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Author: Anthony Proffitt

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nursing home abuse and neglect

How do you prevent nursing home abuse?

Placing a loved one into a nursing home is hard. It might be the last resort after trying in-home health care options or attempting to care for them yourself. The reality is that many people need to go into nursing homes, especially as they approach the end of their lives.

If you’re worried about placing a loved one in a nursing home, you’re not alone. There are so many terrible stories about abuse and neglect that it’s hard to imagine putting someone in one of these facilities. Fortunately, for every horror story, there are many stories of people who have great experiences. You just have to be aware of the risks and do what you can to mitigate them.

How can you prevent nursing home abuse?

One of the best ways to prevent abuse is by being present. Often, it’s elders who are left alone or without visitors who end up facing abuse. If you make yourself known and get to know the staff, you’re less likely to have problems.

If a problem does occur, you’ll have connections to help you resolve it. Additionally, you’ll be more familiar with the relationship between your loved one and the staff members.

Another thing to do is to speak up when you see problems. If your loved one mentions waiting too long to get to the bathroom because the nurses were too busy, it’s worth bringing this to the attention of the nursing home director. Hiring more staff members or giving some current members more hours could help eliminate the problem and help your loved one get better care.

Categories
motor vehicle accidents

Tennessee sheriff’s deputy involved in strange car accident

We rely on law enforcement officers and emergency service personnel to help us at some of the worst moments in our lives. It is rare that police or firefighters cause an accident, but we expect their employers to make us whole if they do.

A Tennessee county is reviewing how it handles car accidents involving their employees after a sheriff’s deputy allegedly ran a red light and crashed his sport utility vehicle into a car. The man was not disciplined and soon received another vehicle from the sheriff’s office.

That vehicle was involved in another accident, which severely injured the deputy and ran out of control into a fire hydrant and a nearby car. A review turned up some strange issues around these incidents, such as an altered crash report and a settled lawsuit with the victim of the first crash that was not accompanied by an internal probe.

Before he cost the taxpayers more than $35,000 with these two crashes, the deputy was also involved in two other accidents while serving the sheriff’s office and was never disciplined. The local police department requires internal reviews as well as drug and alcohol testing for officers involved in collisions, but the sheriff’s office does not.

Victims of car accidents have the right to seek compensation as well as official explanations or admissions or responsibility in some cases. An experienced motor vehicle accident attorney can assist victims and their families with making their case and determining if settlement or court actions are the best way forward to the appropriate damages for injured people.

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Uncategorized

Spinal cord injuries during birth

Damage to a baby’s spinal cord during delivery can have devastating and life-long consequences. While these cases are rare – 5 percent of spinal cord cases in the United States each year— around 60 to 75 percent of infant spinal cord injuries will occur in the neck area. The higher the injury occurs along the baby’s spine, the more severe the damage will be.

How do spinal injuries occur?

Unfortunately, there is little you can do as a parent to prevent spinal cord injuries from occurring during the birthing process. Spinal cord injuries can occur for a variety of reasons.

Generally, they are the result of blunt force trauma that occurs from vacuum extraction or forceps used to pull the baby through the birth canal. However, they can also occur from a breech delivery, rotation, hypertension and overstretching of the fetal head, as well as impact and injury from the surgeon’s own hands.

What are the symptoms?

Many of the consequences of infant spinal cord injuries can be permanent. Depending on the severity of the damage and the location of the injury, infants can experience the following symptoms:

  • Spasms
  • Abnormal reflexes
  • Loss of touch and other sensations
  • Weakness
  • Stinging pain
  • Nerve damage
  • Paralysis

Infants with spinal cord injuries can also experience bowel and bladder problems, which can be difficult to detect in babies. In rare cases, spinal cord injuries sustained during birth can even be fatal.

An estimated 11,300 newborns die each year in the United States during their birth or later that day. Around 23 percent of these infants die because of birth complications, including spinal cord injuries. If your delivery doctor caused or failed to prevent your baby’s spinal cord injury, you may have a claim for a personal injury or medical malpractice lawsuit.

Categories
nursing home abuse and neglect

Nursing home in trouble after hiding resident from inspectors

There is little more important than the safety and comfort of our relatives. It can be difficult to make the decision to move an elderly relative into an assisted living facility or nursing home. But once that decision is made, we must hope that the facility’s medical professionals and staff members have the same concern for our seniors’ lives as we do.

Tennessee has dozens of nursing homes run by several large and independent agencies. Most patients and residents in these facilities are safe and happy, but several have suffered due to staff abuse or neglect of their most fundamental needs.

One Arlington nursing home has been enjoined from accepting new patients while state health inspectors investigate the allegation that a resident was hidden in a closet during a scheduled inspection. The facility outside Memphis has been cited for several other violations as well, including the death of a patient from a preventable ulcer after staff did not elevate her legs as prescribed.

The hidden resident was actually not a “resident” at all, as she was living in the home without records. Staff members tried to claim she was only a day patient, then gave a fake name for her to investigators after the elderly woman was found sitting inside a storage closet. She claimed to have been living there “off the books” for nine months.

Victims f nursing home abuse and neglect have the right to ask for compensation for their injuries. An attorney can help review the details of a case of abuse or neglect and prepare a case to restore justice to the victim and his or her family.

Categories
catastrophic injuries

Risk of player injury brings football coaches forward on safety

Sports are a big part of growing up, especially in the southern United States. Football is one of the most widespread pastimes between the Mason-Dixon Line and the Gulf of Mexico, with every type of school offering students a chance to get caught up in some gridiron action.

Recent injuries have highlighted the need to review sports safety guidelines below the professional leagues. A student at a Tennessee university is in critical condition after a head injury during a league game. An earlier injury at a high school matchup in Georgia ended the life of an Atlanta-area athlete.

One high school football coach said that although the chances of a catastrophic injury in sports are very low, “the coaches’ greatest fears is your player getting injured in any way.” Many coaches in Tennessee and elsewhere are getting more involved in player safety, from better practices to more training focused on health.

Several schools drill their student-athletes differently now than in the 20th century. More information about the dynamics of sports injuries and the dangers of repetitive stress has changed many approaches, including less aggressive trainings and extra training about how to give and take a hit on the field.

The families of children affected by catastrophic injury while playing sports or in other situations may have a case for financial damages if someone else is responsible for the dangerous situation. An attorney can help guide a family through a difficult period of early recovery and make the best case possible for reimbursement of medical expenses and compensation for pain and emotional distress.

Categories
dangerous and defective products

Lawsuit alleges a company knew it was dumping harmful chemicals

We rely on companies to make good products safely for consumers and neighbors alike. Tennessee has seen some dangerous product lawsuits over the years, but one of the state’s largest liabilities may be industrial interference in its precious water resources.

A Lawrence County woman is suing a major office and industrial supply company, claiming its leadership knew that it was dumping cancer-causing waste chemicals into the Tennessee River in Decatur, just to the east of her home. The woman was diagnosed with kidney cancer and believes it was caused by the company’s irresponsible waste disposal.

The two chemicals in question are used to create nonstick surfaces, a process involving many hazardous tools. The lawsuit states they were dumped into the river’s water and bed sludge for more than 35 years. Even if the practice was stopped, environmental watchdogs still claim millions of pounds of contaminants still enter the Tennessee River every year.

The local municipal water authorities later responded by installing carbon filters to trap the chemicals before they entered drinking water. Progress was noted on water bills to be shared with clients. The plaintiff also named these authorities as defendants, to which they responded they were victims of the company and its practice as much as she was.

Victims of unsafe products, poor commercial practices and other violations of law or trust may consider a lawsuit to claim suitable financial damages and get a harmful practice stopped before it hurts more people. An attorney can help create, file and pursue such a case for one or more people looking for justice.

Categories
motor vehicle accidents

Tennessee man killed in van collision

Anyone familiar with the roads of Tennessee knows that most of them include gorgeous vistas, and some can pose serious dangers to drivers and passengers. Drivers across the Volunteer State must stay vigilant to avoid collisions.

A 78-year-old motorist from Loudon was killed in a car accident in Maryville recently. The accident happened on U.S. Route 411 at Calderwood Highway when the victim turned his convertible to make a left turn. A van owned by the University of Tennessee pulled in front of the car and pushing it into a pickup truck stopped at the traffic light.

The 21-year-old driver of the van stopped to assist at the scene of the three-vehicle accident, which killed one driver and injured another. None of the van’s eight occupants were injured. Police do not currently believe drugs or alcohol were involved, although blood tests of the involved drivers are pending.

All drivers were wearing seat belts, which reduce the chances of injury and death in a car accident. The deceased driver had to be extricated from his car by emergency personnel. This is the latest of several serious accidents in Tennessee’s Blount County. Earlier this year, a motorcyclist lost his life and several others were hurt in various crashes.

Victims of serious car accidents and the survivors of those who died in traffic fatalities may consider filing claims for financial damages to help get past the tragic and unexpected crash. An attorney may be a defendant’s best ally in the search for reimbursement of medical expenses as well as possible compensation for pain and emotional distress.

Categories
Uncategorized

Staying safe on the road through winter weather

Tennessee doesn’t often experience the giant storms of Northern states, but when it does snow, it becomes a safety issue for all drivers. Fortunately, there are ways to stay safe on the road when there is ice and snow.

Below are a few safety tips for if you are caught on the road with snow this winter season.

Pack an emergency kit

In the event you are unable to continue driving in a snowstorm, it could be helpful to keep an emergency kit handy. Tennessee drivers may not need everything a motorist in a state like Minnesota might want to have handy, but there is some overlap.

A few items to consider adding to your own emergency kit are:

  • First Aid needs such as bandages, hand sanitizer, aspirin or other medical items
  • Road flares
  • Jumper cables
  • A flashlight and extra batteries
  • Duct tape
  • Cat litter (for traction on slick roads)
  • Ice scraper
  • Drinking water and non-perishable snacks
  • Blankets and warm clothing

Give yourself time

If you are planning to drive through snow, build delays into your trip. Leave early and drive slow to ensure you reach your destination safely.

Slowing down also means creating space between drivers. Increase the distance between yourself and other vehicles, as it takes more time to stop. Brake early and slowly to stay safe.

Watch for plows

Snow plows are crucial to keeping the roads safe during a storm, so give them room to do their job. Don’t tailgate behind a plow or stop too close behind them, and remember that their field of vision is not the same as yours.

If it seems dicey, stay at home

Drivers can call 511 to assess the current driving conditions, and if the weather seems too risky for driving, it may be best to stay at home. Know what the roads are like and your own driving capabilities before deciding to drive.

There is no surefire way to guarantee drivers won’t get into an accident, but by sticking to known tips for winter weather driving, we can all help increase the safety of everyone on the road.

Categories
nursing home abuse and neglect

Knoxville rest home investigated after neglect allegations

One of the most important decisions we can make for our elder relatives is to commit them to reliable round-the-clock care if the necessity appears. Many facilities across the Volunteer State help fulfill these needs, but families must be vigilant to prevent abuse or neglect among residents in nursing homes.

A nursing home in Tennessee has been forbidden from accepting new patients while authorities investigate a possible case of neglect for a disabled patient. The alleged victim, an elderly woman with dementia, was bedridden when she suffered a fall from bed and fractured both of her knees.

The problem became worse when she was returned to bed without seeing a doctor or received medical attention. The patient was reportedly in agony for nine days before she was sent to the hospital, although her health had declined to the point that she died a month later under care.

The Tennessee Department of Health cited the Knoxville residential facility and fined it $30,000 in connection to delays in the patient’s care. The department’s commissioner stated the nursing home appeared below state standards for administration, improved performance, nursing services, radiology and patient rights.

Citations, fines and even criminal charges against individuals or administrators may shift the conduct of nursing homes and their operators to make them safer and more comfortable for residents. Once it has already affected someone’s health and safety, however, a civil lawsuit may be the last resort to claim financial damages for a specific victim.

An attorney is often a powerful ally for the victims of nursing home abuse as well as their relatives. Consider legal representation to restore justice and dignity to residents in assisted care.

Categories
Uncategorized

Truck crash injury claims are complicated. Here’s why

If you are an active driver, you know that the highways and roads of Tennessee can be dangerous places. The volume of vehicles around you at any given moment can be huge.

So can the volume of any single vehicle. Commercial tractor trailer trucks, whether they are handling short hauls or long, are not only large in size but massively heavy. Laws of physics being what they are, collisions involving big rigs typically cause greater damage. Serious or fatal injuries are common.

Differences in size aren’t the only thing that make crashes involving trucks more complicated than other motor vehicle accidents. Trucking is subject to more layers of regulation. Laws dictate that those in the trade carry extensive insurance coverage. There are many players and each may have separate policies. And since every insurer wants to minimize liability, victims in crashes involving a truck often find seeking compensation means confronting a host of unwilling actors.

Additional complicating factors

In nearly every personal injury case, the legal theory under which victims make their claim is one of negligence. In a vehicle accident, that negligence might be due to the actions of the other driver. But with trucks, multiple parties could bear liability because of their relationship with the driver or because company policies of operation violated the law.

In addition to the driver, other potential defendants could include:

  • The owner of the truck
  • The employer of the driver
  • The shipper, if hazardous cargo made injuries more severe
  • The manufacturers of the truck or any of its many components, if there is evidence of product defect
  • Those responsible for the truck’s maintenance
  • Government regulators

Of course, if you bring a claim, the responsibility rests with you to prove the alleged negligent acts of individuals or negligence in design, manufacture or assembly of parts.

Legal strategy options

It’s also useful to know, too, that filing a claim for compensation is not the same as filing suit. Pursuing the compensation you may be due to cover medical costs, wages lost, pain, suffering or disability might be best accomplished out of court through other means, such as arbitration or mediation.

What should be clear from all of this is that many options exist for seeking compensation and it can be complicated to know which will obtain the optimal outcome of your case. If you want confidence about how to proceed, speak with a skilled attorney.