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Recent Blog Posts
Recovering Personal Injury Damages After Hearing Loss
Catastrophic injuries often cause severe injuries that can be permanent or last for a long time. Deafness in one or both ears is one of the most frightening consequences you may suffer from an injury. There is no ignoring it when you have lost your hearing – you are forced to adjust every aspect of your life. If you are fortunate, your hearing may recover over time or hearing aids may allow you to function. Those who are less fortunate may be permanently deaf, forever impairing their ability to work, perform certain tasks and enjoy life. No matter the extent of your hearing loss, you deserve compensation if another party was at fault for the injury that caused your deafness.
Common Causes
Hearing loss injuries are most commonly associated with workplace injuries, such as being exposed to loud noises over an extended period. These cases fall under workers’ compensation law, which is separate from personal injury law and has more limits on the compensation you can collect. However, a hearing loss injury can also fall outside of workers’ compensation law, allowing you to file a lawsuit against someone other than your employer. For instance:
Compensation Options for Pedestrians Injured by Hit-and-Run Drivers
Hit-and-run incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians are unfortunately common occurrences. A driver who strikes a pedestrian may be more prone to panic and flee the scene because they know that the pedestrian has likely suffered a severe or fatal injury. A pedestrian who has survived a hit-and-run incident often needs emergency medical treatments and lengthy rehabilitation. It is common for these incidents to cause permanent disabilities and emotional trauma. As an injury victim, you need compensation from the driver or your insurance provider.
Compensation from the Driver
The driver responsible for the hit-and-run could turn themselves in after they have calmed down and listened to their conscience. If the driver does not come forward, the police will try to identify the driver and bring them to justice. Your attorney can track the status of the case so that you are prepared to take civil action against the driver if they are found. To prove your injury claim, you can use evidence from the police report and witnesses, such as showing that:
How Your Landlord Is Liable for Negligent Security
A rental property owner is not always liable if you are the victim of criminal activity, such as an assault or battery. There are some incidents that unfortunately could not have been foreseen or prevented. However, the property owner is responsible for providing reasonable security if it should know that a lack of security would put you in danger. Its burden increases if you live in an area with high levels of crime. You may be able to collect personal injury compensation from your landlord if you can show that your landlord had a duty to protect you and that a lack of security enabled an act of violence against you.
Failed Promises
Landlords will often include a list of property security measures within their leases, such as:
How Third Parties Can Be Liable for Construction Worker Falls
Falls cause more deaths at construction sites than any other work-related accidents. Construction workers are sometimes positioned high in the air, making any fall a life-threatening event. Even falls with little or no elevation can be dangerous if the worker falls onto a piece of equipment or hard surface. When seeking compensation for their injuries, many construction workers must file a workers’ compensation claim because their injuries occurred as a result of performing their job duties or negligence by their employer. However, there are situations where a third party was responsible for the fall and is liable in a personal injury lawsuit.
Faulty Equipment
Construction workers use equipment from third-party manufacturers to reach high places and protect themselves while up there. You could file a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer or seller of the equipment if its failure caused your injuries, such as a ladder that collapses or a safety harness that fails to secure you. To hold a third party liable for a faulty product, you must prove that:
Recovering Missed Pay in a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Being injured in an accident can cost you more than what you must pay for medical treatment. Suffering a debilitating injury may require you to miss time from work while you recover. When you return to work, you may be limited in the tasks you can perform or the hours you can work. Your employer has no obligation to compensate you if your injury occurred outside of your work. You will need to include your compensation for lost wages as part of your personal injury lawsuit.
Time Off
A person who is recuperating from a serious injury may miss weeks or months worth of work days. The time off may include:
- The initial medical treatment and recovery period;
- Time in physical therapy to regain strength; and
How Pedestrians Can Protect Themselves During the Winter
There are typically fewer pedestrians during the winter months, but winter conditions can make walking near streets more hazardous for those who brave the weather. Drivers bear most of the responsibility for preventing accidents involving pedestrians. As a pedestrian, you can take extra precautions to protect yourself and help drivers:
- Visibility: Daylight hours are shorter during the winter, and the snow can make it harder for drivers to see you. Wear bright colors during the day and reflective clothing at night. Walk in well-lit areas. Your own vision may also be diminished by the conditions and your need to bundle up. Make sure you are able to see around you in order to avoid potential hazards.
Recognizing Brain Injuries After an Accident
Diagnosing a traumatic brain injury after an accident is more complicated than diagnosing other serious injuries. You will not take long to realize something is wrong when you have broken a bone or torn a ligament. Symptoms of a brain injury can take days to appear, and you may not immediately understand what they mean or connect them to your accident. If you file a personal injury lawsuit, the liable party may use the uncertainties about brain injuries to deny that the incident caused a brain injury or that your symptoms are severe. You can best prove your brain injury for your case by getting a diagnosis as soon as possible.
Brain Injury Causes
You are most likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury because of a fall, being struck by an object, or a car accident. A brain injury can occur even if your skull is not fractured or penetrated. A sudden impact or jolt can cause your brain to collide with your skull, resulting in damage. Losing consciousness after your accident is a common sign of a brain injury, but you may still have suffered a brain injury if you remained conscious. You should ask your doctor about the possibility of a brain injury and follow up if you notice any symptoms.
When Pet Owners Are Liable for Animal Attacks
Domesticated animals can behave in unpredictable ways that may cause injuries. A malicious attack, such as a dog bite, can leave lasting physical and emotional damage. More benign actions can also result in injuries, such as an excited dog jumping on someone and knocking him or her over. Guests who are hurt because of the actions of someone’s pet can seek personal injury compensation from the pet owner. Illinois law holds a pet owner strictly liable for injuries unless the victim is at fault for the animal's reaction.
Strict Liability
According to Illinois law, an animal owner is liable for injuries that the animal causes to others as long as:
- The animal attacked or attempted to attack the victim;
Trucks Backing Up Can Cause Serious Construction Site Injuries
A large truck is one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment that you will commonly find at a construction site. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 962 fatalities at road construction sites from 2003 to 2010. Among those:
- 443 were caused by a worker being struck by a vehicle or mobile equipment;
- 143 were caused by a vehicle backing up; and
- 84 were caused by a dump truck backing up.
In many cases, workers who are injured by a vehicle that is backing up can petition for workers’ compensation benefits. However, there are scenarios where a third party may be responsible for the incident, which allows the victim to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Dram Shop Law Allows Drunk Driving Victims to Sue Alcohol Servers
Motor vehicle accidents involving intoxicated drivers can cause serious injuries and death. The victim in a drunk driving crash can sue the driver for personal injury compensation and the loss of a loved one. There is a third-party liability in Illinois that can extend to businesses that serve alcohol to drunk drivers. Illinois’ dram shop law allows a victim to receive additional injury compensation by filing a lawsuit against an alcohol vendor that is deemed partially responsible for a drunk driving incident.
Proving Liability
Illinois’ dram shop law applies to restaurants, clubs, retailers, and hospitality businesses. In most cases, an individual serving alcohol at a social gathering is not liable. For a successful lawsuit against a third-party alcohol vendor, the victim must prove that:
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