The number of elder abuse cases in this country is alarming. It is estimated that five million seniors are abused each year. One in 10 seniors over the age of 60 report having suffered at least one incident of elder abuse. One of the most common places where this abuse takes place is nursing homes. Almost 40 percent of nursing home residents report they have witnessed another resident suffer abuse of another resident within the prior 12 months, 10 percent of nursing home staff have admitted to physically abusing a resident, and 40 percent have admitted to emotionally abusing residents.

Keeping Track of Nursing Home Facilities with Track Records of Abuse and Neglect

In an effort to protect elderly residents, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program that identifies nursing homes that have very poor records of caring for residents. Once CMS has placed a facility on the SFF list, that facility must make significant improvements on the quality of care they are providing residents and to put in place best practices policies. Facilities have 18 to 24 months to make these improvements in order to “graduate” from the program and be removed from the list. If the facility fails to do so within the required time period, it faces termination from Medicare and Medicaid participation, which will likely result in the facility closing. What Deficiencies Will Place a Facility on the SFF List?

The CMS sends inspectors out on a regular basis to inspect facilities to make sure they are providing the care to residents that is required by Medicare and Medicaid. Any failures are cited as deficiencies. According to the CMS, the majority of facilities have an average of six to seven deficiencies. However, facilities that end up on the SFF list have one or more of the following records:

Whether you are walking through a mall, a doctor’s office, or your place of work, no one expects to slip and fall, nor is anyone prepared for the consequences of this type of accident. If you have sustained severe injuries due to an accident you suffered on someone else’s property, it is important to work with an experienced attorney who can help determine what compensation you may be entitled to and hold the responsible parties accountable.

What Causes a Slip and Fall Accident?

There are numerous factors that can lead to employees and patrons suffering a slip and fall on a business’s property, including the property manager’s negligence in properly maintaining walkways, roads, floors, and parking lots. Property owners and managers also need to be mindful of areas such as stairs, escalators, and elevators. When property owners or managers fail to adequately monitor these areas for cleanliness and safety, they may be unaware of slick surfaces or obstructed walkways.

Most often, these accidents involve surfaces that are slippery with water or ice. In places like Illinois that experience colder temperatures throughout the year, ice and snow are common factors in slip and fall accidents. When property owners and managers are aware of these risks, they can sufficiently warn building patrons of these dangers.

In Illinois and across the country, physicians and other healthcare professionals are expected to provide an adequate level of care to their patients. If a physician’s substandard care results in a patient suffering injury, their negligence could constitute medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is commonly seen in the form of surgical errors, misdiagnosis, or birth injuries. However, a doctor refusing or failing to treat a patient in need of attention can have outcomes that are just as bad.

When Does Patient Abandonment Constitute Medical Malpractice?

When considering medical malpractice, most people likely imagine actions a doctor may take that severely harm a patient. However, an often overlooked form of medical malpractice is patient abandonment. When a physician or other medical professional ends a doctor-patient relationship without giving a reasonable excuse or notice, and at the same time neglects to refer the patient to a qualified replacement, they have abandoned their patient.

Patient abandonment may occur due to a variety of reasons. For example, a physician may refuse to treat a patient because the patient has neglected to pay their medical bill, or fail to respond to a patient in need within a reasonable amount of time. Patient abandonment may also occur when a hospital is understaffed or when medical staff neglect to provide adequate communication between patient and doctor.

Though passenger cars and semi-trucks differ substantially in weight, driver field of vision, and stopping distance, they are still expected to safely share the road every day. Unfortunately, when these two contrasting vehicles collide, the crash can lead to devastating outcomes. Oftentimes, truck wrecks are preventable and are the result of negligence. If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury or death due to the negligence of a truck driver, the truck company, or other involved parties, a personal injury attorney can help you hold them accountable.

Inadequate Maintenance Can Lead to Large Truck Accidents

Commercial trucking accidents are not only caused by the actions or inactions of the driver while they are on the road. In some cases, these accidents are the result of the driver, the trucking company, and other individuals failing to complete proper inspections and repairs to the truck in a timely manner. Even if the trucking company properly inspects and cares for their vehicles, a truck may still have been manufactured with defective brakes, lights, tires, or other parts.

Several truck features may come into play when improper maintenance leads to a devastating truck accident, with defective tires being one of the most prevalent concerns. The root of the tire defect can be difficult to decipher. The tire may have been sold by the manufacturer in a faulty state, allowing for the possibility of a blowout or other malfunction. Alternatively, the defect may have come about due to a lack of care by the truck company. For instance, if a truck company fails to properly inflate their tires, or allows their tires to become worn or damaged, other drivers sharing the road may be put at risk.

Illinois law allows victims who are injured in accidents caused by the negligence or recklessness of another party to file legal action against that party for financial compensation for the losses those injuries cause. These losses can include medical expenses to treat the injuries, loss of income if the victim is unable to work while they recover, pain and suffering, and more.

Many accident claims are handled through the at-fault party’s insurance company, such as in car accidents, premises liability accidents, and medical malpractice lawsuits. Unfortunately, the majority of insurance companies will do all they can to get a victim to settle for far less than what they deserve, including dragging the entire process out for an extended period of time. But a new Illinois law could end up penalizing insurance companies who engage in these types of practices.

Pretrial Interest Legislation

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses and any time they are forced to pay funds to a victim, it cuts into those profits. Prior to the new law’s passage, there was no legal incentive for the at-fault party or an insurance company to settle a case before it went to trial. Insurance companies are well known for engaging in tactics that pressure victims to settle for less than what their losses are, or they attempt to find ways to deny a victim’s claim completely.