injury | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

When Forced Feeding is Nursing Home Abuse

October 10, 2018/in Blog, nursing home neglect/by Yao Dinizulu

As our loved ones age, their appetites may diminish or they may have health conditions that cause difficulty in eating and swallowing food. When this happens it’s important that our loved ones are not malnourished or dehydrated due to a reduced nutrient intake.

Long-term residential facilities like nursing homes are required to provide around-the-clock care for their residents. This includes not just feeding residents, but also monitoring their daily calorie and nutrient intake.

Residents with health conditions like dysphagia have trouble swallowing food and are more likely to aspirate, meaning getting food or liquid breathed into the airway, which may lead to pneumonia. But even in these instances, a feeding tube should only be used as a last resort to prevent malnutrition or dehydration. Initial steps can be taken to help a resident get adequate nutrition. Such steps include:

Providing a resident with physical therapy to help with swallowing or using utensils
Providing utensils that are easier to hold and use
Sitting with the resident and manually feeding the resident

If any of the preliminary steps work and help a resident get the daily calorie intake they need, there is no reason to put a resident on a feeding tube. But many nursing homes, for their own convenience and in order to save on staff expenses, will put residents on feeding tubes even when it’s not absolutely necessary. Remember, a nursing home cannot order the use of a feeding tube without the consent of the resident or the resident’s authorized representative unless other options have been exhausted.

Feeding tubes can be live savers, but they can cause complications which are easily avoidable for residents who can eat well through other means. If your loved one is put on a feeding tube you believe is unnecessary, this may be a form of nursing home abuse. Our Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys are here to help if you or your loved one is in harm’s way. Contact the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW or by email.

Highway Construction Companies Must Keep Drivers Safe

July 16, 2018/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

Our client was a passenger of a vehicle being driven through a poorly lighted construction site. It was extremely dark, and the placement of the construction barrels appeared to create a lane of traffic. As a result, the driver of the vehicle struck the exposed end of a median wall. Starting only with the Smart Crash Traffic Report, our attorneys began our own investigation. Watch the video to learn what happened.

From one line in the accident crash report we learned that the Crash Reconstruction officer had determined that the configuration of the orange construction barrels, suggested that there were three lanes of travel instead of two, leading the driver into a concrete crash barrier for an underpass.

We filed a lawsuit and learned that this road used to have four lanes and was currently under construction lead by the general contractor K-Five construction whose subcontractors were Highway Safety, the subcontractor responsible for temporary safety control devices, and Midwest Fence, the subcontractor responsible for the selection and implementation of the crash cushions.

A crash cushion typically is those big yellow barrels with black tops that are placed on the highways when you are getting off a highway. Those crash cushions are created to soften the blows when drivers don’t see the concrete walls, especially when dark.

According to the design plans designed by Graef-USA, for the Illinois Department of Transportation– K-Five construction was to implement this construction site following the Federal and State Highway Construction Rules of the Road – which were being done to expressly address a history of crashes in to the concrete barrier wall at that overpass.

We learned that the Highway construction rules mandated, a flashing arrow board was supposed to be placed in front of this third lane — the driver went down, type III barricades were to line the lane along with orange construction barrels for 100 yards and finally they were mandated to have crash cushions for any new construction sites. None were present on the day of the crash. The only traffic devices that remained on the roadway were a few random barrels, which were not properly placed.

Had K-Five construction chosen to follow the rules they were required by IDOT– by maintaining proper traffic control devices our client would be alive today to care for his family. This case settled for a significant amount.

If you have questions about roadway construction accidents, call 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW or reach us by email. With over 50 years of combined experience and millions recovered in verdicts and settlements, let our experienced car and truck accident attorneys in Chicago help you. Visit our firm’s media page, where you can view more videos and media content from the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd.

Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd.
221 North LaSalle
Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60601
1-800-693-1LAW
1-312-384-1920
info@dinizululawgroup.com

Doctors Must Treat Bacterial Illnesses Differently From Viral Illnesses

July 13, 2018/in Blog, Medical malpractice, Medical negligence/by Yao Dinizulu

The medical community has agreed upon standards that doctors must abide by when they treat a patient for a bacterial infection vs. treating them for a viral one.

While most viral infections are allowed to run their course, bacterial infections are treated with prescribed antibiotics. When you go to the doctor with certain symptoms, a good doctor will take all the necessary precautions while evaluating your illness. He or she must first rule out the worst possible illnesses that you may have contracted. Diseases like sepsis and meningitis are life-threatening conditions that are easily preventable if a doctor does his or her due diligence.

There are various ways to do this. The doctor might ask you further questions about your symptoms, examine your nose, throat, temperature, or may even order additional testing or lab work.

The doctor must take all the necessary steps to get to the root cause of your illness. Only after following all the necessary precautions is a doctor able to properly diagnose you. Through years of medical school and training, medical doctors are properly trained to thoroughly follow this process when examining their patients. What happens if a doctor fails to follow the steps and misdiagnoses a patient?

The results can be disastrous, especially for young children and our elderly loved ones, who may need antibiotics right away before a minor bacterial infection can turn into something life-threatening, like sepsis or meningitis. Meningitis can cause irreversible brain damage that a young child who may have their whole life ahead of them would be unable to recover from.

A good doctor understands the responsibility they have to their patient and their family members. As a Medical Malpractice Trial Attorney, it’s unfortunate how many cases I see where a doctor has caused irreparable harm simply because he or she simply didn’t follow the needed precautions.

When we go to the doctor we expect we will be treated with diligence and respect. If you believe a doctor has misdiagnosed you or your loved one and caused harm, there’s help. Contact the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1-800-693-1LAW or 1-312-384-1920 or by email. With over 50 years of combined experience and millions recovered in verdicts and settlements we are here for you.

Los Inmigrantes Deben Ejercer Sus Derechos Cuando Están Lesionados

April 27, 2018/in Blog, Premise Liability/by Yao Dinizulu

Al igual que muchos inmigrantes, María Belmonte, vino a este país y trabajó duro y crió a su familia aquí. Pero cuando se sintió lastimada por la negligencia de otra persona, no estaba segura de a quién recurrir. Ella estaba sin trabajo, tenía facturas médicas y necesitaba a alguien con quien pudiera hablar cómodamente en su idioma nativo español. Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. dio un paso al frente, brindó asistencia en español a María y le explicó cuáles eran sus derechos en este país. Mira el video para aprender mas.

María se lesionó mientras visitaba a su madre. En el patio trasero de su madre, el propietario tenía la tapa de alcantarilla que no estaba asegurada. María cayó en la boca de acceso, fracturándose el tobillo. Ella necesitaba cirugía y cinco meses de terapia física.

Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. ayudó a María a obtener una compensación justa por sus lesiones. Todas sus facturas médicas fueron pagadas y María sintió que podía recuperar su vida.

Nadie que se lastime y sufre debido a la culpa de los demás debe sentirse solo, independientemente del idioma que hable o de su país de origen. Siempre proporcionaremos asistencia en idioma español si la necesita. Nuestros abogados tienen más de 50 años de experiencia legal combinada y la probamos todos los días luchando por usted. Póngase en contacto con Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. por correo electrónico o llámenos al 1-312-384-1920 o al 1-800-693-1LAW. Somos abogados especialistas en lesiones personales en Chicago que están a su disposición. También encontrará más historias como las de María y discusiones sobre otros temas de lesiones en nuestra página de medios.

Immigrants Must Exercise Their Rights When Injured

Like many immigrants, Maria Belmonte came to this country and worked hard and raised her family here. But when she was hurt due to the negligence of another she wasn’t sure who she could turn to. She was out of work, had medical bills, and needed someone who she could talk to comfortably in her native language, Spanish. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. stepped up, provided Spanish-language assistance to Maria, and explained to her what her rights were in this country. Watch the video to learn more.

Maria was injured while visiting her mother. In her mother’s backyard, the landlord had a manhole that was not properly secured. Maria fell into the manhole, fracturing her ankle and she needed surgery and five months of physical therapy.

The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. helped Maria get fair compensation for her injuries. All her medical bills were paid and Maria felt she was able to get her life back.

No one who is injured and suffering due to the fault of others should feel like they are alone, regardless of the language they speak or their country of origin. We will always provide Spanish language assistance should you need it. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers have over 50 years of combined legal experience that we put to the test everyday to get you the results you deserve. Contact the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or reach us by email. We are personal injury trial attorneys in Chicago that are here for you. You will also find more stories like Maria’s and discussions on further injury topics on our media page.

One Foster Child Threatens Another – What Happened Next?

December 8, 2017/in Blog, Media, Personal injury claim, Personal injury law, Wrongful death action/by Yao Dinizulu

There are thousands of children and young adults livings in independent living environments facilitated by professionals. Many of these children have lost their parents to death and drugs to no fault of their own. These children and young adults have been in foster and group homes — and so many have faced unbearable abuse. When our state funds these foster, group homes and private independent living institutions, we expect that these caretakers are attentive and helpful to the needs of these children and young adults. The providers in this case failed in this sacred duty and were examined by state investigators. Watch the video to learn more.

At this facility, my client Tammy and a fellow resident Barbara didn’t get along. In fact, there was a long history of altercations between the two. One altercation turned violent resulting in the arrest of 17 year old child Barabara. While being arrested in front of her care takers Barbara yelled to Tammy my client, “I’m going to get your key and get you.”

This Barbara had lost a lot in her life and was suffering from mental health illnesses and was on psychotropic medication. Barbara had been deemed by DCFS staff as particularly violent. After three months, Barbara was released from jail.

Then, this unstable minor returned to her independent living community and tricked the manager of this institution into giving Barbara, Tammy’s keys. Barbara this disturbed young child in the middle of the night entered Tammy’s home with this key, grabbed a knife and stabbed Tammy to death.

Tammy’s distraught siblings contacted me. Our Chicago wrongful death attorneys investigated the matter and learned that the independent living institution was to meet Barbara at release, but they did not show up in time. Being concerned, one of the social workers called her manager to inform her that she was concerned for my client Tammy’s safety. You see this social worker witnessed the threat Barbara made to Tammy. We also uncovered that the entire independent living institution should have been aware that a DCFS social worker indicated that Barbara would someday kill someone.

We also were able to prove that the manager that turned over the wrong key, failed to follow the known procedures of checking the room key with the person’s name. Compounding this error, the manager failed to follow-procedure and remove Tammy from the impending danger.

No one should ever have access to your apartment without your consent, especially not a sworn enemy who in front of the police threatened to get you. After uncovering the evidence of institutional failures, this case settled for a significant amount for the death of Tammy.

If you have a question about abuse or neglect in a foster or group home, or in an independent living environment, you may need an experienced wrongful death lawyer or personal injury trial attorney. Based in Chicago, the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. handles these matters all the time. Contact our office at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW.