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Recent Blog Posts

The Troubling Trend of Surgeons Leaving Equipment in Patients

 Posted on January 10, 2019 in Medical Malpractice

Rockford medical malpractice lawyersWhen a person goes to the hospital to get surgery for an illness or injury, they assume the doctors, nurses, and surgeons taking care of them will do their job with caution and attentiveness. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A recent study from Johns Hopkins shows that over 250,000 individuals die every year in the U.S from medical errors. Other studies suggest that the number of individuals killed by medical mistakes is closer to 440,000. One medical error which occurs startlingly often is the unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs) during surgical procedures.

Surgical Items Left Inside Patients Bodies

Alarmingly, it is not unheard of for patients to discover that a surgeon or other medical professional left a piece of medical equipment inside their body. Leaving surgical instruments in a person’s body after invasive procedures can cause serious illness and even death. The type of object left in the person’s body and the length of time it was retained are the main factors that determine the severity of this error.

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Establishing Liability in a Slip and Fall Injury Claim

 Posted on December 31, 2018 in Premises Liability

Rockford personal injury attorneyA slip and fall accident can devastate a person’s life in mere seconds. If you have been injured after falling and the fall was a result of another party’s negligence, you may be considering seeking compensation through an injury lawsuit. The success or failure of a personal injury claim almost completely relies upon the question of liability. To win a personal injury case, a claimant and his or her legal team must prove that another party is liable, or legally responsible, for his or her injuries.

Elements of a Premises Liability Injury Lawsuit

If you are considering pursuing financial compensation for injuries through a lawsuit, identify the potentially liable parties. In many slip and fall cases, responsibility lies with the property owner. For example, a shop owner who knowingly exposes customers to danger via unmarked spills or broken stairs may be legally responsible for any injuries caused by these conditions. Property owners have a duty to maintain the property in a way that minimizes the threat of injuries. Property owners who ignore potential dangers are considered negligent.

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Defective Children's and Baby Toys Can Lead to Significant Injuries

 Posted on December 19, 2018 in Product Liability

Winnebago County product liability attorneyThe holiday season is upon us and everywhere parents, grandparents, and friends are buying children’s toys. You may have heard about children and baby products being recalled over safety concerns in the past. While the vast majority of children’s toys and other products are safe, many children are injured and even killed by defective toys, furniture, and other items. If your child was injured due to a malfunctioning or defective toy, you may be eligible for compensation.

Toy-Related Injuries Can Cause Lasting Damage

The Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) received thirteen reports of toy-related deaths during 2017. The victims were all under 12 years of age. Over half of the fatal incidents involved riding toys like scooters and ride-on cars. Emergency room physicians treated an estimated 251,700 children for injuries caused by toys in 2017. Some of the most common toy-related injuries include bruising and abrasions, burns, lacerations, bone fractures, puncture wounds, suffocation, and strangulation.

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Chris Cornell’s Widow Files Medical Malpractice Claim Against His Doctor

 Posted on December 13, 2018 in Medical Malpractice

Rockford personal injury attorneysStudies show that more and more Americans are taking psychiatric medications in order to cope with mental health problems like depression and anxiety. Experts estimate that about one out of every six adults in the United States has used at least one psychiatric drug. For some, psychiatric medication like fluoxetine (Prozac), escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro), alprazolam (Xanax), Lithium, clozapine (Clozaril) diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan) help alleviate symptoms and cause few, if any, side effects. However, some people taking psychiatric medication experience intense mental and physical side effects including increased thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Now, the family of the late musician Chris Cornell believe that negligent over-prescription of psychiatric medication may have played a role in the singer’s death.

Singer Was Taking Anxiety Medicine and Opioids at Time of Suicide

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Why You Should Always Go to the Hospital After an Injury-Causing Accident

 Posted on December 05, 2018 in Car Accidents

Rockford personal injury attorneysGetting hurt in a car crash or other accident can be an overwhelmingly emotional experience. In the moments after an accident, most people are in shock. They immediately start thinking about how to handle the situation and give little attention to their own well-being. Unfortunately, many people have decreased their chances at receiving compensation for their injuries because they delayed or skipped medical treatment after an accident. If you are ever involved in an accident and you are hurt, it is critical that you have a medical professional assess your injuries.

Adrenaline Masks Pain During Traumatic Events

Imagine you are driving down the highway with your family. Suddenly, another car veers into your lane, causing your vehicle to crash into the guardrail. After the impact, you will probably be more concerned with the other passengers in your vehicle than yourself—even if you are seriously hurt. This is partially due to a mechanism in the brain which helps block the feeling of pain in dangerous situations. In traumatic circumstances, an injured person’s bloodstream is flooded with a hormone called adrenaline. In addition to dilating the person’s pupils and increasing their heart rate, the hormone also blocks their brain’s ability to sense pain. This “stress-induced analgesia,” can trick injured people into believing they are less hurt than they really are. The injured person may cause further bodily damage by delaying medical treatment.

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Winter Weather Brings Risk of Slip and Fall Injuries

 Posted on November 29, 2018 in Premises Liability

Winnebago County premises liability lawyersAs Illinois residents prepare to turn their calendars over to December, the cold and snow have arrived. While snow is no surprise to those who live and work in the region, winter weather conditions bring a number of safety concerns, many of them related to road travel and highway safety. Winter storms can also cause serious problems for those on foot, making getting from the car to the house rather treacherous. There are, however, some things you can do to reduce the danger of a slip and fall accident and the resulting injuries that such a fall can cause.

Dress Appropriately

As you make your way into the office, do you wear your dress shoes or heels? Consider carrying your fancy footwear with you or leaving them at your desk and trade them for winter-appropriate boots. Be sure to find something that fits properly and that has an aggressive tread to grip slippery sidewalks. It is also important to make sure that your pants are not so long that they could be caught under your shoes or boots. A momentary stumble could have devastating consequences on snow or ice.

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Alcohol-Related Car Accidents Spike During the Holidays

 Posted on November 27, 2018 in Car Accidents

Winnebago County personal injury attorneysFor many people, the upcoming six weeks are the best time of the year. Getting together with friends and family to enjoy a special meal, exchange gifts, or simply catch up is a cherished part of the holiday season. Many of these holiday gatherings will also involve alcohol. Unfortunately, this means that there are more alcohol-impaired drivers on the roads during the holiday season. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that on average, about a third of fatal car accidents involve an alcohol-impaired driver. During the winter holiday season however, an astounding 60 percent of fatal traffic accidents involve a driver who was drinking. This holiday season, make a commitment not to drink and drive and take steps to keep you and your family as safe as possible on the roads.

Make a Transportation Plan Before Drinking

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First, Do No Harm: Common Mistakes Made By Doctors and Other Medical Professionals

 Posted on November 14, 2018 in Medical Malpractice

Rockford medical malpractice attorneysDoctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are some of the most trusted members of our society. Of course, medical professionals are human just like everyone else, and they sometimes make mistakes. Unfortunately, errors made by doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and other medical professionals can often have devastating consequences.

Negligence Must Be Proven in Medical Malpractice Claims

Before delving into the most common mistakes made by medical professionals, it is important to be clear about one point: medical malpractice only occurs when negligence occurs. A patient simply being unhappy with the results of a medical procedure or test cannot be reason enough to claim malpractice. Furthermore, a medical procedure or surgery which results in a negative outcome is not always the result of medical malpractice or doctor error. For example, when an individual receives an organ transplant, the organ is sometimes “rejected” by the patient’s body. This can happen for a myriad of reasons and is usually not related to any negligent acts by the surgeon or other hospital staff. In order for a successful medical malpractice claim to be made, negligence must be proven. A medical professional is negligent when he or she acts in a way which is not reasonably competent or skilled, and this carelessness leads to patient harm.

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Evidence Shows Safest Seat During a Car Crash Differs for Adults and Children

 Posted on November 07, 2018 in Car Accidents

Rockford personal injury attorneyFrom the beginning of automobile manufacturing, auto manufacturers have worried about safety. Motor vehicles are constantly being redesigned with increasingly effective safety features. Components like seatbelts, safety glass, and padded dashboards were among the first efforts at increased automobile safety. Airbags designed to cushion passengers in the event of a car crash were another significant addition to automobile design. More recently, experts have been working to understand how these safety features work together to prevent passenger injury during a traffic accident. Insurance companies and automakers are continuously analyzing data in an attempt to answer the question, “Which seat is the safest to be in during a car crash?” 

The Rear Middle Seat Is Often the Farthest from Impact

Many people believe that the rear middle seat is the safest seat in an average automobile. This seat is the furthest away from the sides of the car. In the event of a crash, the passenger in the middle seat is theoretically less likely to come into contact with crushed windows and sides and suffer injury. Statistically, the rear middle seat has been found to be the safest seat during crashes that occur at intersections.

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Avoid These Common Mistakes After a Car Accident

 Posted on October 16, 2018 in Car Accidents

Winnebago County personal injury attorneysAfter your car has been towed and you have been to the doctor comes the part of an auto accident that most people hate the most: dealing with insurance. While every car accident is different, there are several common mistakes that people make when they have a car accident claim.

Not Doing Your Own Research on Your Car

If the insurance company has declared your vehicle a total loss, the value of your car must be determined. The insurance company will almost always attempt to determine the value, but be wary of their estimate. The mistake many people make is to simply accept the insurance company’s value without doing their own research. An offer from the insurance company is just an offer. If you can demonstrate your car was worth more than they are offering, you may be able to get more for your car.

Negotiating a Settlement Yourself

On a basic level, it may not seem like it should be that hard to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company for property damage, your medical costs, and your pain and suffering. After all, you may feel that you have access to all the data, and you were the one in the accident.

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