Posted on September 23, 2019 in Personal Injury

Fall is the time of year when children are headed back to school. Since many kids are bus riders, parents place the safety of their children in the hands of public transportation. While school bus transport is still a relatively safe and efficient way to get children to and from classes, research shows that school bus accidents here in Illinois and across the country continue to be a risk, and passengers are not the only ones in danger of injury. Recent incidents highlight the fact that school bus drivers, as well as pedestrians present in the areas surrounding school bus stops, are also likely to experience potential injuries in the event of an accident.

Recent Events and Data Point to Diverse Risks

Students, parents, and the community at large in the city of Arcola, Illinois, are still reeling from a shocking school bus crash that took place earlier this summer. The bus was hit by a car head-on off Illinois Route 133, putting over 40 frightened first-graders in harm’s way. Thankfully, some of the children only sustained minor cuts and scrapes, and there were no major injuries. The driver was instinctive and quick to act, but the damage done to the front end of the bus shows the accident could have been much worse, particularly for the driver. All too often, we assume that those at greatest risk are the children passengers themselves, but this is one recent example that reminds us that bus drivers themselves are in danger of direct injury in school bus accidents.

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 Posted on September 17, 2019 in Nursing Home Negligence

Many news outlets have reported on the alarming rise of nursing home abuse and neglect over the past few years. Many families put their trust in long-term care facilities if their loved ones can no longer live on their own. According to the Quad-City Times, the Illinois Department of Public Health recently fined a local facility thousands of dollars for neglecting the treatment of a resident’s wound, which was not only discovered to be improperly cleaned and bandaged, but also lacking the basic record keeping required to provide the necessary care for the injury. This same nursing facility was fined even more--an astonishing $75,000--by the IDPH just a few years earlier for more cases of negligence.

What the Law Considers Neglect

The above incident and thousands like it across the country are examples of how personal injury cases within nursing homes consist of more than just slip and falls. While repeated falls are in fact a common neglect-related occurrence in long-term care facilities, many other types of injuries constitute cases for abuse and neglect. The Nursing Home Care Act under Illinois State law defines neglect as a facility’s failure to provide any kind of adequate medical care, mental health treatment, or personal care. The law states that this includes the failure to provide psychiatric rehabilitation or any general assistance with daily living activities that are required to protect the resident from physical or mental harm.

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 Posted on September 10, 2019 in Medical Malpractice

The danger of misdiagnosis in the healthcare industry is alarming, and it is far from a new issue. Over the last few years alone, these errors, which frequently lead to medical malpractice cases, have garnered a lot of attention in the media, putting patients on red alert when it comes to the matter of their precious health. In 2015, the National Academy of Medicine announced that most people will receive an incorrect diagnosis at least once in their lives. In 2017, research showed that an estimated 100,000 Americans died or were permanently disabled due to an incorrect or delayed diagnosis.

Advocating For Your Health

While reports such as these continue to surface each year, they may lead one to ponder the degree of control a person has over their own health, especially when it feels as if you are at the mercy of the physicians you turn to for answers. Thankfully, you are not powerless when it comes to protecting yourself from misdiagnosis. Here are a few practical, effective ways you can advocate for our health:

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 Posted on September 05, 2019 in Car Accident

In many cases, when someone has been involved in an auto accident and emerged from the collision seemingly unscathed, they usually thank their lucky stars that the crash was not more serious. After minor fender benders, it is not uncommon for victims to say, “It could have been much worse.” While this may be true in some circumstances, the reality is what we consider even the most minor car accident can, and often does, cause significant damage to our quality of life over time. These lesser injuries, while not life-threatening, still run the risk of causing chronic, ongoing health issues. This is especially true when it comes to rear-end collisions, due to the direction and point of impact. In some cases, the injuries result in a person not being able to work.

Types of Injuries Sustained in Rear-End Crashes

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 Posted on August 30, 2019 in Car Accident

When you are involved in a car accident, it is entirely common to feel flustered or panicked. You may have suffered serious injuries, or your vehicle may have been significantly damaged due to the impact of the collision. After seeking out any necessary medical attention, it is important to react quickly. In order to provide yourself with a greater chance of securing compensation after a motor vehicle collision, it is critical to hire a skilled personal injury lawyer. Head-on collisions can be especially dangerous, and victims of these types of accidents should be sure to understand their legal options.

Common Injuries

A head-on collision occurs when two vehicles traveling in opposite directions crash into each other. Due to the sheer velocity of many of these accidents, the injuries suffered can be life-altering or even fatal. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), there were over 3,500 fatal head-on collisions throughout the United States in 2016, and these crashes accounted for more than 10 percent of all fatal accidents that year. Common injuries suffered in head-on collisions include multiple bone fractures, spinal damage, and traumatic brain injuries. These injuries can occur even when a car's driver and passengers are protected by safety systems such as seat belts and airbags.

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 Posted on August 26, 2019 in Workers' Compensation

When an employee is significantly injured at work, people may assume that their employer will be more than willing to pay out the workers’ compensation payments to which they are entitled. However, this is not always the case, even in a state such as Illinois in which workers’ comp benefits are mandated. In reality, many companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying workers’ compensation benefits in full, or they may attempt to avoid making these payments altogether. However, since employees commonly experience workplace injuries, it is important to understand the steps you can take to ensure you will receive the compensation you and your family deserve if you are hurt on the job.

Frequent Workplace Injuries

While injuries in the workplace vary across different industries, there are a number of serious incidents that are common throughout all lines of work. Slip and fall injuries are some of the most common workplace incidents that can come with significant health ramifications. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips and falls resulted in the death of more than 800 workers throughout the United States in 2016 alone. Falls are increasingly common in the construction industry, where employers often fail to adhere to nationally recognized safety standards and OSHA regulations. In other fields, poorly lit rooms or poorly maintained stairways can be the culprit in a slip and fall.

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 Posted on August 22, 2019 in Personal Injury

Every year, thousands of Americans suffer significant injuries while riding bicycles. While biking can be an enjoyable activity and a convenient way to commute to and from work, cycling does come with some inherent safety risks. Most notably, bike riders have little protection aside from their helmets, especially if they are struck by a motor vehicle. Because of this, many of the injuries associated with bicycle accidents can be life-threatening. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 700 bicyclists suffered fatal injuries after being struck by motor vehicles in 2017. If you or a loved one are injured in a bicycle collision, it is time to speak with a legal professional.

Securing Compensation

When accidents occur between a motorist and a bicyclist, it is not uncommon to find that the motorist was acting negligently in some manner. Motorist negligence can come in any number of forms, from running a red light to erratically swerving from lane to lane. Today, the most common forms of driver negligence are speeding, texting and driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Speeding is prevalent in many bicycle collisions, due to the fact that the motorist’s reaction time is significantly hindered because of the high speed at which he or she is traveling. Texting while operating a vehicle has become the most common form of distracted driving and can be incredibly dangerous to bicyclists. Unfortunately, alcohol plays a huge role in many collisions between bikes and vehicles. Throughout 2017, 37 percent of all fatal bicycle collisions involved an intoxicated motorist. An injured cyclist may be able to seek compensation from a driver whose actions or negligence led to a bike accident.

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 Posted on August 13, 2019 in Car Accident

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), approximately 1.7 million rear-end collisions occur throughout the United States, each and every year. Unfortunately, many of these collisions can result in serious injury to those involved. Of the 1.7 million rear-end crashes each year, an average of 500,000 results in injury to a passenger. After suffering an injury in a rear-end collision, it is critically important to know what steps to take next. Seeking medical attention if necessary is first and foremost, then contacting a personal injury attorney is essential for recovering damages. Below are some of the most common injuries associated with rear-end collisions, and how an individual can secure injury compensation in the aftermath of a crash.

Common Rear-End Collision Injuries

When seeking injury compensation in a personal injury case, the severity of the injuries suffered will play a significant role in how the judge ultimately decides the amount of compensation to be awarded. Whiplash, or a neck sprain, is the most common injury that occurs in rear-end collisions. The long-term symptoms of whiplash can range from headaches to neck stiffness and dizziness. In more severe cases, rear-end collisions can result in spinal fractures or traumatic brain injuries. A spinal fracture can leave a person unable to work and thus unable to provide for his or her family. Traumatic brain injuries can cause irreparable damage to the brain, and change a person’s life forever.

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 Posted on August 06, 2019 in Motorcycle Accidents

If a motorcyclist is involved in an accident, it is likely that the injuries suffered will be severe. Even with the use of a helmet, motorcycle crash injuries can be life-changing and even deadly. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are much more common than most people think. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,172 motorcyclists were fatally injured in collisions throughout 2017. In the aftermath of a motorcycle collision, one of the most important steps one can take is hiring an experienced personal injury attorney. It is important to examine the factors leading to a motorcycle accident to determine how injury compensation is ultimately decided.

Seeking Compensation as a Motorcyclist

Some of the most common motorcycle injuries range from minor bone fractures to significant spinal cord damage and head trauma. Recognizing the severity of these injuries and recovering the compensation a rider deserves can be critical to maintaining a person’s financial well-being. That being said, the process of securing compensation as an injured motorcyclist can often be complicated.

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 Posted on July 31, 2019 in Workers' Compensation

Most people choose to work in occupational fields that do not put them directly in danger of suffering from serious or fatal injuries. When people think about “risky” jobs, many think of military members, police officers, and firefighters. Servicemen and women and law enforcement officers are praised for their sacrifice of choosing to face dangerous situations on a daily basis. While such positions do place these individuals in the line of fire, there are other occupations that can put employees at risk. These potentially hazardous jobs can result in workers’ compensation benefits for injured parties.

What Are the Riskiest Jobs?

A dangerous job does not always mean an employee runs the risk of suffering from a bullet wound. There are many positions that require physical labor or have unsafe working conditions that cause serious injuries. According to the National Safety Council, 882,730 nonfatal workplace injuries occurred in 2017 alone. The data analyzed the nature of the injuries, the occupational field in which they occurred, and the event or exposure that caused the injuries. The field that had the highest number of injuries in 2017 was the Service industry with 211,650 injuries in a single year. The Transportation and Material Moving field followed with 178,270 injuries, and the Production industry held the third-highest number of injuries at 98,320 that same year.

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