Posted on October 13, 2014 in Car Accidents

We often discuss the personal and upsetting toll that a car accident can take on individuals across Illinois. Every crash, every injury and every potential claim involves someone whose life could be dramatically impacted by an accident. It is crucial not to lose sight of this fact.

However, it can also be helpful to consider car accidents and motor vehicle safety on a larger scale. Despite the advancements made in auto manufacturing and increased efforts to enforce traffic laws, hundreds of thousands of car accidents still happen and put lives in danger.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report regarding the cost of car accidents in 2012. The agency's report serves as an important reminder of how extensive car accident injuries and damages can be.

For instance, did you know that an estimated $18 billion will be spent on medical costs for people injured in a car accident in 2012? This includes costs stemming from emergency care as well as those required over a victim's lifetime.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 10, 2014 in Firm News

Many workers in and around Illinois have a general understanding of what workers' compensation is and when it may be available. People know that if they get hurt or get sick on the job, they can typically pursue workers' compensation benefits to cover some of the costs of being unable to work and seeking medical care.

However, there are some specific situations that can be much more complicated to understand, and it can be difficult to determine whether workers' compensation is, in fact, available. For instance, in one of our recent articles, we explored when or if employees who suffer injuries coming to or leaving the workplace can collect workers' compensation. 

In that article, which can be read here, we looked at a specific case involving a car accident during a long commute and why the case ended with the denial of workers' compensation benefits. 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 30, 2014 in Firm News

People can get injured at just about any time of the day or night. Something as simple as making breakfast, driving to work or heading out to a restaurant for dinner can quickly turn into something much more complicated if someone is in an accident and gets hurt.

In many of these situations, victims may feel like they are just unlucky or clumsy to have gotten hurt and assume there is nothing that can or should be done after an accident. However, this can end up being a costly mistake. In fact, many cases involving personal injury can be grounds to take legal action against a negligent party. 

For instance, let's look at the hypothetical situation we mentioned earlier in this post: making breakfast, going to work and then going out for dinner. This can help break down some of the most common sources of personal injury claims that can result in compensation for victims.

Cooking can result in serious burns if the appliances you are using are defective. Food that is tainted could make you very sick if you ingest it. In these instances, you may have grounds to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer or seller of a damaged or defective product.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 24, 2014 in Firm News

Getting injured on the job can be quite disruptive. Right away, you may need to stop working and get first aid. If an injury is serious, you may need to go to the hospital. In some cases, the injury can require ongoing monitoring, care and medication. Surgery may also be necessary.

As troubling as this can all be, it is important to remember that this is why workers' compensation is available in Illinois. The benefits provided through workers' compensation are intended to cover medical expenses for work-related injuries so that victims are not left with huge medical bills in addition to a painful condition. However, while medical care is generally covered by this employer-paid insurance, it is important for employees to know some specific requirements that must be observed when it comes to seeking care.

Workers' compensation typically covers all medical expenses that result from an injury. This can include medications, surgical procedures, rehabilitation, visits to the doctor and even the cost of modifying a home or work station, if required. As long as the care is considered to be reasonable and is not disputed by an employer, these costs will generally be covered.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 17, 2014 in Firm News

Any motor vehicle accident has the potential to cause serious injuries. But if an 80,000-pound commercial truck is involved in this accident, the severity of any collision is multiplied considerably. 

If you or a loved one have been involved in this type of accident, chances are that you are scared, hurt and overwhelmed by the situation you are now facing. Victims and their families are often dealing with some life-threatening illnesses and have a number of questions that they want answered. In this post, we will look at some of the common questions truck accident victims and their families have and shed some light on some potential answers.

Truck accidents, like any motor vehicle accident, can be caused by any number of reasons. There are instances when a passenger vehicle contributes to a crash, but there are also cases where the truck or the trucker is responsible for the crash. This could involve a reckless trucker, negligent trucking company, faulty truck parts, inadequate maintenance or violations of trucking regulations.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 08, 2014 in Firm News

Parents and other adults spend much of their lives looking out for children and making sure they are safe. Throughout the years, though, children often become the ones who are looking out for their parents and taking steps to help keep them safe and healthy.

This is why it can be so difficult for families to decide on placing an elderly loved one in the care of a nursing home facility. Many people are not comfortable with leaving someone in the care of others, especially considering the fact that thousands of claims citing nursing home neglect or abuse are investigated every year. However, a proposal was recently made that might tackle this troubling issue across Illinois.

The proposal was made by the attorney general in Illinois and was announced after she had reportedly witnessed widespread care concerns in nursing home facilities in the state. According to reports, the proposal would permit the installation of cameras in nursing home rooms.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on September 02, 2014 in Car Accidents

Accident scenes are something that many motorists are all too familiar with. People all over Illinois have been rear-ended, clipped in traffic or struck by a reckless driver. Sadly, accidents are not uncommon; but each one can be frightening and chaotic for victims.

Seemingly in the blink of an eye, you can end up stopped on the side of the road with a damaged vehicle and potentially painful injuries. When and if this happens, it can be very upsetting and people may not be sure about what to do afterward. 

Of course there are things an accident victim should immediately following a crash. There are a number of accident guides online that remind motorists to:

• Exchange insurance and contact information with any and all drivers involved
• File a crash report if an accident is serious or causes at least $1,500 in damage
• Take photographs of the accident scene and damage
• Call for emergency help if someone is seriously injured

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 26, 2014 in Firm News

Residents of Illinois who live in rural areas are likely used to seeing cattle, pigs or horses on a fairly regular basis, whether they graze in fields next door or we see them behind fences as we drive through parts of Illinois. In general, these animals present no danger to anyone; however, if they are improperly secured or allowed to roam free, they can end up causing serious damage.

A recent article on our website explored how livestock can endanger farm workers and others in a variety of environments. That article can be viewed by clicking here. The article calls out multiple common risks associated with livestock, but in this post we want to explore how free-roaming livestock can affect motorists specifically. 

As motorists, we may be warned about deer crossings; and we are not all that surprised to see a skunk or other wild animal in front of our vehicle. But we typically do not expect to see farm animals on the road; even on rural routes.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 22, 2014 in Articles

Farm animals can be useful, beautiful and even fun, but they can also be predictable and cause serious injuries and fatalities.

When the topic of farming hazards comes up, people may think about the dangers of certain farm equipment, such as tractors and other types of heavy machinery, but they may not realize that many of the animals commonly found on a farm can be dangerous as well. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated, farming has long been one of the most dangerous industries in the U.S. Unlike most other professions, family members can also be at risk in the agricultural business, since families tend to live on the farm site and share many of the dangerous chores. Anyone can be at risk when working with the variety of animals present on a farm, but younger and more inexperienced workers are particularly vulnerable.

Farm animals are typically large and, while domesticated, are not always docile or predictable. According to the University of Illinois Extension, since 1986 at least eight people have been killed in farm accidents while working with livestock, and many more may have been seriously injured. Some of the fatal accidents included a worker being charged by a bull, another worker being butted into a fence by a cow and a farmer who was trampled by agitated cattle while trying to free a trapped calf.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on August 19, 2014 in Firm News

Workers in Illinois are generally aware that if they are hurt or get sick on the job, they may qualify to collect workers' compensation benefits. Companies are typically required to carry workers' compensation insurance to cover these payments, which in turn protects an employer from being sued by employees. 

However, there may be some confusion over the types of injuries that may qualify for this coverage. In many cases, people assume that unless an injury is catastrophic, like a serious burn or a brain injury, pursuing workers' compensation benefits is futile. But some of the most common workplace injuries for which people collect workers' compensation start very small and get worse over time.

Repetitive stress injuries are very common for people in work various types of jobs, from construction to office administration. These injuries often start out small; almost undetectable. Over time, however, they can get worse and more painful, especially when the trigger of the conditions is something that a person does consistently, such as standing, sitting, typing or carrying heavy machinery.

Continue Reading ››