350 S. Northwest Highway, Suite 300, Park Ridge, IL 60068
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Recent Blog Posts
How Understaffing Harms Nursing Home Residents
When people choose to go live in a skilled nursing facility - or are placed there by a guardian - it is because they are no longer able to care for themselves at home. Nursing home residents are frequently completely dependent on staff for all their personal care and health care. When there are not enough caregivers there to give the care that residents need, harm can quickly come to people in this vulnerable population. The physical harm caused by understaffing can come on very quickly and lead to fatalities, like if someone’s call light is not answered while they are choking. Or, it can happen slowly. Bedsores can develop over time if there is not enough staff to turn immobilized patients at regular intervals. If your loved one was harmed due to understaffing in their skilled nursing facility, they may be entitled to compensation.
Skilled Nursing Facility Understaffing Can Injure Vulnerable Seniors in Many Ways
Understaffing is rampant in nursing homes right now. Like almost every other business, they are struggling to find the staff they need to stay on top of their responsibilities. Sadly, nursing homes that are operating with too many patients and not enough staff are putting our vulnerable elderly people in danger. Some ways that understaffing can lead to residents being harmed include:
If Your Child Says One of These 5 Things About Daycare, Pay Attention
Little kids complain about a lot of things. Small children have very low distress tolerance and can become very upset about things that seem very minor to an adult. A toddler may cry because no one will turn the sun off for them. An early elementary-aged child may come home in tears because they did not get a turn to play on the swings at recess. Some of the complaints your child comes home from daycare with may be rather silly. Others, however, could be quite serious. It is important for a parent to keep their ears open for potential red flags when a child talks about their time in daycare. Children may lack the language and comprehension skills needed to plainly alert you to a safety hazard or an act of abuse. You may need an attorney’s help if your child has been injured or harmed.
Red Flags You Should Never Ignore When Talking to Your Kids
Some children have “the gift of gab” and can ramble endlessly about their day. Others are quieter and only respond to direct questions. Wherever your child falls along that spectrum, it is important to seek more information and take prompt action if your child mentions:
Cannabis Consumption, Car Crashes, and Compensation
You probably hear a lot about serious car wrecks caused by drunk drivers. It is very true that drunk drivers are startlingly common and incredibly dangerous. Drunk drivers are ten to fifteen times more likely than sober drivers to cause an accident. Drivers who are high on cannabis are less dangerous than drivers who are drunk, but they are still twice as likely to crash as sober drivers. Sometimes it is abundantly clear that the driver who just hit you is under the influence of marijuana. A disturbing amount of drivers are willing to risk actively smoking cannabis while they are behind the wheel. In other cases, it may be less clear that cannabis use was a factor in the crash. While cannabis itself may be perfectly legal in Illinois, driving while high is not. An attorney may be able to help you further investigate to determine whether the driver who hit you was high.
Top 4 Causes of Highway Accidents in Illinois
Accidents on the highway can happen very quickly. Highway crashes often involve multiple vehicles due to traffic. All it takes is for one careless driver to make a mistake and suddenly, I-294 is at a standstill after a pile-up. If one person loses control of their vehicle after getting hit, they may swerve into another lane, causing repeat impacts. These accidents can be very dangerous or even deadly. Most highway accidents are the direct result of someone’s negligence. Drivers always have a duty to use reasonable care to prevent a car accident and avoid hurting others. Yet, many drivers do make common and completely avoidable errors while driving out of carelessness. If you have been injured in a highway accident, an attorney may be able to help you identify the liable party and recover compensation.
Forms of Driver Negligence on the Interstate
Safely driving at highway speeds requires care and attention. A lot of mistakes that drivers make have to do with being overly comfortable on the highway, particularly for those who commute into Chicago for work. Common causes of highway accidents include:
Legal Options for Recovering Compensation After a DUI Crash
Drunk drivers put everyone on the road in danger. Their movements can be completely unpredictable, making it impossible for responsible drivers to avoid them. Drivers who are intoxicated are inclined to run red lights, change lanes or turn without signaling, lose control of their vehicles, veer out of their lane, or even drive the wrong way down a one-way street or highway. Multi-vehicle accidents and head-on collisions are common. If you suspect that the driver who caused your accident was intoxicated by alcohol or other drugs, it is very important that you call the police immediately and have them respond to the scene. Your next call should be to an attorney. You may have multiple options for pursuing compensation after a drunk driving accident.
Who Might be Liable for My Injuries After a Drunk Driving Accident?
Drunk and drugged drivers can cause a lot of harm very quickly. You may be eligible to receive compensation for everything from your medical bills to your lost wages. Depending on the situation, you may have a valid legal claim against:
4 Safety Essentials in Illinois Day Care Centers
As a parent, you may already be nervous about putting your child in daycare. Many new parents find the first time they drop their children off nerve-wracking even if they have thoroughly researched the facility. Most of the time, daycare centers are perfectly safe places for children. The vast majority of daycare centers are very careful about the safety of the children in their care. Unfortunately, not all of them are as cautious as they should be, which can lead to children suffering injuries. It is important for you as a parent to familiarize yourself with the safety protocols a child care facility should be using. If you suspect that there is something not right about the daycare your child attends, it is important that you take prompt action to protect your child. If your child has already been harmed due to a lack of safety protocols in a daycare, an attorney may be able to help you recover damages on their behalf.
Steps a Day Care Center Should be Taking to Keep Children Safe
There are certain measures every daycare must take in order to protect the children in their care. These steps include:
Top 5 Causes of Slips, Trips, and Falls in Retail Stores
Whether you are the type of person who loves shopping or the type who gets in and out of stores as quickly as possible, you at least do not expect a simple trip to the store to injure you. You should generally expect retail stores open to the public to be safe. When there is a danger to shoppers, it quite frequently has to do with a hazard that causes people to slip, trip, or fall. Even in young healthy people, a simple fall can be surprisingly injurious. Injuries as simple as a sprained wrist can take someone out of work for a week or more. More serious injuries like concussions can also result. If you fell in a retail store and sustained an injury, consulting an attorney to find out what type of compensation you may be entitled to is a good idea.
How Does Negligence in a Retail Setting Cause Falls?
The person charged with managing or controlling a retail store has a duty to take reasonable care to keep any areas open to the public safe for shoppers. This is why “wet floor” signs are a common sight - they are necessary to alert shoppers to take care to not slip. Not all stores are concerned enough about customer safety to take steps like this, however. Negligent retail stores may make mistakes like:
Top 4 Causes of Car Crashes on Major Illinois Highways
Car crashes can be serious no matter where they happen. However, major highways like I-294 and I-90 can be particularly dangerous. Drivers are often either operating at high speeds or are in very condensed bumper-to-bumper traffic. It is particularly important for drivers to be cautious on the interstate because of the increased risk associated with a collision. Unfortunately, too many drivers let their guard down when they are on the highway. There are no stoplights or intersections to deal with, and there generally should not be any cyclists or pedestrians to account for. It is all too easy for drivers to relax when they should be exercising a high level of care. If you are injured in a car accident on a major highway, an attorney may be able to help you recover compensation.
What Risk Factors Are Associated With Highway Collisions?
Whether traffic is at a standstill or moving fast, car crashes on the interstate can do major damage. Most of these accidents are completely preventable. Here are a few common causes of serious accidents on the highway:
Illinois Laws that Might Affect Your Slip and Fall Claim
Slipping and falling has the potential to cause serious injuries. While these accidents can be humorous if the person gets up completely unharmed, a slip and fall can also be extremely serious. Older adults, in particular, are vulnerable to suffering broken bones or internal damage when they fall hard on their back. Head injuries are a common risk, as the back of the head is less able to withstand impacts than the front. If you have suffered harm as a result of a slip and fall accident, you may be able to recover damages from the responsible party, whether that is a retail store, a restaurant, or even an individual whose home you fell in. An attorney can offer you further guidance about who could be liable for your injuries and what you claim might be worth.
What Illinois Rules About Slip and Falls Should I Be Aware of?
If you were injured after you slipped and fell, there are a few legal rules that can affect your claim. These rules include:
The Harm Caused by Understaffing in Nursing Homes
Residents in nursing homes typically require constant, around-the-clock care. They frequently have significant medical needs, they may be confused or disoriented, and they can do very little to care for themselves. There are state laws in place that require a certain number of caregivers to be present in a nursing home depending on how many elders reside there and the level of care they need. When these legal standards are violated, residents may not receive the care they need to stay safe and in the best health possible. This can be a form of medical malpractice.
If you believe that your vulnerable loved one is being neglected in an understaffed nursing home, you may want to reach out to an attorney who can investigate further. Your loved one - or in severe cases, their survivors - may be entitled to compensation.
What Are the Risks of Understaffing in Nursing Homes?
When nursing homes do not have adequate staffing, there may not be enough caregivers to safely monitor and care for the vulnerable residents. Some types of injuries and harms are very likely to occur when there are not enough caregivers present. Predictable harms include:
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350 S. Northwest Highway, Suite 300, Park Ridge, IL 60068
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