07 August

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Avoiding a Bad Nursing Home

Posted by Dane

With all the worries about elder abuse and negligence in nursing homes, it’s natural to worry about which homes might be best for your loved one. It’s important to know that not all nursing homes are horror stories waiting to happen. There are many fine facilities providing excellent care. But you need to know what to look for. Here are a few tips that can steer you away from a bad nursing home. Medicare Star Ratings Any nursing home that accepts Medicare or Medicaid has to submit to inspections by the government. From these inspections, each nursing home is given a star...

02 July

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What You Need to Know About Spinal Cord Injuries

Posted by Dane

in Legal Advice, Medical Malpractice

Spinal cord injuries are devastating, often severely impacting a person for the rest of their life and requiring massive amounts of medical care and support to maintain a reasonable quality of life. Cases involving spinal cord injuries are complex and require a skilled and experienced attorney who understands how to build your case and prove the full impact of your injury so that full justice through compensation is realized. Types of spinal cord injuries Spinal cord injuries are classified by two components. The first is where the injury occurred in the spinal cord. As a general guideline, nerve function below where the...

18 June

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Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Posted by Dane

in Uncategorized

Many families worry about the care that their loved ones receive in nursing homes. However, they are not familiar enough with the signs that something could be wrong. Reassurances from the nurses are not always enough, even in cases where your loved one cannot communicate. It’s important to know that nursing home negligence is different from nursing home abuse. Abuse is active harm against an individual, while neglect is causing harm by ignoring a problem that should’ve been addressed. There are six major signs to look for if you believe your loved one has experienced mental or physical abuse: Unsanitary or unsafe living...

29 May

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Medical Mesh Lawsuits

Posted by Dane

in Medical Malpractice

Medical mesh implants can be used to treat a few conditions, both in men and in women. One type of mesh is used to treat hernias, with surgeons relying on mesh to help keep hernias from recurring and to help reduce surgery time. Over 90% of groin hernias utilize surgical mesh to repair the condition. Women who have a condition known as pelvic organ prolapse, a complication of pregnancy and stress urinary incontinence, vaginal mesh may be used to treat these conditions. In 10% of patients, the women who have received these mesh implants have had intense pain and some have...

11 May

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Doctor Discipline Actions from the Iowa Medical Board

Posted by Dane

in Legal Advice

The Iowa Board of Medicine is authorized by state law to investigate complaints made by patients, other physicians, and personnel concerning physicians (M.D.s and D.O.s), as well as licensed acupuncturists. In such cases where the board finds that the physician has committed a punishable offense, it may take action. While the entirety of the board’s disciplinary procedures and possible disciplinary actions are available, this is an overview. When a complaint is received, it is assigned a case number and a file is opened. Every week, the executive director, the legal director, medical advisor, and chief investigator meet to determine the appropriate...

30 April

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Consumer Product Safety Commission Recalls

Posted by Dane

in Uncategorized

Millions of products are available for sale on store shelves. Most of these products are safe, thanks to strong consumer protection laws. However, not every flaw is caught while testing the product. This means that the public is always at a small risk of injury from products. This is why product manuals have pages after page of warnings. Nevertheless, sometimes a company hides a flaw in a product or is not aware that a product could cause injury to its users. That is when the Consumer Product Safety Commission comes in. The CSPC is the responsible party to ensure all products...

13 April

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An Overview of Recent Drug Recalls

Posted by Dane

in Uncategorized

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for testing the safety of drugs and medical devices before allowing them on the market. However, early testing doesn’t always catch problems, which can have disastrous medical consequences on the public. When these are found, the FDA can issue additional warnings or pull the product from the market with a recall. Medical manufacturers fear these additional penalties because it can open them up to lawsuits from the public, and rightfully so. The manufacturers are ultimately responsible for the creation and sale of the product. When a product causes damage to the public, the people...

22 March

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Do Traffic Cameras Reduce Crashes?

Posted by Dane

in Uncategorized

The legality and effectiveness of traffic cameras is an ongoing issue debated nationwide. The Des Moines Register compared crash data from the previous six years to present day to see if there was enough data to determine whether or not traffic cameras are making roads safer. We’re going to break down both sides of the argument and tell you what you can do to challenge an automatic traffic ticket if you get one. Safety The primary benefit of traffic cameras is for public safety. Proponents believe that they do in fact reduce crashes in short-term studies. Crashes that happen at intersections with...

23 January

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Does Your Doctor’s Age Matter?

Posted by Dane

in Legal Advice, Medical Malpractice

When choosing a physician, do you look for an experienced doctor with years of practice under their belt? Or, do you look for degrees, certifications, or awards? Older doctors bring years of clinical experience to the table, but there are also downsides for aging physicians. Should Age Matter? Researchers at Harvard University published a paper last year showing patients being taken care of by younger doctors were less likely to die. Physicians with less experience were also less likely to order unnecessary tests in both men and women. For example, overall, 32 out of 62 evaluations reported decreasing performance with increasing years...

11 January

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Nearly One in Five Iowa Patients Experience Medical Errors

Posted by Dane

in Legal Advice, Medical Malpractice

A new poll, organized by the Heartland Health Research Institute of Clive, Iowa, confirms that nearly one in five Iowans claim to have personally experienced medical errors including surgical mistakes, misdiagnosis, or incorrect medications. Hospitals were voted as the most frequent site for medical errors (about 59 percent), while 30 percent of errors occurred in the doctor’s office or clinic, four percent in nursing homes, and seven percent at other locations. Of the one in five Iowa adults who experienced medical errors, 60 percent of patients were not informed by medical staff members. Other survey findings: Sixty percent of those who experienced...

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