Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Not Only Residents, But Staff Members Sometimes Need the Services of a Nursing Home Injury Lawyer in Cleveland

Surprisingly, it’s not only residents who are seeking the services of a nursing home injury lawyer in Cleveland these days, but staff members themselves. A recent study by NPR reveals an epidemic of nursing home injuries suffered by staff members as a result of lifting heavy patients. The traditional way of lifting patients- bending your knees and keeping your back straight- can be extremely dangerous, resulting in back injuries such as slipped disks that can debilitate even young staff members, in some cases ruining their ability to work or even walk.

Essentially, “workers who are relatively young have to stop working early, in many cases,” David Michaels, the assistant secretary of Labor who heads the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) told NPR.

There is a solution – using special equipment to lift patients rather than doing it manually, but few nursing homes do so. Hospitals that use such equipment such as the Baptist Health System in Florida and medical centers in the Department of Veterans Affairs have reduced lifting injuries by up to 80 percent.

“The bottom line is, there’s no safe way to lift a patient manually,” says William Marras, director of The Ohio State University’s Spine Research Institute which studied the issue, told NPR. “The magnitude of these forces that are on your spine are so large that the best body mechanics in the world are not going to keep you from getting a back problem.”

You don’t need to be a nursing home resident or family member to require the services of a nursing home injury lawyer in Cleveland. Until the nursing home industry addresses the problem, young workers will continue to suffer debilitating injuries. The industry needs to be held accountable so that staff members are not rendered residents themselves long before their time.

From the Desk of a Cleveland Attorney: When Cancer Misdiagnosis Turns Out to Be Good News

Take it from a cancer misdiagnosis attorney Cleveland: Not all cancer misdiagnosis is tragic. Sometimes a misdiagnosis actually turns out to be good news. Roger Mollison, 66, from the UK, was told he had nine months to live when doctors told him he had he had developed lethal mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos. Then, three years later, he was later told his condition was actually a completely different non-life-threatening, asbestos-related condition, according to a recent article in the Daily Mail.

When he first received his cancer misdiagnosis, he quit his job and spent as much time as possible with his children and grandchildren. Though he was relieved to discover he did not have cancer, the experience was traumatic and completely shook his faith in the medical system.

“I’ve spent almost three years fearing I’d die any time and my family has suffered horribly. I prepared to not be around for much longer,” Mollison told the Daily Mail. “And (I) went through the awful feelings that go with that. Then I was shocked to the core when they told me the original lab results were wrong and I’m still trying to come to terms with it. It is wonderful to know that I am not dying but I have lost all confidence in doctors and don’t know if I ever will regain it.”

Cancer misdiagnosis is always a traumatic, life changing event, no matter which way the news goes. And it is completely unnecessary. If you’ve been the victim of a cancer misdiagnosis, contact a cancer misdiagnosis attorney in Cleveland at The Linton Law Firm. We offer free consultation, with home and hospital appointments available. Contact us today.