2012 March Archive

Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic disorders that affect control of movement that begin to appear in the first years of life. It is a condition that directly affects the nerves that regulate the muscles and body control. Victims of cerebral palsy may experience difficulties with fine motor tasks and issues with maintaining balance. Each case is different, but it is common for those suffering from cerebral palsy to face a lifetime of medical, emotional, educational, and social challenges.

Cerebral palsy is a birth injury that often occurs due to oxygen deprivation at birth. It occurs when oxygen is cut off to the unborn baby. In some cases, this could occur because of the twisting of the umbilical cord. Others may suffer from oxygen deprivation during a breach delivery. These tragic birth injuries are often preventable with proper fetal monitoring.

It is a doctor’s responsibility to carefully monitor an unborn baby and the mother to make sure that the baby is getting enough oxygen. Did the doctor foresee possible issues with the baby but failed to act? Was the baby too big to safely make the passage through the birth canal? Did the doctor order a C-section in time to prevent an injury? Did the medical staff fail to monitor the baby’s heartbeat?

When it is determined that a medical professional failed to prevent a birth injury during labor, the doctor, hospital staff, and/or the hospital can be held accountable for the injuries caused. The family of the injured child can file an Oklahoma medical malpractice claim seeking compensation for the serious damage that was caused by medical negligence.

The skilled birth injury lawyers in Oklahoma City at Maples Law Firm have a proven track record of handling birth injury cases and helping injured victims and their families obtain fair compensation for their losses. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 to discuss your potential claim.

If you have been offered a settlement from an insurance company, it may be in your best interest to have a lawyer review the offer before accepting it. It is common for insurance companies to cut corners by offering inadequate settlements or trying to reduce the value of your claim. When a claimant accepts a settlement, he or she will no longer be able to pursue compensation for their loss. Therefore, insurance companies hope that injured victims of Oklahoma car accidents will accept a lower settlement and allow them to close the case without paying out a significant amount. The practice of denying justified claims or offering an unfair settlement is known as “insurance bad faith.”

If you worry that your insurance company is cheating you, there is a good chance that your suspicions are justified. Never assume that your insurance company is being fair and remember that you do not have to accept their first offer. Instead, ask yourself a number of important questions.

What types of losses did you suffer in the accident? How much does your insurance cover? Does the settlement reflect all of the losses you have suffered, including medical bills, time away from work, and future losses that may result from your injuries? If you are being cheated, you may be able to pursue additional compensation through an OK bad faith case against your insurance provider.

The experienced Oklahoma bad faith insurance claim attorneys at Maples Law Firm make sure that our clients are treated fairly. We know how to fight large insurance corporations and how to get our clients the compensation they need and rightfully deserve. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 today for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Hidden camera images obtained from a skilled nursing care center in Cleveland, Ohio, show disturbing footage of nursing aides manhandling a 78-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. According to a Channel 3 news report, the nursing home, Prentiss Center for Skilled Nursing Care, is under fire after the hidden camera installed by the patient’s son caught caregivers brutally abusing his elderly mother. One of the aides is seen on the hidden camera throwing the patient from her chair on to the bed and in another instance throwing her back on to the chair and then jabbing her on the face. That aide has been charged with felony assault and has pleaded not guilty. The other woman, who is seen almost dropping the patient due to rough handling, has also been fired from her job.

The woman’s son installed the camera after nursing home administrators ignored his complaints that his mother was being mistreated at the facility. Family members say the videos have devastated them emotionally. Nursing home administrators say they had actually looked into the son’s claims, but did not find any wrongdoing. The son said the videos proved to be the smoking gun and that he wished they had done something sooner.

Nursing home abuse is an unfortunate and sad reality. There may be several reasons why such abuse may take place in a nursing home. In some cases, these facilities do not perform proper background checks on their employees. Other nursing homes keep their facilities understaffed or hire unqualified nursing aides in order to save money. When a facility is filled with underpaid and overworked nursing aides, there is an environment created that is ripe for abuse and neglect.

Victims of nursing home abuse would be well advised to seek the counsel of an experienced lawyer who will fight for their rights and ensure that the wrongdoers are held accountable. This type of abuse against our elderly is absolutely unacceptable. If your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing home, please contact the Oklahoma nursing home abuse attorneys at the Maples Law Firm. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a free and comprehensive consultation.

Toyota has announced two separate recalls involving nearly 700,000 vehicles. According to a report in The New York Times, almost 187,000 Venzas from 2009-2011 and Camrys from 2009, as well as 495,000 Tacoma pickups from 2005-2009, have been recalled for safety concerns. Officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say that the Venza and Camry models have issues with silicone grease that may cause the brake light to fail. The vehicles may also not start correctly or shift out of “park,” which could increase the risk of a car accident. The grease issues may be linked to grease from the gloves of assembly line workers from one of their plants. The Tacoma vehicles are being recalled because of safety concerns regarding airbags that fail to deploy in a crash.

Toyota is not the only car company that has recently issued recalls on their potentially defective and dangerous vehicles. Nissan has recently recalled about 23,500 Quest minivans from model years 2011 and 2012 because of issues with the fuel-pump control module that has resulted in engine stalling. Chrysler has recently recalled 210,000 of its 2004 and 2005 Jeep Liberty SUVs over concerns that a rear suspension component could rust and break.

It is the responsibility of all auto manufacturers to provide a reasonably safe product. When the design of a vehicle is defective or mistakes are made during the assembly process, the consumer is put at great risk of suffering an injury. In such cases, injured victims or families of deceased victims can seek compensation from the manufacturer of the defective vehicle.

The experienced product liability attorneys in Oklahoma at Maples Law Firm help injured victims of defective products receive compensation for their medical bills, time away from work, and other related losses. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 if a defective product has injured you.

At least four family members were injured in an Oklahoma car accident involving two vehicles colliding at an intersection. According to a news report in The Tahlequah Daily Press, the car accident occurred at the intersection of Stick Ross Mountain Road and the State Highway 51 bypass in Tahlequah, Cherokee County. It is unclear at this time what caused the two cars to collide. According to a post on the Hulbert First Baptist Church’s Facebook page, one of the victims is sore and bruised, one suffered a concussion, broken ribs, and organ lacerations, one is improving, and another family member is in serious condition after suffering life-threatening injuries. It is unclear what caused the accident or if anyone will be cited for the tragic collision.

Whenever serious injuries are suffered in a street intersection car accident, it is important to determine who was at fault. Did one of the vehicles run through a stop sign or red light? Did one of the motorists fail to yield the right-of-way? Did the accident result from distracted driving, fatigued driving, or drunk driving? In cases involving negligence or wrongdoing, the at-fault driver can be held liable for the injuries suffered by the victims. Injured victims of such car accidents would be well advised to protect their legal rights and best interests by contacting an experienced Oklahoma personal injury attorney.

The Oklahoma City auto accident lawyers at The Maples Law Firm offer no-cost consultations at (888) 226-6159 to anyone who has suffered a loss because of someone else’s negligence. Please contact us today to find out how we can help you obtain fair compensation for losses sustained in an Oklahoma car accident.

St. Patrick’s Day is the time of year when friends and families gather to celebrate their Irish heritage. Even if you are not Irish, it is one of those holidays that is made for a party. Any time there is partying or revelry, it is likely that alcoholic beverages will be served and consumed. According to Alcohol Alert, there were a total of 738 traffic accidents in the state of Oklahoma of which 265 involved an intoxicated driver. Also, 32 percent of drivers involved in Oklahoma DUI (driving under the influence) collisions had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher.

Drunk drivers, in addition to facing criminal charges, can also be held civilly liable for the injuries and damages they cause to Oklahoma car crash victims. DUI collisions can result in major injuries or even fatalities. On holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, the risk for a DUI crash increases significantly.

If you do not have to be on the roadway, it is better to avoid driving on St. Patrick’s Day. If you must drive, please remain vigilant and be on the lookout for drivers who are speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, or otherwise driving recklessly. If you spot an intoxicated driver, please inform the authorities right away. You could be saving lives by doing so.

This St. Patrick’s Day, please do not drink and drive. If you are hosting a party, please make sure that no one gets behind the wheel while under the influence. Offer to drive them if you are sober, or call them a cab. Take car keys away from friends and ask that they remain at your home until they are sober.

The experienced Oklahoma car accident injury attorneys at The Maples Law Firm have a successful track record of holding drunk drivers accountable on behalf of injured victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been injured in a DUI collision, please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a free consultation.

A driver who fell asleep at the wheel caused a car accident in Oklahoma, which sent eight people, including four children, to the hospital with injuries. According to a news report in The Ardmoreite, the injury collision occurred on State Highway 1 west of Ravia. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say a 22-year-old woman who was eastbound on the highway fell asleep while driving a 2003 Dodge van. The van crossed the centerline and struck a 2004 Chevrolet driven by a 57-year-old woman. That driver was transported to an area with multiple injuries as were her passengers, who included four children between the ages of 1 and 12. It is not clear if any of their injuries were life-threatening.

Sleepy or drowsy driving is proven to be as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car accidents every year, resulting in about 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.

There are several easy steps motorists can take to prevent drowsy driving. First and foremost, get a good night’s rest. Sleep experts recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for adults. Also, plan to drive long trips with a companion. When driving long distances, schedule regular rest stops, preferably every 100 miles (or once every two hours). Avoid alcohol or medications (over-the-counter or prescribed) that may impair your driving.

Please remember that drowsy driving is negligent driving. If a sleepy or drowsy driver has injured you or a loved one, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses. The experienced Oklahoma auto accident injury attorneys at The Maples Law Firm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. We help injured car accident victims obtain fair compensation for their losses and help hold the at-fault drivers accountable. If you or a loved one has been injured by a negligent driver in Oklahoma, please call our offices at (888) 226-6159 for a comprehensive case evaluation.