Florida Injury Attorney Blog

An 82-Year-Old World War II Veteran and nursing home resident had nine maggots in one eye, bedsores, a fever, and an infected breathing tube when he was admitted to Florida Hospital DeLand on November 7 for respiratory problems. At the time, Anthony Vincent Digiannurio had been a patient at the University Center West nursing home in DeLand, Florida.

Digiannurio’s daughter, Laura, says that hospice workers placed her father at University Center West because he couldn’t use his legs and he had lung problems. In May, Anthony hurt his head during a fall when a nurse left him to take care of another patient.

Diagiannurio was awarded the Purple Heart in 1988 for his participation in the European Theater of Operation on September 8, 1945. He also is the author of nine books.

Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse and negligence is a serious problem in the United States. There are some 1.5 million people living in about 17,000 nursing homes throughout the U.S. Unfortunately, there are nurses and nurse’s aides at these homes that are unqualified, overworked, and/or underpaid.

Elderly residents, who make up over half of the nursing home resident patient population, are especially susceptible to nursing home abuse because they tend to be physically weak and emotionally vulnerable—especially the ones who are very frail and unable to articulate that they are being abused.

If you suspect that someone you love is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should take immediate steps to remove your loved one from the nursing home. You should also contact an experienced Florida nursing home abuse lawyer right away to determine if your loved one has grounds to file a nursing home abuse claim or lawsuit.

Signs of nursing home abuse or negligent include bedsores, unexplained genital disease or injuries, overmedication, sudden weight loss or weight gain, broken bones, bruises, loss of possessions, sudden financial withdrawals from a resident’s bank accounts, and unexpected changes to a resident’s will.

Nursing home abuse can be physical, verbal, emotional, or mental. Nursing home abuse is against the law.

Patient in nursing home investigation vet with Purple Heart, Daytona Beach News-Journal, November 17, 2007

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse, Elder Abuse Foundation

Related Web Resources:

Florida's Nursing Home Liability Statute

National Center on Elder Abuse

National Citizen's Coalition for Nursing Home Reform

Continue reading " Florida Nursing Home Patient Admitted to DeLand Hospital Had Maggots in His Eye and Bedsores " »

A 33-year-old Florida motorcyclist was injured on her birthday when a car struck her motorcycle. According to the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, Laurel Hill resident Myria Jacobs was thrown nearly 40 feet off her motorcycle.

The car turned left in front of her as she was heading south on Eglin Parkway and struck her motorcycle. Jacobs hit the car’s windshield and then soared over the motor vehicle until she fell onto the road. Jacobs was not wearing a helmet at the time of the motorcycle accident.

Jacobs, who sustained serious head injuries, was airlifted and taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. As of yesterday, Jacobs condition had reportedly been upgraded from serious to fair.

The driver of the car, Fort Walton Beach resident Elinor Monfils, 74, was cited by police for her failure to yield. Monfils sustained minor injuries in the crash and was treated at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.

Motorcycle collisions can lead to serious personal injuries and even death—especially for the motorcyclist who does not have anything to protect him or her from the impact of colliding with a car, truck, bus, the ground, or a nonmoving steel or concrete object.

Causes of motorcycle crashes include:

• Driver negligence or carelessness
• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Driver inattention
• Defective motor vehicle
• Poor weather and road conditions

Two-thirds of motorcycle accidents are caused by car drivers, who may not be watching for motorcyclists that are sharing the roads with them. Head injuries are the number one kind of motorcycle accident injury.

Even though Florida law does not make it mandatory for motorcyclists to wear helmets, it is recommended that a DOT-approved helmet be used as a safety precaution. Even if a motorcyclist follows all the rules and drive safely, he or she cannot control the behavior of other drivers on the road.

Medical and recovery costs, as well as other expenses associated with motorcycle injuries, can be very expensive. A good motorcycle accident lawyer can evaluate your injuries and your accident for you and determine whether you have grounds to file a motorcycle accident claim or lawsuit.

Birthday ends in cycle crash, Florida Emerald Coast.com, November 12, 2007

Injured birthday cyclist now in fair condition, Florida Emerald Coast.com, November 14, 2007

Motorcycle Safety, MassGeneral Hospital for Children

Related Web Resources:

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

NHTSA, US Department of Transportation

Continue reading " Florida Motorcyclist Is Seriously Injured After Being Struck by Car in Fort Walton Beach Area " »

Florida resident Gwen Hightower, an employee for All Service Refuse lost her leg in a truck crash on Friday. Doctors and paramedics had to amputate her leg after she was freed from under the toppled recycling truck that she had been riding in.

Pembroke Pines Police have charged the driver of the garbage truck, Ft. Lauderdale resident Alexander Wright, with driving without a valid license and reckless endangerment.

The truck accident that caused Hightower to lose her leg took place when the vehicle overturned while Wright was turning left onto Northwest 140th Avenue from Taft Street.

Hightower was partially ejected from the truck, which landed on her right leg. Doctors and paramedics tried to save her leg while a big towing truck lifted the garbage truck off her leg.

Hightower underwent surgery for several hours at Memorial Regional in Hollywood, Florida.

The truck is equipped with two steering wheels and sets of pedals. Wright, a temporary worker at All-Service, wasn’t allowed to drive the truck. He is employed by another company. His job description while working with All-Service entailed picking up garbage. By allegedly causing the accident, he also violated his probation sentence that he is serving for aggravated fleeing and eluding an officer and grand theft.

If you have been injured on the job in Florida, the state’s workers’ compensation law prevents you from suing your employer for personal injury compensation. Workers’ compensation guarantees employees certain financial benefits if they are injured at work.

However, third parties can be held liable for a person’s personal injuries even if he or she while on the job. The best way to determine whether you can file a personal injury claim is to speak with an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer who can inform you of your legal options.

Spinal cord injuries, amputated limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and permanent disfigurements are just some of the many catastrophic injuries that a victim can sustain in a truck accident or any other type of serious motor vehicle crash.

Chances are that medical costs and recovery expenses will be very high. Your workers’ compensation benefits may not be able to cover all your financial and medical needs.

If another person, company, or another entity that is not your employer caused your personal injury accident by acting negligently, you may be able to obtain additional compensation for your catastrophic injuries.

Garbage truck driver charged in Pines rollover incident, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 8, 2007

Driver of garbage truck in Pembroke Pines crash jailed, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 8, 2007

Pines rescuers amputate woman's leg to free her from toppled truck, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 3, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Florida Division of Workers' Compensationhttp://www.protectingyou.com/

Continue reading " Florida Woman Loses Leg in Truck Accident " »

A Polk County, Florida jury has awarded the Ladler family $50 million because their son sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2004.

Mario Ladler II, a 4-year-old preschooler at the time of the crash, had his skull shattered when Michael Yow, the driver of a pickup truck, struck the car that the family was riding in. Yow has pleaded guilty to DUI involving serious bodily injury.

Doctors had to remove part of Mario’s frontal lobe. Mario, now 7, is institutionalized at the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation because he requires full-time medical care. His brain is now missing the portions that monitor judgment and impulse control. His father Mario Ladler Sr. also sustained injuries in the car crash. His personal injury trial is expected to start in a few months.

The $50 million personal injury award is considered the largest civil lawsuit award in Polk County’s history. Of the $50 million, $27 million will go towards Mario’s ongoing medical care. $23 million was awarded for pain and suffering and lost wages.

Yow is serving five years in state prison. The $50 million compensation will have to be collected from Geico, Yow’s insurance company.

If you or someone you love is seriously injured in a car accident anywhere in Florida, you should speak with a personal injury attorney immediately. You may be entitled to personal injury compensation if another party acted negligently or carelessly and caused your accident.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are very serious injuries that can be very costly to treat. A TBI can occur in a car accident if an injury victim’s head strikes a hard object or is jolted by the force of impact.

TBI’s can lead to other serious medical conditions, such as seizures, memory problems, paralysis, loss of vision, speech problems, emotional difficulties, personality changes, loss of motor functions, seizures, and permanent brain damage.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of TBIs. By filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the person responsible for your accident in Florida, you may be able to obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, ongoing medical care, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Lakeland Family Awarded $50 Million In 2004 DUI Crash, TBO.com, November 1, 2007

Lakeland family awarded $50 million for accident, Tampa Bays 10.com, November 1, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Traumatic Brain Injury, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation

Continue reading " Lakeland, Florida Family Awarded $50 Million For Son’s Traumatic Brain Injury During 2004 Car Accident " »