With the spring season right around with corner, people throughout Northern Illinois will soon be looking to stretch their legs and leave winter behind them. Stores and retail outlets are likely to see a boost in sales over the next few weeks and months, but with more customers out and about, there will also be an increased risk of shopping injury. Wet floors, tripping hazards like extension cords, and falling merchandise can all pose serious threats to shoppers. Fortunately, the legal system provides protection—known as premises liability—for those injured on the property of another. At its most basic, premises liability laws require landowners to make sure that their property is safe for other people to enter, but other complications do often arise.

Shopping Injuries

Although people do not often think of shopping as a dangerous activity unless they are lining up for a Black Friday sale, even “normal” shopping can result in a variety of injuries. The most common injuries are the result of slips and trips due to puddles, tripping hazards or poorly maintained floors. These sorts of shopping hazards can result in sprains, bruises, broken bones, and back injuries, but shoppers can experience even more severe injuries.

Many stores, especially warehouse stores and big box appliance retailers, will stack merchandise higher and higher to maximize their storage space. These towers of heavy boxes present serious dangers to shoppers, and many customers have suffered injuries due to this practice. The stacks of merchandise are often unstable, so the boxes can fall when a cart bumps into the rack or when a shopper or store employee tries to retrieve an item. If a falling box hits a shopper, it could result in traumatic brain injuries, which can cause concussions, headaches, nausea, vomiting, strokes, seizures, and even coma or death in more severe circumstances. When these sorts of injuries occur, it is important to understand the store's duties.

It is not uncommon to develop a strong, trusting relationship with your primary care physician (PCP). Over time, you come to realize that your PCP is someone you rely on to look out for your best interests when it comes to your health. While most PCPs are highly trained, competent medical professionals, some such doctors occasionally make errors that lead to substantial harm for their patients. Such mistakes include failing to diagnose a condition, prescribing the wrong drug, and much more, and they can lead to patient harm that should have been prevented. If you or a member of your family has been hurt by the actions or inaction of a PCP, a qualified medical negligence attorney can assist you in determining the best course of action.

When Is a Mistake Considered to be Negligence?

To become a doctor, an individual is required to successfully complete many years of education after high school, including a significant period of training on-the-job. That being said, physicians are still human, and they make mistakes from time to time. Some mistakes are essentially harmless, but others can lead to serious patient injuries or even death. When a doctor’s error causes a patient to experience new or worsening medical problems, the situation could be considered to be medical negligence.

In general, a physician is considered to have been negligent if he or she failed to adhere to the prevailing standard of care for his or her particular area of practice. The prevailing standard of care refers to the level of care that a reasonable and competent doctor with similar education and experience would provide under circumstances similar to the situation in question.

In the moments after a car crash, it is understandable that you might be rattled and more or less in a state of shock. This is especially true if you or someone you love was injured in the crash. With so much going on and all of the confusion, it is not terribly uncommon for the driver who caused the accident to approach you with a request to settle on the spot without involving the police or insurance companies. He or she might even have his or her wallet or checkbook open.

Accepting a handshake deal on the spot might seem tempting. After all, it can be difficult to deal with insurance companies, the police, and possibly the courts. However, it is almost always a bad idea to accept a verbal settlement offer at the scene. It is a much better option to call the police, your insurance company, and a qualified personal injury lawyer.

Protecting Your Best Interests

There are many compelling reasons to refuse a roadside settlement offer after a car crash. Here are just a few of them:

Driving an 18-wheeler truck or tractor-trailer is not an easy job. Often, drivers are expected to drive hundreds of miles a day and deal with stresses like traffic congestion, detours, and other slowdowns which make their days even longer. Unfortunately, this leads to many drivers being chronically exhausted and sleep deprived. Some truck drivers end up taking stimulants just to stay awake and drive. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in an accident involving a fatigued or otherwise impaired truck driver, you may be able to get financial compensation for your losses.

Studies Show Truck Driver Fatigue is a Major Factor in Truck Accidents

In a study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it was found that approximately 13 percent of serious crashes involving large trucks are caused by driver fatigue. Other factors which contributed to serious truck accidents include driver drug use, including both legal and illegal drugs, inattention to the road, and driver illness. Truck drivers are often operating vehicles that can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. A vehicle of this size can cause colossal damage during a crash.

Truck Drivers Must Follow Certain Rules Regarding Sleep and Rest

Because sleepy truck drivers are such a threat to motorists’ safety, there are certain state and federal regulations which dictate how many hours truck drivers can drive in a given time period. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires truck drivers to take regular breaks to rest. A driver who is not following these federal guidelines may be considered negligent and liable for damages caused by an accident. Truck drivers must record the hours that they drove and when they rested in a log book. These log books are often crucial pieces of evidence during a personal injury lawsuit against a truck driver or trucking company.

When you think about the health risks associated with consuming too much alcohol, you might think of issues such as high blood pressure or liver disease. Health conditions such as these, however, are just some of the countless ways that alcohol abuse can lead to injuries or death. Injuries related to alcohol, including those resulting from car crashes, falls, or violence, are quite common. In addition, international statistics indicate that about 3.2 percent of deaths worldwide are linked to alcohol.

If you have been hurt in an accident related to alcohol, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against the party whose alcohol use caused the incident. However, in some cases, you might also be able to bring a claim against an establishment that served the party alcohol. Such claims may be filed under what are known as the Illinois Dram Shop laws.  

What You Need to Know

Under specific circumstances, Illinois law allows an injured individual or the representative of the victim of a fatal accident to file a personal injury claim against an establishment such as a bar or restaurant. For the claim to be successful, you and your counsel must show that: