Illinois | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

How Nursing Homes Attempt to Hide Abuse

March 20, 2022/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Nursing home abuse is just one part of the larger problem with elder abuse – especially in nursing homes. As many as 5,000,000 people are affected by elder abuse each year, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home abuse effects thousands of families each year. In 2014 alone, more than 14,000 complaints were filed with nursing home ombudsmen about abuse or neglect.

The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) compiled a breakdown of nursing home abuse complaints:

27% – Physical abuse
22% – Resident-on-resident abuse (physical or sexual)
19% – Psychological abuse
15% – Gross neglect
8% – Sexual abuse
8% – Financial exploitation

Who is At Risk?

Any elderly person in a long-term care facility may suffer from nursing home abuse; however, there are certain risk factors that lead individuals to be more at-risk to be exposed to abuse.

Women are more likely to be abused then men. NCVC found that 66% of elder abuse victims were women. Individuals who have been abused or experienced a traumatic event in the past are more likely to be victims of abuse again in the future. Additionally, poor mental and physical health may increase the risk of abuse. Individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia are particularly vulnerable to abuse. Nearly 50% of elders with dementia experience abuse or neglect while living in a nursing home.

Common Abuse Tactics

There are various ways staff members at nursing home facilities work to hide incidents of nursing home abuse. In some cases, an individual may be attempting to cover up abuse; however, in other situations, management or facility owner may be part of the cover-up.

Common tactics used to hide nursing home abuse include:

Threatening the resident with additional harm if they report what happened
Refusing to allow family members to visit with a resident alone
Confusing the resident to make them believe they imagined the abuse
Providing family members or loved ones with other explanations for injuries
Keeping no record of medical care for abuse-related injuries
Altering logbooks or other records to hide abuse or neglect

Any staff members that abuses a nursing home resident should be terminated immediately. Unfortunately, many nursing homes across the United States are understaffed – especially Illinois nursing homes. Facilities tend to not immediately fire the abusive employee.

Contact a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

The Dinizulu Law Group is always looking out to protect the interests and rights of nursing home residents. Contact our skilled team of nursing home abuse attorneys today so we can help assess your loved ones situation. To receive a free consultation, contact us now at (312) 384-1920.

College Student Fighting for His Life After Being Hit by Semi Truck

February 23, 2021/in In the News/by Yao Dinizulu

The Dinizulu Law Group represented Michael Hassan, a Lewis University college student, who was a passenger at the time of the trucking crash. Our client was a passenger in a vehicle that was attempting to make a left hand turn in an intersection from Route 53 onto University Parkway in Romeoville, Illinois. While making a left hand turn, a semi-trailer tractor ran a red light, crashing into the vehicle our client was in, and three other cars. The crash resulted in our client being placed in a medically induced coma, and suffering from brain damage and serious internal injuries.

The semi truck driver was identified as Sherrard McKnight from North Carolina who was working for Interstate Trucking Company Moonlight Logistics at the time of the crash. It was alleged that the semi-truck driver was under the influence at the time of the trucking crash. McKnight has a previous arrest record of robbery and assault.

The Plaintiff received a $100,000 partial policy as a settlement; in addition, a more significant tortfeasor defendant is pending.

Body Camera Footage Shows Moments Police Handcuff Innocent Woman During Wrong Raid

December 15, 2020/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Police body camera footage was released on Tuesday and shows what happened to an innocent woman nearly two years ago when police officers wrongly entered her home with guns drawn and handcuffed her naked while she watched the horrific scene unfold.

Anjanette Young filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request last year and recently obtained the footage after a court ordered the Chicago Police Department to turn it over as part of her lawsuit against police, according to CBS Chicago.

The video shows on Feb. 21, 2019, nine body cameras caught a group of male officers entering Young’s home at 7 p.m. Young had just finished her shift as a licensed social worker at a hospital and was undressing in her bedroom when she heard a loud, pounding noise.

Officers repeatedly struck her door with a battering ram. From various angles of the footage, the video captured the moment officers broke her door down.

Young remembers officers yelling, “Police! Search warrant,” and “Hands up.” Moments later, Young is seen naked in the living room with her hands up. An officer can be seen eventually handcuffing her.

“What is going on?” Young yells in the video. “There’s nobody else here, I live alone. You’ve got the wrong house.”

An officer found a blanket and wrapped it around Young as she cried asking officers who they were looking for. The blanket began to slide off and expose her body in which no officer made an attempt to cover her.

Young can be heard telling police at least 43 times they were in the wrong home. She asked police to allow her to get dressed and informed them they had the wrong information.

“Oh my god, this cannot be right. How is this legal?” Young said during the raid.

According to CPD’s complaint for a search warrant, a confidential informant told the lead officer of the raid that he recently saw a 23-year-old man who was a known felon with a gun and ammunition.

The officer found a photo of the suspect in a police database and showed it to the informant, who then confirmed that was him. The officer drove the informant to the address where the informant claimed the suspect lived.

Despite police making no effort to independently verify the informant’s tip, such as conducting surveillance or any other policy checks, the search warrant was approved by an assistant state’s attorney and judge.

The informant gave police the wrong address; the suspect police were looking for lived in the unit next door to Young’s and had no connection to her.

Body camera footage also raises questions about the approval of the warrant. In one clip, officers can be heard talking saying the warrant was not initially approved.

“What does that mean?” the second officer asked.

“I have no idea,” the first officer said. “They said it was approved, then I guess that person messed up on their end.”

This is not the first time police have failed to do basic routine checks regarding bad information given by an informant.

Young said the way officers treated and spoke to her during the raid caused her experience to be more traumatic. You can see in the footage she’s visibly upset pleading with officers to tell her what was going on.

The sergeant asked Young if there were any firearms in her home.

“There’s no guns in here,” she said. “I’ve been a social worker for 20 years. I follow the lwa. I don’t get in trouble for anything. I don’t do illegal stuff. I’m not that person. You have the wrong information.”

The sergeant told the affiant officer – the officer who received the warrant – to step outside.

“I want to have a conversation with you,” the sergeant said.

Moments later, the officer’s body camera turned off.

After nearly 20 minutes, police remove the handcuffs. Towards the end of the raid, the sergeant apologized to Young.

“I apologize for bothering you tonight,” the sergeant tells Young. “I assure you the city will be in contact with you tomorrow. I apologize for meeting you this way. I will do everything I can to get the door fixed.”

Young said it was “surreal” to watch the footage back two years later. She continues to live with trauma and leans on church and her faith for support. She believes she has a responsibility to use her voice to protect others from being in the same situation.

Effects of Understaffing in Nursing Homes

May 19, 2020/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

Nursing home facilities across the nation are facing an understaffing crisis. Research has shown nearly 95 percent of nursing facilities in the United States are understaffed. Understaffing can lead to serious injuries, or in some cases death among residents. Some states, such as New York, don’t have a legal mandate on the ratio of nursing home staff to senior residents, which means problems can often go unnoticed.

Understanding the Issue of Understaffing
Understaffing in nursing homes is a serious, prevalent problem that often goes underreported. There is often pressure for nursing facilities to cut costs. This can result in facilities taking in more residents than what they’re staff can effectively and adequately handle. Understaffing can mean that a single nurse must care for dozens of residents at one time.

Nursing facilities may find that they have having problems holding onto enough adequately trained nurses and certified nursing assistants who can provide care to residents. High turnover rates can result in the over-scheduling of available staff members, who then in turn become overwhelmed by their duties.

Understaffing in nursing facilities can also lead to nursing home abuse. Staff are overwhelmed while being underpaid, which can lead staff members or caregivers to be more abusive towards their residents. Forms of abuse can include physical or sexual injuries, financial exploitation, and psychological trauma. Staff members can also neglect the needs of vulnerable residents by not giving out the proper dosage of medication or the proper medication, for example.

Consequences of Nursing Home Understaffing
There can be negative consequences of understaffing in nursing homes which can affect residents’ basic needs. Staff members may be suffering from extensive stress, which increases the likelihood of nursing home abuse and neglect. Abuse and neglect become a bigger issue as the resident to staff member ratio increases.

Neglect and abuse from nursing home staff can cause long term issues, such as psychological problems, physical illnesses, and even death in some circumstances. Understaffing can attribute to already present psychological issues or physical illnesses among residents.

Consequences of Immobile Patients
Many residents suffer from limited ability to ambulate on their own and are dependent on caregivers for all of their movement needs, as well as their physiological needs. When a nursing facility is understaffed, it can be impossible for staff members to turn the patients in bed enough times or to move residents around as they need to be moved in order to prevent bedsores. This can lead to further skin conditions or infections.

Neglecting Residents Needs
Residents may be dependent on caregivers and nursing home staff for their bathing, eating, grooming, and medication administration needs. If a resident is not bathed or groomed on a regular basis, they may develop sores and infections. Facilities that are understaffed may have problems with feeding and administering medication to residents on a routine schedule. This may lead to malnutrition, nutrition deficiencies, and other complications from not receiving medications on schedule.

The Abuse of Residents
Understaffing in nursing homes can also lead to the neglect and abuse of residents in the facility. Abusive nurses have indicated stress from understaffing is the primary cause of their being abusive to residents. Having limited time to care for each resident can result in caregivers or nursing home staff to become impatient and frustrated, resulting in abuse towards a resident.

Prevalence of Understaffing in Nursing Homes in U.S.
Each state has a different definition of what constitutes as adequate staffing levels for nursing homes; however, research indicates nearly 95 percent of nursing facilities in the United States are significantly understaffed. In 2001, 20 states introduced a total of more than 50 Bills on nursing staff standards in nursing homes.

For example, Illinois requires that a nursing home have enough staff to give each resident that needs skilled care at least 3.4 hours of nursing care, including at least 51 minutes of licensed nurse care. At least 21 minutes of the licensed nurse time bust be care by a registered nurse (R.N). For residents who are in need of intermediate care, the numbers include 2.3 hours of total nursing care, including 34 minutes by a licensed nurse and 14 minutes of registered nurse time (Illinois Citizens for Better Care).

Eleven states, including Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia have proposed staffing increases that were not passed.

Four states (Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, and Wyoming) have not changed their staffing standards since the 1970-1980s. Furthermore, eighteen sates made changes to their staffing standards in the 1990s.

Preventing Understaffing in Nursing Homes
Many nursing homes have been held accountable for issues related to understaffing in recent years through lawsuits. While this may be a temporary fix to the problem, there is much more work to be done in order to combat this issue. Because of understaffing, nursing homes nationwide have had to pay out millions of dollars to patients who have suffered from wrongful death and illnesses that are related to the understaffing in nursing facilities.

If a nursing home facility fails to provide adequate staff and supervision, it can have a serious impact on residents who depend on nurses, caregivers, and other staff members for care.

If you or a loved one has experienced abuse or neglect at the hands of a caregiver, we recommend you contact an experienced nursing home neglect and abuse attorney right away. Our team has proven success in nursing home cases and we will use our extensive legal experience to help you navigate the process to get you full and fair compensation for our loved ones injuries. To receive a free consultation, please call (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for more information.

Nursing Homes Ban Visitors due to Coronavirus

March 12, 2020/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

Nursing Homes Ban Visitors due to Coronavirus

CHICAGO, IL – Nursing homes have become islands of isolation amid the shocking morality rate of coronavirus. Nursing homes nationwide have become concerned about outside visitors visiting residents which has led to the barring of all visitors – adult children can talk to their parents through a glass door just as jailhouse visitors due.

As of Wednesday, there are more than 1,311 cases confirmed in the U.S., according to state and local health agencies, governments, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Nursing homes are locking down in hopes to protect some of the nation’s most vulnerable residents from being affected by the coronavirus. Thousands of nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the country are taking extra precautions. Many families are debating whether to move their loved ones out of these facilities all together and care for them at home.

On Tuesday, industry leaders recommended curtailing visits, calling this challenge “one of the most significant, if not the most significant” issues the industry has ever faced, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

The highly contagious disease puts the elderly and those who suffer from underlying health conditions such as respiratory distress at high risk, alarming businesses, schools, and health agencies. Guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the American Health Care Association (AHCA), and the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH), and the Illinois Health Care Association is rapidly increasing for these facilities.

Hospital Policies and Procedures for COVID-19

Because of ease of spread in a long-term care setting and the severity of illness that occurs in residents with COVID-19, facilities are discouraging visitation and have the ability to screen visitors before COVID-19 is identified in their community.

Facilities are responsible for sending letters or emails to resident’s family members, advising them to consider postponing

Who is at Higher Risk?

From earlier information gathering from China where COVID-19 originated from, those who are higher risk of getting sick from this illness includes:

Older adults
People who suffer from serious chronic medical conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Lung disease

Depending on how severe the outbreak is in your community, public health officials will make recommendations to the community to reduce the public’s risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These actions can stunt or reduce the impact of spreading the disease.

If you are at a high risk because of your age or serious long-term health problem, it’s crucial to take extra precautions to reduce your risk of getting sick.

How to Prepare for COVID-19 Now

According to the CDC, there are several ways you can make yourself prepared in case of an outbreak in your community.

Have supplies on hand
- Contact your health provider to ask about obtaining extra necessary medications to have on hand in case of an outbreak in your community in the event that you need to stay at home for an extended period of time.
- If you’re unable to get extra medication, consider using mail-orders.
- Ensure that you have extra over-the-medicine and medical supplies such as tissues, thermometers, etc. to treat fevers and other symptoms. Most people will recover at home.
- Have enough household items and groceries to be prepared for staying at home for a period of time.
Take precaution
- Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
- Take preventable action:
  - Wash your hands often using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is critical, especially after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing in a public place.
  - If soap and water is unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
  - Avoid touching surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, and shaking hands with others.
  - Wash your hands immediately after touching a surface in public.
  - Practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, and toilets.
  - Avoid large crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure can increase substantially in a crowded area, especially those with little to no air-movement, increasing your chance of contracting COVID-19.
  - Avoid all non-essential travel including traveling by plane or embarking on a cruise ships.
- If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community, it’s important to take extra measures to distance yourself from others to reduce your risk of being exposed to this virus.
  - Stay at home as much as possible.
    - Consider ways of food being delivered to your house, through the use of family, or social and commercial networks.

Watch for Symptoms and Emergency Warning Signs

It’s important to pay attention to warning signs of potential COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you feel like you are developing symptoms, call your physician immediately.
If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19, please seek medical attention immediately. Adult emergency warning signs include:
- Difficulty breathing or a shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Bluish-tinted lips or face

It’s important to note that these are not all warning symptoms of COVID-19. Please consult a medical provider for other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

What to Do if You Get Sick

Stay at home and call your healthcare provider.
Call your healthcare provider and let them know the symptoms you are experiencing. This will help them take care of you and keep others from getting infected or exposed.
If you are not sick enough to be hospitalized, you are able to recover from home.
Know when to get emergency help.
Get medical attention immediately if you have any of the warning signs listed.

How to Support Older Adults

Community Support

Communities should prepare for an outbreak of COVID-19 that include older adults and people with disabilities, and the organizations that support them, to ensure their needs are being taken into consideration. Many individuals in the community depend on services and support in their homes or in the community to maintain their independence and health. Long-term care facilities should be vigilant to prevent the introduction or spread of COVID-19.

Family and Caregiver Support

Know what medications your loved one is taking and make sure to have extra on hand. Monitor food and other medical supplies, such as oxygen, dialysis, wound care, etc. and always be sure to have a back-up plan. Stock up on non-perishable food items to minimize your number of trips to the store. If you care for a loved one living in a care facility, monitor the situation, ask about the health of other residents and know the protocol in the event there is an outbreak.

For more information on how to protect your loved one who is in a long-term care facility or assisted living facility, please visit CDC’s website on ways to take more precaution. If your loved one has sustained a serious infectious disease complication resulting from negligent or missed medical treatment provided by a nursing home or due to a low level of staff care, they may be entitled to compensation. Please reach out to Dinizulu Law group now for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920.

Boeing Offers $100M to Those Affected by Crashes, Families Have Not Heard Directly from Boeing

July 16, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Boeing Co. has offered $100 million to help families and communities affected by the deadly crashes of its 737 MAX planes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Families are still mourning after the tragic accident that occurred on March 10, 2019.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was scheduled to fly internationally from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Six minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed near the town of Bishoftu killing all 157 people aboard.

Flight 302 is the deadliest accident involving an Ethiopian Airline craft to date that affected farmers in Ethiopia, victims’ families and relatives, and Kenyan and Ethiopian governments have still not heard about the funds.

Farmers lands were destroyed after crashing into fields and has been fenced off since; however, the site is filled with debris still and farmers can’t afford to rent plots elsewhere.

According to Reuters, Boeing said in a statement last week, “These funds will support education hardship and living expenses for impacted families, community programs, and economic development in impacted communities.”

Another crash in Ethiopia in October 2018 on a Lion Air aircraft killed 346 people. After the investigation concluded, it was said both pilots, flying Boeing’s new 737 MAX 8 model, struggled to override an automated system that pointed plane’s nose down.

Boeing has yet to reach out to families, farmers, or authorities directly. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide after the second crash. Regulators must approve a fix and implement new pilot training before jets can fly again.

Some families are asking the money to be put towards a memorial at the crash site to honor their loved ones; on the other hand, some have requested Boeing fund professional counseling.

There were people from 35 countries abroad the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. offers our deepest condolences to those affected by the Boeing crashes. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. is located in Chicago, IL where Boeing is currently faces litigation from some of the families affected.

Contact: www.dinizululawgroup.com or call 1(800)-693-1LAW(1529)

Army Veteran Dying of Cancer Delivers Emotional Statement to Congress on Medical Malpractice

July 10, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Richard Stayskal testified before Congress an emotional statement regarding medical malpractice in the military. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill heard testimony about allegations of medical malpractice by Defense Department medical professionals as Congress considers overturning the Feres Doctrine, a legal doctrine prohibiting people who are injured as a result of military services from suing the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act for injuries and negligence (Cornell Law).

Stayskal delivered an emotional opening statement to lawmakers explaining a misdiagnosis and inadequate medical care involving a tumor in his lungs that he suffered with for months. Medical professionals brushed off symptoms of walking pneumonia, even though he was on the verge of death throwing up pools of blood.

According to Newsweek, Staksyal was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in January 2018 – something U.S. Army doctors overlooked or ignored. Over time, his cancer spread to his lymph nodes in his neck, spleen, liver, and ilium crest, which forms a hipbone, along with his spine and right hip.

Lung cancer is the leading form of cancer in both men and women and account for nearly 25 percent of cancer deaths. A five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer is less than ten percent (American Lung Association).

“I want to say that this does affect me obviously, but my children are the true victims,” Stayskal, 37, said. “They will now grow up without a father. Someone that will teach them how to drive, walk them down the aisle when they get married. They seek counseling and special treatment at school. One of the biggest things they try and understand is how this happened.

As Skayskal’s case shows, a failure to diagnose frequently involves medical professionals mistaking symptoms of one disease for another. A misdiagnosis can lead to unresolved treatment needed to prevent symptoms from worsening or becoming terminal.

If you have experienced a misdiagnoses by a doctor for your medical condition, under the breach of standard care, you may potentially seek damages through civil litigation. The Feres Doctrine is a unique consideration that applies only to members of the military.

If your doctor has failed to accurately diagnose a medical condition that has led to serious problems, the attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. are ready to assist you with a malpractice claim. Our attorney’s have experience, resources, and a network of medical professional to build a strong case on your behalf. Please call (312) 384-1920 or go online to schedule a consultation.

Semi-Truck Explodes on I-94 Killing 2 in Racine County

June 21, 2019/in Blog/by Yao Dinizulu

CHICAGO, IL – Just before 11 am on Wednesday morning, two semi-truck drivers were killed in a multi-vehicle car crash on I-94 in Racine County, Wisconsin.

Northbound and southbound lanes were closed throughout the day and into Thursday afternoon, though southbound lanes reopened around 8:30 p.m.

According to ABC 7 Chicago, a semi-truck driver was driving southbound attempting to switch lanes when it over-corrected and lost control before hitting the median wall of the interstate, bursting into flames. As a result of the collision, three other vehicles collided into each other and the median wall.

Another semi-truck traveling northbound attempted to avoid the crash by turning into a ditch lane, in which he drove off the road, and burst into flames. The truck plunged nearly 30 feet off the right side of the highway, onto another road. The semi-trailer caught fire before exploding.

Two semi-truck drivers died at the scene, and at least two others were taken to a local hospital and sustained minor injuries.

Semi-truck accidents or collisions can be rare, but when they occur, they can be catastrophic. The average weight of a commercial vehicle is roughly 80,000-230,000 pounds. Semi-trucks also require a longer distance to stop. If a semi is driving 55 miles per hour, it will take about 400 feet to come to a complete stop (Safer America, 2019). Please keep these thoughts in mind when passing in a semi-drivers blind spot or driving past any commercial truck.

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.