Posted on January 13,2023 in Personal Injury Attorney

The most common injury at birth is a newborn’s fractured collarbone, which can lead to the development of Erb’s palsy (also known as brachial plexus birth palsy), a nerve condition that affects the shoulder and arm. The mere thought of that happening to your newborn is upsetting and painful to parents. Unfortunately, some 12,000 babies are born with Erb’s palsy. If your child suffered a birth injury you could be entitled to financial compensation for medical malpractice.

How Can Childbirth Trigger Erb’s Palsy?

During a difficult vaginal childbirth or a cesarean section, a doctor may have to move the baby’s head if it is in a breech position. This condition is most common in larger babies who may need to be pulled out during delivery. In some cases, the stretching of the nerves causes damage and tears. The injury leads to weakness or loss of muscle function. Medications such as oxytocin or an epidural during labor can also be contributing factors. There are four types of brachial plexus injuries during childbirth:

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 Posted on December 31,2022 in Personal Injury Attorney

Medical errors are a serious public health problem and a leading cause of death in the United States. At least 4,000 surgical mistakes occur each year in the United States, causing catastrophic harm to patients. The Joint Commission, which drives quality improvement and patient safety, acknowledges that surgical errors are preventable. If a surgical error caused you serious harm, you may be entitled to compensation.

What Triggers Surgical Mistakes?

The impact of surgical errors can range from life-altering injuries to loss of life. Surgical mistakes seem to be more common before and after the actual surgery rather than errors made in the operating room. However, there are some errors that occur frequently. Some of the causes of surgical errors include the following:

• Inadequate surgeon training and education

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 Posted on December 23,2022 in Medical Malpractice

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Unfortunately, many colon cancers are not detected in time, and this is especially true among younger patients who are increasingly being misdiagnosed. The risk of getting colon cancer increases with age which is why it is so puzzling to be seeing so many younger people in advanced stages of this disease. This year, nearly 18,000 people in the United States under 50 years of age will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. If you had a colon cancer misdiagnosis or if treatment was not prompt, you may be entitled to compensation.

Missed Diagnosis

Colon cancer can be mistaken for many things. Oftentimes, a mass in the intestine develops and eventually becomes cancerous. Doctors may see a younger healthier person and dismiss cancer. The other problem is that colon cancer may appear to be a gastrointestinal issue, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, or Crohn’s disease when it in fact is something much more serious like colorectal cancer. More research is needed to understand exactly why this cancer is not being caught in time among younger people.

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 Posted on December 13,2022 in Personal Injury

Circumcisions are commonly performed on babies. Having your son circumcised may be a personal decision that conforms to a religious ritual or perhaps it is for preventive health care purposes. Although the circumcision rates in the United States have declined, there are still complications that can arise. 

Several cases were recently reviewed, shedding light on 47 problems that tend to surface from circumcision surgeries. As with any surgery, mistakes by medical professionals can cause serious problems. If your child has been injured as a result of a botched circumcision, you could be entitled to compensation.

Circumcision Complications 

If you agree to have your child circumcised, you have every right to expect that the procedure is done according to acceptable medical standards. Mistakes during the procedure may be considered medical malpractice and could result in serious injuries to your child. The list of 47 complications involving male circumcisions included the following common errors:

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 Posted on November 22,2022 in Personal Injury Attorney

Getting the news that you will be losing a limb can be devastating, especially after a car accident that is not your fault. Yet traffic accidents are the second leading cause of amputations. Sometimes you may not even have time to digest the horrible news because it happens in a violent car crash. Other times, a doctor may say they need to amputate to save your life. Amputation injuries can have a profound impact on your life and for that reason are considered catastrophic injuries.

Common Amputation Injuries

Trauma caused by car crashes, sports injuries, and workplace accidents accounts for 45 percent of all of the limbs lost each year. While a severed finger, for example, can sometimes be reattached by medical professionals, these procedures are not always successful. If a limb develops an infection or is too damaged it will need to be removed. A physician may also determine that an arm or a leg crushed in a car accident may need to be amputated to save a life. There is a wide range of amputation injuries you can sustain in a vehicle, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents. These are the most commonly reported types of amputations:

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 Posted on November 15,2022 in Car Accident

Every day people are injured in vehicle accidents. Many are fortunate enough to walk away with minor bumps and bruises but serious injuries can lead to lifelong health issues. Fibromyalgia happens to be a chronic musculoskeletal disorder that can be triggered by the physical and emotional trauma that comes from a car accident. The impact can also aggravate or worsen this severe condition.

Understanding Fibromyalgia

If you have fibromyalgia, you will experience pain throughout your body. That is because this condition affects the way the brain processes pain signals, prompting pain sensations to multiply. Fibromyalgia can not only be physically debilitating but it affects your capability to work and handle tasks that require memory function. The inability to do what you were once able to do very easily can lead to depression, frustration, and anxiety.

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 Posted on November 07,2022 in Personal Injury

Nearly 300,000 people have a spinal injury in the United States and most people sustain spinal cord injuries through no fault of their own. For the last seven years, vehicle crashes have led to about 39 percent of all spinal cord injuries. After a spinal cord injury, things you may take for granted, such as driving or cooking, become more difficult and, in severe cases, impossible. 

Spinal Cord Injuries

Whenever there is a stressful situation, we have a fight or flight response. At the time of a violent crash, back injuries are not always obvious right away. If the symptoms are delayed, you may not even link the pain to the car accident. But spinal cord injuries could cause problems if left untreated, including the following:

• Paralysis – Numbness, and paralysis occur when there is swelling and bleeding in or around your spinal cord

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 Posted on October 27,2022 in Medical Malpractice

When you first learned that your child had cerebral palsy all you wanted to do is care for your baby day and night. But the required level of care day in and day out can be challenging and expensive. Medical negligence can lead to a lifetime of problems for both the child and the family.

Medical costs for children with cerebral palsy are 10 times higher compared to children without this disorder or other intellectual disabilities. If the realization of long-term financial expenses is setting in and you are considering filing a medical malpractice lawsuit you have to act quickly.

Statute of Limitations for Cerebral Palsy

Damage to the brain during childbirth or shortly afterward can result in cerebral palsy. It has a major impact on the child’s ability to move. So you must file a medical malpractice claim promptly.

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 Posted on October 24,2022 in Medical Malpractice

When you are faced with a life-and-death situation, you trust that the hospital you are rushing your loved one to will be up to the task and do everything in its power to save a life. But inadequate training, equipment failures, and slips of a scalpel are just a few of the reasons why the United States ranks third in the nation for hospital mistakes. The last thing you want are missteps leading to subpar medical care that trigger health complications or worse, death. At Newland & Newland, LLP we are dedicated to helping people receive the compensation they deserve for medical malpractice.

Possible Advantages of Suing a Hospital

The picture is just as gloomy statewide when it comes to hospital errors. Negligence occurs when healthcare professionals fail to uphold their duty of care, and the patient suffers an injury or harm. In Illinois, a hospital can be held responsible for injuries that are caused to a patient as a result of negligence by a hospital employee, even if the doctor is an independent contractor. This includes physicians, nurses, and radiologists, among others.

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 Posted on October 05,2022 in Pedestrian Accidents

Walking down the street instantly gives you less physical protection compared to traveling by car. As a pedestrian, you are one of the most vulnerable users of the road. October happens to be Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month. So whether you are out trick-or-treating or rushing to catch a bus to work in Arlington Heights, if you have sustained a personal injury, you have rights.

Legal Protections for Pedestrians

The number of people struck and killed while walking reached a historic high in 2020. Nationwide, an average of 18 pedestrians were killed every day. In Illinois, pedestrian deaths jumped nearly 14 percent in the first year of the pandemic, with more than 800 fatalities recorded between 2016 and 2020 according to a new report.

Drivers need to learn to share the roads with pedestrians and increase their awareness of people on the streets. There are situations in which a pedestrian has the right of way, meaning that if a car were to strike you, the driver of the vehicle would be at fault for the collision. If you are hit by a car, these are some legal protections in your favor:

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