The Injury Lawyer Blog

Police were investigating a child abuse complaint in a Maryland home when they stumbled upon the frozen remains of two girls. Their adoptive mother claims that the girls have been the freezer for at least 7 months. They were 9 and 11 years old.

Police came to the house following up on a case regarding a 7-year-old runaway. She had been found roaming the neighborhood in a blood-and-feces-soaked shirt. She had several injuries
and was very hungry.

The mother is currently being charged with first-degree child abuse in the case of the 7-year-old-girl. Pending an autopsy of the two frozen girls, she may face homicide charges as well.

A neighbor found the young girl on the street. When he asked if she was OK, she told him that her mother "beats me to death all the time." The girl had escaped from her house by jumping out of a second floor window. Her mother had recently beaten her with a shoe. She had sores and lesions on her buttocks and thighs, bruises on her hands and lips, and strangulation marks around her neck, most likely caused some type of rope.

If you know someone who has been a victim of child abuse in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, please contact the experienced attorneys at Stipe & Belote, LLP today.

A Woodstock, Illinois nursing home has been the subject of scandal and controversy. The nursing home is being investigated for six suspicious deaths occurring in 2006.

Two former employees may face criminal charges for the deaths. The primary charge they are facing is neglect.

The investigation has revealed that a former nurse administered "medication cocktails" to patients whom she believed had lived long enough or who were simply too difficult to take care of. These cocktails resulted in the deaths of several residents. At the moment, the identity of the nurse involved is still a secret.

Currently, the state of care provided to our country's elderly is in complete disarray. A recent study has found that over 90% of the nation's nursing homes are guilty of some form of abuse or neglect.

While there certainly are reprehensible examples of abuse such as the one mentioned above, the vast majority are the result of understaffing issues. Most of the nursing home abuse and neglect issues in our country stem from the fact that many facilities simply don't have an adequate staff to properly care for their residents.

The rampant abuse found in nursing homes today must be dealt with in a serious manner. If you have a family member who has been a victim of such abuse, you must seek the help of a lawyer experienced in dealing with nursing home abuse and neglect cases. The only way we are going to ensure that our elderly receive the level of care that they deserve is by holding nursing homes legally accountable for their actions.

If you have a relative who is suffering from nursing home abuse and neglect in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the law offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. today for an initial consultation.

Cephalon, Inc., a major drug manufacturing company in the United States, settled a lawsuit in which they were charged with "off-label" marketing of their pharmaceuticals. "Off-label" marketing refers to the practice of marketing a drug for a use other than what it received FDA approval for.

Cephalon will pay $425 million to the federal government for their transgressions. They will also be responsible for paying $12 million in interest, $6.15 million to the state of Connecticut and $700,000 to the state of Massachusetts to cover the cost of investigations into these allegations.

The pharmaceutical company marketed three drugs for uses that they were not approved for. They marketed Actiq, a very addictive narcotic substance only approved for cancer patients, for migraines. They also marketed Gabitril, a drug used to treat epilepsy, for anxiety, insomnia, and pain. The third drug, Provigil, is a narcolepsy drug. Cephalon marketed this drug for fatigue.

While doctors can legally prescribe drugs for uses other than what the FDA has approved, it is illegal for pharmaceutical companies to market their products in such a way.

If you think that you have a product liability case and you live in the Houston, Texas area, please contact the law offices of Kennedy Hodges, L.L.P. today for an initial consultation. Their experienced staff can help ensure that you receive fair compensation for your damages.

A federal report issued earlier this week declared that over 90% of nursing homes across the country were cited with violations of federal health and safety codes in 2007. According to the report, for-profit homes were the worst offenders, racking up more violations than their non-profit counterparts.

Daniel R. Levinson, inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that 17% of nursing homes had deficiencies that harmed patients or put them in "immediate jeopardy." Some of the most commonly cited violations included bedsores, medication mix-ups, malnutrition, and abuse and neglect of patients.

The inspector general's report indicated that 94% of for-profit nursing homes were cited for violations, while 88% of nonprofit homes and 91% of government homes received citations. For-profit nursing homes also had the highest average number of violations per home.

The proportion of nursing homes cited for deficiency violations varied from state to state. Rhode Island registered the lowest percentage of homes cited for violations (76%) while in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia, 100% of the nursing homes had major violations.

Clearly, our country's nursing homes are not adequately serving our elderly. Levinson claims that many homes fail to provide proper care due to understaffing issues. Most of the homes that were evaluated as providing better care had higher staff/patient ratios.

If you have a family member who has been a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, you have rights. It is important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer to make sure that your relative is fairly compensated for any wrongdoings and damages committed by the nursing home.

If your loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, please contact the law offices of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel P.C. today for an initial consultation.

A Maryland doctor has been sued for surgical complications resulting in a severe rectal blockage. Ronald Watkins, a 64-year-old from West Virginia, has claimed that as a result of his doctor's botched surgery, he now suffers from permanent bowel issues.

Watkins insists that his doctor stapled his buttocks shut during a surgical procedure. The doctor's attorney has argued that Watkins' buttocks weren't actually stapled shut. He claims that in reality, Watkins' bowels became extremely swollen after the surgery, causing them to, in effect, shut tight. He has also argued that Watkins' heavy smoking habit, generally upwards of two packs a day, severely contributed to this bowel issue.

As a result of the incident, Watkins is plagued by a regular "rectal discharge," forcing him to wipe approximately 12 to 15 times daily. Watkins has undergone four subsequent surgeries to correct the issue, each of which his attorney argues was completely unnecessary.

The jury has yet to decide this case, so at the moment, it is still uncertain whether or not the doctor did in fact staple Watkins' buttocks shut. Furthermore, it is unclear why the doctor would do such a thing in the first place. However, the one certainty in this case is that Watkins was unable to pass a bowel movement for 17 days at one point.

If you have a medical malpractice claim and live near West Palm Beach, Florida, please contact the law offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. today for an initial consultation.

In Kentucky, a man has sued his doctor for malpractice due to a botched circumcision. The 61 year old man went in for a routine circumcision to treat an inflammation in his penis. When he awoke from the anesthesia, he found that the doctor had amputated his penis.

The man and his wife are suing the doctor for "loss of service, love, and affection." They are also seeking punitive damages from the doctor and his practice. The anesthesiologist has been sued as well, on the grounds that he administered a general anesthesia despite the man's request to the contrary.

The doctor's post-surgical notes indicated that he detected cancer in the man's penis and therefore decided to amputate. The man's attorney confirmed that tests did in fact discover cancer in the man's penis, but insisted that it wasn't an emergency situation. It was unnecessary for the doctor to amputate the man's penis without consulting him first.

This law suit is reminiscent of a 1997 case in Indianapolis, where a man received $2.3 million in damages after a doctor removed his penis and left testicle without consent. Based on this precedent, it is likely that the Kentucky man may be awarded a generous settlement for his loss and distress.

If you have a medical malpractice case and live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, contact the law offices of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. today for an initial consultation.

Dog bites happen all the time. They can be very serious injuries, causing major infections, psychological trauma, and scarring that can leave you disfigured. Any dog can bite any person at any time. Even dogs with the friendliest dispositions have the potential to bite or attack a human if they feel threatened.

It is important to take some common sense precautions when around a dog to prevent a needless attack. It is smart to exercise caution around dogs you know as well as unfamiliar dogs.

Always ask the owner's permission before trying to pet a dog. Never get in a dog's face or approach it in a threatening manner. Before petting the dog, offer it your hand to sniff so it knows that you are not a threat. Make sure you show the dog the back of your hand so that if it does attack, your fingers are protected.

Don't ever try to pet a dog that is eating or sleeping. Dogs generally don't want to be bothered in these situations. Exercise extra care when you are in the presence of a mother dog and her puppies. Mothers tend to be very protective of their pups, and might feel more inclined to bite if they think their puppies are threatened in some way.

When you are around strange dogs, it is even more important to exercise these precautions. If you get the feeling that a dog might be vicious, be extra careful. Always make certain that the dog is in fact friendly before you approach it. Never stare a strange dog in the eyes, and don't back away from it.

If your children are in the presence of strange dogs, make sure you are there to supervise the interaction and advise your child as to the proper way to interact with a strange dog.

If you are attacked by a dog, you have rights. While the laws regarding dog bites vary from state to state, most states recognize the owner's liability in the cases of a bite. This is especially true if the owner knows that his dog has a history of attacking people.

Generally, even if the dog has never bitten a person before, the owner will be found liable. It is the owner's responsibility to monitor his dog to ensure that it doesn't harm another person.

It is possible to be injured by a dog in other ways than bites. Some dogs will attack with their claws or knock people over as well. In these situations, you frequently can collect damages from the owner.

If you or your child is bitten by a dog, you should take the following actions. Make sure you identify the dog and the dog's owner. Find out whether the dog has rabies. If it does, you will need to receive medical attention and shots immediately.

Don't argue with the dog's owner. Even if the owner seems shocked that his dog would attack another person, arguing with him over the fact won't resolve anything. Do not sign any written statements about the incident without a lawyer being present. Frequently, the dog owner or his insurance company will try to get you to make a written statement about the incident. Such a statement can potentially reduce the owner's liability and prevent you from collecting the damages you are rightfully owed.

Find a police officer and have him fill out a police report. This will help to provide documentation of the incident in case you need to sue the owner. Go to a doctor immediately to treat your wounds. If you wait to see a doctor, you run the risk of a serious infection or more permanent scarring.

Consult a personal injury lawyer. He can advise you on the proper course of action so that you recover damages you are rightfully owed. Also, a lawyer will help protect your interests and make sure that an insurance company doesn't offer you an unfairly low settlement. Hiring a lawyer will help ensure that you receive the best possible settlement for your injuries.

If you or your child has been the victim of a dog bite in the Chicago, Illinois area, please contact the law offices of Harvey L. Walner & Associates, Ltd. today for an initial consultation.