Posted on November 05, 2014 in Medical Malpractice

When we do to the doctor or hospital because we are sick or injured, we put our trust into the physicians and other medical personnel that the treatment and care they give us will make us well, or at the very least, comfortable. What we do not anticipate is that the care we receive will actually cause more medical issues or be dangerous. But for many elderly patients, that is exactly what happens.

A study that was recently conducted by researchers at the Gerontology Program at Towson University in Maryland revealed that one in five elderly Medicare patients sustain injuries that frequently have nothing to do with the medical problems they are being treated for. Some of the more common injuries include being prescribed medication that causes allergic reactions, being given the wrong medication or having treatments for an illness which causes other medical problems other than the original diagnosis.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 29, 2014 in Medical Malpractice

Researchers from Kaiser Permanente, a national health care organization, recently discovered that almost half of hospital deaths that occurred between 2010 through 2012 could be traced back to sepsis. Sepsis happens when the whole body responds to a bacterial infection. In many cases, the body’s reaction in order to fight the infection is so severe it can cause organs to shut down, resulting in death.

The study examined over 7 million adult hospitalizations between 2010 and 2012. There were approximately 500,000 cases that were taken directly from Kaiser facilities, however, the remaining 6.5 million cases came from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).

The research team not only examined patient records that were clearly identified as having sepsis, but also patients who were reported to have both organ failure and infections. This was done in light of the fact that many medical personnel do not recognize sepsis symptoms.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 08, 2014 in Car Accidents

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries a person can receive in a vehicle accident. The injury occurs to the neck when a vehicle is rear-ended, causing the victim’s head to suddenly jerk backwards and then forward.

The motion is similar to a cracking whip, hence its name. It is those sudden jerking motions to the neck that pulls the ligaments and muscles farther than they usually go. This sudden stretching can injure ligaments, discs, intervertebral joints, nerve roots and cervical muscles.

Symptoms of whiplash can include neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, and headaches. Some people may suffer from back or shoulder pain as well as experiencing strange feelings to the injured areas such as a prickling or burning sensation.

In more serious whiplash injuries, the victim may also suffer from memory loss, sleep disturbances, impairment of concentration, fatigue, nervousness, depression or irritability. Healing time for someone with a whiplash injury typically takes approximately three months.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 17, 2014 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

A recent study has found a link between the use of hormonal contraceptives and gestational diabetes (GDM). GDM occurs in some women, typically around the 24th. week of pregnancy. Most women who have GDM did not have diabetes before they conceived. If left untreated, GDM can be harmful to the baby, who can be born with breathing problems, jaundice or very low blood glucose levels. Other side effects include hypoglycemia and preeclampsia in the mother, and a much higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes for both mother and baby.

The study was done by researchers in Missouri, who used the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the organization that developed the system, PRAMS is “a surveillance project of the CDC and state health departments. PRAMS collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy.”

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 03, 2014 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

There is growing concern in the medical community of the number of Caesarian deliveries, (also referred to as C-sections), being performed on pregnant women in this country. According to statistics, one in three women has C-sections to deliver their first child. And of those women, 90 percent deliver their second child the same way. Thirty years ago, only five percent of babies were delivered by C-section.

A Caesarian delivery brings with it all the usual risks and complications associated with any surgery. There is also a higher rate of babies being admitted to the neonatal intensive care units with delivered by C-section. All this also adds up to higher medical costs, and more profit, for physicians and hospitals, compared with the cost of vaginal deliveries.

A recent study conducted by Consumer Reports ranks hospitals by the number of Caesarian sections performed there each year. The publication looked at the billing records of 1,500 hospitals in 22 states. They found that the number of C-sections varied greatly. This occurred even in hospitals that were in the same areas.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 15, 2014 in Bicycle Safety

A recent study by Newcastle University reveals that even mild brain injuries can cause brain damage. Researchers compared 53 people with brain injuries – 44 had mild brain injuries and 9 had moderate injuries – to 33 people who had no brain injuries. Ages of the participants ranged from 16 to 68 years of age.

Each group of people was tested in thinking and memory skills. They also all received a diffusion tensor imaging scan, a more powerful scan than typical MRIs used to detect damage to brain cells. The participants who had been injured received their scans within six days of being injured.

People who had received even minor brain injuries scored 25 percent lower in the memory and thinking skills testing than people who had no brain injuries. Additionally, the scans of those with injuries revealed injuries to the parts of the brain matter that allows brain cells to transmit message to other brain cells.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 05, 2014 in Car Accidents

According to a recent study by researchers at Columbia University, there has been a marked increase in the number of traffic fatalities that were caused by marijuana use in the past decade.

Researchers studied statistics from the half dozen states that consistently conduct toxicology tests on drivers (within one hour of the accident) involved in fatal vehicle crashes. Illinois is one state included in the study. Data from more than 23,500 crashes from the years 1999 to 2010 was compiled and analyzed.

The amount of marijuana contributed fatalities had tripled. In a statement, lead researcher Dr. Guohua Li said, “Currently, one of nine drivers involved in fatal crashes would test positive for marijuana. If this trend continues, in five or six years non-alcohol drugs will overtake alcohol to become the most common substance involved in deaths related to impaired driving.” The research team found that the percentage of traffic fatalities that were contributed to alcohol in that same time period was 40 percent.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 31, 2014 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

Summer has officially arrived and that means longer days and hotter temperatures. With those temperatures, comes the warning to parents and caregivers about the dangers of leaving children unattended – or allowing them access to – hot vehicles. Doing so can have tragic consequences.

The temperature in a closed car sitting in the sun can hit 40 to 50 degrees more than the temperature outside. For example, if it is 80 degrees outside, the temperature in a locked up car can reach 120 to 130 degrees very quickly. If you leave a child locked in a car, even for just a few minutes, it could be fatal.

Last year, 44 children died from heatstroke after being left in a locked car. This year, there have already been 13 deaths of children left in vehicles. Statistics provided by San Francisco University show that since 1998, 619 children’s lives have been lost to heatstroke suffered from being left unattended in a locked vehicle.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on July 17, 2014 in Cook County personal injury lawyer

According to statistics provided by the Federal Highway Administration, in 2012, there were about 23 million licensed drivers on the road who were 70 years and older. That number is approximately 11 percent of all licensed drivers.

It is estimated that by 2030, there will be almost 50 million vehicle drivers who are over 70 years of age. Insurance statistics show that claims for collision and property damage begin increasing when drivers are 65 years old or older. There is concern that because seniors tend to have a decrease in cognitive, visual and physical abilities, this could affect their driving. Routine driving, such as merging or changing lanes, can suddenly become stressful, causing a senior to panic or cause an accident.

The Mayo Clinic offers these safety tips for older drivers to help ensure safety behind the wheel:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 26, 2014 in Bicycle Safety

A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals there is an increase of people choosing non-motorized transportation to get to work every day. The data shows that more and more people are choosing bicycling or walking as their preferred mode of going to work. A bicyclist driving the same roads with vehicles can be put in dangerous situations when drivers do not respect the rules of sharing the road.

The report is based on data that is collected from the American Community Survey (ACS) between the years of 2008 to 2012. Approximately 3.5 million households received the survey. The survey was geared towards respondents who were 16 years or older and worked outside the home. Respondents were asked what their primary method of transportation to get to work was for the prior week.

Continue Reading ››