Most of us go through life without ever having to think about the extent to which we completely rely on our vision. However, for some victims of serious accidents, catastrophic eye injuries can get in the way of everything they do. Expensive medical bills can pile up, and a person may never be able to find employment in their former line of work again. In this blog post, we will explore some of the common types of eye damage, how they happen, and what victims may be able to do about it. 

Common Types of Traumatic Eye Injuries

Eye injuries can be complex and severe. Some of the most common types of traumatic eye injuries include: 

• Corneal abrasions like cuts and scrapes

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Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for Americans under age 55, and the frightening truth is that they can happen to anyone, at any time. For many victims of car accidents, injuries are instant and obvious; for others, however, symptoms of injuries may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks. In stressful situations, the human body releases adrenaline that can mask pain, leading to a failure to diagnose and treat issues right away. If you have recently been in a car accident and are now experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be time to take legal action. 

Common Delayed Symptoms of Car Accident Injuries

Everyone’s body is different, and we all respond to trauma in different ways. However, certain symptoms are more common than others. These include, but are not limited to: 

• Headaches - Headaches are one of the most common complaints after a car accident. Although headaches are frequently suffered by people who have never been in a car accident, if you have recently experienced a car crash, do not second guess whether you should seek treatment for severe headaches. Many headaches will go away on their own, but they could also be a sign of a more serious problem such as a concussion, blood clots, or head and neck trauma. 

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When victims of serious personal injury are eligible to receive damages from a responsible individual or company, there are two main kinds of damages that are recoverable: Compensatory damages and punitive damages. These two categories may be split into further categories, but for most purposes, understanding the difference between compensatory and punitive damages is sufficient. 

Not everybody will be able to sue for both kinds of damages, and although compensatory damages are the most common form of damages, there are cases where punitive damages are available as well. If you have been injured in a personal injury case, a qualified Illinois attorney can help you determine whether a lawsuit is appropriate. 

What Are Compensatory Damages? 

Compensatory damages are awarded to the victim of negligence or other unlawful behavior and are intended to cover the expenses associated with the victim’s pain, suffering, and losses. Among the costs compensatory damages can cover include: 

Sometimes car accidents are simply tragic affairs and it is impossible to blame a party who acted wrongly. Other times, however, serious personal injury or death resulting from a car accident is the consequence of negligent or wrongful behavior on the part of an individual or company. When someone is in a car accident and dies before a full legal recovery can take place, survivors often have the right to file a lawsuit. 

There are two main parts of a wrongful death lawsuit in Illinois - survival action and wrongful death action. These are related but distinct, and it is important to have an understanding of the difference between the two. An experienced Illinois personal injury attorney can help you explore your options and help you bring the lawsuit that is appropriate for your case.  

Survival Action vs. Wrongful Death Action

The wrongful death action segment of a wrongful death lawsuit addresses the suffering of the victims who survived the deceased. Survivors may be entitled to damages compensating them for the loss of financial support, companionship, and consortium, as well as for the grief they endure. If a victim dies from the accident right away, then the majority of the damages in the lawsuit will result from the wrongful death action. 

Lipitor, or atorvastatin, is a drug that is often prescribed to patients whose “bad” cholesterol levels are too high. Like any FDA-approved drug, Lipitor can be helpful to those for whom its use is appropriate, potentially lowering the risk of heart disease. But studies suggest Lipitor has serious side effects, including causing users to develop type 2 diabetes. 

A recently published study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that users of Lipitor and other statin medications are at a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes or, if patients already suffered from type 2 diabetes, developing more severe symptoms. Serious symptoms of type 2 diabetes include breakdown of muscle tissue, kidney damage, seizures, insulin resistance, unconsciousness, and even death. These can present serious and even fatal threats to Lipitor users, causing many patients to wonder whether they have grounds for a personal injury case against the manufacturer of the medicine or against a doctor for a medical malpractice lawsuit. 

Physician’s Failure Explain Known Potential Side Effects

Doctors have a responsibility to ensure that they understand the side effects of a drug before diagnosing it. This includes any possible interactions with other drugs or foods. For example, with Lipitor and other statin medications, eating grapefruit can enhance the amount of the drug in the user’s body and increase side effects. Furthermore, a doctor must ensure that the benefits of the medicine outweigh the potential risks. For patients who already struggle with serious symptoms of type 2 diabetes, Lipitor may make things worse. Doctors who improperly prescribe drugs may be responsible for medical malpractice. 

When you get behind the wheel of a car and drive, you may find yourself surrounded by trucks transporting large loads of goods. Drivers usually assume that these loads are securely fastened and will not come loose. Federal regulations and professional conduct in the trucking industry are meant to prevent disastrous accidents from happening because of items that fall from trucks or liquids spilled in the road. Unfortunately, truck drivers and trucking companies do not always follow the proper regulations or practices, and unsecured loads can lead to deadly truck accidents.  

Commercial Trucks Can Cause Accidents Due to Improperly Secured Loads

According to AAA, tens of thousands of crashes occur every year due to debris in the road. Trying to avoid debris can cause a car to careen out of control, which can inadvertently lead to disastrous injuries and deaths. Accidents can also occur when vehicles collide with obstacles, and cargo that falls onto freeways or other major expressways may lead to multi-vehicle pileups that cause injuries to large numbers of people. Drivers and passengers can also be seriously injured if a truck’s load falls on top of a vehicle. Since these items can be very large and heavy, they can cause a vehicle to be crushed, leading to injuries such as broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries.

Hives, rashes, and fevers are common side effects of an allergic reaction to medication, but in the worst cases, such allergic reactions can send patients into potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. During anaphylactic shock, a patient’s airways often constrict, making it difficult or impossible to breathe. Dizziness, low blood pressure, vomiting, seizures, and loss of consciousness can occur. These reactions can cause substantial health problems, leading to large medical bills and prolonged health consequences. 

It is consequently very important for medical professionals to never administer medication to which a patient is allergic. Unfortunately, sometimes healthcare staff behave negligently and make prescription drug errors that can cause serious damage to a patient’s health. The damage this can cause is sometimes sufficient to warrant a lawsuit for medical malpractice.  

If a driver in Illinois hits another car, a pedestrian, or another object with their car, the law prohibits them from leaving the scene of the accident under threat of felony charges. Unfortunately, this law does not keep people from leaving accidents they caused or were involved in. Leaving the scene of an accident can enhance the chances of severe injury or death to the victim of a hit and run who is in need of medical assistance. 

If you have been the victim of a hit-and-run car accident, or someone you love has died in such an accident, you may be entitled to financial damages from the perpetrator. An experienced Illinois personal injury attorney may be able to help you act quickly and seek justice. 

 Although commercial airlines very rarely experience aviation disasters, smaller private planes crash much more often. Around 300 people die every year in private plane crashes, and there are well over 1,000 non-fatal accidents every year in America alone. While the chances of being injured or killed in a plane crash are still very small, the impact of such a catastrophic accident can change the course of many people’s lives forever. Victims of plane crashes or their families may even have cause to sue for personal injury. 

What Causes Private Plane Crashes? 

Private plane crashes pose additional challenges to investigators, victims, and the families of victims who are waiting to hear what caused such a tragedy. Small private aircrafts do not usually have the “black box” that tracks speed, altitude, and other flight information on commercial aircraft, making details about crashes difficult to determine. 

However, over many years, data has been collected about common causes of private plane crashes. These include, but are not limited to: 

Roughly 350,000 Americans rely on an insulin pump to provide life-sustaining care. When an insulin pump fails, the results can be catastrophic. Patients who rely on an insulin pump may become gravely ill or even die if the pump fails to deliver the right amount of insulin at the right time. Patients may also suffer harm if they were given an insulin pump, but were not adequately instructed on how to use it safely. If you or a loved one was harmed by a defective insulin pump, contact an attorney to find out what type of compensation you may be entitled to. 

When is a Manufacturer Liable for Injuries or Deaths Caused by an Insulin Pump? 

Diabetic patients who use insulin pumps trust their lives and health to these devices. In Illinois, medical manufacturers are held to the standard of “strict liability.” This means that a patient, or the family of a patient harmed by a defective medical device does not need to prove that the manufacturer was careless in making the device. Instead, one only needs to show that the medical device was unreasonably dangerous. 

What Are the Two Ways An Insulin Pump Can Be “Unreasonably Dangerous?”

The first way is if the device itself malfunctions. A defective insulin pump may deliver too much or too little insulin, or it may stop working entirely. An important component may be too easily damaged and cause the pump to stop working. 

If you have been injured due to the actions of another person or party, it is understandable that you would want to hold that party accountable, not only for the purposes of recovering financial compensation, but also for achieving a sense of justice. You may even feel that the other party should be punished for their actions. In Illinois, it is sometimes possible to pursue such a punishment in the form of punitive damages. However, the situations in which punitive damages may be included in a personal injury claim are limited, and it is important to understand whether and how they may apply to your case.

When Are Punitive Damages Available?

In most Illinois personal injury cases, the damages recovered by the injury victim fall entirely within the category of compensatory damages. These are damages that are intended to compensate the victim directly for some sort of loss—whether a financial loss like medical expenses or lost wages, or a personal loss like pain and suffering, disfigurement, or loss of companionship.

Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages are not connected to any specific loss on the part of the victim. Instead, they are meant as punishment for the liable party. As such, they are not available when a person was injured due to an act of simple negligence; they are only available when the liable party acted with “evil motive” or “reckless and outrageous” and “conscious indifference.” When deciding whether to award punitive damages, the court will look for clear and convincing evidence of these factors.

Earlier this month, there was a scare in Park Ridge, Illinois, when a Metra train struck a car that was stuck on the tracks. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in this instance, but it is certainly possible for people to suffer serious injuries when a commuter train collides with a passenger vehicle. If you are injured in such an accident, or any accident involving public transportation, you can benefit from a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer who can work through the complications of the case and help you get the compensation you need.

Liability in Public Transportation Accidents

Perhaps the most complicated aspect of an accident involving public transportation is determining which parties are at fault. For example, in a railroad crossing accident between a passenger car and a Metra train, the driver of the car could be partially at fault if they disregarded a railroad crossing sign or signal. However, if there was no clear signage or the crossing signal was not working properly, some fault could lie with a local government entity.

Operators of public transportation vehicles like trains and buses may also be liable for injuries suffered by passengers and drivers of other vehicles. Illinois legal doctrine considers these public transportation vehicles to be “common carriers,” which means operators have the highest duty of care to ensure the safety of their passengers, and they can be held responsible for many different types of injuries a passenger may suffer. If the operation of a vehicle causes injuries to non-passengers, the standard of negligence is similar to that of any other accident between motor vehicles.

If you have been seriously injured due to someone else’s negligence, the thought of spending the next several months or more in a legal battle can be overwhelming. It may come as welcome news that most personal injury claims are settled out of court with the at-fault party and their insurance provider, and when a settlement is possible, it can save you significant time and stress. However, it is sometimes necessary to elevate a claim to a lawsuit and pursue compensation through litigation. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand whether this is likely in your case, as well as represent you throughout the legal process in pursuit of a fair outcome.

Personal Injury Settlements

It is almost always beneficial to attempt a personal injury settlement before taking your case to trial. Your attorney can help you determine the appropriate amount of damages to pursue, and draft a demand letter to deliver to the other party. Your lawyer can then represent you throughout settlement negotiations, leveraging testimony and evidence of negligence to encourage the other party to come to a fair agreement.

Compared to a trial, a personal injury settlement is more predictable in that you and your attorney will always know where negotiations stand, and before signing an agreement you will know exactly how much compensation that agreement entails. Settlements also tend to take less time than trials, allowing you to obtain financial relief sooner and saving you from the stress of extensive litigation.

This month, Amazon surpassed Walmart to become the world’s largest retailer of consumer products. Chances are, you have ordered a product through Amazon at least once, if not on a regular basis. However, not all products offered on Amazon’s marketplace are safe for consumers, and defective products have the potential to cause serious injuries to their users. If you or a loved one suffers an injury because of a product you purchased on Amazon, you may wonder what your options are for recovering compensation.

Amazon’s New “A-to-Z Guarantee”  

Many of the products sold on Amazon are offered by third-party sellers. In the past, when a third-party product turned out to be defective, Amazon typically took the stance of denying liability, claiming that the seller was the responsible party. However, after a mounting number of product liability lawsuits naming Amazon as a defendant in recent years, the company has made a change to its policy.

Car crashes have many variables, and there are a number of reasons why one accident victim could suffer more severe injuries than another. However, certain types of car accidents tend to result in more serious injuries, and these are the cases in which it is especially important for victims to understand their options for recovering compensation. An attorney who has experience with many different kinds of car accidents is a valuable asset when pursuing a personal injury claim.

Single-Vehicle Accidents

According to data from the National Safety Council (NSC), single-vehicle accidents account for more than half of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide. This includes cases in which a car strikes a fixed object, such as a tree, utility pole, or barricade; cases in which a car strikes a pedestrian; and rollover cases. In Illinois in 2019, out of a total of 938 fatal crashes, 268 involved a fixed object, 166 involved a pedestrian, and 59 involved a rollover. 

Though it may seem unlikely that an injury victim could recover compensation after a single-car accident, there are many cases in which it is possible. For example, injured passengers and pedestrians may be able to recover compensation from a negligent driver. Injured drivers may even be able to recover compensation if there is evidence that the crash was caused by a defective car part, unaddressed hazards on the roadway, or the actions of another driver.

Each year in the U.S., tens of thousands of people are hospitalized for serious burn injuries, and many injury victims are left with long-term complications. If you have suffered burn injuries, you could be facing high medical expenses, permanent scarring or disability, and ongoing physical and mental strain. Determining the root cause of a burn injury can be complicated, and it may not be readily apparent who is at fault. However, with the help of a personal injury attorney, you can determine the factors that contributed to your injuries and pursue the compensation you need.

Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn injuries often appear to be tragic accidents, but in many cases, they are caused by the negligence of one or more parties. Some common causes of burn injuries include:

• Construction site and workplace accidents - Many industries, including construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing, regularly expose employees to potential burn hazards in the course of their work. Burns may be caused by explosions, electrocutions, scalding water, chemical spills, and more.

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We live in a society in which dogs are extremely popular pets and companions, and as such, the idea of a dog biting a person, let alone causing serious injury, may seem unlikely to many people. However, this makes it all the more shocking and devastating when a dog does become violent. Some dog bite victims suffer life-altering, and even life-threatening, injuries, and it is important to be aware of the options for recovering compensation to account for the financial and personal costs of these injuries.

Catastrophic Dog Bite Injuries

Many dog bite victims are fortunate to escape with minor bruises, cuts, or puncture wounds that fully heal with time. However, dogs are also capable of causing much more severe injuries, particularly if an attack is prolonged. Some catastrophic injuries that dog bite victims may suffer include:

Accidents between a large commercial truck and passenger cars can often result in catastrophic injuries. Worse, many of these crashes end in fatalities. Passenger vehicle occupants are the most likely victims of these fatalities. Truck drivers and their employers face much stricter standards since large commercial trucks pose a much bigger threat on the roads. When these standards are not met, it is more likely that tragedies will occur. If your loved one died in a truck crash, you may be interested in pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. 

Fatal Trucking Accidents in Illinois 

Catastrophic injuries and fatalities are more common in truck accidents in part due to the great contrast in size and weight between the vehicles as well as the truck’s greater ground clearance. Trucking accidents can also involve dangerous cargo spills of hazardous chemicals or fuel. 

Truck accidents may be caused by driving errors such as speeding, failing to check mirrors, texting and driving, or external factors such as a tire blowout or bad road conditions. In other cases, these crashes may have been caused by overloaded cargo or cargo that was not properly secured to the truck.  

When you do not feel well it is common to seek medical attention. With their education and experience, we hold doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to a higher standard. We believe that they can help to figure out the cause of our ailments. This often requires conducting various medical tests. But what happens when a doctor fails to order the necessary tests? It often results in serious and sometimes even fatal consequences. If you believe that your doctor failed to order you the proper test, you may have a claim for medical malpractice and should contact an attorney to learn more about your options.

A Delayed Diagnosis Can Result in Serious Consequences

When the proper tests are conducted and the results are discovered sooner rather than later, physicians can take the right steps to care for patients’ ailments. But when a doctor fails to order the proper tests, the health of the patient can often worsen, sometimes even making the normal course of treatment much more difficult or even impossible. As a result, the patient often suffers physically, mentally, and financially. Oftentimes, failure to receive the right medical tests can even result in death.

There are times when doctors order the wrong tests, or simply fail to order the right ones. Other times, in an attempt to save money, health facilities make doctors jump through hoops before they are able to order certain tests. This is often due to the fact that insurance companies will not approve of certain tests without others being conducted prior. In such a case both the doctor and the facility may be liable.

If you are suffering from the effects of an injury caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be overwhelmed by the mounting medical expenses and all of the other ways your injuries have changed your life for the worse. In the most difficult moments, the possibility of recovering financial compensation from the at-fault party may provide some consolation, but it is reasonable to wonder just how much you may receive. Though the value of a personal injury case varies substantially depending on the circumstances, you can start to get a better idea by considering some of these questions.

How Much Medical Treatment Do You Need?

Personal injury victims can pursue compensation for the full extent of their relevant medical expenses. The costs of treating soft tissue or surface injuries are typically lower than the costs of severe, catastrophic injuries that require surgery, rehabilitation, and multiple visits to the hospital and specialists over many months and years. A personal injury settlement or verdict can include compensation for both past and future medical bills.

Are You Missing Time at Work?

Some injuries have a long recovery period, during which you may not be able to work full-time, if at all. Other injuries can leave you permanently disabled, which may decrease your earning capacity throughout the rest of your life. As with medical expenses, it is possible to pursue compensation for lost wages from work time you have already missed, as well as future lost wages related to your disability.