Posted on February 09, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

Construction workers have an extremely dangerous job. They work with heavy equipment, toxic substances, and often at great heights. Construction workers may suffer spine injuries, broken bones, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, and other serious injuries. If you or a loved one was hurt on the job while working at a construction site, you may have questions about your legal options. You may wonder if you are entitled to compensation through workers’ compensation and other means. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you explore all of your legal options and sources of potential compensation.

Reimbursement for Medical Expenses and Lost Income Through Workers’ Compensation

Employers with one or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation in Illinois. The Illinois Workers Compensation Act mandates workers’ compensation insurance and prohibits employees from suing their employers for injuries in most cases. Workers’ compensation is “no-fault” meaning that you do not have to prove that your employer acted negligently in order to be entitled to compensation. You may recover compensation for your medical care as well as partial lost wages from missed work through workers’ compensation.

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 Posted on February 05, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

The death of a child is one of the most heartbreaking experiences a person can possibly endure. Losing a baby is devastating regardless of the reason, but when an infant’s death is caused by medical negligence, the loss can be even more painful. Medical malpractice actions are civil claims used to hold negligent medical professionals and facilities accountable when substandard care leads to a patient’s injury or death. A medical malpractice claim may also help the family of a deceased patient recover financial compensation for damages.

Determining the Reason for the Infant’s Death

If your baby passed away shortly before, during, or soon after his or her birth, you are probably desperate for answers. You want to know if the tragic death was avoidable. If the death was preventable, you want the responsible parties held responsible for the needless tragedy. It is estimated that over 7,000 infants die each year in the United States. Some of these deaths are unavoidable while others are caused by medical negligence. Infant wrongful death may be caused by a number of medical mistakes including:

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 Posted on January 30, 2021 in Wrongful Death

The death of a family member is always a sad event. However, there is a difference between situations where a person passes away due to natural causes after a long life and cases where a person’s life ended abruptly and unexpectedly. When someone dies because of someone else’s actions or negligence, their family members will often be left without closure, and they may struggle both emotionally and financially as they deal with the loss of their loved one. In these cases, families may be able to pursue compensation from those who were responsible for their loved one’s death by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Damages in Wrongful Death Cases

A wrongful death claim may be appropriate in any situation where a person or company caused a person’s death, either intentionally or through negligence or inaction. For example, a drunk driver may be liable for the wrongful death of a person who died in a car accident, or a pharmaceutical company may be responsible for a death that occurred because of the harmful side effects of a dangerous drug.

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 Posted on January 25, 2021 in Defective Products

When you drive or ride in a car, you expect the vehicle’s systems to protect your safety, whether you are involved in a collision with other vehicles or are simply traveling on the road. Unfortunately, car or truck safety systems can sometimes be defective, and when they malfunction, they can cause serious injuries to a vehicle’s occupants. Since manufacturers regularly conduct recalls of vehicles or parts that are found to be defective, this means that many vehicles have parts that may present a danger to consumers. Those who are injured by these defective parts may be able to pursue compensation from a manufacturer through a product liability lawsuit. Recently, an issue with the headrests in some vehicles has put drivers and passengers at risk of injury.

Injuries Caused by “Exploding” Headrests

Certain Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles manufactured in 2010 or later have used what is known as an “active head restraint system.” These headrests are meant to provide extra protection against whiplash in a rear-end collision. When sensors in the vehicle detect a collision, springs in the headrest deploy, providing an extra cushion for a person’s head. However, the materials used in some of these headrests have been found to break down over time, and in some cases, the springs have deployed unexpectedly.

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 Posted on January 19, 2021 in Pedestrian Accidents

Winters in Illinois can be harsh, and in addition to dealing with cold temperatures, people will also need to be aware of how weather conditions can affect their safety. Snow, ice, sleet, and slush on roads, driveways, sidewalks, and walking surfaces can make pedestrian accidents more likely, and those who have suffered injuries in a collision with a motor vehicle while on foot will want to understand who was responsible and how they can receive compensation for their damages.

Winter Pedestrian Accident Liability

In many cases, accidents in which pedestrians are struck by vehicles occur due to the negligence of drivers. During any type of weather, drivers should be sure to notice pedestrians who are walking near the road or crossing the street, and they should always drive safely and give themselves plenty of room to slow down or respond to sudden, unexpected movements by people on foot. During the winter, drivers should take extra precautions to avoid pedestrian accidents, including reducing their speed, keeping their vehicles maintained, and paying close attention to pedestrians and the conditions on the road.

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 Posted on January 15, 2021 in Drugs

Modern medicine provides many benefits to patients, and a wide variety of treatments, medications, and medical devices may be used to address people’s health concerns. However, even though certain types of treatments may have been approved for public use, this does not always mean they are completely safe. In many cases, prescription drugs are found to have dangerous side effects for some people, or patients may suffer harm after using some medications due to allergies or interactions with other drugs. In cases involving injuries caused by defective or dangerous drugs, patients will want to determine how they can pursue financial compensation for the harm they have suffered.

Prescription Drugs With Dangerous Side Effects

While all prescription drugs must go through a testing and approval process before they can be made available for public use, this process does not always uncover the potential risks to patients. In some cases, a drug may be rushed to market with minimal testing, or side effects or harmful interactions may not be discovered until after the use of a medication has become widespread. In other cases, a manufacturer may not provide enough information to doctors or pharmacists about the safe use of the drug, or a medical provider may prescribe a medication without fully considering the health risks to a patient.

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 Posted on January 12, 2021 in Car Accident

The winter is one of the most dangerous times of the year to use the road, since there are a variety of factors that affect drivers’ ability to operate their vehicles safely. Snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, and other weather conditions can reduce traction on the road, making it more likely that drivers will lose control of their vehicles. Drivers’ visibility may also be limited in the winter, and this can occur during snowstorms or heavy rain, because of snow built up on a vehicle, or due to fogged windows. Shorter days during the winter also require many people to drive after dark, which will further limit visibility, making it more difficult for drivers to see obstacles in the road and respond to other vehicles or pedestrians. All of these factors can combine to increase the likelihood of car accidents. Those who have been involved in a collision will want to determine whether another driver’s negligence was to blame for the injuries and damages they have suffered.

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 Posted on January 05, 2021 in Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing homes are meant to provide quality care for elderly or disabled individuals who need assistance with their daily needs. Unfortunately, some nursing homes do not live up to these obligations. Because nursing home residents are so vulnerable, they can suffer serious harm if a facility or its staff members are negligent in providing the care they need. Sadly, many residents are the victims of nursing home abuse. Family members should be sure to understand the possible types of abuse that can affect their loved one, and in cases where abuse has occurred, they will want to work with a personal injury attorney to understand their legal options.

Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

Abuse may be committed against nursing home residents by a facility’s staff members or by other residents. Some ways that a nursing home patient may be abused include:

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 Posted on December 31, 2020 in Wrongful Death

The death of a spouse is one of the most heartbreaking experiences a person could ever go through. The loss of a husband or wife due to old age or an unavoidable illness is tragic but losing your spouse to the irresponsible actions of another person is especially devastating. If your spouse has passed away from injuries sustained in a fatal drunk driving accident, you have the option of bringing a civil action against the drunk driver.

Illinois Wrongful Death Claims for Fatal Car Accidents

If a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs causes a fatal car accident, the driver will likely face significant criminal penalties. DUI resulting in great bodily harm or death is a felony offense in Illinois. The person who caused the fatal accident may be imprisoned for up to 14 years as a result of his or her recklessness. Although criminal charges against the person who caused your loved one’s accident may provide a sense of justice, criminal charges do not help alleviate the financial burden created by your spouse’s death.

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 Posted on December 24, 2020 in Medical Malpractice

Ideally, a professional in any industry should do his or her job to the best of his or her ability. When someone is a doctor, surgeon, anesthesiologist, or other medical professional, job performance is a matter of life and death. Even a seemingly simple mistake or oversight can lead to disastrous consequences in the medical field. Some medical mistakes are so grievous that they are called “never events” because they should never happen. If you or a loved one were harmed in a never event, it is important to learn about your legal options. You may be entitled to financial compensation through a medical malpractice claim.

Examples of Never Events

Medical professionals are human, and like all humans, they can make mistakes. However, when a medical professional makes a serious, avoidable medical mistake, the professional or the facility may be liable for damages. Often, medical malpractice cases involve ambiguous situations in which a medical worker’s actions are questionable but not immediately, obviously negligent. It is only after a detailed investigation that the medical professional’s negligence becomes apparent. A never event is typically much more blatant. Some examples of never events include:

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