Surgeons undergo years of specialized training to ensure that they have the skills and experience necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively. They hold one of the most sacred and delicate jobs in society today, and luckily, most surgeons devote the necessary amount of care and attention to their work. Doctors who do this will reduce or eliminate the chances of preventable accidents from occurring.

Unfortunately, not all medical professionals devote such care and attention to their work. Studies show that there are 225,000 deaths every year due to negligence on the part of health care professionals. In fact, medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States, following heart disease and cancer.

Surgical malpractice is an especially dangerous area of health care because of the nature of the job. Surgeons perform a number of different, highly-specialized procedures daily, and the difference between the life and death of a patient can literally depend on a flick of the wrist.

Types of Surgical Errors

There are a number of things that can go wrong during a surgery that could have been prevented by a surgeon. These mistakes can lead to serious injury or even death in a patient. Examples of common surgical errors include:

• Wrong site surgery
• Incorrect procedures
• Mishandling of surgical instruments
• Foreign objects left inside a body cavity
• Surgery on the wrong patient
• Improper suturing
• Post-surgical complications

With all of these possible surgical errors, it is imperative that surgeons devote themselves to their work diligently so that these preventable mistakes do not endanger the well-being of their patients.

Speak with a Minneapolis Surgical Malpractice Attorney

If you or someone you know has been injured due to surgical errors, contact the Minneapolis surgical malpractice lawyer of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. today at 612-362-0000.

Deadlines are important. They provide a sense of closure to an event and allow one to move on. Deadlines also prevent systems from being overloaded with backed-up, old, or late information. Therefore, the judicial system has deadlines.

If you are involved in an accident and would like to file a claim, you have a limited time frame in which to do so. The maximum of time you are permitted to file a claim is known as the statute of limitations, and it varies by state. A Minneapolis accident lawyer will be knowledgeable of the law in Minnesota and able to help you pursue your case in a timely manner consistent with the court’s regulations.

Statute of Limitations in Minnesota:

• Contracts: 6 years
• Fraud: 6 years
• Injury to Personal Property: 6 years
• Libel/Slander/Defamation: 2 years
• Personal Injury arising from negligent conduct: 6 years
• Personal Injury arising from intentional misconduct: 2 years
• Product Liability: 4 years
• Professional Malpractice: 4 years

If you fail to file a claim within the specified period, you may lose your right to ever file a claim. Therefore, it is important to consult an attorney immediately.

The statute of limitations generally begins right after the incident occurs. However, there are exceptions. The discovery rule allows for certain items which are not discovered till a later date. If a financial planner were to embezzle money, one might not find out about the damages for a significant amount of time. The statute of limitations is tolled for minors as well. They do not have to press charges till they turn 18.

If you have been injured, contact the Minneapolis personal injury lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen P.L.L.C. today by dialing 612-362-0000.

Sharing the road is a very important thing to do that most people tend to forget. It is important to remember that when you drive, there are vehicles out there that are smaller than you, and there are those that are larger.

Unless you drive around in an eighteen wheeler, you are not the biggest vehicle on the road. You may think that a motorcycle is the smallest thing out there, but you should also be on the look out for bicycles and pedestrians. Sharing the road can help to reduce the incidence of collisions, injuries, and deaths. Nobody wants to become another traffic injury or death statistic.

Speak with a Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been in a traffic accident, contact the Minneapolis car crash lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen at 612-362-0000.

A collision between a train and any other vehicle results in considerable damage and often times loss of life. Because of this, certain safety measures have been put in place, particularly in areas where a railroad crosses a roadway, to try to prevent these devastating accidents from occurring.

The more traveled a road is in the United States, the more elaborate the safety features are when it comes to railroad crossing safety. However, almost every crossing in the U.S. has at least a “crossbuck” for safety purposes. A crossbuck is a sign with a wooden “X” indicating the intersection of a roadway and a railroad.

Oftentimes the more highly-traveled roads will have lights, bells, and movable barriers attached to a crossbuck to indicate to traffic that a train is approaching. These designs are called AWDs. The process of activating an AWD is as follows:

• When a train is about 30 seconds away from a crossing, it sets off a sensor that alerts the crosswalk signals. Lights begin to flash and a bell begins to ring to let people know that a train is coming and that the safety gates are about to be lowered.
• When the train is 15 to 20 seconds away, the train will ring its engine bell and sound its horn. The train is required to produce two long blows, one short blow, and one last long blow on its horn to alert people of its approach.
• Once the train has passed, the safety gates will once again rise, the bells will ring, and the lights will flash. As soon as the gates are fully raised, traffic may continue over the railway.

While these safety features are intended to protect, they cannot do so if they are broken, installed improperly, or forgotten altogether. Sometimes, a railroad crossing may be inadequately maintained or monitored, leading to equipment failure at important moments. The lack of appropriate safety features puts everyone on the road and on the rail at risk, and such egregious errors must be addressed and corrected as soon as possible.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a railroad crossing accident, contact the Minneapolis railroad accident lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. today at 612-362-0000 to schedule a consultation.

Rollover accidents are possibly one of the most dangerous types of automobile accidents. The main cause of rollovers is taking turns too sharply while moving too fast. This happens when the center of gravity of a vehicle falls outside of the rectangle that is formed by the wheels.

Any vehicle is capable of rolling over in an accident; however, certain types of vehicles are more susceptible to rolling than others. The three general attributes of vehicles that contribute to rollovers are:

Center of Gravity

The higher the center of gravity of a vehicle, the more likely it is to roll over. This is why SUVs and 15-passenger vans have such a high incidence of rollovers.

Height of the Vehicle

The higher the vehicle itself sits off the ground, the more likely it is to roll over. This is because raising a vehicle raises the center of gravity with it. For this reason, raised vehicles are more likely to flip, even if they are less inclined to roll in their normal state.

Speed

Any vehicle can flip if it is going fast enough. If a vehicle travels fast enough and turns sharply enough, it can roll, no matter how low to the ground or how low the center of gravity may be.

Minneapolis Car Accident Lawyer

Rollover accidents are incredibly dangerous. If you or a loved one has been in a rollover accident, contact the Minneapolis car accident attorneys of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen at 612-362-0000.

It is hard to find a child who does not like to play at a playground. Who can blame them? Playgrounds are a great source of fun and entertainment that can provide hours and hours of healthy playtime. However, if you do not keep safety as a priority, accidents and injuries can occur.

While playgrounds are certainly fun, the equipment around the playground can cause injury. One of the commonly found items on a playground that may cause injury is the merry-go-round. This spinning metal disk can provide fun for children, but it can also put them at risk.

Merry-go-rounds go fast. This is part of the fun that is involved with them. However, it can also be dangerous. If your child does not hold on to the merry-go-round tightly enough, he or she could be thrown off. This could lead to unwanted injuries.

Another way that children might be injured on a merry-go-round is trying to get on while it is spinning. If your child is trying to get on to the merry-go-round while it is spinning, it could yank him or her from the ground and throw them. This could cause serious injury.

There are other ways in which your child could be injured by a merry-go-round as well. It is important to remember, however, that most of these can be avoided with proper safety precautions. However, accidents will happen.

If an accident occurs that is the fault of someone else or the fault of the property owner, you have the right to seek legal action against them to be compensated for your child’s injuries.

A Minneapolis Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

If you or someone you know has had to suffer through a playground injury, contact the Minneapolis personal injury attorneys of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen at 612-362-0000.

Damage to the spinal cord can be caused by trauma to the neck, head, or back. The spinal cord begins at the brain and extends along the back to the pelvis. The organ contains many nerves and works to transmit signals between the brain and the body. As the result of a spinal injury, the communication between the body and brain can be severely damaged or even completely disrupted. This can culminate in loss of sensation and functioning of portions of the body either temporarily or permanently.

Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury

Paralysis can affect many normal functions, such as control of bowels and bladder. It also causes sexual dysfunction. In the most serious cases, people may not be able to breathe independently. Paralysis is classified as complete or incomplete. With complete paralysis, all sensation and function is lost in a specified area.

A person can develop quadriplegia if the upper portion of the spinal cord is damaged. With quadriplegia, all limbs and the trunk can be affected. If the lower portion of the spinal cord is damaged, paraplegia can result, which affects the lower limbs as well as the trunk.

Over half of spinal cord injuries are due to a motor vehicle accident. Another quarter is caused by sports or medical conditions. Slip and fall accidents account for 15%. The last 10% is due to violence.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, contact the Minneapolis spinal cord injury lawyers Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. by dialing 612-362-0000 today.

Being the victim in an accident where you suffer injuries because someone else was negligent, is a difficult situation for anyone to handle. In some cases, the only solution is a personal injury lawsuit to recuperate the losses you suffered from your injuries and during your recovery period. If you are considering filing a lawsuit, consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to decide on what type of compensation you will seek in the lawsuit. Usually the type of compensation will fall into one of the following categories:

Damages because of lost wages

After you have been injured, you will most likely miss work because of medical treatment that has to be taken care of during your recovery time. In some cases, you could be eligible for the income that you lost during that period.

Damages relating to medical bills

Medical bills can become expensive quickly. If someone else caused your accident, you should not be held liable for their mistake. Many personal injury lawsuits include damages relating to a person’s medical bills.

Damages to your personal property

If there is any damage to your personal property, you can use your personal injury suit to recover the amount you lost. A personal injury attorney will help you determine the extent of the damages and how much you should be compensated.

Damages for injuries that will affect your future lifestyle

If your injuries from the accident caused lasting physical disabilities or deformity, you are allowed compensation for the effect this will leave on your future. While this type of damage can be harder to determine than the amount you lost in wages, a good personal injury lawyer can ensure that you get the correct compensation for your injuries.

Damages due to emotional well-being or stability

This is another category that is difficult to define a set dollar amount. Emotional trauma is usually one of the inevitable side effects of many accidents that happen, and you should be compensated for them. Speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you to decide what is right for your case.

For more information on your personal injury case, Contact the Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. at 612-362-0000.

Exposure to loud noises, even just on one single occasion, can result in hearing loss. This sort of trauma is called Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). The inner ear is a complex and extremely sensitive structure that is highly susceptible to damage from loud sounds. When the hair cells inside the ear are damaged and die, they cannot grow back. Hearing loss, therefore, is a permanent disability.

Often times, loud workplaces have restrictions set by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) about how loud the noise created can be, and how long workers can be exposed to it. The continuous exposure to moderately loud sounds (greater than 85 decibels) has the potential to result in hearing loss for the exposed individual.

One-time exposure to an extremely loud noise can also cause hearing loss in a person. For example, firecrackers and firearms produce sounds at greater than 120 decibels. Explosion of a firecracker or discharge of a gun close to the head can result in hearing loss.

Sometimes, hearing loss can be only temporary. This can occur as a result of a one-time exposure to an impulse noise or as a result of temporary exposure to a milder yet continuous noise source. Incomplete hearing loss, such as the muffling of sounds or tinnitus, can result from long-term exposure to loud sounds.

Contact Us

Hearing loss can occur in anyone, at any age. If you or someone you know has been a victim of NIHL, please do not hesitate to contact the Minneapolis personal injury lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. at 612-362-0000 today.

Driving a motorcycle can be a great way to feel connected to the driving experience and to the open road. While motorcycle riding can be a thrilling and invigorating experience, there are many dangers associated with motorcycle riding. Taking the right safety precautions will help to decrease motorcycle accidents overall.

Investing in quality materials is an important part of motorcycle safety. Primarily, this means investing in, and actually using, a high quality helmet that fits well and has a face shield. Additionally, leather jackets are a great way to protect your arms and upper body should an accident occur.

If you ride at night, you should be sure to wear brightly colored clothing that will make you visible to other drivers on the road. While the stereotypical image of a motorcyclist is someone clothed from head to toe in black, brighter colors add considerable visibility.

Don’t tailgate other vehicles. This is especially important when dealing with larger cars and commercial trucks. Due to their small size, it is very possible for an individual on a motorcycle to go unnoticed by the driver of a large car or truck. It is imperative that motorcycle riders remain a safe distance behind other vehicles so that they can be seen.

Respect other drivers on the road and do not weave in and out of traffic.

Minneapolis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been involved in a motorcycle accident, contact the Minneapolis motorcycle accident lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. today at 612-362-0000 to secure the representation you need and deserve.

Our Minneapolis Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys represent victims of personal injury and motorcycle accidents in Minneapolis and throughout the state of Minnesota, including: Afton, Anoka, Apple Valley, Arden Hills, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Cambridge, Champlin, Cokato, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Cottage Grove, Crystal, Delano, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Edina, Falcon Heights, Forest Lake, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Hugo, Inver Grove Heights, Isanti, Lake Elmo, Lakeville, Lindstrom, Lino Lakes, Little Canada, Maple Grove, Mahtomedi, Maplewood, Mendota Heights, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Mounds View, New Brighton, New Hope, North St. Paul, Oakdale, Plymouth, Princeton, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Roseville, St. Anthony, St. Louis Park, St. Paul, Savage, Shakopee, Shoreview, South St. Paul, Spring Lake Park, Vadnais Heights, West St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Woodbury, and Zimmerman.