
Recent Blog Posts
Texting While Driving Can Cause Fatal Accidents on Illinois Roads
Texting while driving is illegal in Illinois, but thousands of people still do it every day. In 2020, distracted driving lead to nearly 200 people losing their lives in car accidents in Illinois alone. Even more financial and physical damage was caused by the many distracted driving accidents that were not fatal.
The primary cause of distracted driving accidents is the use of cell phones while driving. While eating, talking, and adjusting the radio can all cause accidents as well, it is the ubiquitous need to be constantly checking text messages and app notifications that causes the most distracted driving traffic fatalities.
How Do Distracted Driving Accidents Happen?
When someone is talking on the phone or texting, they are unable to pay attention or respond quickly to the flow of traffic or changing road conditions. Distracted driving accidents can occur when a driver:
Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune Caused Serious Health Problems
On August 10th, President Joe Biden signed a bill called the PACT Act, making it law. The PACT Act, or The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxic Act, expands benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. This includes burn pit victims from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, veterans harmed by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, and servicemembers, their families, and employees of Camp Lejeune who were seriously harmed by the toxic drinking water that was present there for several decades.
Camp Lejeune Water Contaminated by Dry Cleaning Chemicals
Located in Jacksonville Carolina, Camp Lejeune is a Marine Corps base camp that was established in 1942. In 1982, Camp Lejeune realized that volatile organic compounds existed in the potable water from two of the base’s eight water treatment plants that exceeded the maximum safe levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency. These chemicals came from a nearby dry cleaning facility that was improperly disposing of waste chemicals. Despite the discovery happening in 1982, the contaminated sources of water were not shut down for another three years.
What Should I Do if I Lost My Vision In an Accident?
Most of us take our vision for granted. Without giving it a second thought, we drive, work, and spend time with our loved ones, never dreaming of how full or partial vision loss would meaningfully change our lives forever. But when an accident or someone else’s negligent or malicious behavior causes eye damage, a victim’s future can be changed in a split second. If you have suffered from a serious eye injury, seek advice from a personal injury attorney before you agree to a settlement or compensation from an individual, business, or insurance company.
Vision Loss From Accidents or Attacks
Eye injuries and vision loss often happen when people are being careless, negligent, or malicious. Frequent accidents that involve vision loss include, but are not limited to:
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Vehicle accidents
Legal Options After a Birth Injury Causes Infant Brain Damage
The birth of a new baby is an exciting, if not unnerving, experience to go through. Every parent hopes that their baby will be born healthy. Sadly, many parents are devastated to learn that their baby suffered a birth injury before, during, or shortly after delivery. The devastation is compounded when a baby’s injury is preventable.
Brain damage during pregnancy, labor, or delivery is almost always caused by reduced oxygen to the baby’s brain. The causes of infant brain damage are nearly countless, so determining exactly what happened can be a long, complex process. If your baby suffered brain damage due to a birth injury, contact a medical malpractice lawyer experienced in infant injuries and deaths for help taking the next steps.
Oxygen Deprivation During Labor and Delivery
When a baby transitions from life inside the womb to the outside world, he or she takes his or her first breath of air. Any delay or disruption in the birth process can lead to oxygen deprivation. Brain tissue that does not receive enough oxygen begins to die within a few minutes. Consequently, brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation is often permanent.
Personal Injury Claims Involving Loose Cargo Truck Accidents
Nearly three-fourths of the freight shipped across the United States is carried via large commercial trucks. Trucks carry everything from consumer goods to hazardous materials such as combustible liquids and gases. When truck cargo is not secured on or in the truck correctly, the cargo can become loose. Sometimes, freight falls off of the truck and onto the road below. Other times, cargo moves around within the truck’s trailer, causing the truck to tip or veer out of control.
Auto accidents caused by loose or fallen truck freight are often catastrophic. Severe and fatal injuries are not uncommon – especially if the freight was flammable. If you or a loved one were involved in a truck crash caused by improperly secured cargo, you may be able to file an injury claim against the at-fault party and collect damages.
Negligent Loading and Securement of Cargo Leading to a Crash
Woman Files Lawsuit After Surgeons Remove Spleen Instead of Kidney
Most people are nervous before a surgical procedure, and this anxiety is understandable. While many surgeries are performed successfully, medical mistakes do sometimes occur. One such mistake has been making national headlines because the error is so egregious, it is almost unbelievable.
A 55-year-old woman underwent surgery in June 2021 to have one of her kidneys removed. When pathologists examined the removed organ, they were shocked to discover that the organ was not a kidney. Surgeons had removed the woman’s spleen instead of her kidney by accident.
It is important for victims of a surgical error to know their rights. You may be able to hold the negligent medical provider accountable and recover financial compensation for your damages.
Injuries and Deaths Caused by Drivers Intoxicated by Marijuana
Marijuana products are now commercially available in Illinois and many other states. Adults aged 21 and over are permitted to smoke or otherwise consume marijuana without fear of criminal consequences. However, the right to consume marijuana is not without limits and driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal.
Drivers who are intoxicated by cannabis flower or THC products are more likely to make dangerous mistakes behind the wheel. Consequently, “drugged driving” is prohibited by Illinois law.
If you or a loved one were injured in a crash caused by a drugged driver, you may have question about your legal rights. Can I file an injury claim against the driver? Do I have to prove that the driver was intoxicated to recover compensation? How much financial compensation can I receive? Read on to learn more.
Addressing Catastrophic Injuries from a Cook County Motorcycle Accident
As compared to individuals in a passenger vehicle, motorcyclists are significantly more likely to suffer severe and fatal injuries in a crash. Motorcycles do not protect crash victims the way that closed vehicles protect victims. Motorcycles are also smaller and less visible to other drivers, making them more likely to be involved in a collision. For these and other reasons, motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to be killed in a crash than other motorists. Sadly, motorcycle crash victims who do survive are often left with catastrophic injuries resulting in long-term disabilities.
Motorcycle Crash Injuries
Even the most responsible motorcyclist can be involved in a crash. Wearing a helmet and other protective gear can reduce the extent of injuries sustained in a crash, but protective equipment does not prevent every injury.
Injury Claims for Truck Accidents Resulting in Vital Organ Damage
The forces placed on a human body in a severe truck collision often cause catastrophic injuries. Injuries to vital organs can be especially dangerous and are often deadly. Extensive, long-term medical care is usually needed in order for people with vital organ injuries to survive. Those who do survive their injuries may suffer from medical complications and reduced function for the rest of their lives.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury to a vital organ or another catastrophic injury in a commercial truck crash, speak to a truck accident injury attorney to discuss your legal options. You may be able to recover financial compensation.
Injuries to Organs Can Result in Disability or Death
Commercial truck crashes may be caused by driver error, issues with the truck, or almost countless other factors. In an instant, a large truck crash can change the course of a person’s life. Internal organ injuries usually require surgery and substantial follow-up care. Vital organs are those organs that are essential to life. They include:
Face Injuries Suffered in an Accident Can Be Life-Changing
When having a conversation with someone, we automatically look at the person’s face. Our faces are a crucial aspect of our identity. They allow us to express joy, apprehension, excitement, anger, and other emotions.
Severe injuries to the face are not only painful physically but can also result in deep psychological pain. Many facial injury sufferers struggle with body image issues, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress long after the injury-causing accident. Some suffer permanent vision or hearing loss.
If you or a loved one sustained facial lacerations, puncture wounds, burns, or broken bones in the face, you are probably well aware of how impactful these types of injuries can be. Individuals who suffer face injuries in a car accident, dog attack, or another incident caused by another party’s negligence may be entitled to compensation for damages.