According to a recent Gallup poll, approximately 33 million adults in the United States have visited a chiropractor in the last 12 months. Chiropractic treatments seek to relieve joint pain and stiffness through manual manipulation of the spine and other joints. However, chiropractic adjustments have also been associated with adverse consequences including herniated disk, nerve compression, and even stroke. If a chiropractor’s negligence leads to a patient’s injury or death, the chiropractor may be subject to a medical malpractice claim.

Chiropractic Treatments and Vertebral Artery Dissection

The majority of adults will experience mild to moderate back pain at some point in their lives. For many, pain and stiffness in the neck or back becomes unbearable. Some sufferers turn to chiropractors in pursuit of relief. The majority of chiropractic adjustments do not result in serious patient harm. However, chiropractic manipulation of the spine has been linked with serious medical complications, including occlusion or dissection of the vertebral artery which often leads to stroke.

In a study published by the American Heart Association, individuals who suffered vertebrobasilar accidents were five times more likely than the control group to have visited a chiropractor in the week preceding the vertebrobasilar accident. Another study found that stroke victims under the age of 60 who suffered tears in the vertebral artery were six times more likely to have had chiropractic adjustments in the preceding 30 days than stroke victims that did not suffer tears in the vertebral artery.

A typical car accident injury case is already complicated. When multiple vehicles are involved in a collision, the case becomes even more complex. If you or a loved one were involved in a pile-up accident, you may be curious about how these accidents are handled from a legal perspective. Is the driver of the vehicle that initially caused the collision liable for all of the other collisions? Am I liable for hitting someone else’s vehicle because I was rear-ended? Questions like these are what make injury claims involving pile-ups so difficult to navigate.

Seeking Compensation for Damages Through a Personal Injury Claim

Last month, smoke from a grass fire caused a multiple vehicle pile-up accident in Illinois. Nine vehicles and one semi-truck were involved in the collision. Several of the individuals involved in the crash sustained serious injuries and needed to be airlifted to the hospital. Accidents involving multiple vehicles often cause chain reactions that result in multiple severe injuries and fatalities. If you or a loved one were hurt in a multiple vehicle accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.

Assigning Fault for a Multiple Vehicle Accident

Liability in a pile-up accident often falls to multiple parties. Understanding exactly how an accident unfolded and who is at fault is no simple task. Accident reconstruction is often a very useful tool in situations such as these. Your personal injury attorney may work with an accident reconstruction specialist to recreate the accident using computer programs, illustrations, and physical models. Evidence such as vehicle crash recorder data, traffic camera footage, and witness testimony is often key to understanding fault through accident reconstruction.

If an accident victim suffers a spinal cord injury, brain injury, or broken neck, he or she may be left with partial or full paralysis. Waking up in a hospital room and realizing that you are paralyzed is one of the most terrifying experiences that a person can go through. Paralysis victims often require a tremendous amount of medical care and attention and are unable to complete work tasks and daily responsibilities. This can lead to a heavy financial burden. Through a personal injury lawsuit, a paralysis victim may be awarded financial compensation for the damages caused by his or her paralysis.

When is a Successful Paralysis Injury Lawsuit Possible?

Paraplegia, quadriplegia, and other forms of paralysis are often caused by motor vehicle accidents. Work accidents, falling, and physical violence may also lead to paralyzing injuries. Whatever the cause of the paralysis, a successful paralysis injury lawsuit requires the same basic components as other injury lawsuits:

• Duty – The defendant had a duty to exercise reasonable care.
• Breach of duty – The defendant breached or violated the duty of care.
• Causation – The defendant’s actions or lack of action caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
• Damages – The plaintiff suffered damages because of his or her injuries.

Often, one of the hardest parts of a personal injury claim is identifying who is liable for the injury. For example, many catastrophic motor vehicle collisions involve several different vehicles and multiple liable parties. A skilled personal injury lawyer can identify who is liable for damages and pursue compensation for those damages.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roofing is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. In 2017 alone, 2,060 roofers were injured and 96 were killed on the job. Falling accounts for a large percentage of severe and deadly roofing accidents. If you or a loved one suffered a catastrophic injury on a roofing job, you may be facing expensive medical bills and major financial hardship. You may be able to get compensation for your losses through workers’ compensation or a third-party claim.

Getting Financial Compensation for Injuries Caused in a Roofing Accident

Roofing accidents are often life-changing. Severely broken bones, internal organ damage, and debilitating spine injuries are not uncommon. An injured roofer may be left with limited mobility or may even be paralyzed in a roofing accident. Traumatic brain injuries with devastating physical, mental, and psychological effects are also common consequences of a roofing accident. If you or a loved one were hurt while on a roofing job, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more. However, the types and amount of compensation that you may recover depend on your worker classification, who is liable for the accident, and several other factors.  

Determining Liability for Your Accident  

If you are an employee of a company in Illinois, your employer is required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation typically covers medical expenses and two-thirds of the injured worker’s lost income. An employee is covered by workers’ compensation regardless of who is at fault for the accident. However, getting the compensation you need and deserve from a workers’ compensation insurer is often much more difficult than it would seem. Furthermore, if you are classified as an independent contractor and not an employee, you may not be entitled to workers’ compensation.

Our senses enable us to interact with the world around us. Everything from working to communicating with our loved ones involves our senses. When an injurious incident leaves a person with reduced hearing or vision, the consequences are often life-changing. If you or a loved one have suffered vision or hearing loss because of another party’s negligent or malicious actions, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recover damages.

Incidents Resulting in Vision or Hearing Loss

Accidents causing vision or hearing loss can happen almost anywhere. A workplace accident may expose a worker to toxic chemicals that harm his or her eyes. Explosions or working around loud machinery can cause hearing loss as well. Car accidents resulting in lacerations to the face or traumatic brain injury may also lead to hearing or vision problems. The cause of an individual’s hearing or vision impairment may be intentional physical violence as well. Being the victim of a robbery, assault, or another violent attack can leave a person with temporary or permanent vision loss.

A personal injury claim may help a victim of negligence or intentional wrongdoing hold the at-fault party accountable for their disability. The at-fault party may be an individual or it may be a company, property owner, government entity, or another party.

For many, riding a motorcycle is one of the best things in life. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are significantly more likely to die during a collision than occupants of cars and trucks. If your loved one died in a fatal motorcycle crash, you may be shocked and unsure of what to do next. In addition to your grief, you may be facing considerable financial hardship because of your loss. One legal option that you may have after losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident is a wrongful death lawsuit. Through a wrongful death action, you may be able to recover financial compensation for the losses incurred by your loved one’s death.

A Wrongful Death is a Death Caused by Negligence or Wrongdoing

According to Illinois law, a wrongful death action is possible when a death is caused by “negligence,” meaning carelessness or recklessness, or wrongdoing. You may be able to bring a wrongful death case if your loved one’s motorcycle accident was caused by:

• Negligent driving such as distracted driving, running a red light, or speeding
• Drunk driving or drugged driving
• Negligent road design or substandard road maintenance
• Defective motorcycle parts
• Other conduct that is negligent or unlawful

Potential Benefits of a Wrongful Death Claim After a Motorcycle Collision

A wrongful death action may allow you to get justice for your loved one and hold the responsible party accountable. You may also be able to recover financial compensation. There is no amount of money that could make up for someone’s death. However, a wrongful death claim may ease the financial burden you are facing.  

A personal injury lawsuit can serve two vital functions in an injured person’s life: Holding the liable party responsible for the injury and recovering financial compensation for damages. When we think about personal injury damages, medical bills and immediate costs incurred by the injury usually come to mind. However, these losses often pale in comparison to the long-term costs resulting from the injury. In many catastrophic injury cases, the greatest loss that an injured person suffers is the loss of his or her ability to earn a living. If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries in an incident caused by negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for lost earning capacity.

Compensation for Injuries That Cause Loss of Functioning or Disability

Semi-truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, construction accidents, intentional acts of physical violence, and countless other incidents can leave a person with catastrophic injuries. If you or a loved one suffered an injury that caused paralysis, amputation, neurological damage, loss of vision or hearing, or other long-term health consequences, is it important to know your rights. You or your loved one may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, damage to your future earning capacity, and more.

Determining How Much Compensation You Are Entitled To

If your injuries forced you to work fewer hours, take a lower-paying position, or left you unable to work at all, you may be compensated for the reduction in your earning capacity. The amount you could receive depends on an estimation of the income you would have received if not for the injury-causing incident. The amount of compensation that you could recover depends on several different factors, including:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural workers like farmers and ranchers have one of the most dangerous professions in the country. Over 250 agricultural workers were killed while performing work duties and 280 received non-fatal injuries in the year 2018 alone. If you or your loved one suffered a disabling injury in an agricultural work accident, it is essential to know your rights. You may be able to recover compensation through workers’ compensation as well as a third-party claim.

Understanding Your Available Options

Workers in the agricultural industry work with dangerous chemicals, heavy agricultural machinery, and from great heights. If you or your loved one were seriously hurt in a tractor rollover, fall, or machinery accident, you may be left wondering what your legal options are. Per the Illinois Workers’ compensation Act, the owners of small agricultural enterprises may be exempt from workers’ compensation. If your employer does carry workers’ compensation insurance, this should cover your medical bills and part of your lost income; however, workers’ compensation alone may not cover the full extent of the financial harm caused by your injury. You may have a permanent disability or reduction in functioning that affects you for months or years after the incident. This can result in an overwhelming financial burden. If another party’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident, you may be able to bring a separate claim against that party.

Bringing a Personal Injury Claim Against a Negligent Third Party

If the actions of a third-party resulted in your injury, you may be able to bring a civil claim against that party. You have the right to bring a personal injury claim against a negligent third party if:

While they are painful, cuts, bruises, and even most broken bones eventually heal. Some injuries change the entire course of a person’s life. If you or a loved one have suffered an amputation injury, you know just how devastating this type of catastrophic injury can be. Losing a hand, foot, arm, or leg in an accident is something that no one should have to go through – especially when the loss of limb is caused by the negligence of another party. A personal injury claim can help victims of amputation injuries recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

Types of Negligent Conduct That Can Lead to Loss of a Limb

Amputation injuries are sometimes caused by the carelessness or negligence of another individual or entity. Dismemberment may be caused by a singular traumatic event such as a car crash, motorcycle collision, truck accident, or pedestrian accident. Incidents involving heavy machinery such as construction accidents and agricultural accidents are also a top cause of amputation injuries. Fireworks accidents and explosions may also lead to losing a limb.

Amputation could also be a product of substandard medical care. Infections, blood vessel disease, diabetes, and other medical issues that are not properly diagnosed and treated may require surgical amputation of a limb. The party liable for your amputation injury may be the manufacturer of a defective product, a drunk driver, a negligent contractor at a construction site, a negligent medical provider, or a number of other individuals.

Some injuries occur in a split second but result in lifelong consequences. If you or a loved one have suffered a catastrophic injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Compensation for the financial harm caused by the catastrophic injury as well as the non-financial consequences of the injury may be available. Because a catastrophic injury has such a profound impact on the injured person, these cases are usually higher value than cases involving milder injuries. If you are interested in bringing a personal injury claim after a catastrophic injury, it is important to work with an attorney who has experience handling high value cases.

What is a Catastrophic Injury?

Although painful, people eventually recover from injuries such as broken bones and lacerations. A catastrophic injury, on the other hand, is one that can affect a person for the rest of his or her life. Catastrophic injuries are injuries that result in long-term or permanent disability or loss of functioning.

Common examples of catastrophic injuries include:

Understandably, most people are nervous about having a surgical procedure done. Whether it is a minor procedure or a major surgery, going under the knife can be nerve-racking. While most surgeries are completed without complication, some surgery patients are injured or even killed by surgical mistakes. If you or a loved one were harmed by a surgical mistake at an ambulatory surgical center, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim. You may be able to recover compensation for your medical debts, lost wages, and other damages.

Errors at Outpatient Surgery Centers

More and more surgery patients are turning to same-day surgery centers for routine procedures. These centers are often less expensive and more convenient than having the surgery performed in a hospital operating room. However, an investigation led by USA Today and Kaiser Health News suggests that ambulatory surgery centers may not be the safest choice for even minor surgeries. Through the investigation, they found that 260 people had died after having routine surgeries at ambulatory surgery centers between 2013 and 2018. Many point to under-trained staff and lack of government oversight as reasons for their distrust in surgery centers. However, each case is different and there may be a multitude of factors that lead to a bad surgical outcome.

Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Same-Day Surgery Centers

If you or a loved one suffered new or worsening medical conditions after visiting a surgery center, you may wonder if you can bring a medical malpractice claim against the facility. There are four key components in a medical malpractice claim:

While we usually think of dogs as adorable pets, they are also animals capable of causing serious injuries and even death. Dog bites can cause severe lacerations, puncture wounds, nerve damage, and broken bones. An individual pushed to the ground in a dog attack may also suffer a traumatic brain injury, back injury, or another type of bodily injury. Sadly, some dog attack victims do not survive these injuries. If you or a loved one were the victim of a dog bite, you may be curious to learn about dog bite-related laws in Illinois.

Dog Owner Liability

Owning a dog is a serious responsibility. Dog owners have a legal duty to protect others from their dogs. Many dog bites and dog attacks occur because a negligent owner let the dog run through the neighborhood or failed to keep the dog on lease on public property like a park. The laws describing dog owner liability vary from state to state. In some states, a dog owner is not legally responsible for a dog attack if the dog had no history of aggression. These so called “one free bite” laws allow a dog owner to evade liability if they did not know that the animal was capable of biting. Illinois is not a “one free bite” state. Dog owners are strictly liable for injures caused by their dog. If you or a loved one were injured by a dog, you will not need to prove that the dog has vicious tendencies.

Damages in a Dog Bite Injury Claim

A premises liability claim may allow you to hold a dog owner accountable for injuries caused by his or her dog. It may also allow you to recover financial compensation for your damages. Dog bites can cause considerable physical and mental injuries. You may be compensated for your hospital and doctor bills, medication, surgery, x-rays and other medical tests, mental health treatment, and more. You may also receive compensation for your lost wages from the time you spent off work while recovering. If the injuries have reduced your ability to earn a living, compensation for the impairment to your earning capacity may also be recoverable. Non-economic damages in a dog bite injury claim may include your pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and disfigurement.  

Getting a prescription filled at a pharmacy is something most people do dozens if not hundreds of times in their life. Pharmacists have the critical responsibility of reading doctors’ prescriptions and providing the correct mediation to patients. Although rigorous regulations are designed to prevent mistakes, medication errors do sometimes occur. If you or a loved one were given the wrong medication, the wrong dosage of medication, or you were otherwise the victim of a pharmacy-related medication mistake, the pharmacy may be liable for damages. You could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and more.

Pharmacists and Other Pharmacy Staff Are Held to High Standards

Pharmacy workers must follow specific procedures and policies when dispensing medications. However, issues like staffing shortages, misinterpretation of a prescription, misunderstanding a doctor’s directions, and inattention to detail can lead to mistakes. Some of the most common pharmacy errors include:

• Dispensing the wrong medication, such as a “sound-alike” medication
• Dispensing the wrong dosage of medication
• Failing to warn patients about medication side effects
• Failing to account for patient allergies
• Failing to consider possible drug interactions with the patient’s other medications

Individuals Injured by Medication Errors May Be Entitled to Financial Compensation

To bring a valid medical malpractice claim against the pharmacy, you must show that a pharmacy’s substandard care led to some type of harm or “injury.” You must also have sustained damages because of your injuries. When pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, or other staff make medication-related errors, the results can be disastrous. While many medication mistakes go unnoticed or the patient catches the mistake before consuming the mediation, some medication-related errors result in considerable patient harm. The patient may experience new medical problems because of the mistake or the patient’s existing medical conditions may become worsened. This may lead to considerable medical costs as well as financial losses caused by missed work. Through a pharmacy malpractice claim, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred by your injury. You may also be able to recover compensation for your non-financial damages including your pain and suffering, inconvenience, emotional distress, and disability.

One of the most devastating diagnoses someone can ever receive is a cancer diagnosis. However, once a person has been diagnosed with cancer, they can begin treatment. The sooner a patient learns his or her diagnosis, the sooner they can begin exploring their options, speaking with medical experts, and starting down the road to recovery. When cancer is not caught quickly, there is typically a greater chance of the cancer spreading throughout the body. In many cases, an early cancer diagnosis and swift treatment regimen can save someone’s life. However, when a doctor fails to diagnosis cancer or misdiagnoses it as something else, the patient may experience unnecessary pain and suffering and worsened health. The diagnostic mistake may even cost the patient his or her life.

Diagnostic Mistakes Involving Cancer

There are two main types of diagnostic mistakes regarding cancer: failure to property diagnose cancer and diagnosing cancer when the patient does not actually have cancer. More commonly, a person does have cancer but doctors do not take the appropriate steps to recognize and treat the cancer. It is often very difficult to know if a doctor has made a diagnostic error. Doctors and other healthcare professionals are not omniscient. They cannot always know for sure what is wrong with a patient. However, there are some cases where a doctor’s diagnostic mistake constitutes medical negligence.  

Inadequate Testing and Improper Testing May Lead to Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer

Some medical tests are able to detect cancer before a patient even exhibits symptoms. Cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer may be detected through various types of scans. However, if a medical professional does not perform the test correctly or misinterprets the scan, a patient with cancer may be told that he or she does not have cancer. Cancer is not always detectable via scans and tests. In cases like these, doctors should use the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and family history to help make a diagnosis.

When we think about construction site injuries, we typically think about injured construction workers. When a construction worker is harmed as an employee on a construction site, he or she is typically entitled to compensation for medical bills and lost wages though workers’ compensation. You may wonder, however, what happens when a non-worker is injured at a construction site. For example, what happens if you are walking near a construction site and are injured by falling building debris? In a situation like this, you may be able to recover compensation via a personal injury claim.

Non-Employee Construction Site Injuries

Construction sites are filled with dangers. Partially-constructed buildings, suspended beams, hazardous materials, other dangers can lead to severe injuries and deaths. Construction companies and contractors are expected to follow strict safety regulations to protect the wellbeing of workers as well as non-workers. However, construction site accidents still can and do occur. A construction accident can lead to traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal organ damage, amputation injuries, and much more.

When Does a Non-Worker Have a Valid Legal Claim?

If you were hurt on a construction site or your loved one was killed in a construction accident, you may wonder if you have a valid damages claim. Typically, a person is only entitled to compensation for injuries caused in a construction site if he or she was on the site legally. Individuals who are trespassing often have limited rights or no right to compensation. Most construction site injury or death claims are based on the concept of negligence. You may be entitled to compensation if your injury or your loved one’s death involved the following factors:

A personal injury claim is a legal action that allows someone who was injured by another party’s negligence or wrongdoing to seek compensation for damages. Injury claims are often used to pursue damages after a car accident but they may also follow slip and fall accidents, injuries caused by defective products, and other types of injury-causing incidents. An experienced personal injury lawyer is a valuable asset when bringing a personal injury claim.  

Demonstrating the Elements Needed to Prove Your Entitlement to Damages

To receive financial compensation for damages after an injury, you must establish four main points. First, the defendant, meaning the party against whom you are brining a claim, owed you a duty of care. This may the duty of a driver to drive a reasonable speed, the duty of a company to design a safe consumer product, the duty of a property owner to maintain a safe premises, or another type of duty. Next, you will need to show that the defendant failed to uphold this duty of care. Proving fault for an injury is often the most pivotal part of winning an injury claim. You will also need to show that the defendant’s breach of duty caused your injuries. Finally, you must demonstrate that you sustained damages as a result of your injuries. Damages are losses you suffered because of your injury such as medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. Your attorney can help you demonstrate each of these elements. Your attorney may consult with medical experts, accident reconstructionists, or other professionals, gather evidence such as surveillance camera footage, review police reports, and find other sources of evidence to prove the required elements.

Advocating For Your Best Interests

Bringing an injury claim is a difficult legal undertaking. Your attorney can help you understand the legal options you have in front of you and choose the legal avenue that is the most likely to be successful. He or she can also ensure that your rights are protected throughout your case. Whether it is negotiating a settlement with the insurance company, communicating with the defendant’s legal team, or representing you in court, your lawyer’s job is to advocate for your best interests. When you retain a qualified personal injury attorney, you can rest assured that you have a strong support system who will see you though the entirety of your case.

Semi-trucks and other large trucks carry everything from building supplies to groceries across the country. It is safe to say that our modern way of life would be nearly impossible without the services that trucking companies and truck drivers provide. However, large trucks can also cause horrific traffic accidents. If you or a loved one were involved in a truck accident, you may be able to recover financial compensation for damages through a personal injury claim. However, before you can successfully recover compensation, you and your attorney will need to identify the cause of the accident and determine who is liable for your damages.

Loose, Shifting, or Fallen Truck Cargo

Rigorous safety policies regulate the way that truck cargo must be loaded and secured. Truck cargo that is inside of a trailer must be loaded in such a way that the weight is evenly distributed. The cargo must be properly secured so that it does not move around the trailer during transit. When cargo is not loaded and secured correctly, it can cause the truck to become off balanced and even tip over. Cargo that is improperly loaded on a flatbed truck may fall out of the truck and onto the road. Other vehicles may collide with the fallen cargo or generate another accident trying to avoid a collision.

Driver Fatigue and Distracted Driving

Truckers often have grueling work expectations. They must drive thousands of miles a week – often on little sleep. Truck drivers are required to take breaks per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Hours of Service rules and other legislation. However, some truck drivers do not take the mandatory rest breaks and falsify their logbooks to show breaks that never actually happened. Falling asleep at the wheel and drowsy driving can cause severe truck accidents. Distracted driving such as texting while driving is another common cause of truck accidents.

 Personal injury claims are used to pursue compensation for injuries caused by another party’s wrongful, reckless, or negligent actions. There are four main components to a successful personal injury claim. You and your attorney will need to show that you were owed a duty of care by the defendant, the defendant breached the duty, your injuries were caused by the defendant’s breach of duty, and you sustained damages. To prove each of these elements, you and your attorney may use a variety of techniques and resources. One of these resources is testimony from witnesses. Read on to learn about the different types of witnesses that may be involved in your personal injury claim and how they may help you demonstrate the elements needed to win your case.

Eyewitnesses to the Accident

Incident witnesses or lay witnesses are people who witness your accident happen. They may be used to confirm the series of events that took place and explain what happened from their perspective. Whether your injuries were caused in a car accident, slip and fall accident, dog attack, or another type of accident, eyewitness statements may be used to corroborate your testimony. Your lawyer can help you locate and obtain testimony from eyewitnesses.  

Expert Witnesses

Expert witnesses are individuals who are authorities in a particular field that offer insight and professional opinions about the facts of a case. Testimony from an expert witness can significantly strengthen your claim. Expert witnesses may provide testimony in court or they may serve as consulting experts who help clarify complex issues in your case. Some of the most common types of expert witnesses in Illinois personal injury claims include:

Intense winter weather is just around the corner in Illinois and that means that the potential for snow and ice-related injuries will be increasing significantly. If you or a loved one are injured in a slip and fall accident caused by snow or ice, you may wonder what the laws are regarding liability for snow and ice injuries. Are property owners legally required to remove snow and ice from their walkways and parking lots? Can residential property owners be held liable for failure to remove snow and ice? Understanding Illinois laws regarding liability for snow and ice injuries is key to knowing your rights after an injury caused by ice or snow.

Unnatural Accumulation of Snow and Ice

Illinois property owners cannot be expected to keep their properties completely free of snow and ice. It is simply impossible to keep up with harsh Illinois winters in this way. However, property owners are responsible for preventing avoidable injuries caused by “unnatural accumulation” of snow or ice. Put another way, property owners are not automatically liable for every injury caused by the accumulation of snow or ice. If a person’s injury is caused by snow or ice that naturally accumulated in an area because of the weather, the property may avoid liability. However, if the snow or ice accumulates unnaturally, the property owner may be liable for injuries caused by the unnatural accumulation. For example, a property owner may be liable for injuries caused by:

• Snow that was moved by snow shovels, snow plows, or snow blowers
• Melted snow that causes icy patches in places that ice would not naturally accumulate
• Ice created by water from roof edges, downspouts, or drainage systems
• Accumulation of ice in potholes or other parking lot defects

There is a fair amount of confusion and controversy about the duty of property owners to prevent injuries caused by snow and ice removal. Classifying snow and ice as either unnatural or natural accumulation and determining whether or not an injury was the result of the property owner’s negligence is challenging. This is one reason that it is crucial to work with a personal injury lawyer who is familiar with Illinois laws regarding snow and ice removal and property owner liability for snow and ice injuries.

Nursing homes should be places of refuge for elderly and disabled individuals. Residents deserve to receive appropriate medical care and be treated with respect and dignity. Sadly, many nursing home residents are victims of abuse and neglect. The abuse may come from staff, visitors to the facility, or even other residents. If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted care facility, it is important to learn about the signs of nursing home abuse.

Psychological Abuse

Some studies consider psychological abuse or emotional abuse to be the most common form of elder abuse in nursing homes. In one sad example, a 91-year-old Chicago nursing home resident was teased and taunted by staff. The staff filmed a video of themselves bullying the vulnerable woman and uploaded it to a social media app. Psychological abuse may take the form of threats, intimidation, bullying, or humiliation.

Physical Abuse

It is hard to believe anyone would intentionally injure a vulnerable nursing home resident, but physical abuse does happen in Illinois nursing homes and in nursing homes across the country. This abuse may be at the hands of staff or other residents. Hitting, pinching, grabbing, and kicking are all forms of physical abuse. Physical abuse can not only lead to physical injuries it can also leave lasting mental scars. Some signs that a resident is being physically abused include unexplained bruising and cuts as well changes in behavior or signs of fearfulness.