2012 May Archive

A May 21, 2012 article in Tulsa World talks about the dangers that distracted teen drivers face. The article gives the example of a 16-year-old girl who got into an accident near Inola, Oklahoma, while talking to her friends while driving. Thankfully, in that accident, only one of the passengers suffered relatively minor injuries. However, the girl’s classmate was not as lucky. The other girl, also 16, overcorrected on a Rogers County road and died in the resulting accident. The two accidents were very similar and involved minor distractions caused by teens driving with young passengers on board.

Driving with younger passengers can be a significant risk for teen drivers. According to a study released recently by the AAA Foundation, the risk of car accident deaths for teen drivers increases exponentially with every passenger younger than 21 and quadruples with three or more young passengers. Teen drivers’ inexperience and their tendency to be more social than adults compound this risk. According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office’s statistics, teens make up 5.8 percent of Oklahoma’s licensed drivers but account for 12 percent of the state’s car accidents in 2010 and 7.5 percent of Oklahoma’s traffic fatalities.

There are many ways in which parents can help their teen drivers stay safe. First, it is important that parents encourage teens to speak if they feel that the teen driver with whom they are riding is not driving safely. Provide transportation alternatives for your teen. Spell out and enforce strict driving rules, including those specifying who can ride in the vehicle and curfews. Parents also play a key role in enforcing a no-passenger rule with their novice drivers.

If you or your teen has been injured due to the negligence of another party, please contact the experienced Oklahoma City traffic accident lawyers at the Maples Law Firm for a free and comprehensive consultation. We will fight for your rights and ensure that your legal rights and best interests are protected. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 to find out how we can help you.

This year, May 30 will be observed as National Health and Fitness Day for older adults. On this day, more than 100,000 seniors nationwide will participate in local events at more than 1,000 locations. The goal of this national event is to promote the importance of regular physical activity and to showcase the work that local groups are doing to improve the health and fitness of older adults in their respective communities.

Activities will take place at retirement communities, health clubs, senior centers, parks, hospitals, YMCAs, houses of worship, banks, and other locations. The nature of the events will vary widely based on what local seniors are interested in and on the organization that is hosting the events. Activities may include walking, low-impact exercises, health information, workshops, and screenings.

With aging baby boomers making up a significant portion of Oklahoma’s population, it is important for us to ensure that our seniors are active and healthy. A healthy lifestyle can help our seniors continue to remain independent. Many community centers nationwide not only offer physical activities, but also activities that keep the brain energized and active.

It is also important that nursing homes in Oklahoma take the cue and incorporate physical activities into their daily calendar. If you are about to choose a nursing home for your loved one, please pick one that places emphasis on your loved one’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. However, if you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, please contact an Oklahoma nursing home abuse attorney at the Maples Law Firm at (888) 226-6159 for a free, comprehensive, and confidential consultation.

A Boston Globe report based on government data has found that a number of the nation’s nursing homes are wrongfully using anti-psychotic drugs to silence residents who display hostile or combative behavior. According to a news report in USA Today, the Globe’s investigation found that a Massachusetts nursing home was administering dangerous anti-psychotic drugs to 19 percent of its residents, even those who did not have a diagnosis for which the drugs are recommended.

These drugs, usually prescribed for those suffering from schizophrenia, can have powerful side effects, including dizziness, abnormal heart rhythm, sudden drop in blood pressure, blurred vision, or even death. The Globe’s investigation also found that just in the year 2010, 185,000 nursing home residents nationwide received these drugs against the recommendation of federal nursing home regulators. Many of the patients who received these drugs were those suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Some nursing homes are using the defense that they “have to” use these drugs on some patients to prevent them from hurting others or themselves. These drugs are used as “chemical restraints” instead of physical restraints. But in many of the nation’s understaffed nursing homes, these dangerous drugs are being used to simply subdue patients. When staff members do not have the time to provide care or attention to these “demanding” patients, they are put to sleep with these powerful medications. This inhumane practice amounts to nursing home neglect and abuse.

If you believe that your loved one is being given unnecessary medications at a nursing home, you have the right to demand an inquiry and file a complaint with nursing home administrators. If your loved one has suffered serious side effects as a result of these medications, please contact an experienced Oklahoma nursing home abuse lawyer at the Maples Law Firm. We will fight for your rights and ensure that the negligent parties are held accountable. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a no-cost consultation.

Two children were hospitalized with injuries after a traffic accident involving a Tulsa Public Schools bus. According to a KTUL news report, the injury crash occurred in the southbound lanes of Highway 75 near the on-ramp to the Interstate 44. The bus carrying 16 children and four adults from Anderson Elementary School was on its way to the Jewish Holocaust Museum when their bus rear-ended a semi truck. Two children were transported to an area hospital and three others were treated at the scene. It is not clear if the bus driver will be cited for the collision.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 96 crashes occurred in which at least one occupant of a school transportation vehicle died between 1996 and 2008. More than half of those crashes, about 59 percent, involved at least one other vehicle. In the 57 multi-vehicle crashes, 32 drivers and 40 passengers died. In 51 percent of all fatal school bus crashes, the principal point of impact was the front of the vehicle.

When a school bus crash occurs, it is important to determine which one of the parties was at fault. If the driver of the other vehicle was at-fault, he or she can be held liable for the injuries. If the school bus driver was at fault, then the driver, his or her employer, the bus company, and even the school district may be held liable.

If your child has been injured in a school bus accident, an experienced personal injury attorney in Oklahoma City at the Maples Law Firm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. If you wish to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights, please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.

Nursing homes nationwide are “woefully unprepared” to protect frail residents in the event of natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, government officials say. According to a news report in The Huffington Post, Oklahoma is one of the top 10 disaster-prone states ranked by historical statistics. The government requires nursing homes to come up with emergency plans specifying details such as coordinating with local authorities, notifying relatives, or pinning nametags and medication lists to residents in the event of an evacuation. Even seven years after Hurricane Katrina when the vulnerability of nursing homes was exposed, very little has been done to ensure that nursing home residents will be safe in the event of a major disaster.

This is particularly important because millions in the United States live in nursing homes. According to available data, more than 3 million people in the United States spent at least some time in a nursing home during the year 2009. Nearly 40 percent of those individuals, about 1.2 million, were in the top 10 disaster-prone states, including Oklahoma. A typical nursing home resident is a woman in her 80s or older who is dealing with physical or mental issues that make her dependent on others to carry out everyday activities.

It is the responsibility of nursing homes to ensure that their residents are safe and secure under all circumstances. Nursing homes are required to screen employees or prospective workers, keep their premises safe, and to make sure that their residents who depend on them receive quality care. Often, this does not happen because of nursing homes that try to cut corners and maximize their profits by understaffing their facilities and neglecting their frail residents.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, an experienced Oklahoma City nursing home negligence lawyer at Maples Law Firm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 to find out how we can help you.

A 24-year-old man was killed in a fatal Oklahoma motorcycle accident after his motorcycle struck a pickup truck. According to a news report in NewsOK.com, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred on U.S. 59 north of Stilwell in Adair County. The man was driving south on the highway when he struck a pickup truck driven by a 66-year-old woman and then hit a mailbox and a stop sign. The motorcyclist was taken to an area hospital with severe head and internal injuries, but later died from his injuries. The man was wearing a helmet. The two women in the pickup truck were uninjured.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, fatalities involving motorcyclists have steadily increased over the last 10 years. In fact, in 2007, there was a 7 percent increase in fatalities as compared to 2006. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2007, motorcyclists were about 37 times more likely than occupants of other vehicles to die in a motor vehicle accident and nine times more likely to be injured.

When a fatal motorcycle accident is caused by someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, the family of the deceased victim can file what is known as a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault motorist seeking compensation for damages such as lost future wages, medical expenses, and funeral costs.

The experienced Oklahoma motorcycle accident attorneys at Maples Law Firm offer our deepest condolences to anyone who has lost a beloved family member in a traffic accident. If you wish to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights, please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.

An Oklahoma bill that would protect nursing home patients by requiring a fingerprint background check program for long-term care facilities is in jeopardy of dying a quiet death on the Senate floor. According to a news report in Tulsa World, House Bill 2582 sets up a system that would fingerprint all new employees applying to certain jobs in nursing homes and other care facilities. The fingerprints would then be submitted to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for a national criminal background check.

If the employee had a prior disqualifying offense, such as abuse by caretaker, that would prevent the person from working at the nursing home or care facility. Currently, prospective applicants for nursing home jobs have a criminal background check on their name only. Also, the background check is only done statewide and does not include other states unless the employee discloses that he or she worked in another state. The bill has passed the House, but has not been heard in the Senate. The bill is in danger of dying if it does not get a hearing in the Senate soon.

Several groups, including the American Association for Retired Persons, the Oklahoma Aging Partnership, and other industry associations for nursing homes, have endorsed this bill, which will go a long way in protecting Oklahoma seniors against OK nursing home abuse. The current system does not do a good job of protecting nursing home residents because the background checks are not thorough. A 2005 study found that 52 nursing aides who were certified to practice in Oklahoma had a criminal record in 16 other states.

It is a nursing home’s responsibility to ensure that employees are properly screened before they are allowed to care for or interact with residents. If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, an experienced Oklahoma nursing home abuse lawyer at Maples Law Firm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 to find out how we can help.

An Oklahoma City oil rig worker was killed after he was pinned under a piece of equipment. According to a KOCO news report, officers say a hydraulic line broke at an oil rig site in the 3400 block of Southeast 59th. Several workers were at the site,but only one worker was under the pipe when it collapsed. Officers say the force was so strong that the worker was pinned underneath it. He died at the scene despite other workers’ efforts to resuscitate him. The Department of Health and Safety will conduct an investigation in order to determine if proper procedures were followed.

Injuries on oil rigs are extremely common. Oil rig workers take on long and rigorous shifts. Oil rig accidents may be caused by failing equipment, working mandatory overtime without rest, and being expected to follow unsafe procedures. Employers are expected to provide oil rig workers with a safe working environment. Workers should also be properly trained for the jobs they are required to perform. In addition, workers should be provided with safety equipment that is necessary to perform the job.

Oil rig workers are often able to receive compensation if their injuries are caused by an employer’s failure to follow proper procedures or due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an Oklahoma City oil rig accident, please contact the experienced workers’ compensation attorneys in Oklahoma City at Maples Law Firm. We will review the circumstances of your accident and fight to ensure that you receive fair compensation for all your injuries, damages, and losses. Please contact us at (888) 226-6159 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.