Throughout the U.S., elderly nursing home residents are at risk of preventable injuries due to a variety of causes. Some of these injuries are the result of medical or surgical errors on the part of doctors, while others are the result of physical or sexual abuse on the part of nursing home staff. However, it is also unfortunately common for residents to suffer injuries simply due to negligence or neglect in the facilities where they live. It is important to recognize some of the injuries that can be caused by nursing home neglect so that you can protect yourself or your loved ones and hold any negligent parties accountable.

Injuries in Illinois Nursing Homes

Nursing home neglect can happen because of a staff member’s disregard for their duties, but it is often a symptom of more systemic problems within the facility, like understaffing, overcrowding, or insufficient training of staff. Some of the injuries that can happen as a result include:

• Bedsores - Bedsores can develop when a resident is left in the same position for an extended period of time, especially if the resident is not regularly bathed and their bedding is not regularly changed.
• Fall injuries - Some nursing home residents, especially those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions, are prone to wandering around or outside of the facility if left unsupervised. This puts them at risk of falling and suffering broken bones or head injuries, especially if there are tripping or slipping hazards throughout the facility.
• Medication incidents - Many residents rely on nursing home staff to administer the medication they need for various health conditions. However, staff members may err by administering the wrong dose or the wrong medication, or by leaving medication in a place where residents can access it without supervision.
• Dehydration and malnutrition - Residents who are not provided with proper food and water on a regular basis can suffer from adverse health effects.
• Choking and suffocation - Residents who need feeding assistance may be at risk of choking if their food is not prepared properly or they are left to feed themselves. Breathing tube and feeding tube incidents can also lead to suffocation.
• Emotional distress - The effects of nursing home neglect can also take a toll on a resident’s mental health, which may cause or exacerbate conditions like anxiety and depression.

Contact a Lake County Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

If you or your loved one has suffered an injury in a nursing home, the experienced Waukegan personal injury attorneys at Salvi & Maher, L.L.C. can help you determine if neglect or negligence was a contributing factor. If so, we can help you recover compensation from the facility for medical expenses and pain and suffering. Contact us today at 847-662-3303 for a free consultation.

If you have unexpectedly lost a loved one, you are bound to be suffering from emotional turmoil and concern for the future. The death of a family member due to someone else’s negligence can feel especially unfair, and it can be difficult to deal with the legal ramifications along with your grief and personal loss. Fortunately, an attorney can help you manage the process of seeking compensation through a wrongful death claim. If you are unsure whether such a claim is possible in your situation, you may benefit from the answers to the following questions.

When Can a Wrongful Death Claim Be Filed?

In Illinois, a wrongful death claim is generally possible in similar situations to a personal injury claim—namely, when the person’s death was caused by the negligence or intentional malicious actions of another party. In most cases, a claim must be filed within two years of the victim’s death, though the statute of limitations is extended to five years if the death was the result of certain forms of murder, homicide, or manslaughter.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

Illinois law requires a wrongful death claim to be brought by the personal representative of the deceased, which typically means the estate executor or administrator. If you are not your loved one’s personal representative, you should work with that person to initiate a claim on your loved one’s behalf.

One of the most common causes of car accident injuries is the blunt force trauma of the collision. Sometimes, the effects of this trauma are immediately apparent. For example, an injury victim may suffer broken bones or visible bruising, or bleeding. However, blunt force trauma can also cause internal bleeding and injuries that may not be so obvious. Getting medical attention immediately after an accident is important not only to diagnose the full extent of your injuries and get the treatment you need, but also to document your injuries for the purposes of filing a personal injury claim.

Common Internal Injuries in Car Wrecks

Some internal injuries that may be caused by car accident trauma include:

• Broken or fractured ribs
• Punctured lungs
• Damage to the spleen, liver, kidneys, and other internal organs
• Internal bleeding in the head, chest, or abdomen

While internal injuries sometimes have external symptoms, this is not always the case, at least not immediately. If you experience any pain, headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, or other unexplained symptoms after a collision, it is important to get a medical examination to determine whether something more serious may be wrong. If you start to notice visible symptoms like swelling or discoloration of the skin soon after the accident, these are often clear indicators that you have suffered an internal injury.

In a recent case in Lake County, a man is facing charges for allegedly causing a multi-vehicle accident resulting in injuries to one person and the death of another. Unfortunately, accidents involving several vehicles and injury victims are not uncommon in Illinois, and they can be some of the most complicated cases when it comes to recovering compensation for the victims. If you or a loved one has been injured in such an accident, you may have many confusing details to navigate, and you can benefit from the help of a personal injury attorney who has experience with similar cases.

Is There Enough Insurance Coverage for All of the Victims?

In most personal injury cases involving car accidents, a victim’s compensation comes from the negligent party’s liability insurance. However, auto insurance policies have limits on the amount of payment this coverage can provide. In Illinois, when a driver has only the minimum liability insurance coverage required by law, these limits are $25,000 per injury victim and $50,000 per accident. If the same driver is responsible for injuries to several people who each file a personal injury claim, these limits may be insufficient, especially if any of the victims’ injuries are severe.

If you find that the at-fault driver does not have enough insurance coverage for your damages, you may need to file a claim for additional compensation through your own underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage is offered when you buy car insurance for your own vehicle, with minimum limits in the same amount as the minimum limits for liability insurance. However, you can choose to purchase coverage at higher limits to better protect yourself.

If you are injured in a car crash or any other serious accident, you may need substantial medical attention, both in the immediate aftermath and throughout the course of your recovery. Your medical care can be quite costly, often reaching into the range of five or even six figures. These costs can easily become unmanageable, especially if you do not have health insurance to help you cover the expenses. Fortunately, if you can demonstrate that your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, you can hold the liable party accountable for your damages, including the full extent of your medical expenses.

Covering the Costs of Your Medical Care

Depending on the type of injuries you have suffered and their severity, your necessary medical care and treatment may include some or all of the following:

• Emergency care - This may include the costs of ambulance transportation from the accident location to the hospital, as well as the costs of treatment provided in the emergency room.
• Hospital stays - Many injury victims need to stay in the hospital overnight or for an extended period of time, which can result in accumulating expenses.
• Surgery - Severe injuries to the head, spine, limbs, and internal organs may require surgery to repair the damage or prevent further harm.
• Medication - This can include the costs of medication administered during in-patient procedures, as well as the costs of ongoing prescriptions for pain management and other lingering effects.
• Assistive devices - Victims of catastrophic injuries may need to use wheelchairs, braces, prosthetic limbs, and other assistive devices to help them maintain a reasonable quality of life.
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation - For injuries that affect mobility, strength, and coordination, victims may need ongoing care and treatment to help them regain their physical abilities.
• Mental health therapy - Serious physical injuries can also affect a victim’s mental health, resulting in conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is important to note that a negligent party may be liable for both a victim’s past and future medical expenses. In order to secure the most possible compensation, victims should be sure to get medical help as soon as possible after being injured, maintain thorough records of all of their medical care, and ask their healthcare providers to testify regarding the necessity of their treatment and any likely future expenses.