At the time of the incident, Haddix, a trainmaster, was a 16-year veteran with the Belt Railway Company of Chicago. At the rail yard, two train cars were locked together when a pin lifter on the coupling became jammed. Hulcher Services, Inc. brought in a hi-rail crane to uncouple the train cars. The crane was improperly supported and shifted causing Plaintiff's severe injuries.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is encouraging school professionals, coaches, athletes and parents to learn the risks of concussions in youth sports in recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month. The emphasis is on identifying when a concussion has occurred and ensuring that sufficient time has passed before returning to playing sports. A repeat concussion before the brain has sufficiently healed places athletes at a high risk for long-term effects.

In addition to an increased risk in sports, members of the armed services are at increased risk for brain injury. The Pentagon has a new policy wherein U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan subjected to roadside bomb attacks will be pulled from duty for at least 24 hours and medically examined before being cleared for battle again. The goal is to detect injuries as early as possible.

Protocols requiring a rest period for healing and medical observation are essential to preventing long-term damage after a mild brain injury.

Unfortunately, there were a number of other serious car accidents around Chicagoland this weekend. Eleven people were taken to the hospital after a two-car crash on the southside. In another tragic incident, four women were killed when their vehicle crashed into a tree in Englewood.

The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll is a Chicago-based law firm focused on transportation negligence cases. We represent individuals and families who have been the victim of truck, bus and automobile crashes. Our attorneys have seen firsthand the tragic outcome of serious car crashes and remind drivers that March is National Collision Awareness Month. Contact us today at (312)676-7222 if you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else's negligence.

The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll encourages all drivers to take the time this month to evaluate their driving practices in an effort to make our roads safer.

The results of the study will help women diagnosed with breast cancer to make a more informed decision when faced with the difficult options concerning whether to undergo a mastectomy not only to remove a cancerous breast, but also the other, unaffected breast as a preventive measure. Cancer detected in one breast has a tendency to spread to the other breast and studies have documented the the reduction in recurrence of cancer when both breasts are removed. This study is the first to connect this decision with the chances of survival.

The Allstate Foundation, which is part of Allstate Corp., released a study reporting that teenage girls admit to speeding, texting and active aggressively behind the wheel more often than their male counterparts.

Distracted driving is a serious concern on the roadway. Drivers of all ages could easily be distracted if they are sending a text message or not giving their full attention to the road ahead. Teens are just learning how to drive and should be focusing on driving. It is simply not worth the risk of killing yourself or others. Please put your cell phone away until you arrive at your destination.

There is debate regarding whether the red light cameras are effective at reducing accidents. Some data shows that the cameras actually increase the number of accidents at intersections because drivers may slam on their brakes to avoid entering the intersection. The State Senate will debate a bill this week banning red light cameras, except for in construction sites and railroad crossings. Perhaps if the red light cameras are banned, surveillance cameras should be installed in their stead to identify hit-and-run drivers and other criminal activity. It is satisfying to know that the man involved in the hit-and-run has been identified and charged.

Hospital-acquired infections are typically infections that do not originate from a patient's original admitting diagnosis. Within hours after admission to a hospital, a patient is exposed to the bacteria living in the hospital. As with the prevention of the spread of the common cold and the flu, proper hand-washing and glove-wearing are the two most critical deterrents to spreading hospital-acquired infections. Regardless of whether you are a caregiver in a hospital or just a visitor, it is important to always properly wash your hands. The CDC provides the following guidelines for proper hand-washing:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
• Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

The recent federal stimulus bill passed by the Senate in early February 2010 intends to make billions of dollars available for the computerization of medical files. As with any initiative involving confidential information, the fear exists that such information will end up in the wrong hands or be used for the wrong purposes. Although computerized records can assist in a patient's ability to receive more comprehensive medical care, computerized records are more susceptible to theft. As a patient, you should inquire with your health care providers about how they are maintaining and storing your medical information. You should always be asked to sign a consent form that conforms with HIPAA Privacy Rules before any medical provider shares your information.

We place our trust in the bus drivers who transport our children. We expect that proper maintenance is done on the vehicles and that proper background checks are performed on the drivers. School bus accidents are especially tragic because they involve our most precious cargo, our children.

One cause of failure to diagnose injuries in a trauma situation is failure to determine that the injury is present. Injuries are often not visible to the naked eye. In many medical facilities throughout the world, trauma victims are assessed through the use of surveys developed by the American College of Trauma Surgeons in the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. The primary survey identifies immediately life-threatening problems. Once those problems are treated, medical treaters use the secondary survey to conduct a detailed examination of the patient results in a complete catalog of their injuries.

According to some researchers, this system does not always work in practice. “It is not uncommon for the secondary survey to be curtailed or hindered by other priorities, with the result that complete catalogue of injuries is not identified at presentation.” Missed injury and the tertiary trauma survey, Volume 39, Issue 1, Pages 107-114 C. Thomson, I. Greaves. The tertiary trauma survey, in which formal repeated examination of the patient is undertaken has been suggested as a better alternative to identify injuries not readily identifiable at the initial presentation.

Another cause of failure to diagnose an injury is due to a language barrier. I recently wrote an article about the importance of effective communication between patients and health care providers. Certainly, language barriers can prevent a clear communication between a patient and medical treater. It is a hospital’s duty to provide a translator and under federal law, hospitals are required to do so if they receive federal funding.

Extra steps may be necessary to ensure that trauma patients are properly treated, but improved outcome and prevention of long-term disability or death is worth it.