Chicago IL | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

Truck Accident Prevention & Safe Travel For The Holidays

December 21, 2018/in Blog, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

Many of us are traveling during the holidays to see family and friends. While it’s exciting to see loved ones again, it’s important to keep safety rules in mind as highways get more congested. Retailers and online stores rely on trucking companies to keep their shelves stocked or get inventory delivered to customers before Christmas. Therefore, many trucking companies are rushing to make deliveries on time. As this time crunch happens, it’s still very important that trucking companies and truck drivers are following the safety rules that are in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The FMCSA states that truck drivers are not to work beyond their regulated hours of service. But during this holiday season, it may be tempting for trucking companies to cut corners and accept more delivery routes than what they are able to safely manage. This opens up the door to sleepless truck drivers on our roadways, truck drivers who may not be properly trained, or truck drivers who forego cargo and safety checks before starting their route.

These kinds of oversights are not just simple mistakes. Loose or falling cargo on a highway where traffic travels at 80 miles per hour is a recipe for disaster. The truck driver, as well as surrounding cars, have little time to react in these situations. Furthermore, due to the sheer size trucks, larger vehicles take much longer to stop than an average sedan. As a result, if a sleepless truck driver makes a slow or delayed judgment in braking or slowing speed, the resulting accident can be life-threatening or create life-long injuries for the hurt victims.

Truck drivers need to be careful on the road for both their own and others safety. When truck companies cut corners, they jeopardize the safety of their employees as well as our community members. Imagine not being able to send your child to college because of an injury that keeps you out of work. 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 gotten for 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.

Click here to read more accident articles

How to Find the Right Nursing Home for Your Loved One?

November 19, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

There are many factors to keep in mind when choosing the right nursing home for your loved one. Should you find one that’s located near your parent’s residence or near yours? Is my mom still independent or does she need nursing home care? As questions like these and many other come to mind a good place to start is by evaluating the quality of care in nursing homes you may be considering.

Many nursing homes participate in Medicaid and Medicare programs that are responsible for funding these nursing home care facilities in Chicago and nationwide.

Medicare has a 5-star rating system that evaluates nursing homes based on the quality of care they provide. Factors like inspection results and staffing levels and many others come into play to rank nursing homes accordingly. Anyone who is considering a nursing home for themselves or for a loved one should first look at how the nursing home in their chosen area ranks.

Problems such as understaffing can be revealed through these Medicare rankings. Know that understaffing is one of the major causes of nursing home neglect. Kaiser Health News recently reported 1400 nursing homes received lower rating due to shortages in staffing.

Gaps in understaffing have caused malnutrition or dehydration for elderly residents to the point where families have lost loved ones. Understaffing is also linked several other signs of neglect. Residents who have limited mobility are at a higher risk to develop bedsores and other infections that are likely to go untreated and turn into life-threatening conditions in understaffed facilities. Elderly residents are already at a higher risk to recover from common illnesses. Add a nursing home that doesn’t provide adequate care and serious harm can happen to a loved one.

While many caregivers mean well, they cannot realistically provide all the needed care for all residents if it’s their employer that’s cutting corners. Nursing homes make a deliberate choice to save expenses by not hiring the needed staff. When the staff-to-resident ratio is unbalanced, nursing home neglect in a Chicago facility or elsewhere becomes inevitable.

While we encourage everyone to stay informed about the nursing home facilities in Chicago or elsewhere where you and your loved one may get the best care, nursing home neglect can happen in any facility. If you or your loved one is hurt in a nursing home due to lacking care, know that there are options for you. Contact the Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys of Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. With over 50 years of combined experience, we have helped thousands of injured victims get justice and full and fair compensation at the time when they needed it the most. Reach our nursing home neglect lawyers in Chicago at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW, or by email.

Verbal Threats Are Still Nursing Home Abuse

November 2, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

When we think of nursing home abuse, we often think of elderly residents being hurt physically when care is lacking in a nursing home facility. Issues that often come to mind are:

Bed sores
Dehydration or malnutrition
Soiled clothes or linens
Bruises
Untreated infections

These physical forms of abuse can be investigated by the skilled and knowledgeable nursing home attorneys at the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. But it’s important to know that verbal and mental abuse is also common in nursing home facilities. In such cases, the law still guarantees you or your loved one protections. Verbal or mental abuses include threatening a resident by:

Yelling
Intimidation
Humiliation
Blame

Such examples include threatening to withhold food, intimidating the elder from socializing with visiting family members, or demeaning the elderly person for certain behavior. This type of emotional abuse can be silent as well, and this usually happens when a caregiver ignores the elder’s requests and needs.

While the physical signs of such abuse may not be immediately visible, the emotional and psychological impact of this abuse is damaging, and does ultimately have physical effects. Therefore, it is important to get help right away for your loved one. Know that Illinois law entitles you or your loved one to full and fair compensation if you or your family member has been affected by verbal or mental abuse.

At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. our nursing home abuse attorneys in Chicago are dedicated, knowledgeable, and have over 50 years of combined experience. We hold those liable who have brought harm to you or your loved ones. Our verdicts & settlements have helped many families get answers and arrive at a place of security. Call our Chicago nursing home abuse lawyers at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW or reach us by email to get more info.

How Can “Black Boxes” Help in Your Truck Accident Case?

October 19, 2018/in Blog, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

When you think of black boxes, you may typically think of them as being linked to an airplane crash. Anytime a plane crashes, the plane’s black box can be used to investigate the cause of a crash and prevent the same from happening again.

A similar investigation can also be carried out using a commercial truck’s black box in the case of a truck accident. Referred to as ELDs (electronic logging devices), these black boxes capture significant information that help explain the cause of a truck crash. This includes:

Driver speed (including average speed)
GPS coordinates
Steering position
Braking activity, including whether the brakes were applied
Whether seatbelts were in use
Whether the driver slammed on his or her brakes

Since Dec 2017, most trucking companies are required to have an ELD installed in their commercial vehicles that has been registered with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).

While this black box is available in a majority of trucks, in the case of your truck accident the truck’s insurance company will oftentimes never volunteer this data to you. It takes a personal injury law firm with skilled and knowledgeable truck accident attorneys to gather this information for you.

When hiring a truck accident attorney in Chicago or elsewhere, it’s important to ask the personal injury firm in Chicago or elsewhere what type of resources they have available and what kind of experts they work with? At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. we work with well-qualified truck experts who can perform the necessary black box downloads and then interpret this data in a meaningful way.

These findings become critical in truck accidents involving disputed liability. When the truck company disputes fault and refuses to accept responsibility, as they often do, our experts’ findings have helped many recover fair compensation for their injuries. Check out our verdicts and settlements page to see these results. For a free, initial consultation with one of our Chicago truck accident lawyers, contact us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW or by email.

Click here to read more articles

Quality Care Harder to Find for Residents with Mental Health Issues

October 5, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

Our elderly loved ones often need care in a nursing home if they face a mental condition like Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. This study performed by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York found that nursing homes with the highest Medicare rating are the ones least likely to admit patients with mental health conditions.

Even manageable conditions like depression and anxiety lower a resident’s chance of acceptance in the best facilities by 8%. With bipolar disorder, patients were 11% less likely to go to a five-star facility; the odds were 28% lower with schizophrenia, 27% lower with a substance abuse problem, and 32% lower with personality disorders.

Even after excluding dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which are among the most common causes of nursing home admissions, people with other mental health conditions account for about 50% of all nursing home residents. Knowing these figures, we can only conclude that most five-star facilities are not accessible to the patients most in need.

As a result, what happens is patients with the most needs, such as those who need help with basic daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, and eating, end up in one-star facilities. These facilities receive low ratings due to violations in the quality of care. Meaning, these facilities are already not meeting their existing obligations to all their residents. Add a resident with many physical or mental needs to such a facility and the problem becomes worse.

When a resident with Alzheimer’s or another mental health condition has limited residency options and ends up in a one-star facility, that resident becomes more prone to nursing home neglect. One-star facilities have low ratings because they do not hire adequate staff, have poor training protocols, and may not even be well-versed in dealing with residents with mental health needs, even though many such residents are ending up in these facilities.

At the same time, we should all know that nursing home neglect can happen in any facility. The rate of nursing home neglect has been rising in Chicago and nationwide. Our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys are here to help if you or your loved one has been harmed in a nursing home. With over 50 years of combined experience, we have recovered millions in verdicts and settlements. Our nursing home neglect lawyers are here for you. Call us at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1(800) 693-1LAW, or reach us by email.

Nursing home facility contagious infections

What Measures Should Nursing Homes Take to Prevent Infections?

September 28, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

Because of the number of patients they house, large residential facilities such as nursing homes are more prone to infections and contagious diseases. But there are precautions and safety measures nursing homes are expected to know and follow that prevent the spread of disease, and can prevent an individual resident’s condition from turning into a large-scale outbreak.

Only four pathogens—influenza virus, norovirus, salmonella and S pyogenes—make up more than 50% of all infectious agents involved. These common viruses and bacteria are easy to tackle if a nursing home has a proper system of infection control and prevention. While many of us have caught and easily recovered from these illnesses, for the elderly they can cause serious health complications, and may even lead to death.

Influenza Virus
All seniors over 65 are recommended by the CDC to take a flu shot every year around fall. In a nursing home especially, the doctors, nurses, and staff must remain aware of this recommendation and communicate it on patient charts and medical records. Furthermore, all nursing home staff members need to understand the protocols of disease prevention and control. Basics such as changing gloves and washing hands, need to be known and fully followed by staff. Unfortunately, these factors get overlooked in understaffed nursing homes. Employees get overwhelmed by the number of residents they must care for, and they start bypassing even the most basics steps in infection control.

Norovirus
Caregivers, if infected, can easily spread norovirus to residents by having close contact, such as by caring for, or preparing food for them. These are the main duties of caregivers at a nursing home. The dietary department is responsible for preparing residents’ meals, and nurses and other caregivers interact with residents daily. Imagine how many residents could get sick from a sick staffer who prepares their food. Nursing homes should not only have policies that encourage their staff to stay home when they are sick, but also invest in educating all staffers regarding how they can prevent the spread of disease.

Salmonella
Knowledge of food preparation and safety must be known to nursing home staffers, especially those responsible for handling food. Uncooked or undercooked food are usually the cause of salmonella. Many other food-borne illnesses are also easily preventable when a nursing home properly implements food safety guidelines.

Streptococcus
Streptococcus, the bacteria that causes strep throat, can result in more serious conditions such as rheumatic fever, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, and pneumonia. Streptococcus can spread through airborne droplets when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes. You can also pick up the bacteria from a doorknob or other surfaces and transfer them to your nose, mouth, or eyes. Therefore, because streptococcus is so contagious, it is important for nursing homes to have proper measures in place that can prevent an individual’s sickness from turning into an outbreak.

What You Can Do?
Know that there are options for you if you or your loved one has suffered injury at a nursing home due to an untreated bacterial/viral infection. Our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys fight for you and hold these care facilities accountable for their wrongdoings. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. has over 50 years of combined experience that we put to the test everyday fighting for you. Contact us for your free, initial consultation. We can be reached at 1 (312) 384-1920, 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or by email.

Nursing Homes & Corporate Webs: A Decline in Resident Care

September 21, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

It may not be a surprise to hear that the business structure of many corporations is getting bigger and more convoluted. Nursing homes are no exception to this trend. But what does it mean for you or a loved one who may need around-the-clock care?

Owners of nursing homes sometimes have competing interests in other industries that may provide products or services, such as medical supplies, linens, etc., that are needed at a nursing home. In such cases, nursing homes often outsource services to a vendor that they have a financial stake in and that they can control operationally. Such business contracts are often non-competitive and charge astronomically higher fees than what another vendor in that industry typically would.

In such a corporate structure, nursing homes are forced by their management to have extremely tight budgets when it comes to staffing needs and training protocols. In the end, it’s the residents who suffer. Kaiser Health News conducted an investigation of American nursing homes and found nearly three-quarters—more than 11,000 nursing homes—have such business dealings, known as “related party transactions.”Some homes even contract out basic functions like management or rent their own building from a sister corporation, saying it is an efficient way of running their businesses and can help minimize taxes.

But nursing home care is worse in facilities with such business ties. Kaiser Health News’ investigation showed:

■ As a group, these homes were 9 percent more likely to have hurt residents or put them in immediate jeopardy of harm, and amassed 53 substantiated complaints for every 1,000 beds, compared with 32 per 1,000 beds at independent homes.

■ Homes with related companies were fined 22 percent more often for serious health violations than independent homes, and penalties averaged $24,441—7 percent higher.

Kaiser Health News’ thorough investigation showed these facilities have fewer nurses and aides per patient, they have higher rates of patient injuries and unsafe practices, and they are the subject of complaints almost twice as often as independent homes. Yet, these types of nursing homes are becoming increasingly common.

As they cut staff and cause their residents injury, when such nursing home facilities are held liable for these injuries, many of them try to avoid responsibility by hiding behind the interconnected corporate structure they have created.

At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., our nursing home neglect attorneys are familiar with such tactics. When these nursing homes cause their residents injury, often times it’s a deliberate choice to cut corners and not hire adequate staff to provide care for all residents.

If your loved one was harmed in a nursing home, know that there are options for you. With over 50 years of combined experience and millions of dollars recovered in verdicts and settlements, our nursing home neglect lawyers are here for you. Call us at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or reach us by email.

Vehicle Failure: A Main Cause of Truck Accidents in Chicago & Nationwide

September 14, 2018/in Blog, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

Truck accidents often occur because the parts in the truck are not in proper working order. Laws and regulations in place require trucking companies to maintain their vehicles, conduct thorough inspections, and ensure that vehicles are safe before they get on the road. Sadly, this is not the case. Often times, truck companies make a deliberate choice to skip inspections and perform fix ups in order to finish deliveries on time or they may take on more deliveries than they can safely handle. When these companies choose to bypass safety regulations for personal gain, it the safety of everyone who shares the road with these large vehicles that’s threatened. Imagine losing a loved one because a defective truck that should have been pulled off the road simply wasn’t.

There are several factors that make a truck defective and lead to crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) studies truck safety and the causes of truck accidents. They found among the most common causes of vehicle-related accidents are:

Brake Problems

Federal regulations allow trucks carrying cargo to weigh up to 80,000 pounds. When trucks are required to brakes, trucks can take over 20-times the stopping distance as a car. When required to brake suddenly, this weight may be too much and overpower the ability to stop when needed.

Add to these risks brakes that are not inspected thoroughly, even after long stretches of driving, and truck crashes become likely. FMCSA’s study on truck crashes revealed brake failures account for 29% of truck accidents. Imagine 29% of truck accident injuries and fatalities as avoidable if truck companies routinely maintain the brakes on their vehicles.

Tire Problems

FMSCA has specific regulations in place to help avoid truck accidents caused by tire problems. These standards require trucks’ tire treads to have a certain depth and quality, which vary based on the tire’s location on the truck. For example, while rear tires may be slightly worn – or even re-capped or re-treaded to save money – front steering tires must be new and in good quality.

Therefore, many trucking companies re-cap or re-tread tires rather than purchase new, expensive ones. This factor, along with improper or uneven tire wear or tire pressure, can cause the tires to heat up and shed layers. When layers break off a truck at highway speeds, they can cause the trucker or other drivers to swerve in reaction. If tires burst altogether, truckers can lose control. The accidents that results from these causes are oftentimes deadly.

Cargo Shift

Cargo is required to be secured and evenly load as per FMCSA’s rules. As the truck travels down a road, internal shifting of the cargo can seriously effect the truck’s overall stability. For example, if cargo is loaded too far back in trailer, or too high up, the trailer might not move as per the driver’s expectations. The results can be disastrous, especially during tight turns or emergency maneuvers. As a result, the truck driver could lose control of the entire vehicle, causing injury to himself and to many other drivers around him.

At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., our truck accident attorneys in Chicago are familiar with the tactics truck and insurance companies use to avoid responsibility. If your loved one was harmed in a truck accident caused by vehicle failure, know that there are options for you. With over 50 years of combined experience and millions recovered in verdicts and settlements, our truck accident lawyers in Chicago are here for you. Call us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW or reach us by email.

You can click here to read more accident articles

Truck Accidents Often Turn Deadly Due to “Underriding”

August 31, 2018/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

There were close to 4,000 fatal truck accidents in 2016, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This number has been on the rise since 2009, and is expected to continue rising unless safety rules and other preventive measure are put in place.

Most truck crash fatalities result in the death of a passenger car driver, a motorcyclist, a bicyclist or a pedestrian. Many times, these fatalities are due to a car or a smaller vehicle underriding the truck from the side. While rear guards are mandated on trailers, this law hasn’t been update since 1998.

It was in April 2014 that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a recommendation to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that all new trailers have side protection systems. Nothing has changed since then until now.

Last December, Congress members introduced The Stop Underrides Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill requiring all large trucks, trailers, and semi-trailers to have side guard protectors. The bill would further update rear guard protection requirements to also apply to all large trucks, trailers, and semi-trailers. The bill was introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). Along with the Senate, an identical bill was also introduced in the House, by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA). Since then the bill has been sitting in committees who have so far refused to take any further action on this safety issue.

The American Trucking Association (ATA), the lobbying arm of the trucking industry is expected to obstruct this bill as it would require the trucking industry to spend money on updating safety equipment. The ATA’s agenda is to have as few safety rules and regulations in place as possible to grow the trucking industry’s profits. They seem least concerned about fatalities they can help prevent. As a result, it’s our community members and their loved ones who must suffer from the consequences from tragic accidents again and again.

The ATA will look for reasons to block this bill. Their efforts include large donations to members of Congress who will support their agenda. Average families and our community members who lose the most from these tragedies often don’t have the funds to promote their own safety. Therefore, it is important that we raise our voices and remain engaged in these issues. Not only should we vote, but we should know our politicians’ position on safety rules. What does their voting record say about safety rules? Would this candidate help ensure my loved one can be safer? Awareness and engagement is what offers solutions and improves our communities.

Raise your voice if you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. is here to help injured victims and their families at their time of need. Our truck accident lawyers have helped thousands of families arrive at a place of financial security and stability after a devastating injury. We can be reached at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or by email.

Nursing Home Neglect – When Residents Are Kept in Isolation

August 20, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

When we think of nursing home neglect we commonly think of elderly residents not being provided the needed physical care such as:

Repositioning, if they face limited mobility, thus leading to bed sores and open wounds
Clean and changed clothes and linens, if they are incontinent or have difficulty using the bathroom
Dehydration or malnourishment due to a lack of fluid or food intake

These are all serious concerns that a knowledgeable and experienced nursing home neglect attorney will be able to help you with. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. has successfully represented over hundreds of clients facing nursing home neglect. The verdicts and settlements we have reached have helped families move forward after a very difficult time in their lives.

But you should also know about another form of neglect that we don’t typically think of. Elderly residents may be kept in isolation at a nursing home even if their meals are properly provided, they appear clean, and all their health needs are attended to. Limiting residents from participating in social activities, preventing interaction, or offering little to no mental stimulation also constitutes as nursing home neglect. Nursing homes are liable if they keep a resident confined to their room, or bed.

The same also applies if the nursing home takes retaliatory action when a resident participates in certain social activities. Examples include verbal abuse, refusing to serve food on time, or if at all, after a resident participates in certain activities.

To watch out for this form of nursing home neglect, here’s what you can be mindful of when you visit mom or dad:

Does your loved one seem placed in an isolated part of the facility?
Do you see the nursing home staff attend to your family member in a timely manner?
Is your loved one afraid to speak in front of staff?
Does your loved one show a lack of interest in what used to his or her favorite activities?

If you notice these signs among other symptoms, contact our Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys. Conveniently located in downtown Chicago, the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. has recovered over millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of wronged clients. Contact us by phone at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW or reach us by email to schedule a free initial consultation.