blog | Lane Brown, LLC

How Brain Injuries Are Caused by Doctors, Hospitals, and Medical Professionals

Although patients trust hospitals and medical professionals to treat them appropriately and take their health seriously, their doctors’ actions may be thrown into question when brain damage results from a procedure or medication. Families who have received the news that a loved one has suffered a serious or permanent brain injury are forced to look for answers, and one of the first questions they ask is, “How did this happen?”

Brain Injuries Can Be a Tragic Consequence of a Medical Error

It’s not easy to think about, but doctors, nurses, and other care professionals sometimes make mistakes that cause brain damage in a patient. While some brain injuries are completely unrelated to medical malpractice, it is possible for a brain injury to arise from a medical error or mistake, such as:

Errors during surgery. Surgery errors can result in brain injuries when doctors make a mistake during the procedure, fail to spot dangerous infections, and accidentally deprive the brain of oxygen.
Anesthesia errors. If anesthesia isn’t handled appropriately, a patient can suffer severe brain damage from even a simple procedure.
Medication mistakes. Prescription errors, inappropriately prescribed medication, a failure to recognize dangerous drug interactions, and other issues could leave doctors or pharmacies liable if brain damage results.
Undiagnosed or misdiagnosed disorders. If strokes, tumors, and other conditions are ignored, misdiagnosed, or not thoroughly diagnosed, the error can lead to a patient suffering what could have been preventable brain damage.
Nursing mistakes. Nurses play an important role in a patient’s health, and a nurse who misses important vital signs, administers the wrong treatments, or makes a mistake in a patient’s records could be responsible for a patient’s brain damage.
Poorly managed respiratory assistance. If a patient’s intubation, oxygen therapy, or other respiratory management fails or is mismanaged, brain damage can result.
Mismanaged birth and delivery. When a doctor makes a mistake during delivery, the newborn infant can suffer brain damage, which might not become apparent until the child is older.

You and Your Family Can Get Help If You’ve Suffered Brain Damage Due to Medical Malpractice

On top of the stress and changes that come with a serious brain injury, families are often left unsure if a doctor or hospital was to blame for a loved one’s injury. If you have questions about your rights, or if you need help finding out the truth about what happened to your loved one, don’t hesitate to contact our Chicago office directly, or request your free copy of our book, What to Do If You Have Been Injured by Your Doctors or Hospital.

You Need Real Evidence to Win Your Truck Accident Case

When someone gets hurt in an accident with a large commercial truck, he or she generally has the right to pursue an injury claim to get financial help with medical bills and other expenses. However, the path to fair resolution of an injury claim isn’t easy, and victims will usually need a great deal of evidence to successfully recover the true costs of an injury.

Why Does Evidence Matter After a Truck Accident?

Truck accident victims are put in the position of “proving” their injuries—and the financial value of their damages—when they file injury claims. To do this, they will need to collect and present relevant evidence. Unfortunately, victims often have trouble obtaining or sorting through potential evidence because:

Evidence disappears quickly after a truck accident
Victims may not know what information they need
Trucking companies and their insurance companies aren’t always playing fair

What Types of Evidence Are Needed for a Victim to “Prove” Injury in a Truck Accident Case?

The evidence you need to win a truck accident case is usually composed of a number of documents, assessments, and opinions, including:

Medical records pertaining to your accident-related injuries
Photos, witness accounts, and the police report from the scene of the accident
Documentation from the trucking company, including the driver’s logbook, loading records, and other information
Evidence of your financial losses, including bills, receipts, records of time away from work, and more

Oftentimes, even if the victim is aware that he or she needs the documentation, much of this evidence can be difficult or seemingly impossible to obtain. This is one of the big reasons that an attorney becomes necessary for the victims of a truck accident—an attorney has the knowledge, skills, and experience to identify and obtain strong evidence that helps prove victims’ injury claims against huge insurance and trucking companies.

Our Chicago Personal Injury Team Offers Fast, Free Help for Truck Accident Victims

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the legal details of an injury claim? It isn’t easy to get the support you need after you’ve been hurt, but there is an easy way to get real, no-obligation help with your questions. Our experienced personal injury law team serves clients in the Chicago area and throughout the state of Illinois, and we offer a completely free case review that will help you get the answers you need about protecting your rights after a truck accident. You can reach a member of our team today by calling our office directly at 312-332-1400, using the Live Chat button, or filling out the contact form on this page.

Large retailers like Walmart go through a lot of merchandise in a day, and stores often have to restock and perform other routine tasks while customers are still in the building, especially when stores are open to customers 24 hours a day. As Walmart employees move pallets and operate equipment in the aisles, the retailer has a legal responsibility make sure that it is done in a way that won’t cause harm to customers. However, accidents and oversights happen even when stores have safety standards in place—and when those accidents happen because the store “messed up,” the victims who get hurt can hold Walmart responsible.

How Merchandise and Equipment Become a Potential Danger to Walmart Shoppers

Walmart and its employees are responsible for the safe operation of forklifts and adherence to standard safety guidelines for moving merchandise, but people are still sometimes injured by:

Accidents with forklifts, floor cleaners, and other equipment. If employees aren’t paying attention, or if something goes wrong during operation, customers can be hurt by the forklifts and other equipment used to move and place merchandise in the store. Customers may be hurt by the equipment itself or by merchandise carried on the equipment.
Falling merchandise. As employees move full pallets around the store or place products on high shelves, shoppers can be hurt by items falling from the forklift, falling from pallets, or sitting precariously.
Unattended pallets and equipment. Pallets that are left in aisles without warning, ladders left leaning against shelving, and unsupervised forklifts or dollies can all create hazards for customers, especially when customers don’t expect to run into obstacles.

Retailers Should Take Reasonable Precautions When Moving Merchandise and Operating Equipment

Stores can take action to keep the premises reasonably safe for customers while merchandise is moved and stocked, and what it really boils down to in most cases is paying attention to:

Store premises. There are a lot of ways that stores take precautions when moving or storing merchandise, which might include adding netting on pallets and shelving, cordoning off aisles where forklifts and floor cleaners are operating, and maintaining regular inspections for potential problems.
Store employees. Walmart should make sure that its merchandising employees and forklift operators are appropriately screened, trained, and supervised to ensure customer safety while the store is restocked.

When Walmart stores ignore these important steps and safety precautions, customers can be seriously hurt—or even killed—during an ordinary shopping trip. However, the law protects people who are hurt in situations caused by store or employee negligence.

Getting Help After You’ve Been Hurt at a Walmart Store

You don’t necessarily have a claim to compensation just because you have been hurt while shopping at or visiting a Walmart store, but the company is known to fight even legitimate claims of injury due to mistakes, recklessness, and other forms of negligence. If you have any questions about your rights, it is wise to seek experienced legal help as soon as possible. It’s not unusual for victims to accidentally wreck their claims or give up their rights before they understand their legal options, but you can take a step to avoid making the same mistakes by reaching out to our Chicago legal team today with your concerns.

Many cases of child sexual abuse go unreported by the children and families affected, but we do know from the many cases that are reported each year that sexual abuse sometimes happens in familiar places where parents trust other adults to care for their children. This might include:

Hospitals
Schools
Daycares
Churches
Youth organizations
Sports activities

Although the first reaction from parents may be to blame themselves for failing to spot the potential for abuse, the truth is that the sexual abuse of children is difficult to predict, and it’s not as easy to spot an abuser as many people believe.

Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse May Not Fit Your Idea of an Abuser

Studies have shown that people who sexually abuse children can come from many walks of life, and they may not always fit the most popular ideas of what a sexual predator is like. Oftentimes, abusers seem “normal,” kind, or friendly, and it can be a shock to an entire community when allegations arise. The abusers named in child sex abuse cases often occupy a care-oriented position, such as doctor, priest, or coach, and ultimately, many adults are more inclined to believe other adults.

Your child deserves justice after suffering the traumatic experience of sexual abuse, and an attorney who has experience handling these kinds of difficult and sensitive cases can help you fight for the best for your family. Whether you just have a few initial questions or are ready to take action, our Chicago legal team is ready to treat you with the care and compassion you deserve. To learn more, simply call our office directly, or fill out the confidential contact form on this page.

Right now, you are in pain. Your back hurts, you may feel numbness or tingling in your arms or legs, it may be hard to stand or walk, or you may lose control of your bladder or bowel. Any of these herniated-disc symptoms can interfere with your daily life. They can keep you from working, from caring for your family, or from doing the activities that you enjoy.

But You Can Get Better

Medical treatment is unique for each patient and should be decided upon by your doctor. In general, treatment options for a herniated disc may include one or all of the following:

Pain medications
Physical therapy
Rest
Surgery

It is important to follow the treatment plan suggested by your doctor to avoid further pain and complications.

That Is Only Part of Your Recovery

While your doctor addresses your physical recovery, you may also be concerned with your financial recovery. You may be worried about your medical bills and about the bills that you aren’t able to pay while you are out of work. It can be difficult to recover from these potential financial setbacks on your own.

However, if your car accident and resulting herniated disc injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to obtain compensation for your medical costs, lost work, and more. Please take some time to read our FREE book, The 8 Steps to Follow After Your Illinois Car Accident, or start a live chat with us today to find out more about your rights and about how a lawyer can help you get the financial compensation that you deserve.

You can see how badly your child is suffering emotionally, but could there be another risk that you can’t see that could affect his health now and in the future? If your child has been sexually abused, you need to consider the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

It Is a Risk Every Time a Child Is Sexually Abused

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that testing children for STDs after sexual abuse should occur if:

The parent requests testing.
Another child in the house tests positive for a STD.
There is evidence of genital, oral, or anal penetration.
There is evidence of ejaculation.
The person who committed the sexual abuse is known to have an STD or is at high risk of having a STD.
The child has symptoms of a STD.

All decisions regarding testing should be made on an individual basis, and all testing should be done in such a way as to minimize pain and trauma for the child being tested.

What If the Test Is Positive?

A positive test may be devastating, but it is better to know about your child’s condition so that it can be treated. Talk to your child’s doctor about the best way to treat the disease, and learn more about your child’s rights. Your child may be able to recover damages for the significant effects of the abuse he endured. To learn more about protecting your child in this difficult situation, please fill out our online contact form to schedule a free and confidential meeting with an experienced child sex abuse lawyer.