Columbus, Ohio Attorney Blog - Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A.

Researchers at the University of Ohio in conjunction with hospitals in Columbus, Ohio have completed a study that followed the growth of children who suffered Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The results of the study determined that children would experience neuropsychological problems as they grow.

The study followed children who had suffered severe, moderate, and musculoskeletal injuries six months, one year, and between 3 and five years after the initial accident. All of the children suffered their injuries between the ages of six and 12. The children with severe TBI injuries showed more serious problems than moderate TBI victims in areas such as:

• Memory
• Behavior
• Learning
• Adaptation
• Mental Processing

This study shows that traumatic brain injuries are even more serious when they occur early in life. A TBI can impact someone for the rest of his or her life. Some of the common ways traumatic brain injuries occur include car accidents, slip and fall accidents, and pedestrian accidents.

If your child has suffered a TBI in Columbus, Ohio, you need to contact Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. A TBI can result in a lifetime of medical costs, and you should be compensated for the injuries suffered.

Please schedule an initial consultation with Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. today to learn more about how to file your TBI claim.

A recent study performed by the Insurance Research Council has determined that as the unemployment rates rises throughout the country, the number of people dropping or lowering their car insurance is also rising. As people look for more and more ways to cut costs, some are taking chances by driving while uninsured or under-insured.

While this might not seem like that big a deal, it could lead to serious problems if you are involved in a motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, or car accident. For instance, if you're hit by an uninsured driver, there is no insurance company to turn to in order to pay for your injuries or damages to your car. Without insurance coverage, the driver at fault may not be able to pay for the injuries you've suffered.

People who drive without insurance are breaking the law, and if you are involved in an accident with a driver who has no insurance, you need to be compensated. By working with an experienced uninsured accident attorney from Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. who is experienced in handling uninsured accident claims, you can get the compensation you need for:

• Medical Bills
• Damage to Your Car
• Pain
• Suffering
• Loss of Work

If you or one of your loved ones has been involved in any sort of accident with an uninsured driver, please schedule an initial consultation with Columbus, Ohio accident attorney, Robert w. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A.

A man from Lancaster, Ohio was involved in a motorcycle accident and had to be taken to a Columbus hospital by medical helicopter to treat his serious injuries. The motorcycle accident occurred when the man lost control of his motorcycle and went off the side of the road, hitting a business sign.

One of the reasons the man suffered such serious injuries is because he was not wearing his helmet at the time of the motorcycle crash. Witnesses say they saw the man let go of his handlebars moments before losing control of the bike, but investigators are unsure why this happened.

At the moment, officers do not believe that drunk driving caused the accident, but it is possible.

As with many other motorcycle accidents, this crash involved serious head injuries. Some of the other common injuries people suffer after a motorcycle accident include broken bones, neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even amputations.

If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle accident and you believe another driver caused it, please contact the experienced Columbus, Ohio motorcycle accident attorneys at Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A.

Residents of nearly 150 homes near Columbus, Ohio were allowed to return to their houses after being evacuated. The evacuees were asked to leave their homes as a safety precaution after a fire broke out in a nearby chemical plant warehouse.

After hours of battling the flames, a few local firefighters were thrown back from an explosion and were taken to a local hospital. After the injured firefighters were taken away, the decision was made to allow the fire to burn itself out.

After the fire started, there were numerous explosions after the fire engulfed dangerous, flammable chemicals. While there were no employees on site, investigators are still looking into possible causes of the blaze. In 2005, the plant was cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations in handling hazardous or flammable materials that could have increased the risk of workplace injury or dangerous fires.

Officials in the area have asked local residents to keep a watchful eye on their health because they are unsure of what effects the burning chemicals will have. Any residents suffering from itchy, watery eyes, sore throat, nausea, or any other discomforts should contact a doctor immediately.

If you or a loved one has suffered any injuries as a result of the chemical plant explosion, it's important that you contact an experienced toxic tort attorney. A toxic tort lawsuit can be very complex and difficult to handle, so please schedule your free consultation with the Columbus, Ohio toxic tort lawyers at Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A.

A woman suffered second degree burns on her face after a fire broke out during a procedure in an operating room of the Zeeba Surgery Center. Lauren Wargo was having a mole removed from her face when Dr. Michelow used a medical instrument known as an electrocautery device, which caused a fire.

The jury awarded Wargo $872,000 for the burns she suffered, but then awarded her an additional $425,000 in punitive damages. The punitive damages were awarded as a punishment because Dr. Michelow attempted to conceal the cause of the fire from Wargo and her family.

Medical malpractice is a terrible thing and it can cause you to be permanently scarred or injured. Some of the more common forms of medical malpractice include wrong site surgery, nerve damage, and ligament damage. Incompetent or negligent doctors should be held responsible for their mistakes, and an experienced Ohio medical malpractice attorney can help your recover compensation for your losses after medical malpractice.

If you or your loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, please contact the experienced Ohio medical malpractice lawyers at Robert W. Kerpsack CO., L.P.A. to schedule an initial consultation.

Officials in Stow County, Ohio are attempting to keep the number of dog bites as low as possible, but the first line of defense is the dog owners themselves. Dog owners need to be responsible for their pets so that local animal control employees can do their job better.

People who raise dogs improperly can create animals that are more prone to bite than other dogs that have been well cared for. A dog bite is a dangerous thing, and many dogs that have serious issues can maim or even kill young children.

Now, municipalities all over Ohio are making it easier to identify dog owners who are not raising their animals appropriately. If you have seen someone raising a dangerous animal, you can now call animal control to report the owner. If this happens, the owner may be fined $100 or more.

If a dog has bitten you or one of your loved ones, you may be able to receive compensation for your pain and suffering. A dog bite is not only painful, but it can traumatic, making you permanently fearful of dogs. Please contact the experienced Ohio dog bite lawyer at Robert W. Kerpsack CO., L.P.A.

On May 1, 2009 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning of possible liver damage resulting in death that has been linked to the use of the diet aid Hydroxycut. Reports linked use of the popular diet aid to at least one death and dozens of serious health problems including jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an early sign of potential liver damage. Several patients experienced liver failure. Some survived as a result of liver transplant. One died when his liver transplant was aborted following the discovery of additional serious health complications. The FDA has said that everyone should stop using this potentially dangerous diet aid manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences, Inc. If you have unused Hydroxycut, you should return it to the place of purchase.

Those affected were healthy before they began taking Hydroxycut, and most had no risk factors for liver damage. The user who died was a 20-year old male. He died in 2007, but the link to Hydroxycut was not reported to the FDA until this March.

If you have been using Hydroxycut, you should look out for the signs of liver damage, including:

Jaundice
Brown urine
Nausea
Vomiting
Pale stools
Fatigue, weakness
Stomach pain and loss of appetite

If you experienced these symptoms after using Hydroxycut, you should consult your doctor about possible liver damage. The FDA does not yet know what ingredient or ingredients may be responsible for the liver damage.

Diet aids are not strongly regulated by the FDA. Prescription medications undergo premarket approval to verify their safety and effectiveness, but diet aids and nutrition supplements are exempt from this requirement. Manufacturers of diet aids like Hydroxycut do not have to prove that their products are effective or even safe, and the FDA does not verify that the ingredients listed are the only ones present. Although this type of product often claims to be all-natural to imply it is safe, many of them are as dangerous as prescription drugs, but without FDA oversight. It is only after reports of serious injury that the FDA begins action, and even then it can rarely force a product recall, only request one. In the case of Hydroxycut, Iovate Health Sciences, Inc. announced a voluntary recall "out of an abundance of caution." The FDA's list of recalled Hydroxycut products lists all 14 varieties being recalled. The recall of Hydroxycut follows warnings of other diet aids like Fen-Phen and PPA.

If you have been injured as a result of a dangerous drug, whether FDA-approved or without premarket approval, please talk to a Columbus, Ohio product liability lawyer at the offices of Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A..

When you have a slip and fall accident due to a poorly maintained walkway or floor, you know that you can file a premises liability lawsuit to recover damages for you injury. You can recover compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and, depending on the grievousness of the property owner's neglect, possibly punitive damages. But what about when a tree or tree branch falls and injures you or kills a loved one?

On Tuesday, a 50-foot tall tree broke off at the trunk about 3 1/2 feet off the ground and fell on a passing pickup truck. A young boy was killed. The father, who was driving and seated directly in front of the boy, suffered serious personal injury and was taken to the hospital. The mother, seated beside the father, suffered minor injuries. And a young girl sitting beside the boy who was killed, was unharmed. Could this be the basis for a successful premises liability lawsuit?

The answer depends on whether there was any violation of a property owner's duty to maintain the tree and protect passers-by from hazards. Indications that a tree might be dangerous and should be removed or trimmed include:

• Tree growing too large for root structure and/or soil quality
• Tree threatening power lines
• Tree growing asymmetrically, increasing likelihood it will fall
• Tree old or diseased
• Numerous or large dead branches
• Tree moves dangerously in the wind or sags under snow or ice

If a tree showed several of the warning signs but was not trimmed or removed by the property owner, it may be the basis for a premises liability lawsuit. Poorly maintained trees are a hazard to people and property.

In the case of the young boy killed- the tree was a 50-foot-tall oak that seemed to have no disease or rot. Since it broke off at the trunk, the roots are not to blame. There was no wind, and no sign of tampering with the tree. It seems to have been a freak accident, and most likely not a good basis for a premises liability lawsuit.

If you were injured or a loved one suffered injury or wrongful death as a result of a poorly maintained tree, schedule a premises liability lawsuit consultation with the Columbus, Ohio personal injury lawyers at Robert W. Kerpsack Co., L.P.A. today to discuss possible action.