Posted on January 31, 2019 in Product Liability

Electric scooters can be a fun and efficient way to get around town. From New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, more and more people are using electric scooters for transportation. Unfortunately, these vehicles are not without risk. Because the rider stands on top of the scooter, it can be easy to fall off. Keeping your balance on a scooter may also be harder than it looks, especially in crowded or obstacle-filled streets. Until recently, there was almost formal data regarding electric scooter safety. Now, a new study shows that scooter injuries are quite common and can range in severity from bruises to serious head injuries.

Research Suggests Scooter Falls Are on the Rise

The study, which was recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 249 patients who visited the emergency room for scooter-related injuries in the Los Angeles area. Although scooters are thought of as nearly risk-free, injuries resulting from scooter falls or crashes are being more prevalent. Of the patients studied, about 40 percent suffered head injuries and roughly a third had broken bones. A noteworthy number of scooter-related injuries occurred in patients younger than 18. Simply falling off the scooter accounted for over 80 percent of the injuries studied while about 11 percent of injured scooter riders ran into an obstacle. Although most electric scooters only reach speeds of about 15 miles per hour, falling off a scooter, colliding with an obstacle, or being struck by a car while riding a scooter can cause serious injuries or even death. Dr. Joann Elmore, professor of medicine at UCLA and senior author of the study, says that scooter riders are underestimating the potential danger of these vehicles.

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 Posted on January 22, 2019 in Product Liability

When consumers take a medication, they understandably assume the medication will do more good than harm. Medications often contain powerful ingredients which can be dangerous or even deadly if managed improperly. Pharmaceutical companies must therefore be held to a high standard of quality and precision when it comes to manufacturing medications. Drug makers who sell medications they know to be defective must be held accountable. If you or someone you love has suffered because of a defective product, you should know that a defective product liability claim is one avenue for collecting compensation.  

FDA Continues Recalls of Several Popular Medications

Prinston Pharmaceuticals has decided to recall a blood pressure medication called “irbesartan” after it was discovered that the medication contained high levels of a cancer-causing ingredient. The medication is designed to block the effects of a hormone responsible for narrowing blood vessels. Chemical testing revealed that the medication contained unacceptable levels of nitrosodiethylamine, or NDEA, which is a probable carcinogen.

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 Posted on January 17, 2019 in Wrongful Death

A wrongful death suit is a beneficial legal tool which family members of a deceased person can use to collect compensation. Illinois law explains, "Whenever the death of a person shall be caused by wrongful act, neglect or default, and the act, neglect or default is such as would, if death had not ensued, have entitled the party injured to maintain an action and recover damages." If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another party, read on to learn about wrongful death claims in Illinois.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

In Illinois, only the personal representative a deceased person can file a wrongful death claim. The personal representative represents the deceased person’s estate. He or she can be a close relative of the individual who passed away such as a spouse, parent, or adult child. If the deceased person, or decedent, did not appoint a personal representative before he or she passed away, the court is authorized to make this decision.

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 Posted on January 10, 2019 in Medical Malpractice

When 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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 Posted on December 31, 2018 in Premises Liability

A 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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 Posted on December 19, 2018 in Product Liability

The 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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 Posted on December 13, 2018 in Medical Malpractice

Studies 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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 Posted on December 05, 2018 in Car Accidents

Getting 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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 Posted on November 29, 2018 in Premises Liability

As 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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 Posted on November 27, 2018 in Car Accidents

For 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

One of the most misunderstood things about drinking and driving is that most individuals who are caught driving under the influence never intended to drive intoxicated. Often, auto accidents occur when drivers do not realize how impaired they actually are and overestimate their ability to drive a car safely. When a person consumes alcohol, the brain releases a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. This results in lowered inhibitions, increased impulsivity, and diminished decision-making skills. It is extremely important to always have a travel plan in place before starting to drink. Waiting to figure out how you will get home from a holiday party after you have already begun drinking can be disastrous.

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