Posted on September 28, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

In Illinois, employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This insurance reimburses injured workers for medical expenses and part of their lost wages if a work injury causes them to miss work. However, what happens if a work injury aggravates a pre-existing medical condition like degenerative disc disease? Is the worker still entitled to compensation? What if the insurance company tries to claim that work duties did not cause the worsened medical condition?

Successfully recovering compensation for worsened medical conditions is often tricky, especially if the medical condition gradually worsened over time instead of being caused by a singular traumatic accident. This is why many people in this situation work with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer.

Seeking Workers’ Comp for Worsened Disc Disease

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 Posted on September 20, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

Advances in medicine have helped people lead longer, healthier lives. Countless medications are available to treat ailments ranging from headaches to advanced cancer. Unfortunately, the vast number of medications available today means that there is an increase in the chances of medication mistakes. One of the top causes of medication errors in the U.S. is sound-alike medications, or medications with similar-sounding names. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who are not paying close enough attention may mistake one medication for the other. Look-alike medications are also at risk of being mixed up. Medication mistakes such as these can lead to severe, sometimes fatal consequences.

How Do Medication Errors Occur?

Medical workers have stressful jobs and often work long hours. Many doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies are also understaffed. Medical workers who are rushing can mistake one medicine for another and dispense or administer the wrong medication to the patient. Medical negligence like this can lead to worsened medical conditions and even death. Just recently, a nurse in Tennessee lost her nursing license and is facing criminal charges after administering the wrong medication and killing a patient. The nurse administered vecuronium bromide instead of Versed after mixing up the generic names of the medications.

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 Posted on September 13, 2021 in Personal Injury

If you have been the victim of a violent crime such as an assault, sexual assault, battery, or robbery, you may be interested in pursuing legal action against the responsible parties. Many people assume that legal action against the person who attacked them is the only recourse available after an assault. However, you may also be able to pursue legal action against the business or facility in which you were hurt. A premises liability claim is a personal injury claim brought against negligent property owners or property managers. Through a premises liability claim, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

Examples of Negligent Security That Could Lead to an Injury Claim

Property owners cannot prevent every injury-causing incident that occurs on the property. However, they do have a legal responsibility to ensure that the property is reasonably safe for those invited onto the property. Just as a property owner has a duty to ensure that a building is up to code or has enough fire alarms, property owners have a duty to ensure that there are appropriate security measures. Property owners and businesses may be liable for injuries and deaths caused by inadequate security or “negligent security.”

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 Posted on September 03, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

In Illinois, workers’ compensation insurance covers costs resulting from a work injury or illness. When most people think of workers’ compensation, they picture an injured worker who fell or otherwise suffered a one-time traumatic accident. However, this is not the only type of worker harm that may result in a workers’ comp claim.

Exposure to dangerous chemicals, toxic fumes, and other hazardous substances such as asbestos can take a major toll on a worker’s health, especially when the worker is exposed to the dangerous chemical on a long-term basis. Unfortunately, bringing a successful workers’ compensation claim for exposure to hazardous chemicals is often an uphill battle.

Contact with Dangerous Chemicals and Worker Health

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has instituted strict rules about how toxic or dangerous chemicals must be stored and utilized in a workplace. OSHA has also established permissible exposure limits for dangerous substances. However, many OSHA rules and requirements are incomplete or outdated. Furthermore, some companies fail to adhere to these rules.

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 Posted on August 26, 2021 in Personal Injury

Car accidents happen every day. In a typical Illinois car accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is usually responsible for compensating accident victims. However, what happens if one of the cars in an accident is owned by the government? How are car accident cases different when the at-fault driver is a government employee such as a police officer, ambulance driver, or delivery driver? Can you sue if you were struck by a mail truck or other government vehicle?  

Government Liability for Car Crashes

When an employee causes an accident by driving negligently, the driver’s employer is typically the party legally responsible for the accident. When an employee works for the government, a government entity may be liable for damages. Unfortunately, car accident cases involving government liability are significantly more complicated than other types of car accident cases. The laws regulating claims against the government are complex and you only have a short window of time to file a claim. Therefore, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after being involved in an accident with a government vehicle.

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 Posted on August 19, 2021 in Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home residents often need assistance with everything from taking medication to showering. Residents trust nursing home staff to adequately tend to their needs and ensure a safe living environment. Sadly, many nursing homes fall short of this expectation.

One of the most pressing concerns for elderly and disabled nursing home residents is falling.  Falls can be attributed to muscle weakness, osteoporosis, vision problems, walking difficulties, poor balance, as well as other medical conditions that can contribute to the risk of falls. If your parent, grandparent, or other loved one suffered a preventable fall accident in a nursing home, you may have a valid nursing home negligence case.

Lack of Supervision and Assistance

Understaffing is a known issue in nursing homes across the country. Many nursing homes and other long-term care facilities simply cannot find and retain adequate employees. When staff is spread too thin, nursing home residents may not be properly supervised. This is especially dangerous for residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. A resident who is not aware of his or her physical limitations may fall when trying to move around the facility without a walker, wheelchair, or assistance from a staff member.

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 Posted on August 12, 2021 in Personal Injury

Losing a hand, foot, arm, or leg impacts nearly every aspect of a person’s life. If you or a loved one suffered an amputation or limb loss, you know this firsthand. When another party’s irresponsible or unlawful actions result in dismemberment or amputation, that party may be liable for damages through a personal injury claim. The injured person may be entitled to compensation for both the financial impact of the limb loss and the non-financial consequences of the injury.

Understanding Negligence in an Amputation Injury Claim

Most personal injury cases are based on an allegation of negligence. In the legal sense, negligence is defined as a party’s failure to uphold a duty. For example, amputations may be a result of:

• A car accident caused by a negligent driver

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 Posted on August 05, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

Doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals spend as many as 10-15 years in school preparing for their careers in medicine. Consequently, we expect medical professionals to provide competent, accurate medical care. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional’s failure to provide reasonably skilled care causes someone to suffer avoidable health problems. A victim of medical malpractice may be able to recover financial compensation for additional medical bills, lost income, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other damages. If you received substandard care from a medical professional, you may wonder if you have a valid medical malpractice claim.

Elements of Medical Malpractice Claims

Medical malpractice can stem from a medical provider’s actions or his or her failure to act. In some cases, the hospital or other medical facility at which the incident occurred is ultimately liable for a medical mistake. Some common examples of medical errors that can lead to medical malpractice claims include:

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 Posted on July 30, 2021 in Car Accidents

 Car accidents often result in property damage, serious injuries, or even death. Victims and their families may be left with significant medical bills, repair costs, and other expenses. They may also be unable to work or complete daily responsibilities while recovering from car crash injuries. Fortunately, compensation for these costs and other damages may be available through a personal injury case. If you or a loved one were involved in a car accident in Illinois, it is important to understand how Illinois handles shared fault accidents. 

Modified Comparative Negligence

If you cannot reach a settlement with the insurance company, you may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit. Illinois personal injury cases are subject to a legal doctrine called “modified comparative negligence.” Under modified comparative negligence, if someone is more than 50 percent at fault for an accident, they are barred from recovering anything. However, if a driver is 50 percent or less to blame for the accident, they may still be entitled to financial compensation for their damages. In cases of shared fault, a party’s compensation is reduced by his or her percentage of fault.

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 Posted on July 23, 2021 in Car Accidents

Drivers are generally aware of the risks they face while using the roads. Car accidents can occur for many different reasons, and most of the time, driver negligence is the primary cause behind a collision. However, there are other issues that can affect safety on the roads, including conditions that lead to dangerous highways, such as cargo loads that have fallen from trucks. People in Central Illinois recently encountered a unique and unexpected issue when olive oil that had leaked onto the roadway affected vehicles’ ability to maintain the proper traction.

Olive Oil Spill in Farmer City

On July 16, 2021, several roads in Farmer City were shut down because they were covered with a slippery, oily substance. It was later discovered that a tanker truck that had traveled through the area had sprung a leak, causing olive oil to spill on the roads. While the largest concentration of olive oil was in a gas station parking lot near the intersection of State Route 54 and State Route 150, the truck continued to leak oil while traveling east on I-74 and continuing north on I-57.

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