Recent Blog Posts
Common Swimming Pool Accidents and What You Can do
With summer now in full swing, more people are looking to swimming pools and water parks as a way to cool off and enjoy the hot weather. Swimming can be excellent fun for children and adults, and also a great workout for those seeking more exercise. However, there is danger associated with swimming pools. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye when there is water involved. Sadly, children are very commonly injured in and around swimming pools. Of course, adults can suffer injuries around a swimming pool as well. Pools that are well-maintained, well-enclosed so that children cannot wander in, and guarded by a lifeguard are less likely to cause injury to those around the pool. If you or your child has been injured at a pool other than your own private pool, you may be entitled to compensation. An attorney can help you determine whether you may have a premises liability claim.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries Sustained in Motorcycle Accidents
The number of people who enjoy riding motorcycles has grown immensely over the past couple of decades. It is estimated that there are approximately 8.6 million registered motorcycles in the United States, more than double what there were just 20 years ago. Although riding can be an enjoyable pastime, it is also one of the most dangerous, with a high risk of accidents and an even higher risk of catastrophic injuries and death in those crashes.
Motorcycle accidents often occur due to a combination of factors, such as high speeds, lack of protective barriers, and the vulnerability of the motorcyclist. The resulting injuries can be devastating, affecting not only the physical well-being of the victims but also their emotional, financial, and social aspects of life.
How Does Driver Fatigue Cause Truck Accidents?
In the trucking industry, drivers are often pressured to meet tight delivery deadlines, resulting in long hours of continuous driving with minimal rest time. These practices increase the risk of driver fatigue, which has been identified as one of the leading causes of truck accidents. Since commercial trucks are so much larger and heavier than other types of vehicles, accidents are likely to result in serious injuries to other drivers and passengers. Because of these risks, it is important to understand the dangers of truck driver fatigue and the options for people who have been injured due to truck driver and trucking company negligence.
How Fatigue Can Affect Truck Drivers
Drowsy driving is often compared to drunk or intoxicated driving. Fatigue can have many of the same effects on a driver as alcohol or drug use, and it can significantly increase the chances of a dangerous truck accident. The effects of fatigue include:
Chronic Pain After a Car Accident: Your Legal Options
Chronic pain impacts every aspect of a person’s life. It is not only the physical pain that causes suffering, but also the stress, sleeplessness, unease, and despair caused by being in constant pain.
If you or a loved one have suffered chronic pain because of your car accident injuries, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recover financial compensation for your damages.
Monetary damages cannot take away your pain, but the compensation may cover the cost of pain-relieving medication and medical treatment, lost income from missed work, and other expenses. Bringing a successful personal injury claim can also provide a sense of justice and closure regarding the accident.
Personal Injury Claims in Illinois
When an injury is caused by another party’s negligence, that party may be liable for damages. In the context of car accidents, the liable party is often another driver. Negligent driving may involve texting while driving, speeding, failure to yield, intoxicated driving, or other forms of unsafe driving.
Legal Options After a Trench Collapse at a Construction Site
Few would argue that construction workers have a crucial role in society. Unfortunatley, although government regulations have been established to increase safety and reduce the chances of a construction accident, construction work is still one of the most dangerous industries. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that one out of every five workplace deaths occurs in the construction industry.
Trench collapse can be especially dangerous, resulting in catastrophic injuries and deaths. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in a construction site trench collapse, you may be able to take legal action and recover financial compensation.
Trench Collapse Caused by Third-Party Negligence
In March of this year, two individuals were charged with first degree manslaughter after a trench collapsed on an employee and killed him. According to reports, there were no safety devices being used to hold the trench in place and prevent collapse. The trench had already collapsed twice on the day of the fatal accident, but actions were not taken to prevent another collapse.
Can I File a Wrongful Death Claim if My Family Member Was Killed in a Fatal Motorcycle Crash?
For many motorcyclists, riding a motorcycle is not just a means of transportation. It is something that they look forward to all winter. Warmer weather in the Chicago area means that motorcyclists can finally get back to doing what they love most.
Sadly, severe and fatal injuries are not uncommon in motorcycle accidents. The motorcycle driver is not protected by the vehicle, and the small, slender nature of a motorcycle makes it harder to see by other drivers.
If your loved one passed away in a motorcycle crash, you have the right to file a wrongful death claim on his or her behalf. However, you will need ample evidence and a strong case to successfully recover compensation through a wrongful death settlement or award.
Proving Liability in a Fatal Motorcycle Crash
One of the key elements in any wrongful death case is proving liability. You will need to demonstrate that your deceased family member’s death was caused by another party's negligent or illegal actions.
Motor Vehicle Accidents Resulting in Paralysis: Seeking Financial Compensation for Damages
Modern vehicles are designed to keep the occupants as safe as possible and avoid serious injuries and fatalities during a collision. Unfortunately, some car accidents still result in injuries that change the course of a person's life forever.
If you or someone close to you suffered a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis during a car crash, you may be unsure what to do next. One of the most important things to do at this time is to speak with a personal injury attorney who can help you determine whether you may have a valid claim for damages.
Spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis have a massive impact on an individual’s ability to earn a living and function on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, the cost of medical care can be astronomical. A personal injury claim against the at-fault party may allow for the recovery of financial compensation for these and other expenses.
The Catastrophic Consequences of Unbalanced Truck Cargo
When most people think about the causes of catastrophic commercial truck accidents, they picture an intoxicated driver, a semi-truck speeding out of control, or a truck with malfunctioning brakes. However, the causes of some of the worst truck accidents are sometimes as seemingly insignificant as loading too much cargo on one side of the trailer.
Proper loading and securement of truck cargo is essential for the safety of the truck driver, other motorists and passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. When freight is loaded unevenly or is not properly tied down in the truck, the truck can become off-balanced and harder to control. In some cases, a commercial truck may even tip over because of an unbalanced load.
If you or a loved one were hurt in a commercial truck accident, it is possible that improper cargo loading and securement played a role in the crash. The trucking company or the party who loaded the cargo may be liable for damages.
Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury Are Life-Changing
The brain controls everything from thoughts and memory to digestion and movement. Medical professionals and researchers still do not fully understand this highly complex organ. However, what is known is that an injury to the brain can have severe, lifelong consequences.
If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident, slip and fall accident, or another incident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for damages. Expenses, including your hospital care, lost income caused by missed work, lost earning capacity, and other damages, may be reimbursable.
Physical, Emotional, and Mental Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury is a term that applies to a wide range of injuries. For example, a concussion is a mild form of traumatic brain injury. However, most concussion sufferers eventually recover completely and do not suffer significant long-term effects. That being said, there are people who suffer from post-concussion syndrome, which can cause ongoing physical and mental symptoms such as headaches and problems concentrating.
Exploring the Dangers of Sleepy Driving
Most of us know that we should get eight hours of sleep a night. However, between work, caring for children, managing household duties, and other responsibilities, most people do not have enough time to get the sleep that they need. Unfortunately, sleepiness is not just annoying, it can be extremely dangerous.
When drivers are sleep deprived, they are much more likely to make dangerous mistakes behind the wheel. Research shows that some drivers even experience microsleeps, or short bursts of sleep that are only a few seconds long. However, when you are driving 60 miles an hour, even a lapse of concentration of a few seconds is enough to cause a serious or even deadly accident.
If you or a loved one were involved in a car crash and you suspect that the other driver was asleep at the wheel or too fatigued to drive safely, you may be able to file a personal injury claim and recover compensation.