Missouri Injury Lawyer Blog

Surgical flash fires were once thought to be freak occurrences. But a new report reveals that about 600 people are set ablaze each year in the operating room, 20 to 30 of those patients suffer serious disfigurement and one or two die.

The data was gleaned from information collected by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System, MSNBC.com reports.

In the article, “On fire in the OR: Hundreds are hurt every year,” health writer JoNel Aleccia recounts the stories of burn victims who went in for routine surgery and awoke to find their faces so badly disfigured that they couldn’t even recognize themselves.

The conditions in the operating room can be conducive to fires. The high oxygen concentrations provide fuel. Electrosurgical tools, hot wires, lights, burrs, defibrillators and lasers can supply heat. Tiny facial hairs are enough to spread a flash flame.

Approximately 65 percent of surgical fires occur on the upper body or inside a patient’s airway. Another 25 percent occur on other parts of the body and less than 10 percent occur inside the body.

Currently, there is no mandatory national system that tracks surgical fires and efforts to convince hospitals to hold surgical fire drills have had mixed results. Only about half of U.S. hospitals conduct surgical room fire prevention and control drills.

Even as hospitals lag behind, some medical groups are pushing new recommendations to combat the problem. New recommendations or expanded education programs have been announced by The American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Academy of Surgeons, the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses.

Severe burn injuries are both disfiguring and disabling. Survivors may suffer have to endure multiple skin grafts and lengthy hospital stays.

Contact an experienced burn injury lawyer to learn if you may take legal action to recover for the serious and debilitating injuries from which you suffer. At the Lowe Law Firm you will receive prompt and personal attention from an experienced burn injury attorney.

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice

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A recall has been issued on the four-wheeled Razor Dirt Quad because a defective throttle causes the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of the mini all-terrain vehicle on Sept. 25. Approximately 30,000 of the electric ride-on vehicles designed for children were sold nationwide from August 2006 through September 2007.

A defect in the throttle’s control module can cause it to surge forward unexpectedly. Razor, the maker of the vehicle, has received 60 reports of unexpected forward surges and two reports of injuries.

The vehicles were made in China and sold in the United States for $400.The product ID numbers included in the recall begin with 103110-01 or 103110-02.

According to the CPSC, the annual tally of accidents involving ATVs increased by nearly 180 percent between 1995 and 2004. Children younger than 16 years accounted for nearly a quarter of all ATV-related deaths and a third of ATV-related injuries, such as brain and spinal cord trauma. The average cost of hospitalization for the victim of an ATV accident was $21,304.

There is little regulation or oversight of the ATV industry. Instead, safety is left to a patchwork of state laws and the ability of the already overworked CPSC to issue recalls. In spite of this weak regulatory environment, several ATV-related recalls have been made for such dangers as failures of the brakes, steering system, and suspension; inability to control speed; fire hazards; and other design flaws.

As a result of dangerous designs and manufacturing defects, children and adults have suffered brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and amputations and have even been killed in ATV accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured or a family member has been killed in an ATV accident, we urge you to contact The Lowe Law Firm. Our attorneys are experienced in helping people injured by dangerous ATVs. We will seek compensation for medical expenses, future and other affected wages, disability and other related damages, pain and suffering.

The Lowe Law Firm will provide you with a free initial consultation. We can meet with you in our office, at the hospital or in the privacy of your home. Contact The Lowe Law Firm online or call 877-678-3400.

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Posted In: ATV Accidents

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In the wake of a deadly train crash outside of Los Angeles, attention has turned to the hazards associated with text-messaging.

On Sept. 12, a Metrolink commuter train ran a red light and collided head-on with a freight train. Twenty-five people, including the engineer of the commuter train, Robert M. Sanchez, died in the accident and more than 130 were injured.

According to investigators, phone records revealed that Sanchez had sent and received text messages while operating the train, though it has not yet been determined whether he was doing so at the time of the crash.

On Sept. 18, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a temporary ban on the use of cell phones by on-duty railroad engineers, brakemen, conductors or rail transit vehicle operators. The state regulatory body cited both the Sept. 12 accident as well as a crash that occurred on June 14 in San Francisco in which an engineer’s cell phone use may have played a role in the crash.

As a recent study by the British firm Transport Research Laboratory shows, texting isn’t just dangerous for train engineers. Researchers tested 17 automobile drivers aged 17-24 in a simulator discovered that reaction time was slowed by 35 percent when drivers were reading or writing text messages. The reaction time of drivers who were under the influence of marijuana slowed by 21 percent. Driving while under the influence of alcohol delayed reaction time by 12 percent.

If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident resulting from the negligence of another or a loved one has been hurt or killed in such an accident, please contact our attorneys for legal assistance as soon as possible.

The lawyers of The Lowe Law Firm are experienced in helping people who have been hurt as a result of the negligence of another. We will seek compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future wages, pain and suffering, disability and other damages. We also represent family members in wrongful death cases.

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Posted In: Traffic Safety

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A woman who was driving an estimated 70 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone and weaving in and out of traffic has been convicted of reckless homicide in the death of a 9-year-old boy.

According to The News-Gazette, Melissa K. Darr, 42, of Gifford, Ill., was darting in and out of traffic on U.S. 136 headed toward Interstate 57 on May 25, 2007. Darr testified that she had argued with her husband the night before and that her husband had taken their 4-year-old son. While she was driving, her husband told her she would not be getting their son back.

Darr got onto the I-57 ramp which limits speed to 35 miles per hour because of a tight curve. Her SUV blew a tire then went through the grass and up on the highway.

Raymundo Vazquez Sr. of Chicago was driving his van southbound. He testified that Darr’s SUV hit the back of his van, causing him to a hit a guardrail. His 9-year-old son, Raymundo Vazquez Jr. was thrown from the van and died of head and chest injuries.

Two state troopers testified that, in their opinion, the vehicles did not touch because there was no paint transfer.

But that didn’t matter, Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Kanis told the jury.

“She’s flying on that ramp. It was inevitable. She couldn’t hold the curve. If she didn’t hit him, he was avoiding her.”

It only took the Champaign County jury 90 minutes to convict Darr of reckless homicide. Her sentencing is set for Oct. 23. Darr faces a maximum of five years in prison.

In this case, it didn’t matter if Darr intended to hurt or kill someone. All that mattered was that she meant to drive recklessly.

If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident resulting from the negligence of another or a loved one has been hurt or killed in such an accident, please contact our attorneys for legal assistance as soon as possible.

The lawyers of The Lowe Law Firm are experienced in helping people who have been hurt as a result of the negligence of another. We will seek compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future wages, pain and suffering, disability and other damages. We also represent family members in wrongful death cases.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents

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When it comes to colon cancer, many hospitals have failed their patients.

That’s the conclusion of a study released this week by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the American College of Surgeons.

The new study found that only 38 percent of approximately 1,300 hospitals checked a minimum of 12 lymph nodes to determine whether colon cancer has spread. The low percentage comes as a shock because a number of oncology organizations recommend that a minimum of 12 lymph nodes be examined.

According to the statement released by Northwestern University, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. However, if stage of the cancer is accurately diagnosed, the most effective treatment can be prescribed and the odds of surviving increase.

In 1996-1997, 15 percent of hospitals examined at least 12 nodes. In 2004-2005, the number rose to 38 percent. Unfortunately, that means that 62 percent of U.S. hospitals are falling short.

Karl Bilimoria, M.D., lead author and surgery resident at the Feinberg School, said in a written statement:

“Every surgeon has a story about a colon cancer patient where the pathology report showed only a few lymph nodes and no cancer was found. Then the surgeon asks the pathologist to check six or eight more nodes, and one of those turns out to be positive for cancer.”

If you are suffering from an injury or you have lost a loved one as a result of medical malpractice, contact The Lowe Law Firm immediately through our online contact form or by calling 877-678-3400. We will meet with you at your convenience for a free consultation to discuss your options.

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice

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Two Missouri motorcyclists were injured in a Labor Day crash, when a pick-up truck crashed head on into the motorcycle they were riding, The Carthage Press reports.

The accident occurred on County Road 130 just south of Carthage. The driver of the pick-up truck failed to remain on his side of the road and crashed into the motorcycle when the vehicles reached the crest of a hill.

Daniel L. Cupp, 55, and Deborah Cupp, 54, were riding on the motorcycle. They suffered moderate injuries as a result.

The seminal “Hurt Report” noted that in two-thirds of multiple-vehicle accidents involving motorcycles a motorist violated the motorcyclist’s right-of-way. The failure of motorists to notice motorcyclists was also found to be a common cause of motorcycle crashes. Drivers involved in accidents often did not see the motorcycle before the accident or until it was too late to avoid the crash.

If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident resulting from the negligence of another or a loved one has been hurt or killed in such an accident, please contact our attorneys for legal assistance as soon as possible.

The lawyers of The Lowe Law Firm are experienced in helping people who have been hurt as a result of the negligence of another. We will seek compensation for past and future medical expenses, past and future wages, pain and suffering, disability and other damages. We also represent family members in wrongful death cases.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents

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As the number of motorcycle riders continues to climb, so, too, does the number of motorcycle-related fatalities. In the Illinois area of Champaign-Urbana, ten people in the past five months have died in motorcycle accidents, The News-Gazette reports.

The News-Gazette reporter Steve Bauer writes in “Local fatalities illustrate bad trend in motorcycle accidents,” that local motorcycle crashes have claimed the lives of riders between the ages of 20 and 66. In addition, two husband-and-wife couples were killed in separate accidents when cars struck their motorcycles.

In a related article, “Police attribute increase in motorcycle accidents to rise in riders,” Bauer notes that motorcycle fatalities now account for 13 percent of total traffic deaths in the United States. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration also reports while auto-related deaths have dropped 3.9 percent from 2006 to 2007, motorcyclist deaths roses 6.6 percent.

Several factors seem to account for the increase. The number of motorcycle registrations has been rising steadily for the last ten years. In 2006, there were 2.3 million more motorcycle registrations than the previous year.

In addition, as oil prices soar, owners who might have limited their motorcycle outings to weekends are now riding daily to save on gas.

Safety experts urge riders to wear gloves, heavy jeans, a heavy jack, over-the-ankle boots, and helmets for protection. Motorcyclists should drive defensively, make their presence known to motorists and never drive impaired.

If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident resulting from the negligence of another or a loved one has been hurt or killed in such an accident, please contact us online for legal assistance as soon as possible or call 877-678-3400. The experienced motorcycle accident lawyers of the Lowe Law Firm will contact you immediately.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents

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