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Etzler Lawhead Legal Group, PC

Patient sues Anderson Hospital over worsened heart condition

By Personal Injury No Comments

A patient alleges he received negligent care at Anderson Hospital’s emergency room, causing his heart condition to worsen. James Harshany filed a complaint Oct. 21 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Mark Mason, M.D., and Anderson Hospital, alleging medical malpractice. According to the complaint, Harshany went to Anderson Hospital’s emergency room at 9 a.m. on Dec. 17, 2019, due…

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Civilian contractor comp claims surge post-Afghanistan

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

After 20 years of conflict, many U.S. soldiers and civilian contractors have returned home from Afghanistan and Iraq much different than when they first deployed. Psychological injuries are common in war zones, but a 2013 RAND Corporation Study found that civilian contractors suffer at a much greater rate. At the time of the study, 25% of private contractors showed PTSD…

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Report Sounds Alarm Over Workers With Long-Term COVID-19 Symptoms

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

About 10% of people who contracted COVID-19 continue to suffer persistent symptoms months later, creating the potential for millions of people to suffer functional impairment for extended lengths of time, according to a report released by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The report, written by Paradigm Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Choo, says COVID long-haulers are anxious and irritable….

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Indiana Man Sues After Alleging Police Knelt on Him

By Personal Injury No Comments

A Gary man is suing northwest Indiana police more than a year after he alleged that officers sprayed him with pepper spray and knelt on him when they encountered him near a protest over George Floyd’s death. Randall Smith’s lawsuit, filed Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court in Hammond, names Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez and county police officer Jay…

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Study: Indiana Workers’ Comp Average Medical Claims Higher than Most States

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A recently published study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that the average medical payment for Indiana workers’ compensation claims with more than seven days of lost time was higher than the typical state. The study, CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Indiana, 22nd Edition, compared Indiana’s workers’ compensation system with systems in 17 other states. The WCRI analyzed workers’ compensation…

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Concussion complaints against NCAA continue to be filed in courts

By Personal Injury No Comments

A former national champion nose tackle for the University of Notre Dame football team has taken aim at his alma matter and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. On Aug. 25, Mary Elizabeth Morrison, as attorney-in-fact of Richard Morrison, filed a proposed class action complaint and demand for jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana…

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Walmart denies liability in customer’s suit alleging slip, fall on air freshener

By Personal Injury No Comments

Walmart argues that a customer failed to keep a proper lookout when she allegedly slipped and fell on an air freshener that was on the restroom floor. Walmart answered the complaint on Oct. 8 through attorney James DeFranco of DeFranco & Bradley PC in Fairview Heights, denying liability. In its affirmative defenses, Walmart argues that the sole proximate cause of…

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Health care facility fined $38K over coronavirus hazard

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

An inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at a rehabilitation and post-acute care facility in Byron, Illinois, found the health care facility did not comply with federal respiratory protection requirements in its quarantine area and failed to protect workers from coronavirus hazards. OSHA found that Generations at Neighbors LLC, operator of six similar facilities in Illinois and Indiana,…

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