Rolla Personal Injury Law Blog

Neglect and abuse in nursing homes are horrific

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse on Friday, April 19, 2019.

When your loved one is in a nursing home, your top priority has to be making sure they are being taken care of in a suitable manner. The staff members at the facility are being paid to take care of the residents; however, some of these individuals take full advantage of the vulnerabilities of the people they care for. This can lead to neglect or abuse, both of which are horrible.

One of the things that you have to watch for is a sign that they aren't being helped in the appropriate manner. This can mean that they aren't being helped to the toilet when they need to go or that they aren't being given food and water. For some nursing home residents, being fully dependent on others for help with daily life tasks is difficult.

Pain comes in many forms after a spinal cord injury

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

One of the injuries that is possible when you are hit by a semitruck is a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, this can be a lifelong battle that you have to fight because these injuries often affect you forever. This is especially true if you are paralyzed after the accident.

Many things occur when you have a spinal cord injury. One of the most difficult to deal with is the pain that you might experience. This can range from bothersome to mobility limiting. It is imperative that your medical care team takes the time to establish pain control so that you don't have to suffer unnecessarily.

Commercial truck kills toddler in Kansas City

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Car Accidents on Friday, March 22, 2019.

A toddler is dead after being struck by a vehicle in Kansas City, Missouri. The tragic incident happened in the downtown area last Wednesday. According to the Kansas City Police Department, the 3-year-old boy was walking out of a store with his father when the accident happened, just before 1:30 p.m.

The accident happened after the small boy ran away from his dad, darted through two parked vehicles, and directly into traffic. A westbound commercial vehicle struck the boy. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital. Unfortunately, doctors were unable to save him and he was pronounced deceased at the medical facility.

Use caution during springtime rides on your motorcycle

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

The spring weather is just around the corner. More than likely, you are going to be ready to head out on the open road to enjoy nature's beauty as the weather warms up. Before you do, make sure that you are familiar with some of the basic risks that motorcycles face on the road so that you can avoid them.

One of the biggest hazards you are going to come across is that other motorists might not be watching for motorcycles like they should. This means they might look over you at intersections. Unfortunately, this means that you are at risk of being struck by that vehicle.

3 types of distractions that impact drivers

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

Drivers who are on the road don't need to do anything other than drive. When they become distracted, innocent people can suffer harm in serious wrecks. There are many things that can take a motorist's focus off the road, but they must resist this temptation.

The thing that makes these crashes so upsetting is that they could have been avoided if the person operating the vehicle made a conscious decision to pay attention to driving.

A fatal crash demands swift action by the victim's family

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, February 22, 2019.

The death of a loved one is hard to deal with, but the trauma is often increased when the death was unexpected and traumatic. The stress of the situation can lead to you become very angry, but you can't let this anger get the best of you. Instead, use that to fuel your efforts for seeking compensation for your loved one's unnecessary tragic death. We are here to help you with your wrongful death claim so that you can avenge that situation.

A wrongful death claim can send a strong message to the person who caused the fatal accident. They should know that their actions were unacceptable. This is especially true if the accident was fully avoidable. Drunk driving crashes and distracted driving wrecks are two examples of this type of event.

Falls in nursing homes can often be prevented

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse on Friday, February 8, 2019.

Nursing homes are supposed to care for residents who are unable to safely live on their own. For some of these residents, one of the issues that plagues them is the risk of falling. Nursing homes have to take this risk seriously so that these often-frail individuals don't fall and get hurt.

Any resident who meets the criteria for a fall risk must be clearly identified. In some cases, this means putting a bracelet on them, but it can also be a notice in their chart or a sign on the door. There must be a clear plan for handling this situation. For example, the resident might need to have a walker or handrails in any area they are going to walk. It could even mean needing supervision to walk. It is imperative that the nursing home staff abide by the requirements.

Evaluate your damages carefully after a semitruck crash

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Truck Accidents on Friday, January 25, 2019.

Semitruck crashes can lead to traumatic injuries, including those to the spinal cord or brain. When you are involved in one of these, your absolute top priority has to be getting the medical care that you need as quickly as possible. With the severity of these crashes, this is probably an emergency. Even if your money is tight right now, you can still seek care at the emergency room. You can't put money over your health right now.

One thing that you need to remember is that you can seek compensation for the accident if the trucker's negligence or issues with the truck lead to the crash. When you do this, you are letting the defendants know that you shouldn't have to be the one who pays the cost of the accident. Instead, you are demanding that they pay for your damages.

Some injuries don't show up right away after a wreck

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

The impact that a car wreck has your body can lead to very serious injuries. In some cases, the effects of the crash on your body aren't going to be noticed for a few days after the wreck. You must ensure that you are watching for signs that something is wrong.

Headaches after a car crash are fairly common but if they don't abate after a bit, this could mean that you have a brain injury or a blood clot on your brain. You should visit your doctor if you have a headache that just won't go away.

3 categories of big rig crash causes

On behalf of Steelman, Gaunt & Horsefield, Attorneys at Law on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

Semitruck wrecks stem from a variety of factors. While it is possible that only one of these will be present in a crash, there are often two or more that come into the picture. One thing that you can't do is assume that every big rig accident is the fault of the trucker.

Safety on the road depends on the actions of every driver. In the case of semitrucks, things that happen before the rig gets on the road can also have a direct impact on safety.