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Hospitals In Illinois that are BADA national hospital safety watchdog group has just issued its semi-annual report card on U.S. hospitals, giving 46 Illinois hospitals an “A” grade and four a “D” for patient care. The state was ranked 11 overall among states, an improvement from 14th place in spring 2019.

The nonprofit Leapfrog Group grades hospitals on how well they protect patients from medical errors, injuries and infections.

Of the 108 Illinois hospitals surveyed, 46 earned an A, 19 earned a B, and 39 earned a C. Of the four that received a D, only one is outside the Chicago area: UnityPoint Health in Pekin, Illinois. The rest were Mount Sinai Hospital, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, and University of Illinois Hospital.  None received an F.

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Each year, the attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers give back to the community through financial aid scholarships as support to single mothers attending college. Our law firm understands the difficulty of a single parent continuing their education while providing care for their family.

Since the program’s inception, the firm has provided more than $30,000 in scholarships to women enrolled in college and law school and other deserving people.

2018 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

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Every year, the attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers give back to the community through financial aid scholarships as support to single mothers attending college. Our law firm understands the challenges single parents face when attempting to continue their education while supporting their family.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the annual $1000 Single Mother Scholarship to two students currently attending or planning to attend college or graduate school. Our program is designed to assist single mothers who have overcome many of life’s challenges and demonstrate a need for financial assistance. Since the program’s inception, the firm has provided more than $30,000 in scholarships to women enrolled in college and law school.

2017 Scholarship Winners

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2014-RIL-Single-Mother-Scholarship-WinnersRosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Single Mothers’ Scholarship to Brittany Redfern and Laurie Hucks. Our scholarship committee was impressed by the overall dedication of single mothers to pursuing their educational goals, while caring for their children, but these two women are true stand-outs for the way in which they are able to balance their academic workloads while caring for their children.

Below you will find these winning essays from Brittany and Laurie. Based on the positive responses we have received from school officials and students, we are please to announce that our scholarship program will continue for 2015 following similar parameters for this year. You can view the parameters for the upcoming scholarship here.

Thank you for all participants and best of luck in all endeavors!

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O.R. in hospitalNew release of data collected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the price of hospital charges from across the nation may make a few eyebrows go up. The data has never been easily accessible by the public but now as part of President Obama’s administrations efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible, it has now been released. This change to transparency in medical procedure pricing has revealed large discrepancies in what hospitals charge across the nation.

What The CMS Data Contains

The new report issued by CMS gives a breakdown of prices for common inpatient procedures performed at hospitals all across the country. The top 100 procedures are listed from over 3,000 hospitals that receive Medicare payments. The first report is from 2011 and can be accessed online at CMS.gov.

What will make those eyebrows go up is the difference in costs from one hospital to the next, with little rhyme or reason to it all. For example, one hospital charges $127,000 for a permanent pacer maker, yet another only charges $66,000 for the same procedure. A new lower limb could cost an average of $117,000 at one hospital yet only cost $25,600 somewhere else. The difference in charges does not seem to be geographic, just randomly more or less from one place to the next.

The report also lists the average actual payout for these procedures, which is interesting as well. One place may charge less for the procedure yet receives a larger average payout than another hospital that charges much more.  The payout is only a fraction of the billed charge, often less than 20% of the bill.

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Illinois-bicycle-safetyAs the summer months approach, more bicyclists will be hitting the roads and trails to enjoy the warmer temperatures and fresh air. Illinois has prided itself on welcoming bicyclists onto the roads, especially in Chicago. However, even with progressive laws there is still a concern for safety when bicycles share the road with other larger and faster vehicles.

Illinois Bicycle Crash Data

The Illinois Department of Transportation compiled crash statistics for the years 2007-2011. This data shows where the majority of Illinois bicycle accidents happen and in what numbers. Over the 5-year period, there was a fairly consistent number in the total amount of crashes, though there was a reduction of 15.1% in 2011 over the past four-year average. Some specific data that stands out on the report include:

  • Increased fatalities. Although the total amount of crashes was reduced, fatalities increased in 2011 22.7% over the previous 4-year average
  • Local streets had more fatalities. In both urban and rural settings, local roads and streets had more fatalities then state or interstate roads
  • Older cyclists have higher fatality rate. Of the 27 bicyclists fatalities in 201, over 40% were 65 or older
  • Younger riders often injured. Of the 2,930 injury crashes involving cyclists, 47% were under the age of 24

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Illinois-motorcycle-safetyThere are approximately 340,000 motorcycles registered in the great state of Illinois and many will be hitting the roads for the first time since last fall in the next few months. Not many riders are out during the winter months.

In fact, in 2010 there was not one fatal crash December through February and only 7 total in November and March. As owners pull out their bikes and get ready for that first ride of the season, it is a good time to look at the dangers out on the road and prepare for a safe riding summer.

Illinois Motorcycle Crash Statistics

The good news on motorcycle riding in Illinois is that even though motorcycle riders seem to be growing in number, the amount of injuries and fatalities are not. The amount of registered motorcycles increased 73% from 1999 to 2010 in Illinois, adding almost 150,000 more motorcycles onto to the road in a little more than a decade.

However, there are still plenty of crashes that involve motorcycles and unfortunately, fatalities as well. The Department of Transportation statistics on traffic crashes between 2007-2011 can shed some light on when these crashes happen and to whom.

  • Lowest accident rate in five years. 2011 had the fewest Illinois motorcycle accidents in many years. There were 3,756, down 14.5% over the past 4-year average of 4,395
  • 145 Fatalities. In 2011, there were 145 fatalities, up 5.1% over the previous 4-year average of 138
  • More crashes going straight. As unlikely as it seems, by far the largest amount of motorcycle accidents happen when the motorcycle is going straight. Over 2,000 of the accidents in the last five years were going straight at the time of the crash
  • Older riders in more crashes. In both injury and fatalities, the largest age group is 35 and older. 61% of all injury accidents and 66% of fatalities in 2011 were in this age group

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springtime-dog-bite-safetyAs the weather gets warmer and Illinois residents start spending more time outside, there is a larger chance of running into dogs that are also out enjoying the outdoors.

Dog bites are too common, with an estimated 4.7 million a year in the U.S. In Chicago alone, there were over 1,700 dog bite reports in 2011. With spring and summer just around the corner, it is a good time for outdoor enthusiasts and dog owners alike to take heed of preventing dog bite attacks.

 Dog Bite Injuries

A dog’s instinct is to protect its territory and its master. Even a “friendly” dog can become aggressive if it feels threatened or thinks that someone is encroaching on property that they deem is theirs. Dog bites can range from a slight scratch to severe and even fatal injuries. According to the Center for Disease Control, 800,000 dog bites each year require medical treatment. Many severe dog bites result in:

  • Lacerations
  • Puncture wounds
  • Torn skin, tissue and muscle
  • Severe scarring

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DePuy Recall VerdictMarch 8, 2013- Jurors hearing evidence in the first (of many) DePuy hip recall trials have awarded a man with the ASR XL implant $8.3 million in compensatory damages related to the pain, disability and medical expenses he incurred as a result of the defective hip. The Los Angeles jury determined that that the DePuy ASR hip was defectively designed and caused metal poisoning and necessitated a revisionary surgery that the man needed after his device prematurely failed.

While the original lawsuit sought punitive damages related to alleged malice on the part of DePuy’s failure to sufficiently warn patients of the risks associated with the device, jurors determined that there was not sufficient intent to substantiate such a claim.

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DePuy-Hip-LawsuitsMoira Jackson is one of over 10,000 people who are bringing lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, DePuy for complications and injuries sustained because of defective hip replacements manufactured by DePuy. After receiving two artificial hip implants, Moira claims that she was unable to lead a normal life because of injuries and pain that were caused by the implants. What makes the former professional dancer from Maryland’s case so special is that it may be the one that sets the precedent for all 10,000 of the lawsuits to follow. Johnson and Johnson claims no wrong doing and that their hip replacements— which they admitted have a failure rate of over twelve percent— were approved by the FDA for use.

Recall of Defective Metal Hips

DePuy recalled over 90,000 of its hip replacements in 2010 due to defects in the socket, where metal on metal contact between the stem and the socket caused pain, swelling and tissue death in the surrounding area. The metal fragmentation has also been linked to toxic levels of metal in the blood, which poses a life threatening condition. Patients with this condition need to have their blood monitored for the rest of their lives to make sure that metal levels do not reach poisonous levels. The number of lawsuits DePuy is facing over the defective hip replacements may continue to rise well past the roughly 10,000 lawsuits it is defending against currently and the company has already spent over $800 million on its recall.

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