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.

The random deployment of active head restraint systems in situations other than a collision has been compared to an explosion. The force of these headrests moving forward suddenly while a vehicle is in motion or at rest has caused serious injuries to people, including concussions, neck injuries, and injuries to the face. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received nearly 100 complaints from consumers who have experienced sudden or random deployment of active head restraints.

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.

Victims of pedestrian accidents may be able to recover compensation from a negligent driver who did not take the proper measures to prevent a collision. For example, a driver may not have accounted for reduced visibility during a snowstorm by slowing down, using their headlights, or ensuring that their vehicle was clear from the accumulation of snow on the windshield. In other situations, a driver may not have taken the proper steps to make sure their vehicle was safe to drive in the winter, such as by failing to replace worn tires or keep tires properly inflated. Other forms of driver negligence that can be especially dangerous in the winter include distracted driving and drunk driving.

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.

All drugs have some side effects that can affect patients, but certain types of medications have been found to be especially dangerous. These include:

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.

Driver Negligence That Can Lead to Winter Car Accidents

According to the Federal Highway Administration, 24% of all car accidents take place on roads that contain snow, ice, or slush. These accidents lead to nearly 120,000 injuries and 1,300 deaths every year. In addition, 15% of all accidents take place during snowfall or sleet, and these crashes result in 76,000 injuries and 900 deaths annually. Illinois is one of the most dangerous states for winter car accidents, with an average of 38 fatal collisions taking place during the winter each year.

Because of these dangers, drivers should take extra care to drive safely during the winter and avoid collisions. Some forms of driver negligence that can lead to winter car crashes include:

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:

• Physical abuse - This may include hitting, slapping, shoving, or other actions that inflict physical pain and discomfort. Because nursing home patients are often in frail physical condition and susceptible to harm, these actions can lead to serious injuries and permanent impairment.
• Verbal or emotional abuse - Staff members may shout at, insult, berate, harass, or intimidate patients, or they may purposely isolate them from others or ignore their requests for aid or assistance. This can cause a great deal of emotional harm to residents, leading to depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal.
• Sexual abuse - Sadly, the vulnerability of nursing home patients may lead staff members or other residents to take advantage of them sexually, especially when patients suffer from dementia or experience other issues that make it difficult for them to tell others about what has happened to them. Sexual abuse may include forced sexual contact, taking sexually explicit pictures of a person, forcing a person to disrobe, or committing sexual harassment involving inappropriate speech or behavior.
• Improper restraint - Staff members may use physical restraints to confine a resident to a bed or chair, and these may include strapping a person’s wrists or ankles to a bed or chair, using bed rails to prevent a person from leaving their bed, or using belts or trays to force a person to remain in a chair. Chemical restraints such as sedatives or other drugs may also be used by staff members if they believe a patient is being troublesome. Restraints should only be used when they are medically necessary, and they should not be used to restrict a resident’s freedom.
• Financial exploitation - Caregivers or other people who are close to a nursing home resident may coerce or manipulate them into turning over their money or property or making changes to their will. In some cases, a person may commit identity theft by using a resident’s personal information to open credit cards, make purchases, or obtain loans.

Contact Our Rolling Meadows Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

If your loved one has suffered harm while residing at a nursing home, Newland & Newland, LLP can help you determine whether their injuries were the result of abuse or neglect. We will help you understand your legal options for recovering compensation, and we will work to ensure that those who caused your loved one’s injuries are held responsible for their wrongdoing. Contact our Arlington Heights nursing home injury lawyers at  847-797-8000 to set up your free consultation today.