Personal Injury

The birth of a baby should be a joyous time. We are sorry that your joy has been shattered by an infection due to negligence on the part of the birthing facility. To talk to an attorney about a newborn infection due to negligence, contact TSR Injury Law, at (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form. We want to help you through this difficult situation.

One of the first rules of maintaining a hospital is to keep every room and piece of equipment sterile. This is especially true in maternity wards. Newborn infants are more vulnerable to serious illnesses than adults or even older babies. Every well-informed new mother is aware of this risk, and should be able to trust her hospital to provide an adequately clean environment.

Infections to Look Out For

Some of the most common and dangerous infections among newborns include:

• Group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS): Bacteria that can be spread from the mother to the child, or from one infant to another. Can cause pneumonia, septic blood, or meningitis.
• E. Coli: While harmless strains of this bacteria live in everyone, other strains can be deadly. An infant exposed to E. coli can develop severe diarrhea, fever, and even kidney failure.
• Listeriosis: A disease caused by bacteria that is primarily found in newborns and people with compromised immune systems. If left untreated, it can damage the nervous system, heart, and brain.
• Neonatal Sepsis: An invasive bacterial infection of the blood that premature babies are susceptible to because of their underdeveloped immune systems. If untreated can lead to death.

The early stages of almost any infection are similar in newborns: fever, listlessness, fussy, less vigorous sucking, and loss of appetite. If your infant begins showing these symptoms, contact a doctor immediately. If your child has suffered from a preventable infection, contact a Minnesota Newborn Infection Attorney.

Need Some Legal Help?

Our Minneapolis medical malpractice attorneys are skilled, aggressive litigators with years of experience. Our partners have been named Minnesota Super Lawyers many times. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our contact form.

TSR Injury Law is a leading personal injury law firm with extensive experience with meniscus tear injuries. We recently settled a case with multiple injuries, including a knee injury, for 1.7 million dollars.

The knee is the largest joint in the body and critical to good mobility. If you have sustained a meniscus tear in an accident that was not your fault, you need legal representation to prove future damages and maximize your compensation. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form. Call today. We want to help.

About the Knee Joint and Meniscus

The knee is comprised of 3 bones: the femur, tibia, and patella. The meniscus are rubbery, wedge-shaped cushions between the femur and tibia. They are anchored to the tibia with coronary ligaments. The meniscus help to distribute weight across the knee joint and improve the stability of the joint. Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.

The most central part of the meniscus is avascular, no direct blood supply. Without oxygen and nutrients supplied by the blood, healing cannot take place. If the tear is in this area, healing will tend to be incomplete. It will most likely require surgery to trim the torn portion of meniscus.

One of the most common causes of a meniscus tear is due to traumatic injury. In a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or slip and fall accident a meniscus tear occurs when the knee joint is bent and then twisted. It is very common for a meniscus tear to occur along with an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL).

Meniscus Tear Symptoms

Pain and swelling are the primary symptoms of a meniscus tear. Other common complaints are:

• knee joint locking
• tenderness when pressing on the meniscus
• popping or clicking within the knee
• limited motion due to the torn cartilage interfering with the joint mechanism of the knee

Diagnosing and Treatment of Meniscus Tears

X-rays and MRIs are the most frequently used tests in diagnosing meniscus tears. An x-ray does not show the meniscus, but can be used to determine if there is evidence of damage to the knee joint. The MRI is the most beneficial test because it can create better images of the soft tissues. It can actually show the meniscus, including any tears or damage.

Treatment of meniscal tears depends on several factors, because not all meniscus tears require surgery. The type of tear you have, your age, activity level, and any related injuries will factor into the doctor’s recommendation for your treatment plan.

Arthroscopic surgery may be necessary. Knee arthroscopy is a very commonly performed surgery. The surgery involves cutting 3 small slits; one for a miniature camera, the other two for miniature surgical instruments. The meniscal tear will either be sutured, trimmed, or removed. A meniscal transplant is another possibility.

Meniscus Tear Risks and Recovery

There are risks with every surgery. The greatest risks with knee arthroscopy are:

• nerve damage
• infection
• bleeding
• reaction to anesthetic

Following surgery, the doctor may put your knee in a cast or brace to limit movement. Once the knee is healed, rehabilitation exercises will be prescribed. Regular exercise is necessary to restore the knee’s range of motion and strength.

The LASIK Procedure

LASIK stands for Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. It is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of the cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye, using an excimer laser. A mechanical blade is used to cut a flap in the cornea, leaving a hinge on one side of the cornea. The flap is folded back revealing the midsection of the cornea. Pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the corneal cells and the flap is replaced.

Risks and Limitations

Even with the most skilled surgeons you can experience complications and serious consequences, including:

• Malfunction of a device or other error, such as cutting a flap of cornea all the way through instead of making a hinge during LASIK surgery, may lead to discontinuation of the procedure or irreversible damage to the eye.
• Some complications after surgery are:
  • migration of the flap
  • inflammation or infection
  • may not work and may require another procedure
  • intensive treatment with drops
  • may still need reading glasses
  • visual symptoms (glare, halos, starbursts, etc.)
  • unable to drive at night
  • contrast sensitivity (unable to see in dim light)
  • temporary loss of vision
  • irreversible blindness

According to the FDA, 700,000 LASIK surgeries are performed in the United States each year. 35,000 of the patients are dissatisfied with the outcome and 7,000 people suffer severe complications — including extremely uncomfortable eye dryness, intense eye pain, or varying degrees of blindness. Some patients have even become depressed from the constant pain and committed suicide. Two years after surgery one patient described the pain as “debilitating and unremitting”.

Injured? Need Legal Advice?

Knowing who to contact after a serious injury can be a very difficult process for injury victims. At TSR Injury Law, our Minneapolis medical malpractice attorneys are legal professionals with extensive experience with malpractice cases. We will answer your questions, deal with the doctors and insurance companies, handle all of the paperwork, and file your claim. To speak to a lawyer, call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our contact form and a member from our legal team will be in contact with you shortly.

TSR Injury Law – Free Consultation. Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.

Minnesota Statute §346.16:

Running at large; defined; prohibited; triple damages

The herding of any animal of the species of cattle, horse, ass, mule, sheep, swine, or goat upon any land over the protest and against the will of the owner shall be deemed a running at large.

It shall be unlawful for any owner or any person having the control of any such animal to permit the same to run at large in the state.

Any person who shall knowingly permit the running at large of any such domestic animal [including dogs] shall be liable to the person aggrieved for treble damages sustained by the aggrieved person, to be recovered in a civil action brought for that purpose.

Minnesota Running at Large: Example Case

Plaintiff Rhea was injured by defendant’s horses while on defendant’s property. He sued on the grounds that the horses were permitted by defendant to run at large in violation of a statute. The trial court held the statute did not apply in this situation and the Court of Appeals agreed. It held that the running at large statute does not apply to horses running on their owner’s own property. Rhea v. Lashua WL 31173, 1999

Hurt In A Running At Large Incident?

If you have any questions about the running at large statute, contact our Minneapolis personal injury lawyers today. The attorneys at our law firm have years of experience in Minnesota Personal Injury Law and a reputation for aggressive, persuasive representation. Call (612) TSR-TIME.

Dog bites are the most common form of animal attacks in the U.S., and therefore receive the most attention from the media and health professionals. This does not make attacks from other kinds of animals any less serious, however. In fact, cat bites or scratches can be far more dangerous than many people realize.

Cat Bites and Infection

Unlike dog bites, which can create immediately obvious injuries such as severe lacerations, cat bites are usually small and may not even bleed. They do carry the risk factor of infection.

It is the design of cats’ teeth that makes the risk of infection so high. They are thin and sharp, so cat bites often create puncture wounds. This allows the bacteria in a cat’s mouth to be pushed deeply into the skin, sometimes through several layers of tissue. The very small punctures created by these wounds also make them more difficult to clean thoroughly.

Cats are most likely to bite people’s hands than other parts of the body, which also contributes to the risk of medical complications. Hands have many tendons, veins, and joints that are close to the skin, making them vulnerable to injury. A cat bite that is located near a joint is at an especially high risk for inflammation or bone infection.

What to Do After a Cat Attack

While cat scratches can become infected, they are far less likely to do so than bites. For a minor scratch, cleaning and bandaging the bite will probably be enough. In contrast to this, around 80% of cat bites become infected. If you have been bitten by a cat, it is important to seek medical attention right away.

Speak with a Minneapolis Cat Bite Attorney

If you or a loved one has been attacked by a cat that was not properly trained or supervised by its owner, you may have grounds for a personal injury suit. To speak with a Minnesota personal injury lawyer, contact TSR Injury Law at (612) TSR-TIME or submit our contact form.

The cervical facet joint is the most common source of chronic neck pain after a motor vehicle crash. The lumbar and thoracic spines also have facet joints. The facet joints are the small joints in the back of our spine that allow us to bend and twist our neck and back.

Anatomy of Facet Joint

The facet joint is made of a variety of hard and soft tissues.

• The boney pillars of the facet joints provide opposing surfaces for the joint.
• Those boney surfaces are covered in cartilage.
• The synovium is a connective tissue lining the fibrous capsule that secretes synovial fluid which lubricates the joint and enables frictionless motion.
• The fibrous capsule ligament envelopes the entire joint.

Mechanism of Injury

Biomechanical and autopsy studies indicate that the facet joints can be damaged in motor vehicle crashes. Facet joints are the most common source of chronic pain after a whiplash injury. Facet injuries can include:

• Capsular strain and tears
• Boney impingement
• Synovial fold pinching
• Direct impact injury resulting in contusion
• Intra-articular hemorrhage
• Damage to subchondral bone

Diagnosis

Facet injuries cannot be diagnosed on MRI scan. Facet joint injury is diagnosed using a medial branch block. To do this test, a doctor uses a needle that is inserted up against the medial branch of the nerve to place a numbing medication on that nerve. If the pain is relieved, this confirms injury to the facet joint is the pain generator.

Treatment

The chronic pain stemming from injury to the facet joint can be relieved by using a procedure known as radio frequency neurotomy. Using x-ray guidance, a doctor inserts a needle parallel to the targeted nerve. A radio frequency generator is then used to heat the tip of the needle. The heat burns the nerve so that the pain signal is interrupted and cannot reach the brain. The RFN procedure is not a permanent cure as the nerve will regenerate and grow back and when it does, the pain will return.

Pain relief generally lasts between 9 to 18 months depending on the patient. The RFN procedure can be repeated indefinitely when the pain returns.

Contact a Minneapolis car accident lawyer at (612) TSR-TIME. We represent back injury victims in Albert Lea, Bloomington, Duluth, Minneapolis, St. Cloud, St. Paul, and the entire state of Minnesota.

Hyphema is a condition where blood accumulates in the front chamber of the eye between the cornea and iris. It is usually caused by blunt trauma to the eye. A direct hit to the eye can break blood vessels in the iris, causing them to leak blood into the anterior chamber and mix with the clear aqueous fluid, blurring vision. The blood may appear as a reddish tinge to the eye, or it may be a pooling of blood at the bottom of the iris.

Hyphema Symptoms and Treatment

Because there are times that the blood is not visible, victims of eye trauma need to be aware of other symptoms. They include:

• eye pain
• light sensitivity
• blurred vision
• elevated eye pressure

In mild cases of hyphema, the blood can be reabsorbed with no treatment. For more severe cases of hyphema, treatment includes:

• bed rest with head elevated 45-60 degrees with both eyes closed
• use of ice packs
• avoid strenuous activity
• removal of the blood if the eye pressure increases
• eye drops

Do not take aspirin or NSAIDs. They thin the blood and could lead to additional bleeding.

Hyphema Complications

Any injury to the eye can be frightening. It is vital to follow treatment instructions to obtain the best possible recovery. The complications following hyphema include:

• recurring bleeding
• glaucoma
• damage to the cornea (causing permanently cloudy vision)
• loss of vision

Experienced Legal Counsel

TSR Injury Law is a premier Minnesota personal injury law firm with extensive experience handling eye injury cases. Our personal injury lawyers are experts at proving liability in complex medical cases. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form.

Food poisoning and food borne illnesses can result in serious illness and devastating consequences. Some food borne illnesses are potentially life-threatening and can lead to kidney failure, among other things. The most common food borne illnesses we see are E. coli, salmonella, hepatitis A, botulism and listeria outbreaks. People most at risk for serious illness include children, the elderly, and women who are pregnant.

If you have suffered any illness due to food poisoning, then you may have a legal case. The manufacturer of the food that may you ill — whether it was bought in the grocery store, bought by a vendor or bought in a restaurant — should be held responsible for this accident.

Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning results in a number of serious and painful symptoms; from dizziness, nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea to weakness, jaundice and even death. There have been known cases where young children have been hospitalized, but unable to survive the illness; where elderly patients have been too weak to fight back against the food borne illness; and where pregnant women have lost their unborn child due to food poisoning outbreaks. Regardless of your age or your situation, food poisoning can come with devastating and often tragic consequences.

Food Poisoning Litigation

At TSR Injury Law Firm, we understand how hard this is for you. We are here to fight for your legal rights so you can concentrate on recovery and moving forward. When handling a food borne illness case, we look at a number of factors including microbiology, epidemiology, sanitation, food safety and agricultural aspects, and look closely to find a link between contamination, causation and damage to the victim. If your food borne illness is the fault of a manufacturer, then you could be looking at a product liability or wrongful death case.

Food Borne Illness Lawsuits

Food poisoning can occur in a number of different types of food. Dairy products, such as cheese, milk, yogurt and egg, carry a high risk of listeria; while meats often come with recall notices of salmonella or E. coli. Just recently, there was a large recall for hazelnuts and mixed nuts containing E. coli. Even foods like alfalfa sprouts, sandwiches and cantaloupes have been recalled for suspected causation of food poisoning in consumers.

The harsh reality is: you never know what foods could make you sick. However, what you can do is contact an experienced food borne illness lawyer as soon as possible. We have worked with several clients suffering from food borne illnesses, including a recent man suffering from food poisoning after the hazelnut E. coli outbreak.

Food Borne Illness Lawyers

At TSR Injury Law Firm, we know how serious food borne illnesses can be. Not only could you be physically suffering, but you may also need to take time off work, lose out on income and face serious aftermath due to this illness. We believe our clients deserve fair compensation for their suffering and we won’t stop until you get it. Don’t let food poisoning stop you in your tracks. Contact the leading MN injury lawyers at TSR Injury Law Firm at (612) TSR-TIME today.

A mother is mourning after the death of her three sons when they were in a plane crash with their father in Wyoming. Now she is suing the air traffic control company that provides services at the Jackson Hole Airport.

Michelle Bucklin’s ex-husband was a pilot and was the pilot of the plane that carried their three sons. He was given clearance to fly although the weather was bad and lost control of the plane over the Wind River Range.

As a result of this crash, Mrs. Bucklin is suing Serco Inc based out of Virginia, claiming that the negligence of the air traffic controller was the cause of the crash.

The victims were 41-year-old Luke Bucklin of Minneapolis, 12-year-old Noah, and 14-year-old twins Nick and Nate. They all died when the plane crashed in October 2010 in the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

Luke Bucklin was the ex-husband of Michelle Bucklin and he had remarried since their divorce. He was the co-founder and president of Sierra Bravo Corp, a Minnesota-based web development company in Bloomington.

Bucklin and his sons were flying to a family function in Jackson Hole in the 1977 Mooney. A snowstorm was about to hit the area, so he tried to book a commercial flight home, but the commercial flight was cancelled. This is when he decided to go ahead and fly his own plane home.

A voice recording originating from the doomed flight shows that he had difficulty achieving elevation over the Wind River Range in the snow storm right before the crash occurred. This caused him to descend rapidly. Bucklin was heard in the recording saying there were “severe mountain waves,” which was a reference to the wind currents over the mountains.

The wreckage was found by mountaineers and so were the bodies of all four victims after search parties searched for a week.

The lawsuit says that the airplane that was piloted by Bucklin was flying too low, resulting in the collision with the mountain.

The National Transportation Safety Board says in their report that Bucklin had made phone calls to the Jackson Hole Airport twice to talk to flight services to get the weather briefings for the day of his flight. It is said that the reports for the day said that there was turbulence, icing, and mountain obscuration. This has caused the National Transportation Safety Board to determine that it was Bucklin’s decision to fly the heavily loaded plane in the bad weather conditions that caused the crash.

However, the NTSB noted that the air traffic controller that was handling Bucklin’s flight gave him clearance when he shouldn’t have, leading him on a path that would have him flying over some of the highest mountains in Wyoming. They also noted this as a contributing factor.

In addition, the report said that the plane was at or near maximum certified weight. The information was available to Bucklin, but he may have discounted that fact or was unaware of it, especially since the route that he was assigned required an altitude that was near the altitude limits of the plane. The altitude of that route was higher than he had requested.

It seems that there were a great deal of factors that contributed to the crash.

The driver of a school bus in Monticello is under investigation after several students on her bus say that she choked a 7th grader.

Travis Walker told the media that he is healing, but that he is afraid to get on another school bus again because of what happened to him in November 2012.

Walker said that the bus driver dove on him and put her hands around his neck, hitting him. He said he tried to reach for his phone. He says that the driver became upset because he had answered a cell phone call from his sibling while on the bus. It turned out his sibling was locked out of the house.

There were dozens of students on the bus at the time and some of them called the police, while others called Walker’s sister, who met them at the next bus stop.

Hailey Walker, Travis’s sister, stated that the bus driver started to pull off at the next stop, but she stepped in front of the bus and stood there. She then asked Travis what happened and saw the hand prints around his neck. Travis then pulled down the front of his shirt to show his sister his red chest. Hailey Walker further stated that the side of Travis’s face was red as if he had been punched.

Travis Walker’s mother says that her son has gotten into trouble with the driver before, but she says that gave the driver no reason to choke her child.

One student was noted as saying that the driver spit in the boy’s face and called him stupid. The student said Travis said some curse words back at her.

The family said they want to file charges, but investigators state that there are two sides to the story. Even so, the case is expected to be handed over to county prosecutors.

School officials have said that the driver will remain on suspension until a total of four investigations are completed. The investigations are being conducted by the bus company, the Wright County Sheriff’s Department, The school district, and by the Department of Education.

A spokesperson for the bus company, Hoglund Transportation, issued a statement saying that they were saddened over the situation and they have interviewed the driver. They say that she has been a driver for them for approximately eight years and had never even been written up before.

This is the first time that Hoglund Transportation has had to deal with allegations against a bus driver committing assault.

If you are the victim of a serious injury that is the result of the actions of another individual, you may be eligible to file a damages claim and hold them responsible for their actions. Contact a Minneapolis injury attorney at TSR Injury Law today by calling (612) TSR-TIME. Your initial consultation is free.

An 85-year-old man died in a late January apartment fire in Minneapolis.

The three-story brick building had a fire that broke out on the second floor, but firefighters were able to quickly put it out.

The site of the now-closed Roundup Beer Hall, police officers said that the man lived in a second floor apartment and was found dead when firefighters conducted a search of the building after the fire. Several neighbors said the man’s name was Donald A. Morgan, whom they said lived in the building for many years and used to be the caretaker of the building before it was sold a number of years ago.

A woman, Pamela Boyd, who lives in a third floor apartment with her son, called 911 before fleeing outside with her son and dogs. She had smelled the smoke for about 10 minutes before making the call. She said she was unable to save her cat.

Boyd had lived in the building for over a decade and told police that only two apartments were occupied and those were hers and Morgan’s. She said she didn’t see any fire, but she did see the smoke. Fortunately, her smoke alarm went off and her dogs came running to her.

Boyd said she heard noises before the fire, but she was not sure if they were related to the incident.

Right now, the cause of the fire is unknown. The building on 35W and E. Lake Street is easily seen by the nearby freeway, as it is the site of a digital billboard on the roof that is owned by Clear Channel.

If you or a loved one has become the victim of an incident that may have been preventable, those negligence parties may be held responsible for their actions. To learn more about the options that may be available, contact a licensed injury attorney in Minneapolis at TSR Injury Law for a free consultation. Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.

Minneapolis assault and battery lawyers of TSR Injury Law represent victims of many forms of physical assault. Our partners have been named Minnesota Super Lawyers many times. You can pursue justice. We can help. Call Steve Terry, Chuck Slane, or Rich Ruohonen at 612-TSR-TIME or fill out our contact form.

Being threatened (assault) or attacked (battery) by another person is a terrible experience. You may have sustained very serious, even life-altering injuries after being:

• mugged;
• beaten;
• raped; or
• otherwise attacked by callous individuals.

Beyond the physical injuries sustained as a result of assault and battery, there are often long-lasting emotional effects that you must live with, such as increased anxiety, decreased enjoyment of life and, potentially, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Seeking Justice

Even if your attacker is convicted and sent to jail, you are left to deal with lingering physical and emotional pain. There is also the stress of paying off medical bills at a time when you may be temporarily or permanently unable to work.

One way to seek justice is to file a personal injury claim against the person who attacked you. If you win, you can be compensated for:

• your past medical expenses (associated with this attack);
• your future medical expenses;
• lost wages; and/or
• pain and suffering.

It will not undo the pain of your experience, but it will ease your recovery by paying your medical bills and providing compensation for your suffering.

Unfortunately, this type of suit can be difficult to win. The problem is that the damages awarded must come from either insurance or the attacker’s personal assets. Many insurance companies do not cover damages that were deliberately done by the policy holder, although there are exceptions to this. Most likely, you will have to receive your damages from the attacker’s own account, which means you may not be able to collect the awarded compensation.

Contact Minneapolis Assault and Battery Victim’s Attorney

If you are filing an assault and battery lawsuit, you will need a dedicated attorney who understands the complexities of the law and knows how to win the compensation you deserve. Contact TSR Injury Law at (612) TSR-TIME or submit our contact form.

A 24-year-old man was charged with felony first-degree assault after a library shooting that left a homeless man paralyzed.

Timothy Harper has now pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from the 2012 shooting that left 42-year-old Macdad Abdullahi, a Sudan immigrant, paralyzed below the waist. His paralysis was the result of a gunshot wound to the lower back. He was treated at the Hennepin County medical Center and it was there that the doctors determined that the paralysis could not be reversed.

Authorities say that Abdullahi was in the bathroom of the library brushing his teeth when Harper came into the bathroom and shot him for no reason.

It is expected that Harper will be sentenced to seven years or more in prison when his sentencing occurs on April 15, according to the Hennepin County attorney.

The court documents state that police responded to a June 13 call at 12:30 p.m. to come to the Franklin Library, which is where they found Abdullahi lying on the restroom floor. His legs were tucked under him.

Abdullahi told the police that he was brushing his teeth when a man came out of nowhere and randomly shot him one time in the back. Abdullahi said that he did not provoke the man in any way.

Surveillance video shows Harper follow Abdullahi into the bathroom and then he exited a short time after, tucking away what was determined to be a gun into the waistband of his pants. It took over a month for Harper to be identified as the shooter. Once he was identified, he was charged the next month. According to the charges, Harper said he believe that Abdullahi was going to hurt him.

If you are the victim of a serious injury, contact a licensed personal injury attorney at TSR Injury Law today. Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.