Recent Blog Posts
Recovering Compensation in a Motorcycle Collision
On June 11, a Palatine man was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident in Elgin. Despite the fact that he was wearing a helmet, the injuries suffered in the collision ultimately proved fatal. Every year, thousands of people are fatally injured in motorcycle accidents throughout the United States.
According to statistics compiled by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), just under 5,000 people were fatally injured in motorcycle accidents, throughout 2017. Due to the limited protection that motorcycles provide their riders, the injuries suffered can be increasingly life-threatening. Motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to suffer fatal injuries in an accident, than standard motor vehicle passengers. If you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to significant injury compensation.
Seeking Injury Compensation
In the aftermath of a serious injury, it is entirely common to feel helpless. For motorcyclists, injuries suffered can range from spinal cord injuries to brain trauma. These types of serious injuries can leave a person with astronomical medical expenses and an inability to return to work for some time. Because of the severity of many motorcycle injuries, it is incredibly important to secure compensation in the aftermath of an injury.
Seeking Compensation in a Bicycle Accident
Every year, thousands of bicyclists are seriously injured in accidents, throughout the United States. In many of these instances, the accidents involve an automobile. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 783 bicyclists were fatally injured throughout 2017, in accidents involving automobiles. Due to the limited protection that cyclists have while riding (even when wearing proper protective gear, and helmets), the injuries suffered in a collision with a standard motor vehicle can be life altering. In a significant number of these collisions, the accident was caused by the negligence of the motorist. Below we will examine simple steps you can take to secure injury compensation, in the case of a bicycle accident.
Speak with an Attorney
After a collision of any magnitude, the first and most important step you can take is to speak with an attorney. Even if you are not looking to secure injury compensation in an accident, a quality attorney can examine the events that lead up to the accident and prove whether or not your actions or the actions of the other party caused the collision. Selecting an attorney you can trust can be a difficult proposition. In order to know you are making the right decision, you should meet with the attorney in person and take an extensive look into their prior client experience.
Establishing Fault in a Rear-End Collision
Every single year, thousands of Americans suffer injuries in rear-end collisions. From whiplash to traumatic brain injuries, even low speed rear-end collisions can result in significant injury. In many cases, these injuries can cost a person thousands in medical expenses while impacting their overall quality of life. Due to the monetary ramifications of many of these collisions, it is incredibly important to secure injury compensation from the responsible party. In order to secure the compensation you deserve, you must establish who was at fault for the collision. In the event of a motor vehicle collision, seek out quality legal assistance, as soon as possible.
Who Was the Responsible Party?
In the aftermath of the collision, you need to hire a skilled legal professional. After hiring your attorney, the two of you will examine the events that led up to the collision. This is done to explore whether or not the other party involved in the accident was acting in a negligent manner.
Examining Drunk Driving Accidents Throughout Illinois
Here in the state of Illinois, law enforcement officials are constantly on the lookout for inebriated drivers. According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, more than 27,000 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, throughout 2017 alone. Despite that fact, drunk driving is still a significant safety threat to travelers throughout the state. In 2017, alcohol was the primary cause of approximately 30% of all statewide traffic fatalities. In all, drunk driving leads to 330 fatalities, throughout 2017. If you or a loved one suffer an injury in a car accident, involving a drunk driver, it is important to contact an experienced attorney.
A Deeper Dive
Perhaps it should come as no surprise, that many drunk driving collisions occur during night-time driving hours. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 32% of all fatal drunk driving collisions, in 2016, occurred between midnight and 4:00 am. Equally unsurprising is the fact that 41% of all deadly drunk driving accidents occurred on either Friday or Saturday. Tragically, drinking and driving can impact every kind of traveler. Drunk drivers are less likely to react to pedestrians or bicyclists, due to diminished reaction time and blurred vision.
Legal Options When an Elderly Loved One Suffers a Fall
Here in the United States, millions of senior citizens live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Placing your loved one into professional care can be an incredibly difficult decision, and once that decision is made, you are putting your trust and faith into the hands of the facility’s staff. Unfortunately, that trust is not always rewarded. Today, falls are the leading cause of serious injury among elderly Americans. In many instances, falls are caused by the negligence of the nursing home staff. If your loved one suffers an injury, it is time to seek out the assistance of a legal professional.
Alarming Fall Statistics
Every year, more than three million elderly Americans suffer fall injuries that ultimately require emergency department visits. In approximately 20% of all fall incidents, the impact results in significant injury. For senior citizens, the physical ramifications of a fall can be life-changing. More than 300,000 elderly Americans suffer broken hips each year. Upwards of 95% of all broken hips are caused by falls.
Protecting Your Elderly Loved One from Abuse
When a family makes the decision to put an elderly loved one into a nursing home facility, they are putting their complete trust into the facility and its employees. Unfortunately, many nursing home employees take advantage of this trust by abusing or negligently caring for their vulnerable patients. Abuse of the elderly can come in various forms, ranging from physical violence and sexual misconduct to emotional abuse and failure to properly care. If your elderly loved one has been abused, it is time to seek out the assistance of a trained legal professional.
The Impacts of Abuse
Here in the United States, nursing home abuse is far more common than any of us would like to assume. Approximately one in ten elderly Americans have faced some sort of abuse. According to statistics compiled by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), as many as 5 million Americans over the age of 60, are abused each year. Physical abuse can lead to broken bones, internal bleeding, and other life-threatening symptoms, for elderly people that are already physically vulnerable.
How Can I Pursue Compensation for Injuries to Children?
Every year, thousands of American children are severely injured in accidents of various kinds. Regardless of how the injuries occur, nothing can devastate a parent more than to hear that their child has been hurt. In many cases, injuries to children are caused by the negligent actions of another party. If your child suffers an injury, it is important to speak with a knowledgeable and compassionate personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Child Injuries
Children can be very resilient, and they often seem to bounce back quickly after being hurt. However, when a young child is severely injured, their life can be impacted forever. From tissue damage to traumatic brain injuries, a serious injury to a child can last a lifetime. Some of the most common causes of serious child injuries are listed below:
The Danger of Train Accidents in the U.S.
Here in the Chicago metropolitan area, thousands of commuters utilize public transportation to get to and from work each day. Chicago is home to an intricate rail system with Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Amtrak, and Metra trains. While trains are one of the safest public transit systems in the United States, accidents do occur.
According to statistics compiled by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 864 Americans were fatally injured in train accidents in 2017, while thousands of others were injured, many severely. If you or a loved one are injured in a train accident, you may be entitled to injury compensation.
Types of Train Accidents
Average trains can weigh anywhere from 1,500 to 6,000 tons. Due to the size of most trains, collisions can be devastating. Listed below are some of the common forms of train collisions:
How Can I Receive Compensation for My Loved One’s Wrongful Death?
Every single year, thousands of Americans are fatally injured due to negligence. Dealing with the emotions resulting from a death in the family can be unbearable. Whether they were caused by drunk driving, medical malpractice, or another form of negligence, wrongful death cases can be especially devastating. For families that experience a death, the financial impact (such as the loss of wages) can be crippling. If a member of your family has been fatally injured due to the negligence of another party, you should seek out a legal professional you can trust.
The Most Common Forms of Wrongful Death
According to Illinois’ Wrongful Death Act, a wrongful death lawsuit may be pursued by a victim’s surviving family members if their death was caused by any negligent actions that could have resulted in a personal injury case. Some of the most common forms of wrongful death in the United States include:
Why Distracted Driving Can Lead to Serious Car Accident Injuries
A recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that phone use by drivers, such as texting, browsing the internet, and selecting song choices, has risen dramatically over the past few years. In the four-year span from 2014 to 2018, the number of people observed using their phones while driving rose by a staggering 57%.
Distracted driving can be especially dangerous in urban and suburban areas. In the greater Chicago area, texting while driving and other types of distractions can put everyone at risk. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident that was caused by distracted driving, you should work with an attorney to pursue compensation from the negligent driver.