Illinois asbestos exposure attorneys have helped to ensure compensation for thousands of victims of asbestos-related illnesses, yet negligent companies continue to commit serious asbestos violations. Now a Cicero company is being forced to pay more than $1 million in fines for failing to protect its workers from asbestos exposure. This is another disturbing example of a …
Federal Regulators Halt Manufacturing at Two Wisconsin Drug Companies Blamed for Serious Injuries and Deaths
Federal officials are taking legal action against a drug manufacturer and distributor that exposed consumers to potentially life-threatening bacteria. Triad Group Inc. and H &P Industries of Hartland, Wisconsin, are accused of violating federal safety standards by distributing contaminated medical products. The companies are owned and operated by the same entity and have a history …
Federal Health Act Victimizes Innocent Patients Harmed by Medical Malpractice
Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm said today that federal legislation involving non-economic damage caps violates the legal rights of patients who have been injured by medical negligence. The HEALTH Act of 2011, or H.R.5, further victimizes those who have been injured by inadequate medical care by limiting the amount of recovery …
Summer Construction Season Creates High Risk for Auto Accidents
Increased highway and road construction work this summer is creating dangerous conditions for drivers. Our car accident attorneys are seeing a rise in construction zone cases involving improperly marked roads or negligently maintained highways. With the government pouring billions of dollars into roadway construction projects nationwide, drivers are being forced to deal with hazardous road conditions When …
High School Football Star Loses His Life to Mesothelioma Disease
The recent mesothelioma death of 18-year-old Pasadena High School student Austin Lacy proves that this aggressive cancer is affecting people of all ages. Although mesothelioma is typically found in adults over the age of 50, a growing number of young people are being diagnosed. Sadly, people who are diagnosed with asbestos-related mesothelioma have a life …
More New York Firefighters Taking Disability Retirements in the Wake of 9/11 Asbestos Exposure
A new study reveals that New York firefighters exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos on September 11, 2001 are starting to show signs of terminal asbestos-related illnesses. The online American Journal of Industrial Medicine report found a surprising increase in the number of New York firefighters taking accidental disability retirements in the wake of the …
Medicaid Refuses to Pay for Serious Medical Mistakes Caused by Negligent Doctors
It is an unfortunate reality in our nation’s healthcare system that preventable medical errors kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Our Illinois medical malpractice attorneys have seen far too many innocent patients suffer the devastating consequences of medical mistakes caused by negligent hospital employees. Now federal officials are stepping in to try and reduce the …
New Research on Epilepsy Drugs and Birth Defects
Epilepsy drugs have long been linked to an increase risk of birth defects when ingested during the first trimester of pregnancy. Late last year a study revealed that Tegretol increases the risk of spina bifida, which causes severe brain injuries, learning disabilities and retardation. Another study found that Depakote was twice as likely to cause …
Diuretics Increase Risk of Nursing Home Falls
Falls are a leading cause of injury for nursing home residents, and the consequences can be life-threatening. Many elderly residents are prone to serious fall-related complications, including broken bones, bruises, and brain injury. Even a fear of falling can harm a residents quality of life, causing them to limit their mobility and lose muscle tone …
Avandia Pulled From Pharmacy Shelves Nationwide
Thousands of patients have already suffered the adverse effects of Avandia, a popular diabetes drug that poses a serious heart attack risk. Now the federal government is finally stepping in, with an announcement that it will pull Avandia from retail pharmacy store shelves beginning November 18. The drug will be available only through a special …
Nursing Homes Force Feeding Tubes on Elderly Dementia Patients
The decision to allow the insertion of a feeding tube is one of the toughest decisions that families of elderly nursing home residents have to face. Seniors with advanced dementia eventually develop problems eating and swallowing as their disease progresses, and they are unable to speak for themselves. Family members are left struggling with the …
Nursing Home Residents Given Drugs That Nearly Doubled Their Risk of Death
Medication errors are an unfortunate reality of our healthcare system, as far too many nursing homes are understaffed and ill prepared to meet resident’s needs. These errors not only threaten the health and safety of vulnerable elderly residents, they also cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The New York Times Old Age Blog revealed a shocking new report …
FDA Orders Artificial Hip Makers to Study More Data
The dangers associated with metal-on-metal hip implant devices have already prompted thousands of lawsuits in Illinois and across the country. Now regulators are taking a closer look, ordering implant makers to further study the safety of their devices. Remember that a defective medical device lawyer from our firm can help you with your case if …
Nursing Homes Seek Health Care Law Exemption
Many nursing home employees who provide critical care for our nation’s seniors lack adequate, affordable health care of their own. According to recent estimates, one in four nursing home employees do not have health care coverage. The new health care law is supposed to fix the problem. Beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable …
Medical Errors Harm Patients…and Their Pocketbooks
The unfortunate reality of our healthcare system is that hospitals designed to help patients often end up causing them even more pain. Each year, preventable medical mistakes contribute to nearly 190,000 deaths and more than 6 million injuries. Among the most common mistakes are procedures performed on the wrong body part, hospital-acquired infections, and medication …
White House Takes Action to Reduce Medical Mistakes
For millions of patients and their families, the current health care system is woefully inadequate. Patients that rely on hospitals to treat them in their time of need are often further victimized by medical errors, injuries, and complications that are preventable. Some hospitals have attempted to improve patient care by adopting new safety strategies such …
Medical Errors Often Undetected
After more than a decade of efforts to improve the quality of patient care in our nation’s hospitals, the problem continues to persist. And the problem may be even bigger than we realize. A study in this month’s journal Health Affairs found that the number of adverse events occurring in hospitals may be 10 times larger than …
High-Risk Medical Devices Sold Without Proof of Safety
The safety of certain medical devices, such as pacemakers and heart valves, is under serious scrutiny. These high-risk devices may lead to serious injury or death in patients, and government investigators found that lax review by the Food and Drug Administration is putting the publics health even more at risk. The Government Accountability Office recently …
Heartburn Drug Warning
Every day, millions of Americans suffer from acid reflux and the troublesome symptoms it brings, including frequent heartburn, chest pain, and coughing. Many of them turn to acid-suppressing drugs like Prilosec and Prevacid for relief. But a new safety warning by the FDA is causing doctors to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of these popular …
Silence among Health-Care Workers Puts Patients at Risk
It is well-established that preventable medical errors are far too common and prove fatal to hundreds of thousands of patients each year. Although it is encouraging that some hospitals have taken preventative steps such as patient checklists or automated medication dispensing systems, a new study shows that poor communication among nurses still contributes to a …