Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Dropping leaves and cooler temperatures are a beautiful reminder that it is fall in Indiana. The beauty of the season is often tempered with preparations for the winter weather just around the corner. One task on every home-owner’s to-do list is the duty of cleaning gutters. Leaves and debris accumulates over the course of the summer months, resulting in blocked gutters and downspouts that overflow during the autumn rains and winter snows.

The personal injury attorneys at our firm encourage every home owner to be aware of their surroundings when doing home repairs. Gas mains, phone lines, and utility boxes all pose their own hazards and precautions should be taken when working near them.

Continue reading "Overhead Electric Wires – Indiana's Forgotten Danger " »

There is good news for Indiana drivers! According to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, Indiana’s fatal traffic accident rate dropped last year, reducing the number of people killed on Indiana highways by more than 12%.

The research center, based in Indiana-Purdue University of Indianapolis, produced the report that revealed the encouraging news. Unfortunately, this reduction still leaves an astounding 46,590 people who were injured or killed last year. In addition to the physical toll placed on Indiana residents, the high number of accidents results in more than $4.3 billion in property loss and medical care in 2009.

Continue reading "Indiana Car Crashes Decrease in 2009" »

Computerized order entry systems could soon be in place in many hospitals in Indiana. These will make patient record-keeping more efficient, and enhance patient safety. However, a new study shows that they may also have some unintended consequences that could be deadly for patients.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania were studying whether the systems would be able to catch and prevent a deadly combination of drugs from being prescribed. The combination included the anticlotting medication warfarin and an antibiotic. They found that the system was able to work effectively and prevent the combination from pre-prescribed. However, there were at least four cases in the study where this combination of drugs was actually necessary for the patient, but the system wouldn’t’ allow it.

Continue reading "Indiana Computerized Order Entry System Presents Patient Safety Challenges" »

As we wrote earlier, Indiana patients now have a tool that will allow them to make more informed decisions about where they receive their care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has added new search data to their Hospital Compare web site.

Indiana medical malpractice attorneys are encouraged by this updated information and believe it will make a positive difference in the care Indiana medical consumers receive. The ability to compare the outcomes of procedures, the quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction will influence area hospitals to invest more heavily in improvements in an effort to capture more of Indiana’s healthcare dollars.

Though limited to only a few specific areas of medical care, the site’s information illuminates frequently requested areas of service, including nursing care, bedsores, pulmonary care and pediatric diabetes. This information can assist patients by evaluating a hospital’s ability to provide adequate care. For example, the site provides encouraging information if you have any need for cardiac care in the Indianapolis metro area. On average, a central-Indiana resident will only wait seven minutes before they receive care in a cardiac specialty facility; this is compared to the national average wait time of 43 minutes.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Hospitals Self-Rate Care" »

The Indiana office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a construction accident in Noblesville that left one worker seriously injured.

The accident occurred when the man, an employee of Filson Earthworks Company was operating an excavator. A scoop suddenly detached from the excavator, hit the ground and bounced right back, striking the worker on the head. He fell into the 10 foot deep trench. Shockingly, it was more than an hour before the worker could be rescued and emergency personnel could transfer him to a hospital. That's because the walls of this trench had not been shored, and the man had fallen into the most delicate part of the trench. Emergency personnel had to shore up the walls of the trench before the worker could be rescued. That took about an hour.

Continue reading "Indiana OSHA Wing Investigating Construction Accident" »

The law firm of Montross Miller Muller Mendelson & Kennedy is fully committed to serving the personal injury needs of all Indiana residents. As a team of experienced, dedicated attorneys, we have successfully worked together for nearly three decades, defending the rights of clients and their families. Our experience in medical malpractice and personal injury law has a proven track record and we are committed to providing the individual attention we know your case deserves.

Continue reading "Committed to Excellence" »

The recently concluded Distracted Driving Summit in Washington DC has turned up a few key points of special interest to states like Indiana, that still don't have anti-distracted driving policies in place. The points to take home from the summit were:

• Laws do work, and states must implement laws to ban the use of handheld cell phones and text messaging devices for all drivers

• There must be strict enforcement of these laws, and strong penalties for violators.

• There must also be better use of technologies to force motorists to stop using their cell phones while driving

Continue reading "Legislation, Enforcement and Technology Prevent Distracted Indiana Accidents" »

A recent pipeline explosion in faraway California is focusing attention on the safety of Indiana’s very own gas transmission pipelines. Federal agencies believe Indiana's safety record where gas pipelines are concerned is good, but all it takes is a single corroded and disintegrating pipe or excavation on the wrong site, for disaster to strike. Unfortunately, it seems that years of complacency could have placed Indiana's gas pipelines at risk of a disaster.

Earlier this month, a gas pipeline in San Bruno, California exploded, killing 8 people and leaving several injured. The explosion caused millions of dollars worth of property damage, and rendered several people homeless.

Continue reading "Explosion Triggers Questions about Safety of Indiana Gas Pipelines" »