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Recent Blog Posts
How to Recognize the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
No one wants to worry about the possibility that their elderly loved one may have been mistreated while residing in a nursing home. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are all too common. According to the National Institute on Aging, around 10 percent of people over the age of 60 have experienced some form of abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or neglect.
Family members can play a key role in preventing nursing home abuse by catching it early on. Visiting your loved one regularly and being familiar with the staff at a nursing home will help you notice any changes in your loved one’s behavior or appearance that could be indicative of abuse. It is important to be aware of the signs of abuse and neglect so that you can take action if you suspect that your loved one is being harmed.
Signs of Physical Abuse
Three Reasons Why Drunk Driving Is Likely to Lead to a Car Accident
It is no secret that drinking and driving do not mix. The dangers of drug or alcohol use by drivers are well known, yet many people continue to get behind the wheel even though they know that their use of these substances has made them incapable of driving safely. In fact, the number of people who are seriously injured or killed in these types of accidents is on the rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol-related crashes claimed 11,654 lives in 2020, and this was a 14 percent increase from the previous year.
Car accidents caused by drunk driving can be very serious, and victims may suffer multiple types of serious injuries. Drivers who acted irresponsibly by using alcohol or drugs before getting behind the wheel will usually be considered to be at fault for an accident, and victims may pursue compensation for their injuries and damages, or a drunk driver may be held liable for someone's wrongful death. To ensure that they will be properly compensated, victims can work with a personal injury attorney who can protect their rights and advocate for their interests.
What You Need to Know When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a member of your family have suffered a serious injury, you may be unsure of how to proceed, especially if someone else was responsible. Making sure you receive the proper medical care can be confusing and difficult enough on its own, but if your ability to work has been affected, you and your family may be facing significant financial difficulties. To make matters more confusing, you may have been contacted by attorneys who claim that they can help you receive financial compensation, but you probably do not know how to choose the right attorney to help with your situation. By understanding the factors that may affect your choice of a personal injury lawyer, you can be sure that you are making the best decision for your case.
Questions to Ask When Selecting a Personal Injury Attorney
As you determine whether a lawyer will be the best person to represent you in your injury case, you will want to consider:
Am I Owed Compensation After a Hazmat Truck Accident in Chicago?
An accident involving motor vehicles should not be taken lightly, more so if one of those vehicles is a hazmat truck. Since hazmat trucks pose a greater risk to those they share the road with, there are various federal regulations they must adhere to. Truck drivers and affiliated companies are responsible for accidents caused by equipment failure, unsecured cargo, reckless or distracted driving, as well as driving under the influence. If you have been involved in a hazmat truck accident, you may be in need of a personal injury lawyer.
FMCSA Truck Regulations
It is important to note the danger a hazmat truck presents to the road. This additional level of danger can be credited to the obvious, hazmat trucks carry hazardous materials. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has defined 9 classes of hazardous materials a hazmat truck may be carrying; explosives, gasses, flammable liquid, flammable solids and spontaneously combustible materials, oxidizers and organic peroxides, toxic materials and infectious substances, radioactive materials, corrosive materials, as well as miscellaneous hazardous materials that are not included in the other categories. When materials such as gasoline and other combustible substances are spilled onto the road it may lead to slippery driving conditions or explosions. Incidents involving hazardous spills can result in car pile-ups, untreatable injuries, and fatalities. Even if you are not directly involved in the accident, airborne hazardous toxic gasses can travel miles away from the site of the leak, and exposure to these gasses can lead to lifelong respiratory ailments and neurological conditions.
Head and Brain Injuries Caused by Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities must ensure that residents are protected and safe. A crucial aspect of this responsibility is preventing accidental injuries. Falling is especially dangerous for elderly and disabled individuals. A minor fall accident can have catastrophic consequences.
Many residents cannot move around independently. They need assistance to get in and out of bed, use the bathroom, or go to common areas of the nursing home facility. When residents are not given the help they need, they may try to move on their own, leading to slip and fall or trip and fall injuries. Falling can cause potentially life-threatening head injuries.
If your loved one suffered a head injury or traumatic brain injury because of an avoidable nursing home fall accident, contact a nursing home injury lawyer for help.
Environmental Hazards and Negligent Supervision Can Cause Falls
5 Reasons Why You Need Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
It is impossible to be fully prepared for a potential car accident, especially since you cannot predict the actions of others. Even if you obey all traffic laws and drive as safely as possible, other drivers may act negligently or recklessly, leading to dangerous collisions that can result in serious injuries and extensive property damage. To make matters worse, the person who caused an accident may be uninsured, making it difficult for you to receive coverage that will fully address your injuries and damages. Fortunately, one way you can prepare for this eventuality is by ensuring that your auto insurance policy includes uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Reasons to Consider UM/UIM Coverage
If a driver who causes an accident does not have insurance, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage will address the expenses related to the injuries that occurred in the collision. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage will apply in situations where a driver has insurance, but the limits of their policy will be insufficient to address the injuries you have suffered. You should consider including these coverages in your auto insurance policy for multiple reasons, including:
What Are the Top Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Illinois?
As the weather warms up in the spring and summer and people begin to spend more time outdoors, the number of pedestrians on the roads will increase. Unfortunately, this means that pedestrian accidents will be more likely to occur. Pedestrians who are struck by cars or trucks are likely to experience multiple types of severe injuries, and in many cases, these accidents are fatal. By understanding the reasons that these types of accidents occur, injury victims can determine who was responsible, and they can take action to recover financial compensation that will address their injuries and other damages.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Data released by the Illinois Department of Transportation for 2020 shows that while pedestrians were involved in only 1.3 percent of all motor vehicle accidents, these accidents accounted for 15.8 percent of fatal crashes and 5.8 percent of crashes involving injuries. The risks that pedestrians face are significant, and some of the most common factors that play a role in pedestrian accidents include:
7 Types of Distracted Driving That Can Lead to Dangerous Car Accidents
While there are many reasons that car accidents occur, driver negligence is often to blame for a collision. There are many different forms of negligence, including violations of traffic laws, aggressive driving, or failure to keep a vehicle properly maintained. However, distracted driving is one of the most prevalent issues that affects safety on roads throughout Illinois and the United States. Drivers who fail to fully pay attention to the road put everyone around them at risk. When drivers cause harm to others because of this type of negligence, victims who suffer injuries or other damages will want to determine their options for pursuing financial compensation.
Common Distractions That Affect Drivers
Distracted driving can take many forms, and it may include any actions that cause a person to look away from the road, take their hands off the steering wheel, or divert their attention away from operating their vehicle safely. Some of the most common types of distracted driving include:
How Will Recent Changes to the 2021 SAFE-T Act Affect Chicagoans?
In January 2021, Illinois’ landmark Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act began to go into effect. This massive law, inspired in part by George Floyd’s death in police custody and supported by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, enacted a wide range of criminal justice reforms. Now new additions are cracking down even further on police brutality and civil rights violations.
Noteworthy Provisions of the Original Law
Policing Reforms. By 2025, all law enforcement officers must wear body cameras for increased accountability. Anyone can now make a complaint against a police officer, even anonymously. Probationary officers now have to train on the use of force, de-escalation techniques, and mental-illness responses, as well as ethnic and racial sensitivity. Police also have more restricted justifications to use force during arrests and are required to stop other officers from using unapproved force.
Can I Pursue Compensation for a Slip and Fall Injury on Snow or Ice?
Snow and ice are common issues that Illinois residents have to deal with during the winter months. When cold weather or winter storms result in slippery sidewalks, parking lots, or other walking areas, the risk of injury in a slip and fall accident increases significantly. Even though people are aware of these hazards and will usually take care to avoid injuries when walking outside during the winter, accidents can still occur.
A fall on snow or ice can result in multiple types of injuries, including broken bones, sprained or dislocated joints, or traumatic brain injuries. People who have been injured may struggle with a variety of financial and personal issues during their recovery, and they will want to determine their legal options, including whether they may pursue financial compensation from the owner of the property where an accident took place.
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