Posted on January 06, 2022 in Personal Injury

Whether we like it or not, winter has officially arrived in the Springfield area. As any Illinois resident can tell you, avoiding snow and ice-related falls is a major part of life during the winter months. Slip and fall accidents can lead to severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, back injuries, and broken bones. If you or a loved one were injured after slipping on ice, you may be curious about your legal options. You may wonder if the property owner’s failure to salt or clear ice from the area makes the owner liable for damages. Illinois law regarding injuries caused by snow and ice is complicated and the answer to this important question depends on several factors.

Are Property Owners Required to Clear Snow and Ice?

Plowing snow, spreading salt, and clearing your property of ice are all ways to mitigate the risk of slipping and falling during the winter season. However, property owners are not legally required to do so. The Illinois Snow and Ice Removal Act states that snow and ice removal is not mandatory and provides immunity to landowners who do remove snow and ice. In many cases, landowners are shielded from legal responsibility for ice-related slip and fall accidents. However, there are some situations in which property owners are liable for slip and fall accidents on ice or snow.

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 Posted on December 28, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

Originally published: March 10, 2020 -- Updated: December 28, 2021

UPDATE: While the errors described below may be considered medical malpractice, victims who have suffered injuries in these situations will need to understand the steps they will need to follow to ensure that they can receive compensation for their injuries. To successfully pursue a medical malpractice claim, a person will need to prove all of the following elements:

The doctor owed the patient a duty of care - Once a doctor-patient relationship has been established, a doctor will be required to meet certain standards when providing medical treatment. This duty of care applies in any situations where an OBGYN or other provider performs medical services at a doctor’s office or hospital.

The doctor failed to provide adequate medical care - An OBGYN may deviate from the proper standards of care if they fail to follow the correct procedures or take the actions that a reasonably competent medical provider would take in the same situation. The errors described below are some examples of deviations from the standard of care, but there are a variety of other ways that an OBGYN may fail to provide proper care and treatment.

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 Posted on December 20, 2021 in Truck Accidents

An unfortunate reality of driving is that every time you are on the road, you are putting yourself at risk of getting into a car crash. Thankfully, the risk is small, and in most cases, you will not be the victim of a motor vehicle accident. 

However, you can only control your own driving habits. If other people choose to distract themselves while driving, they are subsequently increasing your chances of getting into an accident as a result of their decisions. 

Have you been the victim of a distracted driver truck accident in Springfield? If so, we are here to help you learn more about distracted driving cases and how to open a personal injury claim in Springfield. 

What is Distracted Driving? 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define distracted driving as any situation in which the driver's attention is diverted away from the road. According to the CDC, there are three specific types of distractions that can result in distracted driving incidents.

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 Posted on December 14, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

Work-related injuries can occur in a variety of situations. Accidents can take place in the workplace, or a person may suffer from illnesses or health conditions caused by exposure to certain conditions or the ongoing strain placed on their body by work-related tasks or activities. In these cases, a person may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, including coverage for their medical expenses and wage benefits that address their loss of income. When a work injury results in a permanent disability, the benefits a person can receive will depend on the parts of their body that were affected and the level of impairment they have experienced.

Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits

If a workplace injury results in the loss of a body part or any loss of use of one or more parts of the body, this is considered to be a permanent disability. Since only certain parts of the body will be affected, and a person will most likely retain some function in other parts of the body that will allow them to continue working in a position that fits their limitations, these are known as “partial” disabilities. Generally, if a person will permanently be unable to perform activities that they could do before they were injured, they will qualify for permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits.

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 Posted on December 07, 2021 in Car Accidents

There are many different types of car accidents that can result in serious injuries and significant property damage. Rear-end collisions are some of the most common types of accidents, and they often occur at intersections, on roads where vehicles slow down to make turns, and in situations where drivers are unable to slow down or stop in time due to distracted driving or traffic violations such as speeding. Even though a rear-end accident may seem to be relatively minor, victims may experience multiple types of injuries, as well as other damages. To ensure that they will be able to address their financial losses and other ways they have been affected by a collision, victims can work with an attorney to determine the amount of compensation they may be able to receive.

Damages in Rear-End Collisions

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 Posted on November 30, 2021 in Personal Injury

A blow to the head can result in serious brain injuries. These injuries may occur in car accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, construction accidents, and a wide variety of other situations. Unfortunately, these injuries are not always well-understood, and a person may not experience symptoms immediately after an accident. However, the effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can persist for multiple months or years, or they may even lead to permanent impairments that affect a person’s health, their relationships with others, and their ability to maintain employment. By understanding these effects, a brain injury victim can work with an attorney to determine their best options for recovering financial compensation.

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 Posted on November 24, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

There are many ways that medical negligence can cause patients to suffer serious injuries. In some cases, patients may be harmed due to medication errors, including situations where a patient experiences an allergic reaction to a medication or when drugs are administered at the incorrect dose. Errors related to anesthesia can be especially harmful, and they may cause a patient to suffer long-lasting harm, or they may even lead to a person’s wrongful death. 

Errors Involving Different Types of Anesthesia

Different methods of anesthesia may be used to minimize pain and discomfort during a medical procedure or ensure that a patient will remain unconscious during surgery. Errors may be made by anesthesiologists or other medical professionals when administering different types of anesthesia, including:

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 Posted on November 16, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks travel thousands of miles as they deliver cargo throughout the United States. Trucks experience a great deal of wear and tear, and if they are not properly maintained, different systems may break down or function incorrectly. This can lead to dangerous truck accidents that may injure people in other vehicles. Following a collision involving a tractor-trailer truck, victims can work with an attorney to determine whether maintenance issues were a factor that led to the accident, and they can take steps to recover financial compensation from the parties who were responsible.

Commercial Truck Maintenance Issues

Regular maintenance must be performed on semi-trailer trucks to ensure that they can be operated safely. Truck drivers are required to complete daily inspection reports and submit them to a motor carrier. Trucking companies will need to make sure any issues uncovered during inspections are repaired properly, and they will also need to make sure regular service is performed to ensure that all of a truck’s systems are in proper working order. Some common maintenance issues that can lead to truck accidents include:

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 Posted on November 09, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

If you have suffered a workplace injury, you may be concerned about how this will affect your ability to earn an income. Fortunately, you can receive workers’ compensation benefits for any injuries that are work-related, and these benefits will address your medical care and the loss of income due to an inability to work or a limitation on the work you can perform while recovering. However, there are some cases where an employer or their insurance company may refuse to pay workers’ comp benefits. If you are struggling to receive the benefits you deserve, you can work with an attorney to determine your options for addressing a denied claim or pursuing an appeal.

Filing a Claim With the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission

If you suffer an injury in a workplace accident, or if you experience medical issues related to the work you have performed, you should notify your employer as soon as possible. In most cases, notice must be provided within 45 days after an accident or injury. When you receive medical care, you can tell the provider that your injury or condition is work-related, and they will bill your employer for the treatment you receive. If you miss at least three days of work due to a workplace injury or work-related illness, your employer must begin paying temporary total disability (TTD) benefits.

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 Posted on October 27, 2021 in Car Accidents

While cell phones and similar electronic devices are used by most people on a near-constant basis, many people understand that texting while driving or using a handheld phone to make a call while behind the wheel can be very dangerous. Public safety campaigns have emphasized the dangers of these activities, and laws have been passed that make it illegal to use electronic devices while driving unless they are in hands-free mode. However, there are multiple other forms of distracted driving that can lead to dangerous car accidents. Victims who have been injured in these types of accidents can work with an attorney to determine their options for pursuing compensation from a distracted driver.

Activities That Can Take a Driver’s Attention Away From the Road

Distracted driving may involve visual distractions in which a person looks away from the road, manual distractions in which a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel, or cognitive distractions in which a driver’s attention is focused on something other than the act of driving. Texting or using a cell phone can be especially dangerous, since these actions involve all three types of distractions. However, there are multiple other activities that can cause a driver to be distracted, including:

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