Posted on December 19, 2018 in Motor Vehicle Accidents

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:

1. 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.

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 Posted on October 12, 2018 in Catastrophic Injuries

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.

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 Posted on August 14, 2018 in Premises Liability

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;

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 Posted on June 15, 2018 in Construction Accidents

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.

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 Posted on April 13, 2018 in Motor Vehicle Accidents

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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 Posted on February 14, 2018 in Personal Injury

The initial conversations you have with an insurance company after an injury can determine how much the company will cover your health expenses. The goal of an insurance adjuster is to get you to admit fault or downplay your injuries so that the company can save money. That is why the insurance company may contact you immediately after a vehicle accident or other injury when you are least prepared to talk to them. There are several reasons why you should not conduct a recorded interview with an insurance adjuster without consulting your personal injury attorney:

1. Delayed Symptoms: If an insurance adjuster calls you the day of your accident, you may honestly answer that you do not feel injured. However, you may not notice some of your injuries until a couple of days after the incident. Once the adjuster has your statement on record, the insurance company can use it against you when determining your claim.

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 Posted on December 15, 2017 in Motor Vehicle Accidents

Being involved in a car accident can become a nightmare if you have a child with you in the vehicle. Your immediate concern will be to check for any visible injuries on your child, followed by medical attention. As with adults, some injuries that children suffer in car accidents take longer to develop or notice. However, children are different from adults because they are not adept at explaining their problems. As a parent, you must carefully watch your children for symptoms of longer-lasting trauma or injuries resulting from the car accident.

Head Injuries

Concussions are serious injuries but harder to identify than scrapes or broken bones. Symptoms of an internal head injury may manifest in your child’s behavior, such as:

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 Posted on October 13, 2017 in Premises Liability

An Aurora, Ill., woman recently received a $4.5 million judgment as a result of a personal injury lawsuit filed against Wells Fargo. The injury took place in 2012, when the woman was walking into a Wells Fargo mortgage retail office in Aurora. A metal door closer unit detached and hit her in the head, causing immediate injury and long-term disability. The judgment included:

• $1.25 million for her disability;
• $1.25 million for her pain and suffering;
• $1 million for emotional distress; and
• More than $500,000 for medical expenses.

The judgment is reportedly the largest ever awarded for a personal injury lawsuit in DuPage County that was not a medical malpractice case. The jury needed only two hours to reach its decision in the case. Before the trial, Wells Fargo had attempted to settle with the plaintiff by offering $125,000.

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 Posted on September 12, 2017 in Construction Accidents

Exposure to hazardous substances is a serious risk that some construction workers face on the job. The immediate danger is most apparent when disastrous events occur, such as explosions. However, chemical exposure can cause medical conditions that may become life-threatening over time. Construction workers must be aware of the long-term hazards of working with toxic substances.

Types of Hazards

Construction projects may use materials that are toxic to workers who come in contact with them. Builders have stopped using some of the most hazardous materials, such as asbestos. However, workers may still need to remove dangerous materials if they are renovating an older building. Workers can also become ill due to exposure to more common substances, such as:

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 Posted on July 24, 2017 in Personal Injury

Obtaining compensation in a personal injury case relies upon proving the defendant’s negligence. Illinois law defines negligence as failing to act in a manner that a reasonably careful person would or acting in a manner that a reasonably careful person would not. However, both sides can be negligent in a personal injury case. The idea of shared blame is often called comparative fault. If a jury decides that a plaintiff's negligence partially caused his or her injuries, it may award reduced damages or no damages at all.

Comparative Fault

A jury in a personal injury case must first determine whether the defendant is at fault for the plaintiff's injury. If the jury rules in favor of the plaintiff, it moves on to determining how much compensation is owed and whether there was comparative fault by the plaintiff. Illinois law instructs the jury to quantify the plaintiff’s share of the responsibility for the injuries in terms of a percentage:

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