Posted on May 11, 2015 in Firm News

Regular motorists across Illinois rarely get in their vehicle without a GPS device or their cellphone handy. This is because when we need to get somewhere unfamiliar, we typically need the help of a map app and real-time directions. Over the years, these devices and products have greatly improved a driver's experience in getting from one place to another by identifying the shortest route, making notes of heavy traffic levels and even setting up alerts for police and crashes on the side of the road.

However, these apps may not be that useful for truckers who are required to comply with strict road restrictions that aren't often noted in the apps that other drivers use every day. A trucker needs to have access to information about bridge heights and weight restrictions, and this information isn't always as accessible as most people would like.

A couple years ago, the Illinois Department of Transportation formalized efforts to make this type of information available to truckers on a more regular and reliable basis. We wrote an article about this law, which can be read by clicking here, and noted that a bill had been passed requiring local governments in this state to submit truck route information to IDOT. This information could then be referred to by truckers who are driving in or through this state.

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 Posted on May 05, 2015 in Firm News

Too many people make the mistake of thinking that patients in a nursing home facility have no family members who want to care for them or have no family whatsoever. But the fact is that nursing home residents often have family members who love and care for them very much.

While relatives may not be able to serve as a care provider for an elderly loved one by themselves, they can be vital advocates and protectors to ensure a nursing home patient is being properly cared for.

Unfortunately, nursing home residents are vulnerable and may be at risk for being abused or neglected. Their mental capacity may be diminishing, their physical strength may be depleted and their emotional and psychological state may be greatly compromised by medication, depression and other illnesses. This can make them a target for ruthless, opportunistic people who may be the very same people tasked with providing care.

While family members and loved ones cannot keep an eye on these patients all day every day, there are important ways that they can act as protectors. In order to minimize the risk of neglect or abuse, family members can:

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 Posted on April 29, 2015 in Firm News

The farming industry looks much different today than it did just a generation ago. Machines are larger and more technologically advanced; certain techniques have evolved over time; fewer people may be needed to do jobs that may now be automated. But at its core, farming is still the same in many ways.

Growing crops and tending to animals still requires physical labor, and people still work long hours outside to provide critical resources for themselves and consumers. Further, all of these responsibilities and tasks still come with certain risks. Whether you work on a smaller family farm or a large, commercial farm, you will face hazards at your job that can put your life and safety in danger.

Farm workers can suffer an injury in several different ways, depending on the nature of the tasks they are performing.

For example, people who work with animals on a farm can be bitten or charged at. Even driving around farm animals can lead to an accident if one gets loose and causes a collision. Farm animals can be very big and strong, so the damage they can do to a person is often quite serious.

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 Posted on April 20, 2015 in Firm News

In several articles on our website, we discuss the fact that workers' compensation laws in Illinois have undergone some big changes in recent years and more could be on the way. In one article, which can be read by clicking here, we discuss certain Senate- and House-proposed measure that could limit the amount of benefits available and who is eligible for workers' compensation benefits.

One thing that remains the same, however, is the fact that workers have certain deadlines that must be met in order to qualify for benefits. 

For example, injured workers have a small window of time to notify an employer of an injury. According to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, such incidents should be reported as soon as possible, but more specifically, notification must be given no later than 45 days after an injury has been suffered, though there are certain exceptions.

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 Posted on April 15, 2015 in Car Accidents

We recently reported that Illinois lawmakers are considering two bills designed to deter people from getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. The proposed legislation would increase the penalties for DUI, targeting habitual offenders and lengthening the required ignition interlock period for people with at least two convictions.

Harsher penalties for DUI could be a solution for reducing the number of serious and fatal accidents that occur each year due to impaired driving, but it is a reactive approach. It is only one side of a two-sided coin. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) believes that addressing the issue of alcoholism at an early age will help attack the problem proactively.

This April is the 27th Anniversary of Alcohol Awareness Month, an annual awareness campaign sponsored by NCADD. "Help for Today. Hope For Tomorrow" is the theme for this year, and, if you have not guessed it yet, underage drinking is the targeted behavior. Studies show that kids who start drinking by age 15 are four times more susceptible to alcoholism.

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 Posted on April 15, 2015 in Car Accidents

Getting injured in a car crash can change a person's life in the blink of an eye. But while all car accidents have the potential to be catastrophic, drunk driving accidents in particular all share one unique quality: they can all be prevented.

For decades, efforts to curb or prevent drunk driving have launched in earnest, from increasing police patrols to increasing marketing and educational campaigns. These efforts have seen some success, but the fact remains that too many people still get in their cars after drinking too much and cause a serious accident. Currently, lawmakers in Illinois are considering new policies that are aimed at tackling drunk driving from inside a person's car.

There are two bills that are currently awaiting vote by lawmakers. Both of them involve repeat drunk drivers, ignition interlock devices and improving driving restrictions.

The first bill would extend the amount of a time people with two DUI offenses would have the ignition interlock device installed in their vehicles. Before getting a license reinstated, drivers would be required to have the breath-testing device in their car for five years without re-offending.

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 Posted on April 10, 2015 in Articles

On behalf of Ronald Kanoski

Traumatic brain injuries, a serious form of head injury, can often result from car accidents.

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries in the nation. In the United States, 2.3 million people were injured in car accidents during 2013 alone. Of the 285,477 car accidents that occurred in Illinois during the same time, just over 61,000 (or 21.4 percent) involved an injury of some sort.

When an accident occurs, people that suffer from less catastrophic injuries can heal in a few days, weeks or months. The less fortunate, however, suffer potentially life-changing injuries. A particular type of catastrophic injury that can occur during a car accident is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In fact, car accidents are the second leading cause of TBIs after falls.

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 Posted on March 04, 2015 in Firm News

For decades, workers have been told that they can seek appropriate compensation if they are injured on the job. They are told that they don't need to prove negligence and they don't need to be worried about going through a lengthy lawsuit against an employer to seek much-needed benefits thanks to the workers' compensation program.

Unfortunately, changes to this program over the years have been making this increasingly difficult. Across the U.S., reforms to workers' compensation have putting caps on benefits, changing medical requirements and affecting the coverage workers do and do not get. Now, more reforms could be coming to Illinois workers' compensation, and it will be interesting to see if and how workers will be affected.

State lawmakers have been pushing for reform since it was reported that Illinois is one of the costliest states for these benefits. Additionally, it has been noted that insurance companies are having to pay out for a significant amount of injuries in Illinois when compared to other states that have a higher bar set for compensating work-related injuries. Because of all this, the state is considering a number of reforms to the workers' compensation program in this state.

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 Posted on February 26, 2015 in Articles

BY ALAN BAVLEY

The Kansas City Star

Posted on Sat, Dec. 17, 2011 07:07 PM

Buried deep in a federal database is Practitioner No. 222117, perhaps the most frequently disciplined doctor in America.

This doctor has been accused of violating drug laws, prescribing unauthorized medications, providing substandard care and obtaining licenses through fraud.

From 2002 through 2006, 20 states and the District of Columbia revoked or suspended No. 222117's medical licenses. Two professional societies took away the doctor's memberships. The Department of Health and Human Services banned the doctor from billing Medicare and Medicaid. And the Drug Enforcement Administration revoked the doctor's permit to prescribe controlled drugs. For most of these years, the doctor's home base was Missouri.

But who is this doctor? And is he or she still practicing?

We don't know. The federal government won't say. And it won't even let reporters or anyone else investigate to find out.

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 Posted on February 25, 2015 in Firm News

Collisions involving a huge tractor trailers are among the most catastrophic types of motor vehicle accidents. The sheer size and weight of a truck make it an enormous threat to other motorists if a trucker loses control of his or her rig.

In many cases, victims of these accidents and their families are eligible to collect compensation for the considerable damage that can be done in a truck accident. However, pursuing this compensation can be very complicated, especially if you are already struggling to recover from a crash.

To begin with, you must be sure that there are grounds for a legal claim in the first case. You will need to establish that negligence or recklessness contributed to the accident, which means finding evidence of factors like distraction, failed maintenance, improper operation and other indicators of a failed duty of care.

It will also be necessary to identify all the parties that may be liable for the accident. In many motor vehicle accidents, it is only the driver who may responsible for the crash. But in truck accidents, there may be reason to hold a truck company or product manufacturer accountable for the crash in addition to or instead of the trucker.

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