Indiana Injury Law Blog

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that hundreds of motorcycle accident fatalities every year can be prevented if motorcycles come with antilock brakes. According to the study, the risk of being involved in a motorcycle accident decreases by 37% if the motorcycle is equipped with these antilock braking systems, compared to motorcycles that are not.

Those findings are corroborated by another analysis conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute. This analysis showed that motorcycles that come equipped with antilock brakes had up to 22% fewer claims for damages, compared to motorcycles that did not come with these systems. Antilock brakes can reduce the risk of motorcycle crashes by releasing the brake pressure that can contribute to accidents when the motorcyclist applies the brakes. In motorcycles without antilock systems, braking can cause the wheels to lock, possibly contributing to a flip over with serious consequences.

The rising rate of motorcycle accident fatalities has been of concern to Indiana accident lawyers for a few years now. In 2008, the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents across the country crossed 5,000. That was the highest figure since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began recording such fatalities in 1975. This spike in motorcycle crash realities has continued even in spite of major strides made in controlling other highway accident fatality rates.

Helmet laws have helped prevent such accidents across several states. In Indiana however, motorcycle helmet laws only apply to motorcyclists below the age of 70. Approved helmets dramatically reduce the risk of the motorcyclist suffering a traumatic brain injury in an accident.

The Indiana auto accident attorneys at Theodoros and Rooth represent injured victims of car and motorcycle accidents, and help them recover rightful compensation for their losses.

As Indiana medical malpractice lawyers see, there can be plenty of factors responsible for a patient having to be readmitted into a hospital a few days after discharge. A provision buried in Pres. Obama's healthcare reform package will cut reimbursement for hospitals in certain types of readmission. That should be enough motivation for hospitals to look closer at their facility’s readmission rates. One Hospital in Chicago has undertaken a pilot program to understand the reasons for such readmissions. The hospital found that the reasons for such readmissions were extremely complex.

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago initiated a pilot program in 2007. The program came in response to the discovery that readmissions were high because of several complex social factors. Patients who live alone, or lack emotional and physical support were much more likely to develop complications that required them be readmitted back into the hospital.

To tackle these issues, Rush University Medical Center established a program in which social workers would follow-up with patients after discharge. The social workers would focus on patients who had a high risk of readmission. This included those above 65 years of age, or those patients who were on seven or more medications or lived alone at home. Out of the 1,248 patients that were followed up via telephone, 60% were found to have confusion about the medications or had other such unresolved problems.

Post discharge care is a much neglected part of patient safety. The unfortunate fact is that too many patients suffer from a lack of knowledge about post-discharge care. There may be confusion about medications and side effects. Besides, elderly persons who live alone are much less likely to take their medications on time. Hospitals must be more proactive, and get involved in how their patients are faring after they leave the hospital.

The Indiana medical malpractice lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth represent injured victims of surgical errors, misdiagnoses, delayed diagnoses, emergency room errors, medication errors and other medical errors in the Lake County area, and across the state of Indiana.

At least four tractor-trailers were involved in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 65 in Jasper County, Indiana last week. The accident left one truck driver dead and two others seriously injured.

The accident was set off by an earlier tractor-trailer accident which left traffic blocked. A tractor-trailer overturned, offloading cargo of more than 30,000 boxes of T-shirts across the highway. The driver in that accident told police later that he “felt something go wrong with his steering.” Investigators will obviously look into that account to determine if truck malfunction contributed to the accident.

Traffic on the highway was blocked after that accident. One truck failed to stop in time to avoid the blocked traffic It was immediately rear-ended by a tractor-trailer setting of a chain reaction, in which two other semi 18 wheelers also rear-ended the second tractor-trailer. At the end of the carnage, one of the tractor-trailer drivers, a Wisconsin man had been critically injured. He was trapped in his cab, and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. The driver unfortunately died a short while later at a local hospital. Two of the other drivers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Indiana truck accident lawyers often see that chain reaction crashes are caused by at least one of the trucks driving at excessive speeds. Truck drivers must drive at the posted speed limit for 18 wheelers, and musty also consider existing traffic conditions. Unfortunately, very often truck drivers may be driving at high speeds, and may not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting a vehicle in front. Failure to judge traffic situations properly or speeding can constitute negligence, which can be the basis for a truck accident claim in Indiana.

The Indiana truck accident lawyers at Theodoros & Rooth help injured victims of semi truck and commercial truck accidents across the state of Indiana recover rightful compensation for their injuries.

Last week saw a tremendous moment for trial lawyers and medical practice attorneys around the country. The Supreme Court in Georgia overthrew a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.

The decision came in an appeal filed by an Atlanta hospital against a patient who was left severely injured and scarred by a plastic surgery procedure gone horribly wrong. The woman suffered open wounds on her face after she underwent a plastic surgery procedure performed to remove bags under eyes. The woman sued the hospital, and was awarded $1.15 million in non-economic damages. The hospital appealed that verdict, saying that it contradicted a cap on non-economic damages at $350,000 imposed by Georgia's legislators in 2005.

The hospital lost its appeal, and the matter ended up before the Supreme Court of Georgia. That court has decided that allowing a cap on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, is unconstitutional, and robs a citizen of his right to trial by jury.

As Indiana medical malpractice lawyers, we couldn't agree more. However, around the country, doctors and hospitals have had some amount of success in getting legislators to place limits on the amount of compensation injured victims of medical malpractice can recover. Such efforts have frequently ended up before the highest courts in these states. In January this year, the Illinois Supreme Court also struck down a cap on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, dealing a blow to the tort reform lobby in that state. Now, Georgia’s SC has followed. As Indiana medical malpractice attorneys, we hope that Indiana will be next.

The Indiana medical malpractice lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth represent injured victims of medical malpractice in Merrillville, Lake County, and across Indiana recover their rightful compensation.

A Hammond man, who struck and killed a construction worker in a drunk driving accident in northwest Indiana, has been charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Earlier this month, Robert Shannon was driving under the influence of alcohol when he sped through a construction zone, mowing down construction worker Christopher Jenkins. The impact of the accident was so severe Jenkins flew through the windshield of Sharon's car, and landed on the motorist. When the car came to a stop, Sharon got out of the car, and fled the scene on foot. He then made a call to his girlfriend who reported him to authorities.
The accident occurred in the early hours of morning. Under investigation, Shannon admitted that he had been drinking in the hours leading up to the crash.

Soon after the accident, the Indianapolis Star ran a report on the increasing number of work zone accidents and fatalities in Indiana. In 2007, there were seven fatalities and 835 injuries in Highway work zone accidents in Indiana. Those numbers had increased to 14 fatalities in 2008.

Much of this increase can be attributed to the fact that there is more construction work going on in Indiana now, than before. The availability of federal stimulus funds has meant a large number of highway projects are underway across the state. Adding to the problem is the fact that there has been very little emphasis on work zone safety and poor oversight of the contractors who are awarded highway construction projects.

When you add reckless, speeding or intoxicated motorists to this situation, it’s easy to see the risk to construction workers.

The Indiana car accident lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth help injured victims of auto and car accidents in the Lake County region, and across Indiana, recover compensation for their injuries.

Parents who use two models of Infantino baby slings have been requested to get these replaced for free after the Consumer Product Safety Commission was able to confirm three infant deaths from suffocation linked to these slings.

The CPSC request is part of a recall announcement involving more than 1 million baby slings manufactured by Infantino. The slings that are being recalled are the Wendy Bellissimo and the Sing Rider models. . Parents are advised not to use these slings for infants below four months of age. They can contact the company for a free replacement. The call comes just a few days after the CPSC issued a warning about the dangers of placing infants in the fashionable slings.

Slings made of soft fabric have become very popular in recent years, and are increasingly preferred to strollers. Fans of the slings claim these help babies sleep better, soothe them, and keep them healthier. However, bag-style slings have come under a lot of scrutiny as they have been linked to the deaths of at least three infants from suffocation. These bag-style slings seem to be especially risky when used to carry newborn babies, whose heads can fall forward onto their chests. Slings have also been linked to several reports of fall accidents after babies fell off the slings.

As Indiana product liability lawyers, we would advise parents not to use these slings for

Babies below four months of age
Premature babies
Babies suffering from respiratory problems

If you already own one of these Infantino slings, get a free replacement from Infantino. We also plan to blog some more about this issue, as more updates become available about the safety issues linked with these baby slings.

The Indiana product liability attorneys at Theodoros &Rooth represent injured victims of defective products, including defective automobiles, defective cribs, toys and other children's products, defective drugs and medical devices, across Indiana.

Indiana truck accident lawyers often come across trucking companies who are completely in the dark about their employees’ past safety record. For many of these employers, the first time they come across the reality of their drivers’ poor safety history is when he has been involved in an accident, and when a Indiana truck accident lawyer has managed to dig up the several crashes he has been involved in during his past employment.

That could soon change. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has established a website that will contain both accident and inspection records of truck drivers for employers to check.

The website will contain truck drivers’ accident records over the past five years, and inspection records over the past three years. A trucking company can visit the website and check the records. This allows a company to make a safer choice. It also means that truck drivers with a history of causing accidents through negligent driving have little chance of being able to falsify records and get a new job at a new trucking company in another state.

Obviously, this will be a great asset to trucking companies in Indiana. The need for a website like this has been felt for many years now, and the trucking industry and truck accident attorneys in Indiana have strongly supported making such records available to trucking companies. Employees can register at the website, and access the records for a fee of $10 per record. That's all it costs to verify a potential employee’s safety history. The trucking industry has shown great enthusiasm for the project, and hopefully, this will help filter out undesirable drivers, and ensure greater safety for motorists.

An Indiana amusement park, which was the scene of an accident last week that left a five-year-old boy critically injured, has been shut down for not having the required permit.
The accident occurred when little Denzel Jennings was riding the Mini Teacups ride. The ride involves several round seats in the shape of teacups, rotating around a central axis.. Each individual teacup has a gate to prevent riders from falling out. Denzel apparently hit his head and fell out of the ride. He was knocked unconscious, and was rushed to the hospital. He continues to remain in a critical condition. There is no information about how Denzel hit his head or fell off.
The indoor amusement park where the accident occurred is the Xscape center at the Lafayette Sq. Mall. The accident comes under the purview of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which is the agency responsible for inspecting amusement park rides. The agency says it should have been notified of the accident with four hours of the accident taking place, but it was not.
Department of Homeland Security officers have already inspected the ride. According to the agency, Xscape did not have a permit for amusement and entertainment activities. Besides, Xscape permits for rides had expired at the end of 2009 and had not been renewed.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is also conducting its own investigation into the accident.
As Indiana injury lawyers see, most amusement park accidents occur because of negligence of owners and operators. The problem in Indiana and across several states is that oversight of these amusement centers can be shaky, and it's not uncommon to find amusement parks going without inspections for years altogether. In the absence of such inspections, safety flaws can continue to exist, undetected and uncorrected. The result can be an accident like the one that injured little Denzel here.
Besides operator negligence, very often ride operators may be at fault for failing to secure rides probably, and failing to inform customers of the right way to enjoy the ride.

It’s always encouraging when you come across a hospital anywhere in the country that has achieved dramatic success in reducing infections. Just two years ago, Mount Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles was battling with a centerline infection rate that was more than double the national average rate for such bloodstream infections. Today, that rate has dropped to zero, thanks to aggressive infection control strategies adopted at the hospital.

Approximately 250,000 people contract deadly central line infections every year. The risk for such infections is especially high in intensive care or surgical care units where healthcare personnel are required to act quickly, leaving ample room for unsanitized and unhygienic practices. The intravenous tubes allow nutrients and drugs to reach patients much faster than traditional IV lines. The flipside to that is that any deadly bacterial infection also spreads into the patient's bloodstream equally fast.

In 2008, Mount Sinai was battling high intravenous tube infection rates. Hospital established a series of measures to control these rates. A special infection control nurse was brought in to help implement these strategies.
• Sterile gowns, caps and other accessories were bundled into a single package to allow easy access to all gear.
• Special carts were introduced to allow nurses and doctors access to catheters and other supplies to set up an intravenous tube line, with minimum fuss.
• The hospital set into place a procedure in which doctors and nurses were required to take a “timeout” to go through a checklist before inserting catheters.
• Mount Sinai also made a switch from common alcohol-based disinfectants to a more effective chlorhexidine-based antiseptic, which has been shown to be much more effective in preventing infections.

The results were very encouraging. Within a few months and by the end of 2008, central line infections at the hospital had dropped to zero.

As Indiana medical malpractice lawyers, we hope more and more hospitals around the country adopt such practices to neutralize the chances of patients developing such dangerous infections.