Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Oklahoma City Nursing Home Fires Employees after Allegations of Abuse
A nursing home in Oklahoma City has fired two employees who were accused of abusing a 96-year-old patient with dementia. Quail Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center fired the two female employees, ages 23 and 28, after they were both arrested by police on one complaint each of neglect by caretaker. One of the nursing assistants was caught on camera shoving latex gloves into the patient’s mouth as the other watched. The video also shows the worker lift the patient into bed and the push the side of her face to force her to lie down. The for-profit facility is owned by Westlake Nursing Home L.P. of Dallas, Texas, and has 92 residents in its care.
Nursing home abuse and neglect are becoming an epidemic in the United States. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), there are many different types of abuse that occur at nursing homes. There are signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect that family members would be well advised to watch out for. The common symptoms of physical abuse include slap marks, bruises, burns, or blisters. Signs of neglect may include pressure ulcers, filthy appearance, malnutrition, lack of medical care, or dehydration. Seniors who suffer emotional abuse may become withdrawn or show other behavioral changes. A sudden change in the patient’s finances or accounts may be indicative of financial abuse.
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Officials Urging OK Dog Owners to Prevent Attacks by Securing their Pets
Animal control officials in Bryan County are urging dog owners to secure their pets after two pit bulls mauled a 92-year-old man to death in his own yard. According to a news report in the Durant Democrat, the fatal dog attack occurred on South Walnut Street in Mead. The elderly man was seen lying in his yard with multiple bites all over his body. He later died in an area hospital. The two pit bulls that belonged to a neighbor were taken into custody. It is not clear if the dogs’ owner has been charged or cited.
The American Humane Association reports that there are 238 dog bite-related fatalities each year in the United States. About 24 percent of these deaths involving humans are caused by unrestrained dogs off their owner’s property. The city of Durant requires pets to be secured, but the municipal ordinance does not specifically state how an animal must be restrained.
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FDA Adds Warnings to Yaz, Yasmin, and Other Birth Control Pills
Federal health regulators have said they will add labeling to contraceptive pills containing the synthetic hormone drospirenone, such as Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, indicating the risk of blood clots. According to an Associated Press news report, the labeling will apply to Bayer’s Yaz, its predecessor Yasmin, and other drospirenone-containing drugs. The synthetic hormone, which is found in newer generation contraceptive pills, mimics the naturally occurring female hormone progesterone. The decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes in the wake of several recent research studies showing an elevated risk of blood clots for users of birth control pills with drospirenone. Women taking these pills have reported blood clots in their legs. These clots can become fatal if they travel to the heart, lungs or brain.
If you are a woman taking these drugs, you can take precautionary steps to prevent these dangerous side effects. First, talk to your doctor and see if the benefits of taking the drugs outweigh the risks. Also, do address your risk factors. Smoking, obesity, or diabetes could raise your risk of blood clots if you are taking these pills.
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Oklahoma City School Bus Accident Leaves One Injured
One person was injured in an Oklahoma City school bus accident after the bus collided with another vehicle in the southwest portion of the city. According to an Associated Press news report, one person was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. A 17-year-old ninth grader and the bus driver were not seriously injured, but both were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
School bus accidents may be rare in Oklahoma City. But when they do occur, they have the potential to cause major injuries or even fatalities. Some of the common injuries suffered in Oklahoma City bus accidents include: broken bones, head injuries, back and neck injuries, and lacerations.
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GAO Study: Improvement Needed in Evaluating Quality of Nursing Home Care
A recent federal study asserts the need for The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve the tools it uses to assess the quality of nursing home care, McKnights Long Term Care News reports. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report conducted at the request of Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Herb Kohl (D-WI), CMS “has not established quality measures or performance goals” to evaluate the quality of patient care in our nation’s nursing homes through the Quality Indicator Survey process.
For example, GAO found that during resident interviews, surveyors did not consistently look for further information when they were provided with incomplete answers. Senator Kohl said that the purpose of the survey is to get the information necessary to help provide nursing home residents quality care.
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Really, How Important is it to Talk While Driving?
This is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. This is a good time for all of us to stand back and think about our driving habits and make an honest assessment of whether we are really following our own advice and instincts when it comes to being a safe driver. Distracted driving is one of our nation’s foremost traffic safety problems today. The problem has its roots in the growth of cell phone use in recent years.
According to FocusDriven.org, in 1995 cell phone subscriptions covered only 11 percent of the U.S. population. In 2010, that number grew to a whopping 93 percent. This has led to a significant increase in cell phone use while driving. It has also caused an increase in distracted driving-related deaths. Statistics show that at any given time, 9 percent of drivers are talking on cell phones. This makes them four times as likely to become involved in a car accident.
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Has Your Loved One Been Abused in an Oklahoma Nursing Home?
Nursing home abuse comes in many forms and it is often challenging to detect. If you suspect that your loved one has been abused emotionally, financially, physically, or sexually, please do not hesitate to take immediate action. You may be able to protect your loved one from further harm while pursuing compensation for their suffering. In some cases, you can help prevent future incidents by holding the at-fault parties accountable for their actions.
The first step is to determine if abuse has actually occurred. There are many signs of OK nursing home abuse and it is important to determine the validity of your concerns. Does your loved one have injuries that are not listed on their medical reports? Have there been significant changes in your loved one’s behavior? You may want to discuss your suspicions with your loved one and with other residents. If you believe that abuse is occurring, it is important to notify the authorities right away and to contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer to discuss your legal rights and options.
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Pedestrian Killed in Oklahoma City Hit-and-Run Car Accident
A 38-year-old man was killed in an Oklahoma City car accident after a car jumped the curb and drove on the sidewalk. According to a news report in The Oklahoman, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred near NW 10 and Western Avenue in Oklahoma City. Officials say the victim was walking on the sidewalk when a driver let her car jump the curb and strike him before leaving the scene of the crash. He succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. Anyone with information regarding the driver or the whereabouts of the 1980s Dodge or Plymouth four-door car with tag 120-DPM is asked to call the authorities.
Under Oklahoma law, it is a felony to leave the scene of an accident when someone has been injured or killed. Under Oklahoma Statute 47-10-102.1: “The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the death of any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident.”
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Seeking Compensation for Cerebral Palsy Caused by Birth Injuries
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.
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Are You Being Cheated by your Insurance Company?
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.
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