Chicago IL | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

A New Way to Get Around Town

June 20, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Over the weekend, the city of Chicago launched a pilot program of electronic scooters to see if they serve as a viable means of transportation for Chicago residents. More than 2,500 scooters through 10 different companies – including Bird, Bolt, Lyft, and Spin – are part of the program. The four month pilot program launched on Saturday the south west side.

Electric scooters push scooters with electric motors, allowing riders to stand upright while controlling the speed using a throttle and brakes. Rather than paying for an Uber or Lyft, the electric scooter could provide a new way for commuters to get to and from work, among various different locations.

Overseeing the program is the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection and the Chicago Department of Transportation. They hope to keep e-scooters out of the Loop and away from traffic. Just as the city has biking lines, scooter rides are suppose to ride in these lanes, as well.

On the first day of the pilot program, 10 companies reported surpassing 1,200 rides.

Areas the e-scooter perimeter is between Irving Park Road on the north, city limits and Harlem on the west, the Chicago River and Halsted Street on the east, and the river on the south.

If a rider tries to bring the scooter downtown, it will actually slow down and eventually shut down according to co-founder of VeoRide, Candice Xie.

The rider is required to provide a photo of the scooter properly parked before ending their fare.

The trial run continues now through October 15. The city of Chicago will then asses feedback before making a decision whether this option would be good for residents of Chicago.

Semi-Truck Crashes Hauling 40,000 Pounds of Bees

June 18, 2019/in Uncategorized/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – A semi-truck was traveling from California to North Dakota when it crashed in a rural intersection in Bozeman, Montana, carrying 40,000 pounds of bees. No humans were hurt during the crash.

When the Hyalite fire department arrived on the scene, the driver and the passenger were already out of the truck. When inspecting the truck, they noticed only an oil leak.

Fortunately, most of the semi-truck’s load was kept in-tact; in fact, only a quarter of the 40,000 pound of bees actually escaped. The trucks load of 40,000 pounds of bees is equal to roughly 133 million bees. Hyalite fire department said there was no immediate threat to the public.

Tractor-trailers and semi-trucks weigh several tons and travel at very high speeds. Please remember to keep your distance when passing a semi-truck and you are passing on the left side of the truck – truck drivers cannot see you from the right side of their vehicle. If you or someone you know has recently been a victim of a trucking or car accident, please call Dinizulu Law Group at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website at www.dinizululawgroup.com. Due to the statue of limitations, we must start on your case right away.

Illinois Nursing Homes Ranked 3rd Worst in Country

June 17, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

Each nursing home is different than the next in terms of how patients are treated and being taken care of. Some nursing homes provide clients with excellent care following guidelines and procedures while another may be suffering a staff shortage, and employees may have to overcompensate by caring for more patients than they are able to handle resulting below quality care. A recent report from a non-profit advocacy group ranked Illinois as the 3^rd worst state in the country for nursing home quality.

Families for Better Care gave Illinois an “F” for the quality of its nursing homes (Chicago Tribune). Ratings include Washington D.C. in which Illinois was ranked 49^th in the country, only above North Carolina and Texas.

Nursing home residents in Illinois receive an average of only 1.6 hours of professional nursing care a day. Residents also receive roughly 2.2 hours of direct care that relates to daily needs such as going to the bathroom, help getting dressed, getting out of bed, and being turned to avoid bedsores. Nearly 97 percent of nursing homes in Illinois have had federal deficiencies or citations; moreover, 28 percent have severe federal deficiencies.

Although Medicaid is a state and federally funded insurance program, many Illinois nursing homes are challenged by low payments by it. Nationwide, Medicaid covers upwards of 60 percent of nursing home residents according to the Kaiser Family Foundation report (2017). The report states the typical cost of nursing home care is $82,000 annually. The state’s Medicaid reimbursement pay is about $35 less per resident than what the actual cost of caring for the resident is.

Illinois recently adopted a new-found budget that includes $240 million for Medicaid funding for nursing homes, $70 million which specifically is for staffing. Nursing homes that fail to meet staffing requirements will now face a financial penalty. Nursing homes that violate the requirement will have to post notices explaining themselves which is to be posted in each publicly used doorway into the facility, in the main lobby, next to the registration desk, and on their website.

Illinois law requires nursing homes to provide 3.8 hours of nursing and personal care per day for residents that need skilled care, and 2.5 hours for residents needing intermediate level care.

The top states for nursing homes are Hawaii, Delaware, and Alaska according to the Families for Better Care report. You can check out how the federal government rates individual nursing homes here. If you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, please call Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at (312) 384-1920. Due to the statue of limitations, we will have to begin working on your case right away.

Chicago Nursing Home Facing Allegations of Nursing Home Neglect

June 6, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Mayfield Care Center, a nursing home in Chicago, is facing allegations of nursing home neglect. Due to a staff shortage, residents have been left neglected and been living in poor living conditions.

According to CBS, Stan McKinney and his sister Geraldine believe Mayfield Care Center contributed to the death of their mother, Dorothy. This isn’t the first time Mayfield Care Center has been put into question. Stan McKinney recalled the times he would visit his mother and stated, “It was just the smell of death. It was gross neglect. I’ve gone when she was just on a mattress. There was no linen.”

Geraldine McKinney witnessed on multiple different occasions her mother being nude walking around on the floor she resided on. The McKinney’s wrote letters to Mayfield’s managers detailing what they witnessed and the neglect their mother was receiving. Dorothy McKinney passed away in 2017 from a staph infection after being neglected and suffering from severe bed sores.

Staff shortage has caused employees to be responsible for 40 residents, sometimes up to 70 leading to residents receiving improper care and neglect.

Mayfield Care Center has been sued nearly 50 times with most cases ending in settlements. According to the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations, Mayfield has been cited for insufficient nursing staff and has been investigated for several complaints but cited for none.

Studies conducted by the National Council on Aging estimate every 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some form of elder abuse. There is 1-2 million cases of elder abuse per year; only 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported to authorities.

Elder abuse includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect and abandonment. The National Council of Aging (2018) suggested the most common warning signs of elder abuse, (but are not limited to):

Physical abuse: bruises, broken bones, abrasions, burns
Emotional abuse: unusual depression, strained relationships, withdrawal from normal activity, sudden change in alertness
Financial abuse and exploitation: sudden changes in financial situation
Neglect: bedsores, weight loss, poor hygiene, unattended medical needs
Verbal abuse: threats, use of power to control individuals

If you suspect a loved one is suffering from elder abuse in a nursing home or other long-term care facility, please contact Dinizulu Law Group immediately. We take allegations very seriously, and will work diligently until your case is resolved and your loved one is out of harm’s way. Please call us at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for more information.

Nursing Home Neglect: “Granny Cams” in Long-Term Facilities

May 30, 2019/in Blog, Elder abuse/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Nursing home abuse is a serious issue that as many as 10 percent of seniors reported experiencing according to the National Center on Elder Abuse. As staff members work longer hours and are understaffed, stressful situations arise and begin to take a toll on nursing home staff often leading to neglecting or even abusing patients.

Having the ability to monitor your loved ones gives family members a peace-of-mind and allows the ability to keep an eye on caregivers; in addition, it can be helpful for family members to observe if caregivers are using improper techniques that may injure a patient or serve as evidence if abuse is found.

As more states are beginning to pass legislation to govern the use of cameras in long-term care facilities, otherwise known as “granny cams,” it is important to note there can be requirements when using the camera. Louisiana is the last state to pass this legislation preceding Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington, if both the resident and roommate have consented. Each state law differs from the next addressing concerns of consent, notice requirements, assumption of costs, penalties for obstructing or tampering with the camera, and access to recordings.

Some nursing homes may have requirements due to the language in their admission contracts. For example, Utah permits cameras in assisted living facilities while New Jersey doesn’t have a law specifically allowing the use of recording cameras; however, has a program that lends cameras to families who suspect abuse or neglect.

If you suspect abuse or neglect, get help immediately. If your state does not have a law or rules regarding the use of cameras in long-term care facilities, or if you have questions about their use, you should consult an attorney to discuss your rights and options.

Nursing home neglect, nursing home abuse, Chicago

How Payroll Records Can Help Prevent Nursing Home Neglect

March 1, 2019/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now doing more to crack down on understaffing in nursing homes. By passing a payroll records submission requirement for nursing homes that went into effect in April of last year, CMS now has a better method to judge which facilities are truly understaffed. Prior to this rule, CMS simply asked nursing homes to check a box when asked about their staffing levels.

By requesting payroll records, CMS is forcing nursing homes to provide evidence-based documentation to show staffing levels. CMS has a rule that requires nursing homes to have a registered nurse on site for at least eight hours every day. When these payroll records were analyzed, there were serious gaps in skilled nursing facility staffing in comparison with what was reported in previous years. As a result of their findings, CMS hit almost 1,400 facilities with one-star ratings for staffing coverage. Ratings for nursing homes you may be considering can be found at Nursing Home Compare.

There is a direct link between understaffing and the quality of care residents receive at a nursing home. Nursing home neglect is often found in understaffed facilities. While this new directive instructs inspectors to more thoroughly evaluate staffing at facilities CMS flags, the quality of care at many facilities won’t change overnight, nor will there be a flurry of unannounced inspections. Instead, Medicare wants heightened focus on nursing homes from inspectors when they come in for their routine reviews, which are scheduled roughly once a year for most facilities.

If you or your loved one is suffering in a nursing home, today you don’t need to wait for CMS to act. If your mom or dad is at an understaffed nursing home that didn’t properly care for your loved one and caused them injury, know that there are options for you and your family. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. can represent you and help you collect full and fair compensation from those who have harmed your loved one. Our verdicts and settlements have helped many get the needed medical treatment and arrive at a place of relief and stability. Our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys are here to help. Contact us at 1(312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW.

Chicago Truck accident by overloaded cargo

Truck Freight Tonnage Highest in 2018 – What It Means for Highway Safety & Truck Accidents

February 11, 2019/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

In 2018, the amount of cargo carried by the for-hire trucking industry rose 6.6 percent from 2017. This gain is the largest year-by-gain in freight tonnage since 1998.

As the trucking industry continues to transport larger loads of cargo, it is important to be mindful of the safety standards that come into play. Because a heavier and larger vehicle will take longer to stop, it is important that truck drivers and the trucking industry are properly following these rules put in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules are:

Cargo loads must be properly secured following the respective industry standards.

A cargo load must not exceed the weight requirements for the particular truck the cargo is being loaded onto.

The truck driver, as a part of his shift, is required to inspect the cargo load, and make sure it’s securely loaded prior to driving that truck. Remember, truck drivers are required to undergo cargo safety training as part of their truck driver training in order to obtain a CDL license.

That being said, many trucking companies choose to bypass regulations for personal gain. These companies may take on more deliveries than they can safely complete. Or they may overload a truck beyond its maximum weight capacity.

When the trucking industry engages in such reckless practices, they are endangering the lives of their employees as well as everyone who shares the roads with trucks. When these companies make deliberate choices that compromise the safety of their truck drivers and others on the roadways, these companies must be held accountable before the law.

Imagine not being able to work or send your child to college due to an accident injury that’s caused by someone else’s negligence. No one who has suffered harm through no fault of their own should have to go through this. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys are here for you. Contact us at 1 (312) 384-1920, or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or by email for more information. With over 50 years of combined experience, we will fight for your full and fair compensation.

prescription-medicine_nursing home abuse

Sedating Residents Suffering From Dementia is Nursing Home Abuse

February 4, 2019/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

A study by the Human Right Watch finds that 179,000 nursing home residents are being given antipsychotic drugs, even though these residents don’t have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other serious mental illness these drugs are designed to treat.

What’s troubling is that these drugs are being given to residents with dementia. These antipsychotic medications come with a black box warning from the FDA, specifically stating these drugs shouldn’t be given to dementia patients. This black box warning is because antipsychotic drugs have been shown to increase the risk of death in patients with dementia.

Yet this is exactly the type of residents nursing homes are targeting with these medications. Almost 300,000 nursing home residents get these drugs. Rather than taking proper measures, such as investing in training programs, developing care plans that address behavior linked with dementia, or hiring staff qualified to work with dementia patients, many nursing homes are instead sedating patients to make them docile. In understaffed nursing homes, this practice is even more common.

Such nursing homes are essentially willing to play dice with their residents’ lives rather than providing quality care and hiring adequate staff. Undermining the entire service of their profession—which is to care for their residents—such nursing home are succumbing to awful practices to essentially control their residents.

If you or your loved one in a nursing home is injured due to a medication you believe was unnecessary or wrongfully given, know that there are options for you. Our Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys have helped over thousands of wronged victims get the justice they deserve. With over 50 years of combined experience, our verdicts and settlements have reached have helped many get peace of mind and arrive at a place of security. Call the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW to schedule a free, initial consultation.

Will Medicare’s New Payment System Prevent Nursing Home Neglect?

January 25, 2019/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

In 2016, nearly 11 percent of nursing home residents were sent to hospitals for conditions that might have been averted with better medical and staff oversight. This fiscal year, which runs October 2018 to September 2019, Medicare will implement a new system of accountability for nursing homes. To avoid hospital re-admissions of nursing home patients, medical will switch to a system of bonuses and penalties.

Through this fiscal year, the best-performing homes will receive 1.6 percent more for each Medicare patient than they would have otherwise. The worst-performing homes will lose nearly 2 percent of each payment. This move is intended to target nursing homes’ bottom lines.

Shifting financial incentives from the number of patients they house to the quality of care, Medicare is able to expand on its efforts to improve nursing homes.

Most nursing homes are for-profit and operate primarily on a basis of financial incentives. Therefore, it’s not uncommon to see nursing homes understaff their facilities and not provide care givers with the necessary tools and training to do their jobs.

The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. praises Medicare’s efforts to hold under-performing nursing homes accountable. We hope this strategy is successful in improving care for our elderly loved ones.

However, at the same time, we also need to address what will happen once under-performing facilities receive further budget cuts. After further Medicare cuts, will such facilities be even less motivated to hire or train adequate staff? And thus, will residents’ care in such facilities worsen?

While we won’t know these answers until we see the full effects of this Medicare policy, know that you can do something today if you or your loved one is suffering harm in a nursing home. There are legal options available right now that will hold the wrongful facility accountable and get the needed care for mom or dad. Schedule your free, initial consultation with the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. today. Our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience that we put to the test everyday fighting for injured victims. Contact us at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or by email.

FMCSA Exempts Truckers From California Meal & Rest Break Rule

January 21, 2019/in Blog, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

In 2011, California passed a law requiring truck companies to provide their truck driving employees a “duty-free” 30-minute meal break for drivers who worked more than five hours a day, as well as a second “duty-free” 30-minute meal break for drivers who worked more than 10 hours a day.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) just recently on Dec. 21, 2018 announced that California’s meal-and-rest break rules are preempted by federal hours-of-service regulations. The push for this ruling came from the American Trucking Association (ATA), a lobbyist group that represents the interest of trucking companies.

By attacking this regulation, the ATA wants to prevent similar measures from being enacted across other states. Asking for a meal break for truck drivers in not an unreasonable request. As workers, most of us are guaranteed meal breaks due to federal, state, and local labor laws. It’s only fair that truck drivers also have this right.

Not only does this rule create a better working environment for truck drivers, but it ensures safer driving on our highways. Due to the long hours they work, most truck drivers are forced to eat while driving. As their focus shifts off driving, crashes become more likely. An FMCSA study found that distracted driving was the leading factor in crashes. The study found that nearly 80 percent of crashes involved some form of distracted driving in the 3 seconds before the crash.

Distracted truck drivers cause injuries to themselves as well as to those who share the roads with them. When the trucking industry pushes for these types of rulings, they are showing zero concerns for their employees, the truck drivers, who may face life-threatening injuries as a result of these policies.

But you should know that you have options if you or your loved one was injured by a distracted truck driver. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. has helped thousands of families arrive at a place of security and stability. The verdicts & settlements our Chicago truck accident attorneys have achieved on behalf of injured clients have helped many in their time of need. An injury caused by the fault of others shouldn’t be a blueprint for how you and your family live out the rest of your lives. To get help, schedule a free initial consultation with one of our Chicago IL truck accident lawyers by calling 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW or reach us by email. Contact us today for more information.