Posted on September 22, 2020 in Personal Injury Attorney

One of the most crucial parts of any personal injury lawsuit is proving negligence. In a medical malpractice suit, for example, a patient may only collect damages if the healthcare professional in question was negligent in his or her treatment of the patient. Similarly, a property owner or business owner who invites guests onto his property displays negligence if the building or grounds have obvious dangers that cause a guest or patron to suffer an injury.
When negligence causes an innocent party to experience damages like lost wages at work, expensive medical bills, or ongoing medical expenses, it is only fair that the person who is liable for the damages pays for them. Through a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to collect compensation for damages, but the first step is proving negligence.

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 Posted on September 14, 2020 in Car Accident

For many drivers, it can be dangerous to share the roads with semi-trailer trucks. Because commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, truck accidents are likely to lead to injuries for drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, or anyone else involved in a collision. Driver fatigue is one key factor that can lead to semi-truck crashes since truck drivers can become too tired to operate their vehicles safely after being behind the wheel for extended periods. Some recent changes to the regulations that govern the amount of time truck drivers can stay on the road have caused concern that driver fatigue will become more prevalent, leading to more commercial truck accidents.

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 Posted on September 04, 2020 in Medical Malpractice

For patients who are suffering from serious medical issues, the diagnosis of their condition is essential to make sure they can receive the proper treatment. This is especially true in cases involving diseases such as cancer, since surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments must be performed before the illness progresses beyond a certain stage. A delayed diagnosis can cause a person to suffer serious harm, and in some cases, their condition may progress to the point where it is untreatable, resulting in wrongful death. 

When Is a Delayed Diagnosis Considered Medical Malpractice?

Properly diagnosing a patient’s condition can often be difficult, since people can experience a wide variety of symptoms that can be interpreted in different ways. Doctors are trained to recognize the signs of serious illnesses, and if they are uncertain about a diagnosis, they should take the proper steps to gain as much understanding about a patient’s condition as possible. Some forms of medical negligence that could lead to a delayed diagnosis include:

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 Posted on September 02, 2020 in Defective Products

Online shopping has become a standard way that many people buy products, and it has become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic since it allows people to receive necessities at their homes and minimize the risk of infections from traveling to stores to shop. However, one issue that has arisen for many online shoppers is the difficulty of determining who is responsible for injuries caused by defective products. A recent court ruling may help clarify these issues and provide consumers with the ability to pursue compensation from online retailers in product liability cases.

California Court Rules That Amazon Is Subject to Strict Product Liability

When consumers purchase products from an online retailer, they may not fully understand who manufactured, sold, or distributed the product, which can make it difficult to determine who is liable for injuries caused by product defects. This is particularly true on sites such as Amazon, where consumers can buy products from third-party sellers, with Amazon handling product warehousing and shipping. 

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 Posted on August 31, 2020 in Car Accident

Since cell phones became a part of our daily lives, distracted driving car accidents have skyrocketed. The numerous alerts, phone calls, and social media posts that we can scroll through and respond to have led many drivers to prioritize their notifications over their safety on the road. Many drivers may be willing to place themselves at risk to quickly respond to a text or answer a call, but they often forget that momentarily looking away from the road places other motorists at risk of injuries as well. For this reason, Illinois law enforcement has stiffened the penalties tied to distracted driving and one county has set up a special program to tackle this offense.

What Is Considered Distracted Driving?

There are three areas in which one can get distracted while driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. When you take your eyes off the road to grab something in your purse or send a quick text response, you are visually distracted. Manual distractions include anything that takes one or more hands off the steering wheel to perform an action, such as picking up a cup of coffee or your cell phone. Cognitive distractions occur when you are not paying attention to the road or what is going on around you. This may cause you to disregard the speed limit or fail to notice a car stopped right in front of you. Illinois stiffened its distracted driving penalties in 2019 by banning the use of handheld devices and labeling the penalty as a moving violation. These moving violations go on your record and just three in one year can lead to your driver’s license being suspended. This Illinois law prohibits the following:

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 Posted on August 28, 2020 in Workers' Compensation

If you have been injured while at work, you understand just how devastating it can be. You have likely built up significant medical costs, lost income because of your time spent away from work, and may not even be able to return to work due to the severity of your injuries. Depending on what state you work in, your workers’ compensation regulations will differ. In Illinois, there is a specific filing process and time limit in which this filing must be completed. Once this time limit is reached, you may be unable to make a workers’ compensation claim. However, with the help of a reputable attorney, you may be able to make a claim even after the time constraints have passed.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Process

If you have been injured at work, you must report the injury within 48 hours of its occurrence. This will allow the employer to investigate the incident and avoid any further accidents occurring due to the negligent conditions. Reporting the accident in a timely manner will also ensure that your injuries are properly recorded in their most serious severity, not weeks after it occurs and the injuries have begun to heal. You should then receive a medical exam regarding your injuries, even if they are not outwardly apparent. You may have sustained internal injuries depending on your accident. This medical visit will serve as documentation of your injuries from a medical professional. You will have three years to make an official workers’ compensation claim, though it is suggested that you do so as soon as possible. Your workers’ compensation claim can help cover any medical bills, lost time at work, and potentially ongoing expenses in regards to your medical treatment. 

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 Posted on August 24, 2020 in Personal Injury Attorney

As is the case with any sense of freedom, no one wants to restrict their experience. Riding a motorcycle is the most open, free way to traverse Illinois roads. You can feel the wind hitting your body, see everything around you, and experience the feeling of speed without additional barriers standing in your way. However, this sense of exhilaration comes with a cost. Motorcycle riders are at the highest risk of sustaining injuries in an accident. With little standing between their bodies and the asphalt, many motorcyclists ride until they get into an accident that scares them from continuing on with their hobby. Studies show that the most common body parts that are harmed include head and neck injuries.

Helmet Safety

Illinois is one of the few states that allows motorcyclists to decide if they would like to wear a helmet while riding. While the option to wear a helmet provides motorcycle riders with the freedom to choose their level of protection, it leaves many riders with traumatic brain injuries or long-lasting neck issues. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet significantly reduces the chances of sustaining head and neck injuries, though many riders still decide against wearing them. 

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 Posted on August 11, 2020 in Car Accident

In Illinois, you have likely seen the phrase “Click It or Ticket” posted above major highways or on the side of busy roads, warning about the potential legal consequences for failure to wear a seat belt. Because of the devices’ proven safety benefits, the state of Illinois requires all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times. This includes those riding in cars that are equipped with airbags. This law became effective in July 1985 to address the low number of drivers and passengers wearing seat belts while riding in cars. Since the installation of this legislation, seat belt usage has skyrocketed, increasing from 15.9 percent in 1985 to 93 percent usage rates in 2016. Despite the vast majority of drivers and passengers following Illinois’ seat belt requirements, there are some who continue to refuse to use the additional safety measures. Those who decide against wearing a seat belt and get involved in a car accident can face more severe injuries than those wearing seat belts, but surprisingly, Illinois does not recognize this decision as a form of negligence.

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 Posted on August 07, 2020 in Personal Injury Attorney

Dogs are one of the most common family pets in the United States, with over 70 million dogs spread throughout the country. Despite the stereotype that dogs are “man’s best friend,” dog bites account for 90 percent of all animal bites. Some breeds have been labeled as family-friendly while others are known to be especially aggressive. While these categories have some weight to them, the truth is that any dog can snap at any time. Dog bites may sound fairly minor, but with over 4.5 million dog bites occurring in this country each year, over 27,000 victims require reconstructive surgery as a result of the bite’s damage. No matter your age or experience with dogs, it is imperative that you know how to prevent dog bite attacks, especially as a parent. Since you can encounter dogs in any environment, these tips can save you and your kids lots of pain, time, and money.

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 Posted on August 04, 2020 in Medical Malpractice

Modern times have led to a reduction in mom-and-pop pharmacies and an increase in commercial pharmacies that dominate this business. While some may argue that retail pharmacies have resulted in a more systemized approach to the dispensation of prescriptions, it may have also opened the door to less individual attention being paid to consumers. While everyone makes mistakes in their job, a medical professional or pharmacists’ errors can lead to deadly results. An investigation run by the New York Times presented a pharmacist’s acknowledgment of these unfortunate errors, attributing the issue to a shortage of staff. One anonymous pharmacist from South Carolina admitted to making 10 to 12 errors that year -- and these were only the errors that were caught. While patients have little control over the prescriptions that they are given, there are a few ways that they can mitigate their risk of taking incorrect medication.

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