Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

1. Ford Escape SUV: Ford Motor Co. said it was recalling more than 500,000 Ford Escape SUVs after receiving reports of engine fires linked to corrosion on anti-lock brake connections. The recall involves 444,880 Escapes from the 2001-04 model years in the U.S. and about 75,000 in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. The recall does not affect hybrid versions. For more information.

2. Chanukah Candles: Aviv Judaica Imports Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY and Ahron’s Judaica is voluntarily recalling about 9000 Chanukah Oil Candles. The candles can become engulfed in flames, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. For more information.

3. Hot Water Boilers: NY Thermal Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 4800 NTI Trinity Gas-Fired Hot Water Boilers. Acidic liquid in a drain line can cause a fitting in the boiler to leak, posing a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to consumers. For more information.

1. Electric Oil Lamps: Hong Teng Trading Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 3,900 Electric Oil Lamps because the power court is not correctly secured. Additionally, the switch housing is not flame retardant. As a result of these issues, the lamps pose a fire hazard. For more information.

2. Dishwashers: Maytag is voluntarily recalling about 2.3 million Maytag and Jenn-Air brand dishwashers. Liquid can leak and come into contact with the dishwasher’s internal wiring which can short-circuit and ignite, posing a fire hazard. For more information.

3. Easy-Bake Ovens: Easy-Bake, a division of Hasbro, Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 985,000 Easy-Bake Ovens. Young children can insert their hands into the oven’s opening, posing an entrapment and burn hazard. For more information.

4. Curling irons: Conair Corp. is voluntarily recalling about 322,000 Curling Irons. The handle of the curling iron can come apart exposing its line cord, posing a shock or electrocution hazard to consumers. For more information.

An Iowa family that fell ill at a Florida hotel only a week before a man who stayd in the same room died of carbon monoxide poisoning has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the hotel. The family was treated at a local hospital less than a week before the subsequent resident died from inhaling carbon monoxide fumes that came from a boiler adjacent to his room.

For the full article.

Family Dollar Stores has voluntarily recalled about 35,000 Oscillating Ceramic Heaters. The heaters can overheat and smoke, posing a fire hazard to consumers. For more information.

Recently released data showed that insurance company profits for 2006 are approaching record highs. This trend applies to all lines of coverage, including auto insurance. For example, in New York state, a report stated that state automobile insurers are experiencing unprecedented profitability with motorists paying historically high premiums despite lower payouts by insurers in automobile accidents. Unfortunately, while insurers celebrate, consumers continue to suffer with oppressive premiums.

For the full article.

As we are aware, first responders and others immediately involved with the 9/11 tragedy have experienced severe lung problems. Sister Cynthia Mahoney was 54 when she passed away on Wednesday. She had spent every day for six months after the attacks as a chaplain and EMT. Although no cause of death was given, Mahoney had repeatedly said in interviews that she believed the poisoned air that surrounded the fall of the World Trade Center towers gave her a deadly mix of asthma as well as pulmonary and digestive problems. Sister Mahoney has asked that the results of her autopsy be used in a class action suit by Ground Zero workers.

For the full article.

As introduced in a previous article, workers who assisted in the aftermath of September 11 have experienced severe lung problems. The LA Times recently interviewed a janitor who spent six months cleaning dusts from office buildings around Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attack. 5 years later, his lungs are packed with severe scars and densities, possibly a sign of disease that can cause lung tissue to stop functioning. He speaks occasionally in whispery puffs and for some periods he is unable to speak at all.

Unfortunately, the heroes who helped in the aftermath of September 11 will continue to experience respiratory conditions due to the caustic pulverized concrete, trillions of microscopic fibers of glass, and particles of lead, mercury, and arsenic in addition to carcinogens like asbestos and dioxin that surrounded the aftermath. The number of New Yorkers coming forward to describe the symptoms is increasing. It includes not only the first responders, but also the volunteers who visited the scene and students at a nearby school who returned to classes while acrid fires burned nearby.

For the full article.

Recent reports released from lung specialists state that some of the people who first responded at Ground Zero following the World Trade Center collapse have experienced a severe decrease in lung function. Within the first year after the attack, the lung function decrease of the first responders was similar to 12 years of age-related decline and is a result of their exposure to pulverized concrete.

For the full article.

A recent study investigated the national surveillance system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The study indicated that the BLS’s estimates of work-related injuries and illnesses were greatly lower than the actual number of cases, failing to include 61 percent of reported injuries.

For the full article.

A virulent E.coli strain infected the national spinach supply a month ago with a subsequent death following two weeks later. 50% of those who reported to be sick from this particular bacterial strain were hospitalized, which is twice as many as previous E.coli outbreaks. Three times the average number of consumers in this type of outbreak suffered kidney failure, resulting in a transplant, dialysis, heavy medication, or death.

The FDA’s response to this extreme severity? A voluntary recall of spinach! After one confirmed death and hundreds of illnesses, this voluntary issuance leaves millions of Americans at risk. Unfortunately, it appears as though the FDA cannot accurately assess the risks to public safety.

For more information.

The families that lost six children in a Rogers Park apartment fire earlier this month are seeking justice by suing the building’s owner and management company. Represented by the law firm of Levin & Perconti , the victims contend that the building’s landlord was negligent in failing to keep the building in a reasonably safe condition. Tragically, the fire department did not find smoke detectors in the apartment unit. Also, the families had lost power in their unit even though they were disputing charges on their electric bill at the time. The complaint filed by the law firm of Levin & Perconti alleges a lack of working smoke detectors in addition to other fire hazards present in the building.

The families are struggling to get back to their normal routines after enduring this tragedy. Last week, more than 1,200 mourners filled a Rogers Park church for the children’s funeral. This week, two children-survivors from the fire were released from the hospital.

Click here:
For the Chicago Sun-Times article.
For the Chicago Tribune article.
For the Belleville News Democrat article.
For the ABC7-Chicago.com article.
For the WREX-TV.com article.
For the NBC5.com article.

Obtaining testimony for medical malpractice lawsuits recently got more difficult in South Carolina with barriers imposed by the state legislature. In June 2006, with the backing of the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, a new law passed in South Carolina, requiring out-of-state doctors to obtain a temporary medical license before testifying in state court. The law requires out-of-state doctors to pay for a temporary license ($75.00) and also imposes stricter requirements to obtain documents from out of state.

Continue reading "South Carolina doctors’ licensing rule for testimony blocks justice " »

Firestone has renewed its efforts to recall defective tires recalled in 2000 and 2001 as the company realized many of these tires were still on the road. The action follows reports of at least five serious recent accidents tied to recalled tires, including the May 21 death of an 11-year-old boy in California.

Many of the vehicles still have spare tires that should have been recalled during the initial recall and were not.

For the full article.

Last week, the Center for Justice & Democracy released a new study showing how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce provides substantial financial and strategic assistance to local front groups to influence state elections, including funding major media buys to smear local candidates. The report, “The Secret Chamber – The Inner Workings of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Hijacking of an Election,” draws from newly-released papers and deposition testimony uncovered in connection with litigation surrounding the failed 2004 election bid of Deborah Senn for Washington State Attorney General.

The Chamber of Commerce advocates on behalf of businesses and often overlooks the rights and needs of individual citizens, particularly with respect to the civil justice system.

For the study.

What started as a minor $25,000 claim for neck and back injuries sustained in an auto accident has escalated into a potential $800 million class action lawsuit against Allstate insurance company.

The lawsuit alleges that Allstate’s claim practices are designed to bully car accident victims -- particularly the poor, the elderly and the disabled -- into accepting unfair compensation for their pain and suffering.

Allstate’s claim handling procedures were designed in the early 1990s by McKinsey & Co., a consulting company with close ties to Enron. The lawsuit alleges that Allstate forces claimants to accept low-ball offers or face years of stressful, costly litigation for routine claims and accidents.

For the full article.

Earlier this month, Levin & Perconti settled a lawsuit for $1.25 million when a school bus driver ran over a 50 year old woman crossing the street in a cross walk at Argyle and Kenmore in Chicago. The bus driver from Alltown Bus Service, Inc. pled guilty in traffic court to failure to exercise due care and striking a pedestrian.

As the woman began crossing the street, in the crosswalk, the bus knocked her down and rolled over her. She suffered multiple pelvic fractures, rib fractures and spine fractures and will need a hip replacement due to arthritis in one of the hip fractures.