No matter how pristine and safe a nursing home may seem, it’s not always easy to detect what goes on when visitors aren’t present. A significant number of facilities are found in violation of state and federal laws every year. Some of the violations are in regard to abuse and neglect. To protect your loved one, it’s important to know how you can find information on a nursing home’s reputation and past.

Whether you’re searching to find the perfect long-term care facility for your loved one or making sure their current facility is providing them with the care they need and deserve, there are a variety of resources you can use to find out if your loved one’s nursing home has a history of neglect.

There are state, federal, and independent resources you can access to find out about instances of neglect in a nursing home. You can learn about a nursing home’s rating, compare facilities to each other, and read about the violations different homes near you have been charged with.

Sometimes, people are harmed because of the actions of others. In some cases, the person may hold those who caused them harm accountable for their actions. They do so through a personal injury claim, which typically requires the help of a skilled legal representative. But what exactly are the parameters of personal injury?

When someone acts in a negligent manner and harms you, then they have legal responsibility for your injuries and damages. You can seek compensation for those through a personal injury case. This is handled in civil court and usually the person bringing the claim forward has an attorney to represent them.

So many lives are affected by prescription opioids. It’s common for someone to know someone who is addicted or be addicted themselves. Some may also know the pain of losing someone to an opioid overdose. When it comes to the opioid crisis, there are many misconceptions clouding the problem. While we help those who have been affected by opioids, we also want to help decrease the amount of overdoses and addiction development. People need the correct information so they can look at the problem with clarity and understanding so they can work toward finding a solution. Let’s look at some of these misconceptions.

Prince Law Firm is dedicated to providing our clients with the legal representation they deserve. We are proud to announce that Mark Prince has been selected as a top rate personal injury attorney in Marion, Illinois. The Super Lawyers list is one that most lawyers have heard of and aspire to be on.

Selections are made annually, on a state-by-state basis. The overall goal of this list is to create a credible, comprehensive, and diverse list of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource by lawyers and potential clients who are searching for legal counsel. The list is limited to lawyers who can be hired and retained to the public, so it can be used to help people find and choose their legal representative.

New laws take effect on a regular basis, but a majority are introduced at the beginning of the year. On January 1, 2019, more than 200 laws were put into place in Illinois. Many of the changes were in relation to gun control, public safety, health care, and education. As a citizen and resident of Illinois, it’s important to be aware of any law changes that could affect you. We’ll discuss a small number of the new laws below.

The majority of long term care facilities in the United States are understaffed. Neglected residents are likely to experience malnutrition, incontinence, injuries, and preventable hospitalizations. In addition to the physical consequences, they could also suffer from emotional trauma in the shape of loneliness, fear, lack of social relationships, and loss of dignity. Nursing assistants are also at an increased risk of injury when there is too few staff to care for a high number of residents.

Nursing home residents who require skilled care need at least 4.1 hours of care per day. At least 1.2 hours of that time needs to come from a licensed or registered nurse. This is the minimum amount of care to prevent problems like pressure ulcers, dehydration, and losing the ability to carry out daily tasks like dressing and eating. If a facility does not have enough staff to meet those needs, residents will suffer.

Nursing homes can decide for themselves how may certified nursing assistants and nurses they need. Federal regulations only require “sufficient” staffing. The vague wording means negligent facilities can work the system to increase their profits by decreasing their staffing numbers.

In Illinois, the state laws also declare that staffing needs to be sufficient based on the needs of the residents. They do, however, require licensed staff and direct care staff to be working for certain amounts of time. A minimum of 25 percent of nursing and personal care time must be provided by a licensed nurse. At least 10 percent of that time needs to involve a registered nurse. The remaining 75 percent of care can come from either a licensed or registered nurse.

If you’re in the process of choosing a nursing home for your loved one, you’ll want to ensure the facility is properly staffed. It can be challenging, but not impossible, to find a facility that is. The following causes, however, are the biggest contributors to the understaffing issue.

After denying liability for over 4.5 years, the Heartland Regional Medical Center admitted fault for causing the death of Lowell Williamson in August 2013. On Wednesday, March 20, 2019, the family of Mr. Williamson was awarded $8.5 million in damages. This is believed to be the highest personal injury verdict in Williamson County, Illinois.

When one is on the road, it’s typical to see other cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Of those three, motorcyclists tend to have a reputation for danger. While the stereotype isn’t fair, motorcycle wrecks do tend to be more severe because of the lack of protection. Riders are more susceptible to dangerous injuries. If these injuries were caused by someone else, then they need representation who will fight for their rights. Prince Law Firm in Illinois can help those who were wrongfully injured with a motorcycle accident claim.

We understand the precarious situation that a motorcycle wreck can lead to. Because the injuries are more likely to be severe, you will need reliable attorneys who will fight for the compensation you deserve. Your medical bills could be high and you will probably have to miss work because of the accident. We’re here to look at  what happened to you, show that the guilty party is responsible for your injuries, and fight for you to get a settlement that will cover what the accident cost you in damages.

When driving to a destination, responsible drivers are always aware of their surroundings and evaluating the conditions of the road. Impaired drivers, whether under the influence of drugs or alcohol, on the other hand, are often unaware of what’s happening around them and have a higher chance of putting others at significant risk for harm by causing a car accident. In order to protect yourself from intoxicated drivers, it’s crucial to understand how substances affect the brain and be able to recognize the telltale signs of impairment.

How Drugs and Alcohol Affect the Brain

While the signs of impairment are often similar if a driver is on drugs or has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, the ways in which these substances affect the brain differs. The type of drug or the amount of alcohol can worsen impairment symptoms. Understanding how the brain is affected may discourage drivers from operating their vehicles under the influence.

Drugs interfere with the way neurons process, send, and receive signals. While some drugs like heroin or marijuana activate neurons because of their chemical structures and send abnormal messages to the brain, others like cocaine or amphetamine, can interfere with the communication between neurons. In general, the central nervous system and autonomic functions like respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature are impacted.

It can be harrowing to know you have a medical issue. But when you go to the doctor, you know that you’re taking a step in the right direction. However, medical errors do occur and unfortunately can severely hurt patients. Mistakes can happen when pharmacists, nurses, or surgeons are negligent. There are also instances where hospitals make administrative errors that could give medical professionals incorrect or incomplete medical information that could lead to an error that harms patients.

You can make a medical malpractice claim with the help of Prince Law Firm in Illinois. A misdiagnosis can lead to expensive injuries and damages that could need further treatment and possibly keep you out of work for an indeterminate amount of time. You deserve compensation for what you’ve been through that will help cover the costs of your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Citizens in Illinois deserve to know that their rights will be protected if they’re wrongfully injured. Our experienced lawyers are well-versed in medical negligence law and know what it takes to get you the compensation you need. While these cases are complex, we’re ready to put in the work needed to prove that you were a victim.