Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop has filed a product liability lawsuit against medical device maker Howmedica Osteonics Corp., doing business as Stryker Orthopaedics, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The lawsuit alleges that Stryker Orthopaedics designed, manufactured and sold a defective medical device called the Rejuvenate Modular Hip […]
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NTSB Questions FAA, Boeing Over 787 Battery Testing
The National Transportation Safety Board recently concluded a two-day hearing into the problems with the lithium ion battery system used in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. After several incidents involving the system, all 787s were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this year. The hearing did not reach a conclusion as to the cause of the overheating batteries. […]
Missed, Delayed And Incorrect Diagnoses And Medical Malpractice
Recent research has shown that diagnostic errors were the most common basis for successful medical malpractice claims from 1986 to 2010. A study of such claims in the National Practitioner Data Bank revealed that incorrect, missed or delayed diagnoses made up 29 percent of the nearly 350,000 successful malpractice claims filed during that period. The study was […]
Surgical Errors May Increase Profits For American Hospitals
According to a study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, surgical errors can greatly increase the profit margin for the hospitals where they are committed. The research was conducted using data from more than 34,000 surgical patients who were operated on in selected Texas hospitals in 2010. The study looked at Medicare patients, privately […]
NTSB: Helicopter Pilot Was Texting Before Deadly Crash
Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have indicated that text messaging by the pilot in a fatal 2011 medical helicopter crash contributed to the accident. Texting and flying was not the only contributing factor to the aviation incident listed by the NTSB, but it did mark the first time that text messaging was cited as […]
Truck Drivers And State Marijuana Laws
Individual states have taken steps to legalize medical and even recreational use of marijuana in recent years. While the states have the right to make these decisions, commercial drivers, pilots and operators are still bound by federal regulations concerning safe operation of buses, trains, planes and trucks. Truck drivers are still in violation of these […]
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop, P.C., Reaches Partial Settlement in Medical Malpractice Case
Drowsy Driving And Caffeine Intake Among Truck Drivers
Long, uninterrupted stretches of driving can challenge a person physically and mentally. Boredom and exhaustion set in and can increase the likelihood of a serious accident. These stretches are the working reality for many commercial truck drivers. Rules limiting the hours of service in which a truck driver can work do not ensure that the driver […]
General Aviation Accidents Concern Safety Organization
The National Transportation Safety Board has listed general aviation safety on its Most Wanted List of safety improvements for three consecutive years. Following last month’s fatal plane crash in South Bend, Indiana, the NTSB issued five safety alerts intended to make general aviation safer. The NTSB cited the fact that more than 1,500 GA accidents occur per […]
NTSB And Boeing Differ Over 787 Dreamliner Investigation
Boeing executives gave a media briefing in Tokyo on March 15 regarding the 787 Dreamliner and the investigations into the problems with the lithium ion batteries. The National Transportation Safety Board is taking issue with that briefing and the company’s discussion of the NTSB investigation into the January 7 fire involving the plane and additional […]
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop, P.C., Files Suit Against Dialysis Center for Negligently Dropping Patient Causing Subdural Hematoma and Permanent Brain Injuries
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop filed a lawsuit today in the Circuit Court of Mercer County, Illinois, against a dialysis center for negligently dropping its 65-year-old patient while using a Hoyer lift to transfer her from her wheelchair to her dialysis chair. The patient landed on her head and suffered a subdural hematoma requiring multiple […]
Train Accidents Caused By Ignored Safety Precautions
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued recommendations to address the problems that led to two railroad accidents last year. The accidents occurred in Michigan and Illinois last year. The accident in Illinois, which occurred in February of last year, killed a woman who was driving when she collided with the train. According to the NTSB, both […]
3 Deadly Crashes In 3 Days Highlights Teen Driver Risk
Last week served as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by teen drivers. Three car crashes claimed the lives of 15 teenagers, including four Chicago-area teens whose vehicle went into a creek on Tuesday morning. The Illinois car accident was joined by a fatal wreck in Ohio and another in Texas, each involving young drivers and […]
Study Supports Seat Belt Use Among Pregnant Women
A new study has demonstrated that pregnant women who are involved in an accident while wearing their seat belts are better off than women who failed to buckle up. This study confirmed the findings of several prior studies showing that a pregnant woman and her baby are more likely to survive a car accident if the woman […]
Lack Of Sleep Poses Significant Danger
A tired driver is more likely to make a mistake that leads to an accident. A tired doctor is more likely to harm a patient through medical malpractice. Unfortunately, as a nation, we are not getting enough sleep. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drowsy driving is the cause of 40,000 injuries every year, […]
Patient Safety Awareness Week And Patient Engagement
March 4 through March 10 is National Patient Safety Awareness Week. The initiative is led by the National Patient Safety Foundation and focuses on an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. According to the Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study, conducted by HealthGrades Inc., there were more than 200,000 potentially preventable deaths suffered […]
Illinois Senate To Revisit Statewide Cell Phone Ban For Drivers
Last year, a proposal to ban the use of hand-held cell phones by drivers failed to gain traction in the Senate. A new proposal passed the House last week and the Senate will again be asked to consider banning drivers from using hand-held cell phones while behind the wheel. Cell phones have been targeted by […]
U.S. Teen Deaths A Particular Concern
The Governors Highway Safety Association has compiled a report based on traffic accident figures for the first six months of 2012. According to the report, 2012 will mark the second consecutive year in which highway fatalities have increased for 16- and 17-year-old drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has projected that 2012 will show an 8 […]
Council Report Says Car Crash Deaths On The Rise
From 2005 to 2011, motor vehicle accident fatalities steadily dropped. In 2012, that trend came to a halt as car accident deaths rose by roughly 5 percent from 2011. The National Safety Council released a report on Tuesday indicating that 2012 saw an estimated 36,200 deaths caused by vehicle crashes. The information is still being analyzed, but […]
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop, P.C., Partner Featured Guest at JUF Lawyer’s Reception
Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop partner Michael Teich was a featured guest at last night’s JUF Lawyer’s Reception at the Standard Club in Chicago. Mr. Teich, along with accomplished partners of other prestigious law firms, was asked to provide professional tips and advice to young lawyers and law students, and he also explained the meaningful […]
