facilities responsible. By working with an attorney who has experience with nursing home negligence, a family can file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the nursing home facility and, in some cases, the individual care providers who failed to sufficiently care for the individual.

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 Posted on November 05,2013 in Firm News

Not all of the vehicles on Springfield's roads are created equal. It's often because of this that some walk away from car accidents involving multiple vehicles without a scratch on them, while others in the same accident never walk again. Each car, truck, and SUV faces unique challenges on the road because of its size and design. Drivers should familiarize themselves with the on-road characteristics of their vehicles. Failure to do so may end in tragedy.

Such may be the case with a recent fatal car accident in Litchfield. Illinois State Police are trying to determine who was at fault after a large cargo van slammed into the back of a smaller car in the interstate. They believe that the car could have slowed or even come to a complete stop before the van struck it from behind, but no word was released as to why the car's driver would have done that. While the driver of the van was unhurt, 3 of the 6 passengers in the car were killed, including two children.

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 Posted on October 30,2013 in Farm Accidents

Many in Sangamon County don't realize this, but one of the most dangerous professions in Illinois and around the country is farming. While advances in agricultural science and new technologies have definitely made a farmer's job easier, they've also made it deadlier. When operating heavy equipment or machinery, a momentary lapse in one's awareness of his or her surroundings can have disastrous results. Yet not just farmers are at risk. Farm employees or family and friends that come to help out are just as likely to be injured or killed in farm accidents, often even more so due to the fact that they aren't completely familiar with everything going on around them.

Such appears to be the case with Murrayville man who was killed while working on a grain harvest in Morgan County. The man was there as part of his job with a local trucking company. Witnesses say he fell from the trailer of his truck, got back to his feet and walked around a bit, but then collapsed and died suddenly. The exact cause of his death has yet to be determined, but given that he was an older man, authorities believe he may have died due to causes incident with his age as opposed to his fall from the trailer.

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 Posted on October 28,2013 in Articles

Caring for loved ones is not always a possibility as they age, particularly as their medical needs increase. Despite being unable to care for them personally, most people will set out to find the best possible care available. Unfortunately, as demonstrated in a recent study, the care provided by nursing homes across the country is not always up to the standards most people would expect.

Researchers from Families for Better Care compiled data from nursing homes in all 50 states and ranked each state based on their findings. To determine their rankings, the researchers focused on a number of areas, including:

• Staffing levels.
• Inspection reports.
• Complaints.
• Deficiencies.

While some states received passing scores, the researchers concluded that the nursing homes in eleven states deserved failing grades - among those with the worst scores in the U.S. were the nursing homes in Illinois. In addition to receiving an "F," Illinois' nursing homes were ranked 42nd in the country.

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 Posted on October 25,2013 in Articles

A patient at a Chicago nursing home failed to receive immediate care after suffering burns that took his life. Just days before he was to be released from the rehabilitation facility, the man's shirt started on fire. Nursing staff sprayed him directly with a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and did not provide necessary aid before a rescue crew arrived ten minutes later. The patient died of a heart attack shortly after the incident.

An expert stated in the Huffington Post report that the man may have lived if proper care was administered right away by care providers at the home. The care facility has been sued by the man's family for wrongful death and it was cited by authorities for failing to properly train staff.

Illinois care gives cause for concern

According to Families for Better Care - a citizen advocacy group which monitors nursing home care quality across the nation - Illinois is one of two states to receive a failing grade for care provided by its nursing home facilities. The group claims that patients are not provided adequate care, mostly due to a lack of sufficient staff members, and the facilities have high rates of serious incidents and deficiencies such as:

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