Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

The law firm of Page Law, LLC frequently works with accident victims who have suffered a spinal cord injury. Fortunately, researchers are constantly working on new treatments to help victims who have suffered a spinal cord injury.

According to the Mayo Clinic, immediately after a victim has suffered a spinal cord injury, emergency personnel will attempt to immobilize the spine for transportation to the hospital. In the emergency room, while conducting diagnostic tests, doctors also focus on allowing the patient to breathe, attempt to prevent the patient from going into shock, keep the patient’s neck immobilized, and avoid additional complications from the injury-causing accident.

Once the diagnostic tests are complete, if a victim does have a spinal cord injury, they are admitted to an intensive care unit or a spine care center. Patients are usually given medication that can treat spinal cord injuries. The victim typically undergoes surgery, both to remove any objects that are compressing the spine, and sometimes to stabilize the spine. Depending on the circumstances of the injury, patients sometimes also have experimental treatments performed.

After surgery or stabilization, doctors then attempt to prevent problems that can arise from spinal cord injuries, such as blood clots, ulcers, and infections. Rehabilitation may also begin at that time. Spinal cord patients are usually prescribed medication to manage some of the effects of the injury. Patients are also evaluated to see if any new technologies could be of assistance to them, such as computers, new wheelchairs, or electronic aids.

Have you been the victim of an accident that has resulted in a spinal cord injury? If so, you may be able to recover compensation from negligent parties for your injury, including the costs of medical care, both current and future, pain and suffering, loss of wages and more. Contact the St. Louis spinal cord injury lawyers at Page Law, LLC today by calling 1-314-488-2433 for more information.

Page Law, LLC and The A.W. Smith Law Firm are proud to announce the debut of the Serious Injury Legal Group (SILG) website, http://www.silg.com/. The new website is a resource for lawyers who would like to make a personal injury case referral to experienced and skilled personal injury attorneys. The SILG website also includes helpful information for both accident victims and lawyers alike in Missouri and Illinois on topics relating to car, motorcycle, and truck accidents, as well as wrongful death.

The SILG website provides a place for small law firms as well as other lawyers to turn when a seriously injured individual calls their office, and requires assistance the law firm or lawyer may not be able to offer.

What sets SILG apart from other legal websites is a feature that allows referring lawyers the ability to follow a referred case from start to finish. The website provides a secure login to any referring attorney who can review the status of any case they have referred to SILG at any time. The SILG website gives referring lawyers the assurance that they have provided a seriously injured person quality care with another attorney, and gives lawyers the confidence to refer cases again in the future knowing that they can stay informed about the case.

If you would like to learn more about your legal rights and options as a personal injury victim, or if you would like to refer a personal injury case to SILG, visit the new website or call 1-800-900-SILG (7454) today.

Shockingly, one in six Americans get food poisoning each year, according to CNN.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year about 48 million people in America get sick from foodborne illnesses, which results in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Of those 48 million people, about 9.4 million get sick from 31 different bugs. About 38.4 million get sick from unknown viruses.

Approximately 60 percent of food poisoning-related illnesses are caused by norovirus. Salmonella is the leading cause of hospitalizations. Some other very common bacteria that cause food poisoning are Campylobacter, Listeria, E.coli 0157, and Clostridium perfringen.

Although these numbers show there has been a 20 percent decrease in foodborne illnesses in the past decade, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that more needs to be done to prevent these illnesses from occurring, particularly because food poisoning strikes vulnerable populations the hardest, including the elderly, children, and those who have weakened immune systems. One expert points out that if foodborne illnesses were reduced by just one percent, it would keep 500,000 people from getting sick from the foods they eat. The FDA says it’s working as quickly as possible to improving the prevention of food poisoning.

Have you been affected by a foodborne illness that was caused by either tainted food or by unsanitary food preparation or storage? If so, you have legal rights and may have a case against the food manufacturer or restaurant that was responsible for the dangerous food conditions. To learn more about your rights, contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer at Page Law, LLC by calling 1-314-488-2433 to schedule a free consultation.

Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common types of accidents in the United States that lead to personal injury lawsuits. Businesses and individuals who own or occupy property have a duty to protect all persons on their property from dangerous conditions; particularly those that the owners or occupiers knew or should have known existed.

Although many people do not think that a slip and fall accident could cause major injuries, in fact, very serious injuries can result from a slip and fall accident. Elderly people are particularly at risk of suffering serious injuries in a slip and fall. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has studied slip and fall accidents in older Americans and has discovered some surprising statistics. Among Americans over age 65, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths. About one in three adults over age 65 falls each year. In 2007 alone, over 18,000 older Americans died from fall injuries.

There are some common injuries that occur when an individual has a slip and fall accident. About 20 to 30 percent of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries. Such injuries include cuts, broken hips and head injuries. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in all adults. In older adults, TBIs are responsible for about 46 percent of fatalities from falls. Falls are also the most common cause of bone fractures among older adults, most often fractures to the arms, legs, ankles, spine, hip, pelvis, and hands.

Sadly, many property owners do not take their responsibility to keep their premises safe for visitors seriously, which can lead to tragic results. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in Missouri, contact the St. Louis slip and fall accident attorneys at Page Law, LLC. Call us today at 1-314-488-2433 for a free consultation on your case.

A man who was pushing his disabled car on the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis was struck by a tractor-trailer, which shut down the bridge for hours, according to STLtoday.com. The police received two phone calls early that morning at 4:47 a.m. reporting that a disabled vehicle was on the bridge. However, the dispatcher accidentally sent police vehicles to another location that was about 6 miles away. A few minutes later, at about 4:52, the police received more calls about the disabled vehicle, and realized the mistake, and then headed to the correct location at 4:53. The crash occurred at approximately 5 a.m.

Authorities do not believe that the accident could have been prevented if the police had gone to the correct location originally, because police would have needed to execute a turnaround maneuver once arriving at the bridge to reach the disabled vehicle. Also, the early calls were reporting a stalled vehicle, which is typically not a high priority situation that police officers would rush to quickly.

Another factor in the truck crash is that the bridge has no shoulder. The truck driver swerved to avoid the man, but instead struck him. After swerving, the truck hit the median and caught on fire, but the truck driver was not injured.

If your vehicle breaks down, exit the dangerous area that is nearest the road as quickly as possible, even if you have to leave your vehicle behind. Wide vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, may be unable to avoid a collision, even if you have pulled over onto the shoulder. If you have been injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer in Missouri, you have legal rights. Contact the St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Page Law, LLC today for a free consultation on your case. Call us today at 1-314-488-2433. We will be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you have.

The elderly are a very vulnerable part of our society. The decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home is one that takes extensive research and consideration by a family. When a suitable nursing home is believed to have been found, and a family entrusts their elderly loved one to the facility to only to find out later that their loved one was abused at the facility, it is devastating and can cause high levels of guilt.

There are indicators that can notify you if your elderly loved one is suffering from nursing home abuse so you can take prompt action to hold those responsible for your loved one's care legally liable for their negligent actions. Some of these signs include:

• A change in your loved ones attitude; expressions of fear, anger or distancing from friends and family members;
• Bone fractures such as a broken hip from a fall;
• Over or under medicating;
• Poor hygiene;
• Rapid weight loss;
• The presence of bedsores, which occur when a person is left in the same position for too long; and
• Unexplained bruises or cuts.

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect in Missouri, legal help is available. At Page Law, LLC our St. Louis nursing home abuse lawyers will aggressively fight on your family’s behalf to ensure that your elderly loved one’s rights are protected in a court of law. We will work hard to hold the negligent party responsible for the abuse your loved one endured. To learn more about how we can help, call our law office today at 314-488-2433.

Americans own over 77 million dogs, and every year, about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs, though the majority of these dog bites aren’t serious. On average, about 866 people a day visit an emergency room for dog bites injuries, and about 26 of these people a day are admitted to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. However, a recent study has shown that the number of serious dog bites has increased dramatically in recent years – from 5,200 in 1993 to 9,500 in 2008, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Certain segments of the population are more at risk for being seriously injured by dog bites. The study found that senior citizens and young children are the most likely to be seriously injured by a dog bite. Interestingly, most of the hospital visits due to dog bites are made by people who live in rural areas as opposed to urban areas. People in rural areas visit a hospital’s emergency room for dog bites four times as often as urban residents.

Those people who were admitted to the hospital for their dog bite injuries usually had one of three medical issues. Over 40 percent of those admitted had skin infections from the bite. A little over 20 percent were treated for open wounds on the arms and legs, and over 10 percent had open wounds on the head, neck, or torso. Other common injuries stemming from a dog bite were internal injuries or broken arms or legs. Over half of those hospitalized for a dog bite injury required surgery.

It’s important to remember that while most dogs seem harmless, they can still bite. If you have been bitten by a dog in Missouri, contact the Missouri dog bite attorneys at Page Law, LLC. We can help you determine whether the dog’s owner can be held liable for your injuries. Call us today at 1-314-488-2433 for a free consultation.

A new study from the Netherlands just discovered that pregnant women who take a certain drug to control seizures may be at an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida, according to BusinessWeek.com. Spina bifida is a medical condition in which the spinal bones don’t close but the spinal cord remains in place. Children who suffer from spina bifida require life-long treatment.

The drug that was tested is carbamazepine or Tegretol. It’s typically taken by women who have epilepsy to control their seizures. The study found that if Tegretol is taken during a pregnant woman’s first trimester, the risk of having a baby with a major malformation was 3.3 percent. Another drug that controls epilepsy, valproic acid, or Depakene, was found to be much more dangerous for pregnant women. Women taking this epilepsy drug were six times more likely to have an infant with spina bifida and seven times more likely to have an infant with hypospadias than women using other anti-epileptic drugs.

When deciding whether to take drugs to control epilepsy, pregnant women and their doctors need to weigh the risks of controlling epilepsy against the risk of potential birth defects. There are two alternate epileptic drugs available to treat epilepsy, but currently there’s little data available on the risks of taking those drugs while pregnant.

Obstetricians have a duty to warn their patients about the risks of any drugs they may take while pregnant. If your child is born with a birth defect and you believe it was due to the use of a dangerous drug, contact the Missouri personal injury attorneys at Page Law, LLC. Call us today at 1-314-488-2433 for a free consultation.

Sadly, it’s getting to be that time of the year again – time to put away the motorcycle for the winter until next spring’s riding season. As a Missouri motorcycle accident attorney, John Page understands the importance of accident prevention. In order to make sure your motorcycle is in top working condition, it’s important to take some time to prepare the bike for storage over the winter. The experts at TotalMotorcycle.com offer some tips for safely storing your motorcycle over the winter.

First, change the oil, even if it’s not due for a change. Changing the oil to a special winter grade oil will ensure that the motorcycle will start in the spring. The filter should be changed too. Next, add fuel stabilizer and run the motorcycle for about 10 minutes so it gets into the carburetors. Fill the motorcycle with fresh fuel. Then, remove the spark plugs and pour engine oil into each cylinder. Turn the engine over to spread the oil around, and then reinstall the plugs.

Remove the battery from the motorcycle. Your battery may need to be charged every two weeks, depending on the type of battery. Spray a light oil on the mufflers to keep them from rusting, and cover with a plastic bag. Check the air pressure of the tires to make sure they are properly inflated. Service all fluids.

Finally, you can wax and polish the motorcycle, which will help prevent rust and moisture form damaging the motorcycle. Spray any metal surfaces with WD-40. Lastly, decide on a place to put the motorcycle—try to store the motorcycle away from windows. Also, cover the bike with a special cover for protection. Do not use a sheet, as the protection it offers is not adequate.

Keeping your bike in good condition over the winter season can potentially help prevent accidents when you ride your motorcycle next spring. However, accidents at times can be unavoidable. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident in Missouri, contact St. Louis motorcycle accident attorney John Page at Page Law, LLC by calling 1-314-488-2433 today for a free consultation.

In 2009, 630 people were killed in crashes between bicycles and automobiles in the United States, according to bicyclinginfo.org.

Although this may seem high, the number of bicyclists killed or injured seems to be following a downward trend. In 1993, 68,000 people were injured in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes, but in 2009, only 51,000 people were injured. However, only a fraction of bicycle crashes are recorded by the police.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008 the average age of a bicyclist killed in a crash with a motor vehicle was 41. Of those killed, 87 percent were male.

It’s hard to tell from these numbers whether or not bicycling is getting safer. There has been a drop of 17 percent in fatalities since 1998. However, there is no corresponding data on how many bicyclists ride on a regular basis, or how far they are riding. Therefore, the drop in fatalities could be the result of fewer people riding, people riding in different locations, or bicycling conditions getting safer.

It’s also hard to tell from the data whether bicycling is more or less dangerous than other modes of travel. The data tells us that bicyclists account for two percent of traffic fatalities, but only one percent of all trips in the U.S. However, there is no data on how many miles bicyclists travel each year, or how long it takes them to ride those miles. It will take better data on bicycling to determine how dangerous bicycling is compared with other forms of travel.

Have you been injured in a bicycling accident in Missouri? Contact the Missouri personal injury attorneys at Page Law, LLC by calling 1-314-488-2433 for a free consultation on your case. You may have a potential claim against the other driver or rider that was involved in the accident. Call us now for further details.