- Barry Doyle | March 31, 2007 4:12 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsTwo California women are recovering from injuries resulting from a hit-and-run accident. They were crossing the street in a crosswalk when they were hit by a car which did not stop.One woman suffered a fractured pelvis; the other suffered head injuries and an open fracture to her leg.In Illinois, hit-and-run motorists are considered to be uninsured motorists for the purpose of making a claim...
- Barry Doyle | March 31, 2007 11:55 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA newly licensed driver made a left hand turn in front of a motorcycle, resulting in a crash which threw the motorcyclist from his bike.The biker was hospitalized with neck and http://www.registercitizen.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18124271&BRD=1652&PAG=461&dept_id=12530&rfi=6.One of the more common scenarios which results in serious injuries to the motorcyclist is when a car either turn left in...
- Barry Doyle | March 30, 2007 1:00 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)Residents and rescuers alike were suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning after the gas entered a group home due to a faulty flue on a hot water heater. The levels of carbon monoxide were 100 times that normally considered safe.One person died from carbon monoxide poisoning and six others had to be hospitalized.Operators of group home such as this have an obligation to keep the...
- Barry Doyle | March 30, 2007 11:47 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA retiree was involved in an accident in Evergreen Park when his motorcycle struck the back end of a car which pulled out of a bank parking lot in front of him. The driver of the car received a ticket for an improper turn.He suffered http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/311553,241NWS8.article and was pronounced dead at the scene.The issue of who received a traffic ticket is one which always seems...
- Barry Doyle | March 29, 2007 10:02 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Indiana truck driver is being accused of driving over hours and falsifying his log book in a criminal trial in Wisconsin. The truck driver had lost control of his rig and rolled it over into oncoming lanes of traffic where it was hit by a bus carrying members of a high school band.Five bus passengers sustained fatal injuries.A number of studies have established that fatigue can have a...
- Barry Doyle | March 29, 2007 9:38 PM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA North Carolina nursing home has been fined by the state after a resdient in the facility died when she was suffocated in between her mattress and the raised bed rails of her bed. The state found that the facility was improperly using the bed rails as a means of restraint. Six other residents were found to have bed rails in place which were not ordered by a physician.There are two major risks...
- Barry Doyle | March 29, 2007 7:38 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesOne bridge worker was killed and another injured when the crewboat they were in was struck by a barge being pushed by a tugboat. Authortities were investigating whether the tug boat lights were operating properly.The worker who was killed suffered massive abdominal, chest, and head injuries. The injured worker suffered internal injuries and weas hospitalized.Because this accident occurred on...
- Barry Doyle | March 28, 2007 10:49 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesA contractor was killed at an Archer Daniels MIdland facility in Dectaur. The employee and his crew were working on isulation at the facility.In the accident, the worker was exposed to hot steam which resulted in burns to 87 percent of his body, which resulted his death.When contractors are working in facilties that have active systems, special care has to be made sure that the system is placed...
- Barry Doyle | March 28, 2007 9:28 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesIn Buffalo, a construction worker fell 30 feet down an open air shaft. Guard rails had been put in place at the entry to the air shaft but were missing at the time of the fall.The worker sustained fatal injuries as a result of the fall.Floor openings such as the open air shaft pose a serious risk to workers on a construction site. Becxause of this, OSHA regulations require that openings such...
- Barry Doyle | March 27, 2007 8:21 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A three-year old girl remains hospitalized after being attacked and severely bitten by a golden retriever belonging to her neighbor. The dog's owner admitted that the dog had bitten children before and claims that she told people to stay awat from the dog because he bites.The girl received many puncture wounds and tears, including one that removed most of her upper lip.While most serious animal...
- Barry Doyle | March 26, 2007 11:08 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)While boarding a hospital elevator, a Houston doctor was caught in between the doors when doors shut. Instead of automatically opening, the doors remained shut and the elevator began to rise even as a nurse inside the elevator car pushed the "door open" button.The doctor was decapitated by the http://www.houstonpress.com/2003-10-09/news/catching-elevators. Sadly, this was not the first serious...
- Barry Doyle | March 25, 2007 10:51 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA recent report is touting the use of ultrasound to detect bed sores, or pressure ulcers. Bed sores are created by unrelieved pressure on bony prominences of the body such as the heels, elbows, and sacrum. Unrelieved pressure results in tissue death which in turn leads to the skin opening which permits the entry of infecting bacteria.Bed sores are enormously painful and can ultimately lead to...
- Barry Doyle | March 24, 2007 7:23 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Indiana motorcyclist was hit and dragged by a truck. The truck was making a right hand turn from the center lane as the motorycylist passed him on the right.The motoryclist had to be air-lifted from the scene with ankle, arm, rib, and knee injuries.Every tractor-trailer has blind spots. The location of these of vary from rig to rig, but the sides of the trailer are a common one. Drivers of...
- Barry Doyle | March 23, 2007 7:01 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesThe foreman of a Texas plumbing crew admitted that he was not familiar with the federal regulations which are intended to protect workers against the hazards of a trench collapse. As a result, he sent his crew into a trench that had been dug three weeks earlier. Intervening rainstorms had weakened the walls of the trench, leading to a collapse which trapped one of his co-workers.The trapped...
- Barry Doyle | March 20, 2007 7:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Rhode Island couple suffered serious injuries when they were involved in a head-on collision. The other driver, a teenager, was talking on his cell phone when he dropped the phone. When he bent over to pick it up, he crossed over the center line, resulting in the crash.The wife suffered a torn ACL, a tibial plateua fracture, fractured ribs, and other injuries. Her husband suffered a...
- Barry Doyle | March 19, 2007 8:47 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA California man was killed at a construction site when the dump truck he was directing ran over him. The driver lost sight of the worker and did not know where he was until he felt the wheels pass over the top of the worker.The man died hours later of the crush injuries from being run over.All trucks have blind spots. It is up to the driver to know where those blind spots are and to not move...
- Barry Doyle | March 18, 2007 10:46 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsUnfortunately, the St. Patrick's Day holiday is one which is characterized by irresponsible and excessive consumption of alcohol. Too often, people make bad decisions about getting behind the wheel after drinking, with disastrous results for themselves, their families, and other people on the road.A University of Pennsylvania study showed that on St. Patrick's Day, there are 23% more accidents...
- Barry Doyle | March 18, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA Peoria nursing home which housed 6 convicted sex offenders was fined by the Illinois Department of Public Health for failing to prevent and properly monitor the actions of one of them for inappropriate behaviors towards his fellow residents. The sex offender, 56 years old, had been admitted to the nursing home for treatment of conditions relating to a stroke and mental illness.The actions...
- Barry Doyle | March 17, 2007 6:30 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A recent news story brought to light the insurance industry's practice of denying coverage to or increasing premiums for homeowners with certain breeds of dogs. The practice is based on the notion that some breeds of dogs are more likley to bite, resulting in higher claims costs.Breeds targeted by insurers include pit bulls, German sheperds, rottweilers, and even chihuahuas.Interestingly, an...
- Barry Doyle | March 17, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseThe Illinois Department of Public Health fined a Chicago Ridge Nursing Home after a resident there was served solid foods. The resident had recently received a g-tube to provide him with nutrition and was not supposed to receive solid foods. The g-tube was placed because the resident was no longer safe to swallow solid foods.The CNA on duty provided the resident with a meal tray, even though...
- Barry Doyle | March 16, 2007 8:00 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesA Wisconsin man was killed at a construction site when he fell through an open floor hole at a building that was under construction. The height of the fall was three stories. OSHA investigated the accident and fined the company for nuerous safety violations.As a result of the fall, the man suffered fatal head injuries.OSHA regulations require that when there is a floor opening, it is either...
- Barry Doyle | March 16, 2007 10:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsIn Gulfport, Illinois there was a recent head-on collision between a tractor-trailer and a car. The collision took place after the car crossed over the center line. The truck burst into flames after the collision. The driver of the car was arrested for drunk driving.The truck driver suffered severe burns as a result of the accident.People who are injured as a result of injuries sustained due...
- Barry Doyle | March 16, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Nebraska man was seriously injured when he was struck by a car which fled the scene.He sustained two broken legs. He also sustained a broken arm and suffered head injuries.In Illinois, a hit-and-run driver is considered an uninsured driver. When someone is injured in a hit-and-run accident, the injured party can make a claim for compensation against his own insurance policy under the...
- Barry Doyle | March 15, 2007 6:30 AM |
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Medical MalpracticeWalgreen's has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit which alleges that a pharmacist provided a customer with a medication called amicar instead of the medication prescribed by his doctor, omacor. The man had just undergone a cardiac catheterization and was prescribed omacor to lower his cholesterol. Amicar is intended to control bleeding and is inappropriate for a person who has undergone a...
- Barry Doyle | March 14, 2007 11:11 PM |
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Workplace InjuriesA Texas demolition contractor has been fined $135,900 by OSHA after materials fell from the 19th floor of a building being demolished and struck two of the company's employees. The general contractor on the job site was also fined.The falling materials resulted in two workers suffering fatal injuries.The fines were issued for safety violations including failing to use an enclosed chute to drop...
- Barry Doyle | March 14, 2007 1:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsA Tuscon-area collision between a tractor trailer and a motorcycle may have been caused by the truck driver's medication use and driving over hours. The truck driver told authorities that he was not sure if he had fallen asleep at the wheel, but did admit to them using over the counter cold medicine before the accident. Authorities checking his log book found discrepancies in the log book as...
- Barry Doyle | March 14, 2007 9:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseA Boston-area nursing home has been sued for neglect after untreated pressure sores led to the amputation of a resident's leg. The staff had advised the resident's family that the decline in their mother's health was due to her body shutting down as she was near death.After she was admitted to a hospital, the family discovered that their mother's decline in health was due to untreated pressure...
- Barry Doyle | March 13, 2007 1:00 PM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A 13 year-old Louisiana boy was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull. The attack, lasting approximately 20 minutes, occurred after the dog got loose from the yard.The boy's calf was stripped away down to the bone and multiple stitches and staples were required to close other lacerations and puncture wounds.This type of attack is unfortunately all too common with pit bulls. In Illinois, the family...
- Barry Doyle | March 13, 2007 10:43 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseOne resident was killed and several residents were injured when fire swept through a North Carolina assisted living facility. Initial reports about the incident described the fire as an explosion.Besides the fatality, several residents were taken to hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation.Assisted living facilities are similar to nursing homes but are not designed to provide the same level of...
- Barry Doyle | March 13, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesA Massachusetts man was injured while working on the roof of an apartment. He fell through on open hole on the roof where he was working. When the building is completed duct work will pass through the hole.The man was airlifted from the scene suffering from traumatic cardiac arrest.Floor openings such as this pose a real hazard to construction workers who must work around them. People are...
- Barry Doyle | March 11, 2007 6:00 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Indiana man was hospitalized after he was rear-ended by a semi. Responding emergecny personnel reported being amazed that the man was not more badly hurt, as the truck basically ran over the top of the man as he was waiting to make a left turn.The truck driver was asleep at the wheel when he struck the other driver.Federal regulations limit the number of hours that a truck driver can operate...
- Barry Doyle | March 11, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)10 people, including nine children, died in a fire which swept through a Bronx apartment building last week. The fire was apparently caused by an overworked space heater.There were smoke detectors in the apartment where the fire started, but the battery was dead, rendering the smoke detector useless.In Chicago, there is a smoke detector ordinance that requires all rental units to have a smoke...
- Barry Doyle | March 10, 2007 6:48 PM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Arizona motorcyclist is recovering from injuries suffered when another vehicle pulled out in front of him from a parking lot. The motorcyclist hit the car and was thrown over the handlebars.The motorcyclist suffered a femur fracture, a broken shoulder, several rib fractures, and a broken back.Motorcycle rising is a risky venture, and this story shows two of the reasons why. First, other...
- Barry Doyle | March 10, 2007 9:00 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesA construction worker was killed when he was struck by falling scaffolding which was being assembled by co-workers. As the co-workers were moving scaffolding components places, portions of the scaffolding fell and struck him.The worker suffered head injuries which proved fatal.One of the basic safety concepts in construction is to stay clear of work being performed overhead due to the dangers...
- Barry Doyle | March 09, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Arizona woman was killed when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a tractor-trailer. Witness reported that the tractor trailer was changing lanes when it struck the motorcycle.The driver of the motorcycle sustained life-threatening injuries.One of the things that every driver of a tractor-trailer must be aware of before getting on the road is the location of the rig's...
- Barry Doyle | March 08, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn Oklahoma man is recovering from injuries sustained when he collided with pigs that ran out into the roadway. As a result of hitting the pigs he was thrown from his bike.He was hospitalized in the intensive care unit with multiple fractures and internal injuries.While this is a strange story indeed, my office has represented other motorcyclists who have been involved in accidents in which...
- Barry Doyle | March 07, 2007 8:30 AM |
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Nursing Home & Elder AbuseAn Alabama nursing home was cited for inadequate staff training which resulted in a resident's death. The resident fell from a shower bed while being assisted by only one staff member when the bed required the assistance of two staff members.The resident suffered a broken neck as a result of the fall and died two days later. In addition to the citation for inadequate training, the facility was...
- Barry Doyle | March 06, 2007 8:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A Wisconsin restaurant chain is installing carbon monoxide detectors in all of its locations after an incident where a plugged vent on a water heater filled one restaurant with carbon monoxide.At least 20 restaurant patrons were stricken with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.Carbon monoxide detectors are a simple and easy way to protect people on your property agianst the colorless and...
- Barry Doyle | March 05, 2007 5:30 AM |
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Workplace InjuriesSeveral workers on a road construction project on Route 161 in Belleville were injured when a pick up truck left the roadway and hit an embankment where work was ongoing.At least three workers on the project were injured, one of whom suffered head injuries.On any road construction project, the general contractor has an obligation to ensure that the traffic flows are properly redirected from the...
- Barry Doyle | March 04, 2007 11:00 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsAn accident on Route 59 has claimed the life of a Bartlett man. He was driving a passenger vehicle when a large piece of frozen dirt came out of the trailer on a truck and went through his windshield. A similar accident in 1994 on Route 59 also resulted in a fatality.The man sustained head and brain injuries which proved fatal.One of the responsibilities that truckers have is to ensure that...
- Barry Doyle | March 03, 2007 10:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A California boy was injured when his foot was pulled down in between the sidewall and the step of an escalator he was riding at a local mall. Several injuries to customers have occurred at the mall in the last few years, and authorities and mall tenants are blaming this on inadequate maintenance of the escalators.The boy suffered a fractured foot and other injuries.Inadequate maintenance is...
- Barry Doyle | March 02, 2007 7:30 AM |
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Automobile AccidentsFederal authorities are now investigating a Rhode Island truck accident to determine whether the driver falsified his log book entries to make it appear as though he had been driving the proper number of hours. Regulations require drivers to keep a log book to demonstrate that they have not been driving an excessive number of hours in one day.The driver lost control of his truck, causing it to...
- Barry Doyle | March 01, 2007 9:00 AM |
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Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)A South Carolina man is recovering after he and his dog were attacked by two pit bulls while the man was taking his dog for a walk. The pit bulls belonged to a neighbor who said that they escaped from his yard.The man suffered puncture wounds to his hand during the attack, but his dog was so badly mauled that she had to be put to sleep.As I have been reviewing news stories in preparing my blog...