- Barry Doyle | February 28, 2007 6:00 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA Cicero nursing home was cited by the Illinois Department of Public Health after a resident was injured in a fall at the facility. IDPH found that the nursing home failed to make a proper assessment of the resident's fall risk and failed to update the care plan in light of additional falls the resident had at the facility before the one in which he was injured.The resident had to be...
- Barry Doyle | February 27, 2007 12:30 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesMissouri man was killed when a 12-foot deep trench he was working in as part of a sewer project collapsed, burying him in earth past his legs. OSHA is investigating the accident.Once the victim is buried past his legs, the chances of death increase greatly because the pressure from the earth puts pressure on the diaphragm, resulting in suffocation.The article that was the basis of this story...
- Barry Doyle | February 26, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Michigan teen was killed when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer and forced into a ditch. The accident occurred after traffic had slowed for another accident ahead of them, also involving a truck. The truck driver in the accident ahead had been on the road for 20 hours and had fallen asleep at the wheel.The teen suffered serious injuries and died at...
- Barry Doyle | February 25, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Medical MalpracticeA Texas woman recently was given ulcer medication instead of the prenatal vitamins which her doctor had ordered. The ulcer medication had been prescribed for a woman with a similar name.After taking the ulcer medication, she began to experience severe pain and went to the emergency room. There she learned that she had a miscarriage.One of the comments in the article mentioned the hectic pace...
- Barry Doyle | February 24, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseThe director of nursing at a Pennsylvania nursing home was indicted recently for neglect in the care of a resident. Also included in the charges were accusations of falsifying and tampering with records.The resident had a head wound which was left untreated and became infested with maggots.This story is disturbing on so many levels, the most obvious being what happened to this gentlemen.The...
- Barry Doyle | February 23, 2007 6:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA University of Wisconsin - Madison student was seriously injured when she was struck by drunk driver as she crossed the street in a crosswalk near campus. The driver of the car had be taken to detox before he could be taken to jail.The student suffered a fractured skull among other injuries.One of the basic rules of the road is that pedestrians have the right-of-way. This all too often seems...
- Barry Doyle | February 22, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA Wilmington nursing home was cited by the Illinois Department of Public Health after a complaint was made regarding the care of the residents there. IDPH found that a doctor's order for a consultation with a wound specialist had not been carried out and the nurse hired as the wound care nurse did not have the proper training.The resident whose condition was the subject of the citation was...
- Barry Doyle | February 21, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Police were recently called to a Kentucky apartment building deal with a carbon monoxide leak. A faulty furnace was apparently responsible for leaking the gas. Other tenants had complained of fumes in the building earlier that week.The carbon monoxide was the apparent cause of death for one tenant who was overcome by the fumes.When injuries occur in an apartment building, it is very important...
- Barry Doyle | February 20, 2007 7:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesSome Atlanta-area construction workers were injured when a wall collapsed. The project involved the expansion of a store in a local mall, and as part of the project wall was being taken down when it collapsed onto them.Two workers were injured. One suffered an injury to his wrist; the other a head injury.One of the basic principles of construction site safety is the proper scheduling and...
- Barry Doyle | February 19, 2007 11:30 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A North Carloina woman is recovering after being attacked by a pair of pit bulls. The pit bulls belonged to her neighbor and got out of their enclosure and went across the street and attacked the woman as she stood in her driveway. The dogs' owner was able to get them away from the victim.The victim sustained bites and puncture wounds to arm, ear, hand, and leg.The two main categories of...
- Barry Doyle | February 19, 2007 9:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsThe failure of a left-turning driver to yield the right-of-way resulted in a serious accident in Oregon. After starting his turn, the driver was struck on the passenger side by an oncoming vehicle.The driver of the oncoming vehicle suffered a fractured neck and other injuries.Left-turn accidents produce some of the most frightening collisions. The effect is much the same as in a head-on...
- Barry Doyle | February 18, 2007 12:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Texas man is recovering from an accident which caused serious injuries to him and killed two others. The man responsible for the accident was drunk at the time of the accident, with a blood alcohol level 2.5 times the legal limit.The victim of this accident has undergone 20 surgeries to recover for the injuries sustained.Punitive damages are available in Illinois in cases where the defendant...
- Barry Doyle | February 17, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A Memphis area auto repair shop purchased two pit bulls to safeguard the property after being broken into. Unfortunately, the dogs were not kept on the property and attacked a man who was simply walking down the street.The man was knocked to the ground by the pit bulls and lost consciousness. The injuries to the man's arm were so severe that it had to be amputated below the elbow.When dogs...
- Barry Doyle | February 16, 2007 10:24 PM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseAn Alzheimer's patient in an Indiana nursing home was found frozen to death on the ground outside the facility. He was able to leave the facility unnoticed and froze when he was left outside overnight in sub-zero temperatures.The cause of death for the resdient was hypothermia.One of the main reasons that people with family members with Alzheimer's seek to admit them to nursing homes is to...
- Barry Doyle | February 16, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesOSHA has fined a Florida firm over $65,000 in connection with an accident occurring at a construction site. OSHA found that the scaffolding did not have guard rails or properly installed planking and that the company did not adequately train it employees or have a competent person supervising their work.As a reslt of the unsafe condition of the scaffold, a company employee fell over 100 feet,...
- Barry Doyle | February 15, 2007 11:59 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A recent story by a Dallas TV station highlighted some of the dangers arising from inadequate maintenance of escalators. The story reported that there had been 825 injuries reported on escalators at that airport during the five years before the story ran.The victims were hurt in various ways, including a mangled hand, a severed knee tendon, back injuries, and other injuries.Escalator...
- Barry Doyle | February 15, 2007 8:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsOn Tuesday, an accident on Route 18 just outside of Streator claimed the life of passengers in one of the vehicles involved. It occurred when a semi jacknifed, with the trailer entering into the lanes for oncoming traffic.The collision resulted in fatal injuries to the one passengers and injureis to four other occupants of the vehicle that required hospitalization.The semi driver was ticketed...
- Barry Doyle | February 14, 2007 10:49 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeA recent study looking at the number of deaths from prescription drug poisoning in the United States from 1999 to 2004 found that the death rate had increased 68% relative to the previous period studied.Deaths from prescription drugs now rank second to only to motor vehicle collisions as the cause of accidental deaths in the United States.The study found that an important cause of accidental...
- Barry Doyle | February 14, 2007 9:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Charlotte area teacher was involved in a recent head-on collision which caused serious injuries. Both vehicles were traveling at least 45 miles per hour when the other vehicle crossed over the center line, resulting in the head-on collision.The teacher had to be removed from her car with Jaws and was reported in critical condition.One issue to consider when someone is involved in a serious...
- Barry Doyle | February 13, 2007 11:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA Chicago nursing home was cited by the Illinois Department of Public Health after it was discovered that some residents were being awoken at 4:30 a.m. so that they could be dressed and in the day room before the day shift arrived. Interviews with staff members indicated that the night shift was instrcuted to get 2-3 residents ready for the day before the day shift arrived.The residents...
- Barry Doyle | February 12, 2007 7:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesBlasting activities by a Nashville excavating company has injured three people. The explosion sent debris flying which struck people and buildings nearby.The work was ordered stopped, and could not be started again until a plan of correction was approved by the state fire marshall.Most construction accident cases are based on a negligence theory -- that one of the contractors on the project was...
- Barry Doyle | February 11, 2007 11:00 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA resident in a Cicero nursing home was injured after being attacked by a fellow resident. The resident who assaulted him had been released to the nursing home from the Illinois Department of Corrections. During the months prior to the assault, the recently released resident had been observed using street drugs such as crack cocaine and marijuana, hitting other residents, and engaging in...
- Barry Doyle | February 10, 2007 11:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesAt a new home construction project, two Alabama roofers fell from the roof that they were working on. Conditions were foggy on the day of the fall, and authorities believe that made the roofing felt they were working on slick.The men fell 40 feet from the roof to a concrete patio below. The fall was fatal for one man; the other sustained serious injuries.This is another accident which resulted...
- Barry Doyle | February 09, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)The owner of a Battle Creek hardware store was injured when the freight elevator he was riding in plunged 40 feet and crashed into the bottom of the elevator shaft. The collapse was caused by a chain snapping.The victim suffered fractured heels, a fractured leg, and several fractured vertebrae in his back.Elevators are somewhat unusual because the operator of an elevator is considered a common...
- Barry Doyle | February 08, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)An 11-year old Ohio boy was hospitalized after being attacked by a neighbor's akita dog. The dog was being walked by its owner, but pulled away from its owner to attack the boy, who was riding his bike nearby.Interestingly, local authorities reported being called to the owner's home in December in order to break up a fight between some akita dogs that she owned.The boy was hospitalized with...
- Barry Doyle | February 07, 2007 6:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsFour Massachusetts teens were recently involved in a single vehicle accident when the driver drove into a tree while talking on his cell phone. He was also speeding.The driver was seriously injured, as were his passengers, one of whom suffered a knee injury and other traumatic injuries.Cellular phone usage is a major source of distraction for drivers and a serious risk for the driver, his...
- Barry Doyle | February 06, 2007 3:00 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesA laborer fell down an open elevator shaft on a New York construction project. There were no guardrails in place at the time of the fall.The laborer sustained fatal injuries.OSHA regulations require that guardrails be placed so as to prevent falls such as the one involved here. The specific responsibility for placing guard rails falls first to the contractor that opened up the shaft, then to...
- Barry Doyle | February 06, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseThe state of California fined a Sacramento-area nursing home $100,000 -- the largest amount permitted -- when a resident of the nursing home received a massive overdose of morphine. The physician's order called for the resdient to receive 10 milligrams per hour. Instead he received over 120 milligrams over a two-hour time span.The resident died as a result of the medication overdose.Nurses in...
- Barry Doyle | February 05, 2007 6:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Oklahoma motorcyclist was injured when was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle. The hit-and-run vehicle blew a stop sign, hit the motorcyclist, and then left the scene.The motoryclist was hospitalized with serious injuries to his leg.In Illinois, hit-and-run motorists are considered uninsured motorists for the purposes of making a claim under the uninsured motorist provisions of your automobile...
- Barry Doyle | February 05, 2007 12:45 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)An elderly Texas woman survived an attack by a neighbor's rottweiler after the rottweiler attacked her as she was out walking her pet chihuahua. This was the second time the woman and a pet chihuahua had been attacked by the same dog. The chihuahua involved in this attack survived; the one in the earlier attack did not.The woman suffered bruises and contusions as a result of the attack. The...
- Barry Doyle | February 05, 2007 9:00 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA California nursing home resident suffered significant scalding injuries when she was exposed to 145 degree water while seated in a shower. After she was burned, the CNA did not call 911, but put her to bed instead. Investigators learned that the facility had a policy against permitting non-supervisory staff to call 911.The resident suffered third-degree burns on over 60% of her body as a...
- Barry Doyle | February 04, 2007 1:14 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Florida motorcyclist was killed in a recent car crash when another vehicle made a left-hand turn in front of him. The motorcyclist hit the car and was thrown forward off his motorcycle.The motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, died from head injuries.Everyone rising a motorcycle should wear a helmet, even if they are not legally required to do so. They save lives. Even the most...
- Barry Doyle | February 04, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesA construction crew in Idaho was working on a sewer expansion project. As part of the project they dug a 15- to 25- foot deep pit. One of the crew members was working at the edge of the excavation when it collapsed, pulling him down into the hole under the collapsing dirt.He was rescued by co-workers and was taken to the hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.This accident was the...
- Barry Doyle | February 03, 2007 12:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA pregnant Villa Park woman was injured as a pedestrian by a hit-and-run vehicle near the intersection of Roosevelt and California in Chicago. The driver was later identified and charged with aggravated DUI and other traffic offenses.The pedestrian was critically injured and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where the infant she was carrying was delivered stillborn by caesarean section.The loss...
- Barry Doyle | February 03, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA recent inspection of a nursing home in Michigan by state inspectors resulted in the issuance of citations against the nursing home for 25 violations of state or federal regulations. Now, the state has requested that the nursing home be denied Medicare/Medicaid funding, which would effectively put the nursing home out of business.Violations found during the inspection included residents being...
- Barry Doyle | February 02, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesA Peoria area man was killed recently while digging a trench to uncover a water line. The operator of the back hoe was getting out of the machine when his clothing snagged the controls, causing the bucket to swing out of control. The backhoe struck the laborer, causing fatal injuries.This unfortunate accident places the spotlight on the equipment used on job sites. One of the factors that...
- Barry Doyle | February 01, 2007 7:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A fire in a Humboldt Park apartment has left one resident dead. The Bomb & Arson squad was investigating the cause and origin of the fire, but initial reports indicated that the fire was accidental.The fire was reported at 4:50 a.m., but the man was not pronounced dead until after 9:00 p.m. that day. Burns and smoke inhalation are the likely causes of death.The Illinois Smoke Detector Act...