Posted on June 13, 2024 in Personal Injury

Illinois has a buzzing nightlife. There are over 1,600 nightclubs and bars in Chicago alone. But a side effect of any bustling night scene is an increase in violence, often fueled by alcohol. It is not uncommon for fights to break out in bars and clubs among partygoers after a couple of rounds of drinks. Unfortunately, these fights sometimes cause injuries — not only to the participants but also to innocent bystanders.

If you were injured in a bar fight, you are probably wondering who you can sue for damages. You might be able to sue the person in the fight who injured you. You also might be able to sue the establishment if you can prove that its management was negligent. Negligence means that the bar or nightclub managers did not take reasonable action to ensure the safety of patrons.

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 Posted on June 07, 2024 in Wrongful Death

In the world of personal injury, some claims are easier to win than others. The level of difficulty depends on factors such as:

• The severity of the injury

• The amount of evidence

• The competence of the personal injury attorney

When it comes to wrongful death claims, there are factors that make such lawsuits both easier and harder to win. On the one hand, a wrongful death lawsuit involves death, the worst kind of injury. On the other hand, some damages in a wrongful death lawsuit are harder to get compensation for because they are harder to prove.

What Is Wrongful Death?

According to the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, wrongful death happens when a person dies as a result of someone else’s “wrongful act, neglect or default.” One of the most common examples of a wrongful death is when a person is killed by a drunk driver. In a wrongful death case, relatives of the deceased victim sue the party who they believe is responsible for the death. 

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 Posted on May 28, 2024 in Personal Injury

When a person suffers a personal injury because of someone else, the injured party often wants compensation for damages that were caused. In many cases, this requires the victim to prove that the other party was negligent. Negligence means that the person who caused the injury did not take reasonable care to avoid causing damage.

Proving negligence can be a difficult task. If you are seeking compensation for damages, your Illinois personal injury attorney will need to prove the four elements of negligence:

• Duty

• Breach

• Causation

• Damages

This article will discuss the four elements of negligence and how they apply to personal injuries.

Duty of Care

The first element of negligence is showing that there was a duty of care. You need to prove that the defendant — the person who caused the injury — had a responsibility to take a certain amount of care to avoid the injury.

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 Posted on May 21, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice — which is when a medical professional causes injury to a patient — is the third most common cause of death in the United States. Nearly 20,000 medical malpractice claims are filed each year, and medical errors are reported to cause 9.5% of all U.S. deaths annually. In 2022, the State of Illinois paid out $222 million for medical malpractice claims.

But even though it is not uncommon, medical malpractice is hard to prove without the help of an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney. This article will discuss some of the ways to prove that an injury was due to medical malpractice.

The Standard of Care Was Violated

Standard of care is a legal term that refers to the basic level of care expected from health professionals. It is what any qualified caregiver would be expected to do in a given circumstance. If you want to claim medical malpractice, one of the things you need to prove is that the medical professional breached the standard of care.

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 Posted on May 09, 2024 in Personal Injury

If you were injured on property belonging to the State of Illinois, you may be able to sue the state government. However, suing the government for an injury is not the same as suing a company or private individual. The rules for claiming damages are very different if you were injured by state property, so it is best to consult an Illinois personal injury attorney about your specific case.

This article will discuss government liability for injuries and when you can claim damages from the Illinois state government.

What Are Some Examples of Government Liability?

Like people and corporations, governments are responsible — or liable — for damage caused by their property. Common cases in which the government might be liable for damages include:

• A person is injured because of a defect in a sidewalk maintained by the state.

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 Posted on May 06, 2024 in Personal Injury

Catastrophic injuries are injuries that have severe and life-long impacts, often impairing a victim’s ability to live life the way he or she is used to. They can also impact a victim's ability to earn future income. Catastrophic injuries may have long recovery times and result in serious medical bills, leading to an overwhelming situation for victims and their families.

An experienced Illinois catastrophic injury lawyer can help you pursue a claim for compensation in court to recover damages that help you cover expenses related to your injury.

Common Types of Catastrophic Injuries

Catastrophic injuries occur in a variety of ways, though the most common incidents that lead to catastrophic injuries include construction or factory workplace accidents, trucking accidents, car and motorcycle accidents, and fire, explosion, or chemical burn accidents.

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 Posted on April 25, 2024 in Personal Injury

When someone is hurt due to someone else’s actions, they can generally find legal justification to seek compensation for the associated costs from the person who caused the injury. Typical categories of damages include medical bills, income loss, and something known as “pain and suffering.” While medical bills and income loss are typically objective and calculated based on the bottom line of a medical bill or a missed salary, pain and suffering are more subjective. A knowledgeable Springfield, IL personal injury attorney can answer your questions about how pain and suffering might be calculated in your case.

What Does “Pain and Suffering” Cover?

Pain and suffering is a category that covers many aspects of the consequences of an injury. A qualified personal injury lawyer should be able to advocate for your rights and demonstrate that you are entitled to compensation for the mah parts of your life that have been affected by the incident in question. These include:

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 Posted on April 23, 2024 in Workers' Compensation

Workplace accidents can fall anywhere on a wide range of severity. You could slip in a puddle in the office bathroom, fall off a broken desk chair, have improperly secured equipment fall on you, and more. Whatever happens, there are some steps you should take on the day of the accident that can help your workers’ compensation claim get processed more smoothly. This article will explain some of the steps, but if you are involved in a workplace accident, you should speak with a skilled Springfield, IL workers’ compensation attorney who can advise you on what to do next.

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

Whether you require an ambulance and paramedics and need to get ushered into the emergency room or your injuries are less urgent and you just need to be examined to make sure you are not letting any issue go unnoticed, the first thing you should do if you are involved in a workplace accident is to seek medical attention. Do not wait till your work day is over. This will help in two ways: First, it means you are getting the treatment you need, and second, it means there will be documentation and medical records of your injury, which can be used as evidence of your claims later on.

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 Posted on April 15, 2024 in Truck Accidents

Like all vehicle crashes, truck accidents can be the result of several different factors: a part malfunction, speeding, drunk driving, road conditions, and more. One factor that is quite common in truck accidents is known as driver fatigue. People whose job it is to deliver goods to various locations and are paid based on the number of deliveries they make have an interest in making as many deliveries as possible. It can encourage a lack of sufficient self-care and a failure to sleep enough to be safely well-rested on the roads. There are federal rules and regulations in place to limit the number of hours a truck driver is legally allowed to drive before a required break, based on the understanding that such breaks are necessary for safe driving. If you were hit by a truck, an experienced Bloomington, IL personal injury lawyer can review the case and investigate whether driver fatigue may have played a role.

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 Posted on April 04, 2024 in Wrongful Death

Reports about shootings are unfortunately becoming more commonplace. Whether you know someone who was specifically targeted or they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when a shooting that had nothing to do with them took place, the death of a loved one in a fatal shooting can be extremely difficult to deal with.

In some cases, a shooting victim’s family wants to see the shooter penalized for his act of violence. In other cases, the family thinks this is in vain since it will not bring their relatives back to life. Sometimes, the family will pursue a wrongful death suit, which could at least provide them with financial compensation for any damages and costs resulting from the shooting. Regardless of the circumstances, if a gunshot wound led to the death of your loved one, you should speak with a Champaigne, IL personal injury lawyer to understand what recourse might be available to you.

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