Recent Blog Posts
Infant Food Poisoning Case in Michigan is an Important Reminder of the Risks of Baby Food
In February of this year, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported exposure of cronobacter sakazakii from an infant formula manufacturer in Michigan. Tragically, the infant died, and exposure to the tainted formula is believed to be a contributing cause.
While infant formula producers generally recall products that are potentially tainted with bacteria that can cause fatal illness in babies, this action is often too little, too late for the children whose lives were put at risk. If your little one has suffered severe illness or death from exposure to pathogens in their food, the parties who allowed this to happen should be held responsible. Fortunately, with the help of an infant food poisoning attorney, you can do just that.
Common Types of Pathogens in Infant Food
Parents need to be able to put their trust in the manufacturers of the food they feed to their babies. When food is tainted with pathogens, unsuspecting parents are often put through a terrible ordeal trying to discover why their child is suffering. Because baby food is often produced in facilities that manufacture many different types of food, testing shows that a significant amount of infant foods contain harmful pathogens, as well as other toxic substances like heavy metals. Pathogens that have been found in baby food include, but are not limited to:
Warn Your College Freshman About Campus Hazing Incidents This Fall
A common feature of many college campus organizations is hazing activities that introduce new members into a school’s fraternities and sororities. While these activities are harmless for most students most of the time, hazing often involves copious amounts of alcohol. Combined with students under 21 years old who have little experience drinking and no adult supervision, hazing can end in disaster. If you are a parent of a child who has been injured or killed in a campus hazing incident, you may be wondering if you can take legal action. Read on to learn more and then schedule a free meeting with a Michigan campus hazing injury attorney.
Is Hazing Legal?
“Hazing” is a term for the kind of difficult, embarrassing activities that college juniors and seniors often make freshmen and sophomores endure before they are accepted as part of an organization. Although some universities have decided to prevent hazing activities because of their potential dangers, in and of itself, hazing is not illegal as long as it does not involve illegal behaviors.
Why Truck Driver Fatigue Is a Common Cause of Truck Accidents
The trucking industry is an essential component of the American economy. Goods and materials need to be shipped to locations throughout the United States on a constant basis, and this need has only increased in recent years as more and more people shop for products online. Unfortunately, this has led to increasingly difficult conditions for truck drivers. Drivers are required to spend long hours on the road, and since they are encouraged to deliver cargo as quickly as possible, they may continue driving past the point when they can remain fully awake and in control of their vehicles.
Driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of truck accidents, and it puts everyone on the road at risk of being injured or killed. Due to current practices in the trucking industry, driver fatigue is an increasing concern. When commercial drivers are tired, they are more likely to miss important details that may help them avoid accidents, and they may experience increased reaction times or other issues that affect their ability to maintain control of their trucks. When drivers become drowsy, they are even more likely to collide with other vehicles, and nodding off for even just a moment can have deadly results.
When Can Nursing Home Neglect Lead to Malnutrition and Dehydration?
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities provide essential care for many elderly and disabled individuals. When a person resides at a nursing home, this can provide their loved ones with the assurance that their needs are being met. Unfortunately, there are far too many nursing homes throughout the United States that provide substandard care to patients. Nursing home neglect is an issue that can threaten the health and well-being of patients. If a facility’s staff members do not provide the proper care and supervision, residents may experience serious health problems, including malnutrition and dehydration.
Symptoms and Effects of Dehydration and Malnutrition
Many nursing homes struggle with staff shortages. When a facility is unable to maintain adequate staffing levels, or if it has not provided staff members with the proper training, employees may be unable to fully monitor patients’ needs and provide the necessary care. This can lead to malnutrition, in which patients do not eat enough to provide their bodies with the necessary calories or the vitamins and nutrients that will allow them to maintain the proper health. Dehydration may occur if a person does not drink enough water or receive liquids through other sources that will ensure that their bodily systems can function correctly.
Is a Landlord Liable for Harm Caused by Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. It is odorless and colorless, making it difficult to detect. The symptoms it causes are easily mistaken for mere tiredness. When carbon monoxide is allowed to build up in an apartment building, it can very quickly become deadly. Michigan has laws in place requiring all multi-family homes including apartment buildings to have carbon monoxide detectors installed. Without a working detector, it is nearly impossible for individuals to notice that they are being exposed to hazardous levels of this insidious chemical.
Sadly, because chemical exposure to carbon monoxide can become fatal before it is detected, many lawsuits related to negligent carbon monoxide poisoning are brought as wrongful death suits. If you were harmed by or lost a family member due to carbon monoxide poisoning, you should contact an attorney to determine whether you may be entitled to compensation.
Legal Help When Getting Clean Means Getting Hurt
When your loved ones dropped you off at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, they probably breathed a sigh of relief, believing that you were finally safe. Being actively addicted to a mind-altering substance can put your life in danger. When you make the bold decision to go to rehab and try to defeat your addiction, you deserve to be cared for in a safe environment. The problem is that the rehab industry is not nearly as regulated as it should be. Anything from a lack of trained medical personnel on hand to inadequate supervision to dangerous conditions in the residential area can put patients at risk. Being injured while in residential treatment can have enormous consequences, and may even trigger a relapse if you experience a lot of pain. If you were injured while staying in inpatient rehab, an attorney may be able to help you recover financial compensation.
Proving a Food Poisoning Case
Food poisoning is one of the least pleasant experiences you can have. Severe cases can leave you nauseous, dehydrated, and in pain for days or even weeks. Some people ultimately need to be hospitalized in order to treat food poisoning. People who are immunocompromised, elderly, chronically ill, and children are the most likely to experience severe illness after getting food poisoning. You may know exactly which food from which restaurant got you sick but proving it to a jury may be another story. Fortunately, there are several strategies available to attorneys who handle food poisoning cases under a products liability theory that can help you prove your case. If you suffered food poisoning after dining out, it is important to contact an attorney first, before you reach out to the establishment. Being represented right off the bat can make an enormous difference in these cases.
What Kinds of Proof Are Needed for a Food Poisoning Case?
The difficulty with food poisoning litigation is proving that a specific dining establishment caused your illness. Some types of proof are easier to come by than others, but an experienced attorney will know how to help you build the body of evidence you need. Types of evidence that may be used in food poisoning cases include:
If a Drunk Driver Hit Me, Could a Bar be Liable?
Drunk drivers can be wildly unpredictable, which makes it nearly impossible for the sober drivers around them to avoid getting hit. Drunk drivers turn without signaling, signal without turning, and cannot seem to stay in their own lanes. They may jump medians, drive up an exit ramp, or blow through stoplights. This can lead to serious crashes that the sober driver could not see coming.
While the drunk driver - or their insurance company - can certainly be held responsible for any damages they caused, in some cases, there might be another liable party.
Michigan still has what are called dram shop laws, which can make an establishment that serves alcohol to a patron who later causes an accident liable. An attorney can help give you a better idea of whether dram shop laws may apply to your situation.
When is a Bar or Brewery Responsible for a Drunk Driving Accident?
A bar, brewery, or other establishments that serve alcohol are not always automatically liable for a car accident caused by one of their patrons. If this were the case, it would be very difficult for any drinking establishments to exist. Bars do not assume responsibility for the actions of every customer after they leave. Rather, there are specific circumstances that must exist in order for a “dram shop” to be held responsible for a drunk driving crash.
5 Kitchen Mistakes that Might Have Caused Your Food Poisoning
Everyone who cooks at home knows that there are certain steps you need to take to avoid giving your family food poisoning. Throw out any bread or baked goods that have mold on them. Do not use the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables. Restaurants are responsible for the products they serve. The problem with restaurants is that you cannot see what is going in in the kitchen most of the time. You have no way of knowing whether they are handling your food safely. Even if the dining room is very nice, there is no telling what could be going on behind the scenes. If you became seriously ill after eating at a restaurant, you might be able to recover compensation. Contacting a lawyer is the first step.
What Negligent Kitchen Habits Could Cause Food Poisoning?
In some cases, food is already contaminated when it reaches the restaurant. In others, food reaches the restaurant in a safe condition, and then something the restaurant does renders the food dangerous. Careless behaviors like these could get you sick:
Bedsores in Rehabilitation Centers a Possible Sign of Negligence
Bedsores are often associated with very elderly and very ill bedbound patients in nursing homes. However, even younger and healthier people can suffer from these painful sores, also called “pressure ulcers” while recovering from a serious injury in an inpatient rehabilitation center. People often enter these facilities in a vulnerable state, not expecting to suffer further injury due to neglect. Unfortunately, some of these facilities are less careful than they need to be with their patients. If you or your loved one suffered bedsores while in a rehab center, you may want to contact a personal injury lawyer. You may be entitled to compensation.
What Are Rehabilitation Centers Used For?
These facilities are often used as a sort of “middle ground” between being in the hospital and being at home. Unlike nursing homes, these facilities are generally for short-term stays. People of all ages may stay in these centers while recovering from long-term major injuries. Rehab patients are typically too sick or injured to return home yet and are in need of around-the-clock care. Many of them are transported directly from the hospital to rehab centers. Injuries and conditions that may be treated in rehab centers include:
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