If you are involved in a car accident, there may be several responsible parties involved. If you suffered an injury or have property damage to your car through no fault of your own, you will want to seek compensation from all responsible parties.

Initially, most people involved in car accident look to all drivers of the vehicles involved, including the driver of the vehicle where a passenger may have been injured. However, if the at fault driver is not the owner of the vehicle, the owner may be responsible.

Many who are involved in an accident due to the negligence of another driver are not aware that if the at fault driver is an employee on company business at the time of the accident, the employer may be liable also. If an employee is running company errands during their lunch break, for example, and causes a motor vehicle accident resulting in property damage or injury, the employer may be on the hook for damages.

Teenagers are at highest risk for being involved in an accident and if they do not drive in a reasonably safe manner and another driver is injured, they may be legally liable for resulting damages including medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage and other losses. If you are involved in an accident with a minor, his or her parents may be responsible, most certainly if they own the car.

Keep in mind, a finding of negligence in a car accident is not limited to drivers. If someone who was not in a vehicle contributed to the accident, such as a pedestrian jaywalking or a property owner who left an obstruction in the roadway, they may be responsible for damages. Say for example, a construction company leaves debris on the roadway after leaving a site. That company may be liable for any damage to your vehicle or injuries you suffer if you are involved in an accident as a result of the obstruction left behind.

And finally, remember your own vehicle’s insurance company. If you are injured in an accident, you can make a claim under your own insurance company to cover medical bills and if you have uninsured motorist insurance you may be able to recover even more. The reason people secure insurance in the first place is to obtain coverage in the event of an unforeseen accident. Your insurer should work with you, not against you, to provide you with the coverage you are entitled to.
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact the Iowa personal injury car accident attorneys of Hemminger Law Firm for immediate help at 515-283-2116. We seek maximum compensation to help our clients recover lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and future medical and rehabilitative care.

Nursing home abuse is a serious issue, with neglect considered one of the most common forms of abuse found in facilities across the country. Neglect occurs when a nursing home resident does not receive the care he or she needs – the very reason many families trust their loved one to a nursing home in the first place! The level of care needed varies of course, but it often includes basic hygiene, assistance with meals and helping residents with mobility which some nursing homes do not provide on a consistent basis, putting vulnerable residents at risk for health problems.

To prevent injury to their loved ones, family members should remain vigilant and look for signs of neglect and abuse in the nursing home setting. There are a number of signs which may point to a problem which often include poor personal hygiene, unsanitary living conditions,  loss or lack of mobility, poor nutrition, injuries and psychological issues.

Personal hygiene is a big part of the responsibility that nurses and staff provide in a nursing home setting. Many residents require help bathing, brushing their teeth, getting dressed and combing their hair every day. Hygiene is a key part of staying healthy, especially when it comes to dental care which is a serious issue in nursing homes across the country.

Nursing homes must provide a safe and clean environment for residents. Failing to establish and maintain an infection control program designed to provide a safe, sanitary and comfortable environment for residents may point to neglect. Unsanitary living conditions can set your loved one up for a host of problems.

Mobility is by far one of the most challenging aspects of getting older. To prevent health issues such as bed sores and infections, nursing homes must help residents to move around, exercise and remain as active as possible. Residents should be encouraged and provided assistance to build muscle tone and strength, improve circulation and increase balance to prevent injuries from occurring. If your loved one is left in bed for long periods of time, he or she runs the risk of losing all mobility and their health can deteriorate quickly.

Some percentage of nursing home residents suffer from malnutrition and dehydration often caused by inadequate staffing. Poor nutrition affects millions of people in nursing homes across the country and can result in rapid physical decline.

If your loved one has suffered broken bones, head injuries or has unexplained bruising, these may be indicators of neglect. Just by not helping an elderly person walk across the room might set them up for a fall when they try to do things for themselves. Falls are very prevalent among the elderly and can led to significant disability and even death so it is important that nursing home provide assistance.

Emotional changes should be taken seriously also. If your loved one grows distant or seems depressed, anxious or fearful, there may be a problem with the care they are receiving. They may even begin to neglect themselves by refusing to eat, take medication or perform basic hygiene when they are suffering from emotional duress.

Unfortunately neglect is a pervasive issue across nursing homes and can causes serious physical and psychological harm to residents. If your family member is injured in a nursing home setting and you suspect negligence played a role, it is important to seek help. Contact the Iowa nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys of Hemminger Law Firm for immediate assistance at 515-283-2116.

Unfortunately, nearly every day we read accounts in the newspaper regarding negligent care in nursing homes around the country that have resulted in injury. Some negligence has even resulted in the deaths of nursing home residents. Although family members who have lost a loved one in a nursing home may think that it was unavoidable, all too often,  injuries in nursing homes occur because of neglect. Families who later become aware that neglect played a role in their loved ones injury often want to hold nursing homes accountable for injuries to stop it from happening again.

A lawsuit claiming that a nursing homes staff’s negligence caused the death of a women is playing out in Kansas demonstrating how quickly things can go wrong for elderly residents. The lawsuit alleges that the resident, an elderly woman of 88, injured her leg on the foot pedal of a wheelchair, resulting in an injury that continued to worsen despite the administering of antibiotics. When the family asked to have their loved one transferred to a wound care facility for treatment sooner than the scheduled date, they were refused and eventually the woman was admitted to a hospital where she deteriorated quickly – all for what started out as a bruise. The lawsuit claims that staff negligence caused the death of the resident and the plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial and tens of thousands in compensation to right the wrong.

In yet another case out of Virginia, a lawsuit is ongoing regarding a man who developed life threatening bedsores months after being admitted to a nursing home. Bedsores are areas of skin that become damaged when a person stays in a position for too long and typically form in higher pressure areas where bones are closer to the skin, such as at the ankles, back, elbows, heels and hips. They can be prevented by keeping skin dry and clean, changing positions regularly and relieving pressure, but if they are allowed to set up and go untreated, they can cause life-threatening infections.  In the suit, attorneys for the family allege the decedent sustained injury and/or death as a direct result of the defendants’ negligence and are asking for 3 million in compensation, which, if awarded, will likely result in changes at the facility.

Family members who have had a loved one suffer from an injury that occurred in a nursing home may be unaware that there may not have been adequate staff on hand, that there may have been hazards that were not addressed, that training was non-existent, or that protocols were ignored that resulted in the injury. If your family member is injured at a nursing home facility it is always a good idea to discuss your concerns with an experienced nursing home injury attorney who can determine if negligence was a factor. The best way to check nursing homes guilty of abuse and neglect is to hold them accountable so that they will change their practices and provide the care elderly residents really need. Contact the Iowa nursing home injury, elder abuse and neglect attorneys of Hemminger Law Firm for help at 515-283-2116.