Bloomington IL Personal Injury Law Blog

Some people believe that where there's smoke, there is fire. A neurosurgeon already on probation by one state's medical board has had his license to practice medicine in Illinois suspended. It is said that he has faced approximately 50 separate medical malpractice lawsuits over the years.

Back in 2010, the doctor was placed on probation by another state's medical board. That consent agreement grew out of complaints that the surgeon performed operations that exceeded the needs of his patients. In agreeing to the terms of his probation, the doctor promised to advise the board of any operations where the result was considered untoward or there were any complications deemed serious.

Our Illinois readers may remember that, last Nov. 2, we wrote about some of the potential products liability issues surrounding the energy drink named Monster ("Monster Energy a defective product? Parents say yes, sue"). Recently, the federal Food and Drug Administration has stepped up its efforts to regulate energy drinks in general and the stimulant dimethylamylamine (DMAA) in particular. It has been found that DMAA, when combined with caffeine creates a risk of seizures, hearty conditions and even death. This potentially defective product is particularly dangerous to teenagers and young adults, and that is precisely the target markets of the companies marketing energy drink products.

The FDA is looking to put the brakes on DMAA. However, the legal process to prevent sale of the product is cumbersome and time consuming. In the meantime, reports of serious medical problems attributed to consumption of energy drinks have been documented. In fact, it is said that emergency room visits for related health problems have mushroomed to 20,000 annually, the result of an industry that has grown to some $12.5 billion a year.

A mother who lost her baby during childbirth has successfully concluded a negligence claim against the doctor who treated her as well as a healthcare center in southern Illinois. The medical malpractice claim was brought by the mother individually and as the administrator of her deceased child's estate. The doctor treated the mother during her pregnancy.

The basis of the medical negligence claim is that the doctor deviated from the standard of reasonable medical care by not appropriately treating the mother's diabetes. The details of the claimed failure to address the woman's diabetic condition during pregnancy were not further described. The pregnancy ended in the 38th week with the stillbirth of her son.

The lack of a criminal record, combined with a refusal to submit to a breath test, did not deter Illinois law enforcement from arresting a 21-year-old woman in connection with a recent fatal crash. The boyfriend of a noted international jazz singer was killed in an accident deemed to have been caused by the young woman. She has been formally charged with the felony offense of aggravated DUI involving a fatality, along with a number of motor vehicle violations.

The tragic collision occurred near O'Hare International Airport. The victim, said to be 49 years old, was planning a ski trip to Colorado and was on his way to visit a friend when he ran out of gas. As he waited for his friend to come by with gasoline for his vehicle, the accused woman struck him near his car. Illinois authorities say that she was attempting to pass another vehicle when she moved onto the road shoulder, first striking the victim's car and then the victim. He was propelled some 30 feet from the point of impact and was declared dead at the scene of the accident.