Truck Accidents
In 2019, trucking accidents caused nearly 80,000 injuries and 5,000 fatalities, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. When compared to a decade ago, fatality rates have increased 31% since. Tragically, many families have been harmed by trucking crashes.
While trucking fuels commerce, reckless trucking companies have also increased deaths and serious injuries caused by negligence. Not all crashes can be avoided, but many can if for-profit trucking companies would simply abide by safety standards and regulations and train their truckers.
We seek to hold commercial trucking companies accountable for their actions and help your family obtain justice amidst the tragedy.
Trucking accidents and auto accidents are not one and the same; and if your family has experienced a tragedy caused by trucking, you need attorneys with experience in trucking cases. There are a vast expanse of regulations and protocols for truckers. It is imperative that your attorney know these standards inside and out as well as how to hold large trucking companies accountable.
At F&B, we have experience in trucking litigation, and we want to seek justice for your loved one and family and hold reckless trucking companies accountable. Your lawsuit can help protect others from similar tragedy.
Medical Malpractice
The third leading cause of death in the United States is medical negligence, according to a study by Johns Hopkins.
When you are injured or ill, you place trust in the professionals and institutions that provide medical care, expecting them to give you the best available care. When dealing with such an important issue as your health, a doctor or hospital that provides even slightly flawed treatment can cause you severe harm, disability, or even death. Because of the importance of excellent care in medicine, a doctor, nurse, hospital, or any other medical personnel or institution that does not provide you with the most appropriate, timely, and attentive care, is not only in violation of your trust, but is also in violation of the law.
It has been estimated that as many as 250,000 people die unnecessarily every year because of errors in hospitals, and even more sustain devastating injuries. When medical malpractice or negligence causes death or injury, state and federal law offer victims substantial support. Under these laws, victims can sue for damages and stop medical malpractice at its source.
Unfortunately, according to a Harvard Medical Practice study, not even 3% come forward to file a claim. That means that in seven out of eight cases, medical malpractice goes unpunished; the people or systems that violate the law will continue to provide poor care. If you have experienced harm in Missouri or Illinois due to medical negligence we can help. We have handled a multitude of cases, including cases of hospital error and wrongful death.
Hospital Error
Every year, about 250,000 people die from preventable medical errors, a term that includes misdiagnosis, surgical errors, neglect, and other mistakes that occur in hospitals. As large institutions, hospitals have significant room for mistake and miscommunication. Unfortunately, in dealing with illness and injury, a small glitch in hospital communications can have devastating consequences.
Surgical Injuries
The choice of surgery is a difficult one, but you make it when you have few other options and the benefits are worth the risks. When you go under anesthesia, you put your absolute trust in the ability of your surgeon and his or her staff. You expect to come out of surgery and eventually be able to enjoy all of the health benefits that your surgeon has described. Medical malpractice on the part of the surgeon, his or her staff, or the hospital in which the surgery is performed can violate this trust and undermine all of your expectations. A poorly performed surgery can cause severe injury or even death.
Misdiagnosis
A large number of autopsy studies reveal that some physicians misdiagnosed the disease. Often, that misdiagnosis was the direct cause of death. Understanding the grave consequences of misdiagnosis, it is not something that should be taken lightly. Especially in cases where a physician observed obvious signs of disease and did not take appropriate action, medical malpractice laws hold them accountable. The results of misdiagnosis are not limited to death. You can suffer severe harm, whether from the progression of a disease or from taking inappropriate medications.
Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can be both emotionally and financially devastating to a family. While many injuries can be repaired with proper medical care, there are many others that can cost a family financially and emotionally throughout the lifetime of their child. Many injuries and defects are caused during childbirth, often when the blood supply is cut off and the baby is deprived of oxygen. Cerebral palsy, a disorder in which the baby sustains brain damage and loses control of the muscles, can occur. Often, this kind of defect can be prevented if the physician providing proper care is prepared for more complicated birth.
Medication Errors
When a doctor prescribes the wrong kind of medication, or you take a medication that causes you harm, you may be able to receive compensation. Errors in the diagnosis of a disease or improper screening of a patients’ medical history can lead to the prescription of drugs that can be harmful to a patient. Sometimes, a drug can have side effects that are injurious, even fatal, to certain patients.
Wrongful Death
Sometimes, whether due to surgical error, misdiagnosis of disease, medication error, or other medical malpractice, injury can be so severe that it will ultimately result in death. The pain experienced by those left behind is compounded in these cases by the sense that a trusted professional or institution caused that death. Moreover, in many cases of medical malpractice, death is sudden and unexpected. When this occurs, families have little time to come to terms, both financially or emotionally, with the prospect of the loss. Lost income, funeral expenses, and pure emotional pain can often be overwhelming. However, by filing a wrongful death lawsuit you may be able obtain compensation that will give your family both the time and the means to provide for your needs.
Auto Accidents
In 2018, an estimated 6.7 million auto accidents caused 2.7 million injuries and more than 36,000 deaths. In Missouri, nearly 1,000 people were killed in auto accidents during 2019. Among young people between the ages of 1 and 33, auto accidents are the leading cause of death. More often than death, however, an auto accident will cause debilitating injuries that can rob victims of their livelihood or force them to undergo costly surgeries and medical care. Because of this potential, we are here to help you.
At our practice, we know that the vast majority of auto accidents are preventable. Distractions from cell phones and eating, in addition to the influence of drugs or alcohol, are the cause of many accidents. When someone is distracted, negligent, or under the influence, and they cause an auto accident, they should be held accountable. Especially in cases of injury, the law holds negligent drivers financially responsible for their actions.
Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Millions of people in America ’s greatest generation are now dependent residents of nursing homes. As the population of the United States ages, more Americans are entering nursing homes. The majority of these nursing homes receive state or federal funding that subjects them to a number of federal regulatory standards designed to ensure that residents receive adequate care in a safe and dignified environment. Unfortunately, and in spite of regulations, many of the people entering nursing homes will suffer some form of nursing home abuse. With COVID-19 restrictions, nursing homes have even more opportunities to abuse and neglect our loved ones.
As many as one-third of all nursing homes in the United States were cited for some kind of violation of federal law. Of the cited homes, many of the violations were harmful enough to put residents in danger of injury or death. Often, injuries occur because the corporate entities that own the nursing home cut the amount of staff on hand to increase the owners profits. As nursing home abuse lawyers, we are working to stop nursing home abuse by holding abusive institutions responsible for their actions. If you feel that a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, don’t let it go unpunished. We work to prevent future abuse and neglect. You have the resources under federal, Missouri , and Illinois state laws to hold bad nursing homes accountable. Simply contact our office to find out more.