Posted on March 19, 2021 in Blog Post

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. It is important to recognize the common causes of brain injuries in an effort to treat and prevent these types of injuries from occurring in the first place. Although hitting your head can happen anywhere, there are certain factors that may increase the likelihood of this happening. For example, reckless driving can cause vehicle collisions or pedestrian accidents that result in severe head trauma. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) typically is caused by a sudden or violent blow or jolt to the head or neck. Mild traumatic brain injury can impact brain cells temporarily. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, bleeding, and tissue damage to the brain. These injuries can lead to long-term complications and even death.

The Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Studies show that falls are one of the leading causes of TBIs, followed by being struck by an object and being involved in a car accident. When an individual slips or trips and falls, they often hit their head on pavement or other hard surfaces. A slip and fall can occur because of unsafe conditions, such as debris, clutter, or uneven walkways. Property owners may be held liable for injuries if they knew about the hazards and did nothing to address or fix them.

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 Posted on February 26, 2021 in Blog Post

If you have ever traveled on Interstate 90 or 294 in Illinois near Chicago, you know you share the road with other automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles. Highways and tollways are frequented by many drivers since that is typically the fastest and most direct route for them to take to their destinations. Regardless if you are driving for pleasure or work, you may be dealing with heavy traffic, construction zones, or inclement weather, including rain or snow. All of these factors can make driving dangerous whether it is during the day or night. Motorcyclists may be more vulnerable to accidents based on their sheer size compared to other vehicles. In some cases, injuries can be life-threatening and even prove fatal.

Dangers on the Road

Motorcyclists on average are five times more likely than passenger car occupants to be injured. There are several factors that can increase the likelihood of a motorcycle accident, including weather, driver behavior, and road condition:

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 Posted on February 16, 2021 in Blog Post

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is typically triggered as a victim or a witness of a devastating event. Symptoms can range from flashbacks to nightmares, and even debilitating anxiety. Although many people who suffer from PTSD have been involved in vehicle accidents or are victims of violent crimes, long-term care or assisted living residents can also develop PTSD over time. Nursing home abuse and neglect can leave a lasting effect on a patient, even leading to suicidal thoughts in some cases. A personal injury attorney can determine liability and hold negligent parties accountable for mental injuries such as PTSD.

Holding Liable Parties Accountable for Mental Injuries

When your relative reaches a point where they cannot live on their own, you entrust medical professionals and staff members to take care of them. Sadly, this is not always the case. A few of the ways that staff members can cause a patient to suffer from PTSD include performing the following acts:

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 Posted on January 27, 2021 in Blog Post

Motor vehicle accidents can occur for various reasons, including inclement weather conditions, driver error, or mechanical failure. Although many of today’s cars and trucks have advanced technology aimed to prevent a crash, they may still happen, often resulting in serious and even fatal injuries. Certain in-car devices and systems can help in determining how or why a collision took place. In addition, other video footage near the scene or witnesses can provide crucial data regarding the events that led up to the incident. Gathering this important information can be essential when proving negligence and seeking damages in a truck accident.

Event Data Recorders

Event data recorders can include many different types of devices. According to the NHTSA, an EDR is a device that is installed in an automobile or a truck that records technical information (vehicle and occupant) for the seconds before, during, and after an accident. Part of an EDR’s recorded data reports on how and where a vehicle was driven. This may include speed, braking, steering, and more. Most EDRs can only store recorded data for a certain amount of time, so it is crucial to obtain it as soon as possible following an accident to increase the chances of receiving compensation if it shows that a truck driver acted negligently.

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 Posted on January 18, 2021 in Blog Post

Wintertime can be fun for fans of winter sports, such as skiing, ice skating, and sledding. However, these sports are not without their risks. In Illinois, the temperatures can be extreme, including sub-zero days. Blizzard-like conditions may also bring heavy snow, sleet, and ice. Even just walking outside can be hazardous under some circumstances. When precipitation freezes, it creates slippery surfaces on pavement, wooden stairs, or decks. These areas can include private homes or public places such as restaurants, office buildings, or stores. If patrons, guests, or visitors slip and fall on slick walkways, they can sustain serious to life-threatening injuries. If you were hurt in this way, an experienced attorney can help you hold a negligent property owner or manager accountable.

Significant Injuries

Trying to walk in deep snow can be difficult, causing pedestrians to lose their balance. In addition, walking on ice may make a person slip and fall, landing on a hard surface. The sudden force of the impact can lead to debilitating consequences, requiring hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, or assistive care.

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 Posted on December 28, 2020 in Blog Post

The global pandemic that is COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of our lives this past year. Non-essential businesses have been temporarily closed throughout the country in efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Numerous essential employees who work in the corporate world have found themselves working remotely at home. The majority of people have been spending most of the past year at home. Although the roads are less crowded than they normally are, the rates of fatal car accidents have gone up.

According to reports from Top Driver, the fatality rate per mile driven increased despite many Illinois residents driving less due to stay-at-home orders. In the Chicago area, there has been a 14 percent increase in speeding, part of a dangerous trend of driving behavior during the coronavirus crisis. One reason for these statistics is due to the fact that some motorists feel as if they can speed now that there is not much traffic on their usual routes, including Interstates 90 and 294. However, traveling at faster speeds can increase the severity of injuries in the event of a collision.

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 Posted on December 14, 2020 in Blog Post

Anyone who lives in the Midwest knows how brutal the winters can be. Illinois residents in particular have likely experienced blizzards that dumped several feet of snow in relatively short periods of time. Along with snow comes wind, ice, slush, and sleet during the winter months. Although tripping or slipping and falling outside can occur at any time, the likelihood of this type of accident is usually higher in bad weather. Just as it can be dangerous driving during a snowstorm, walking outdoors can pose its own risks, too. However, Mother Nature may not be the only one to blame. In some cases, any injuries suffered may be due to the negligence of a property owner.

Cold-Weather Maintenance

Inclement weather can wreak havoc on road pavement. That is why the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) sends fleets of snowplows out during snowy days and nights. Clearing streets is crucial to prevent cars from sliding and drivers losing control and colliding with other vehicles or even pedestrians. Likewise, it is imperative that property owners take the necessary precautions during the winter months in order to keep their guests or visitors safe. This may include plowing parking lots, shoveling sidewalks, putting salt down on icy walkways, and more. If they do not perform this type of maintenance, they may be held liable for any injuries suffered on their grounds.

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 Posted on November 30, 2020 in Blog Post

Motor vehicle collisions occur for many reasons, such as speeding, disobeying traffic laws, driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol, distracted driving, inclement weather, or poor road conditions. Determining liability in a car accident may not be as easy as it seems. In some cases, an objective third party can help establish who was responsible for causing the accident and who should pay for medical expenses related to any injuries. Accident reconstruction can assist with determining liability in a vehicle crash. In addition, a knowledgeable personal injury attorney can hold those negligent parties responsible.

Examining Evidence at the Scene

In some accidents, there may be multiple vehicles involved, which can make it difficult to identify the at-fault driver. For example, if one motorist loses control of his or her car, it can cause a chain reaction, in which several vehicles hit each other, resulting in a multi-vehicle pileup. Injuries to drivers and occupants can range from minor to serious and even fatal.

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 Posted on November 15, 2020 in Blog Post

You may have heard that raising children “takes a village.” That saying often refers to the fact that parenting is hard work and parents sometimes rely on the help of others in caring for their family. If both parents work, they typically need to find childcare. This can come in the form of relatives, neighborhood friends, private caregivers, or daycare centers. Workers at a daycare center typically must go through a background check before being hired. This process reveals important information by verifying that an individual is who they claim to be, level of education, employment history, and if they have a criminal record. A background check helps ensure that an employee is not only qualified but trustworthy as well, which can protect children who are in their care. Sadly, accidents or abuse may still occur, but a personal injury attorney can help parents pursue compensation if their child was harmed at a daycare center.

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 Posted on November 04, 2020 in Blog Post

It is fairly common to be cruising along an Illinois highway, going a few miles per hour over the speed limit, only to be passed by an out of control, fast-moving vehicle. Despite posted speed limit signs, many Illinois drivers significantly pick up their speed as soon as they hit the highway. Without frequent stop signs or signals to keep them at bay, these drivers can weave in and out of lanes as they seemingly glide past the other cars on the road. These speedy drivers often feel on top of the world, only to find themselves the cause of a life-threatening accident an instant later. Despite a promising six percent drop in speeding-related deaths in 2018, a total of 9,378 people still lost their lives to this driving hazard, many of which were victims of other drivers’ speeding tendencies.

A September Speeding Accident

This past September, a six-vehicle crash left one person dead and at least three others injured on I-294. According to an ABC7 report, a Chevy Impala was allegedly driving at a high speed in the southbound lane when it lost control and swiped a car in the next lane over. The Impala then went airborne over the highway barrier, striking three other cars in the process. One of the injured passengers—a 64-year-old woman driving a Honda CRV—died after being transported to a nearby hospital, and four others suffered both major and minor injuries.

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