Blog
A Closer Look at the Ride-Sharing Services Controversy in Chicago and Illinois
In recent years, the regulation of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft has become a controversial topic in major metropolitan areas, including Chicago. On the one hand, many argue that regulation stifles these innovative alternatives to traditional taxi and limo companies – or else eliminates their ability to operate…
Be Alert to the Signs of Nursing Home Trust Fund Abuse
Nursing home staff and administrators are tasked with every aspect of residents’ lives, from ensuring they receive their medicines on schedule to managing their personal finances. Because elderly residents are so dependent on others for their care, they are vulnerable to abuse, including financial abuse. A recent article in USA…
Claims for Negligent Entrustment of a Vehicle
In all lawsuits involving motor vehicle accidents, our attention as lawyers is naturally directed towards the conduct of the drivers themselves. However, is it possible that someone who wasn’t driving the vehicle, or even physically present at the time of the accident, could also be liable for it? The answer…
Rare Encephalitis Commonly Misdiagnosed as Mental Illness
If you began having hallucinations, paranoia, and seizures, you might think you were going crazy, and the people around you might think the same thing. But in some rare cases these symptoms are a sign of a form of brain inflammation known as anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis. For one 24-year-old woman, the…
Who is Responsible for Medical Error Prevention?
When a patient is injured or even dies from a medical error, who should have prevented the error? The obvious answer is the medical staff that committed it. But some think patients themselves should play a more active role in accident prevention. Though some advocate the responsibility should rest squarely…
Knowledge of Common Medical Mistakes Is Crucial Patient Information
CNN recently reported that medical errors by doctors, nurses and hospitals kill more than a quarter million people each year in the United States and injure hundreds of thousands. If these deaths were included in the Centers for Disease Control statistics, medical negligence would surpass diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and accidents…
Hospital Treatment And Life-Altering Delirium in Our Elderly Patients
One of the most dangerous, permanent, and costly complications of hospital stays for the elderly is delirium which, studies show, is exacerbated by the way hospitals treat their patients. Delirium, characterized by sudden and profound confusion, impacts nearly 20 percent of elderly hospital patients and can lead to lifelong brain…
Online Illinois Medical Malpractice Database a Big Hit
Despite fierce opposition by doctors and the Illinois Medical Association, online physician profiles were placed online in October 2011. The site has proved to be a success, receiving about 785,000 hits within the first month. The online profiles contain information on past disciplinary actions, malpractice suits, and criminal and misdemeanor…
Report Finds Chicago’s Hartgrove Hospital Puts Psychiatric Patients in Danger
A report by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) has criticized Hartgrove Hospital for a pattern of physical and sexual abuse at the psychiatric facility, reports the Chicago Tribune. The six-month investigation of the 150-bed facility found that many teen and child patients feared for their safety….
Doctor-Patient Relationship Determines Physician’s Responsibility
Sometimes, there are potential cases where the plaintiff is injured in an auto accident by a driver undergoing medical treatment. People often wonder if the patient’s doctor can be sued for failing to restrict the patient’s driving. Assuming that the patient’s driving should have been restricted (a major assumption), the…
