Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

Every year, over 1.5 million older Americans visit hospital emergency rooms for treatment of injuries they sustain from slips or falls. For seniors, falls are the number one cause of injury death, hospital admission for traumas, and bone fractures. The most common fractures from falls are hips, pelvis, spine, arm, hand, and ankle.

The most serious type of fracture for seniors is a hip fracture. Many seniors who receive a hip injury from a fall never fully recover and lost their ability to live independently, often needling long-term care.

A recent study by the researchers from the University of Massachusetts found that seniors are more likely to suffer a slip or fall while they are walking on order to do routine errands, rather than when they are walking for exercise. The study points out what a catch-22 this is for older people as walking is good exercise and helps them maintain balance and muscle strength, yet 63 percent of falls are caused by walking.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal agency that is in charge of health promotion, prevention and preparedness activities. As the U.S. public health institute, the goal of the CDC is to improve the overall health of everyone in the country. With more and more of American society relying on smartphone apps as a way to garner information - including important health information - the agency has developed several apps which can assist people in avoiding injury and illness.

The CDC Mobile App is the agency website’s companion app. It provides safety updates, as well as many important health articles, health tips, and medical journals. The app also features the “Disease of the Week.”

If you are a frequent traveler, then the CDC’s Can I Eat This? mobile app could be one of the most important thing to take along on your trip. The app allows you to select the country you have traveled to and then enter information about the food you are considering eating. The app will tell you how safe the food is and help avoid illnesses like "Montezuma’s Revenge" and travelers’ diarrhea.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

There was positive news in 2014, which saw a decrease in traffic fatalities from the year before. Unfortunately, that is not a trend that appears to be taking place in 2015. Instead, national statistics are pointing to an increase in vehicle accident fatalities.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), the total number of traffic accident fatalities in 2014 was 32,675. However, the number of people killed in the first six months of 2015 was 8 percent higher than the number of fatalities for the first six months of 2014. The NHTSA uses data from its Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

The NHTSA says that the majority of these fatal accidents are preventable and are caused by drivers’ deadly behaviors, such as speeding and distracted driving. For example, data from 2014 fatalities reveal that:

• Alcohol-related crashes were involved one-third of all fatal crashes, responsible for the deaths of just under 10,000 victims;

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

Getting a favorable judgment in a civil trial is a daunting task. Depending on the type of litigation you were involved in, it can also be a very expensive endeavor.  Many people are aware that you can recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, there are other avenues of compensation that are less readily known and include the following:

• Fees for the subpoena of witnesses;
• Statutory fees for witnesses; and
• Fee’s associated with deposition administrative tasks.

What Other Costs May I Be Entitled To?

A skilled and experienced Orland Park personal injury attorney would be able inform you of any other costs to which you may be entitled. Different courts in Illinois have different rulings about what a prevailing party may recoup by way of court costs and fees.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

After a catastrophic injury, a person’s life can be changed forever. Injuries to the spinal cord can be especially devastating, leaving a victim paralyzed. Damage to the spinal cord can require immediate medical attention and even surgery to try to repair broken vertebrae. In many cases, a person is unable to regain function of his or her limbs, resulting in partial or full paralysis. There are many causes of such an injury, from automobile crashes to workplace accidents to simply tripping and falling. Regardless of what led to a spinal injury, a victim can face a long recovery and rehabilitation and may be unable to return to work. For many, long-term care is needed, which can put a significant financial strain on a victim and his or her family. With the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, you may be entitled to compensation if a negligent party was responsible for your injury.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Personal Injury

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted people all over the world, including the United States. Over the course of the last year, we have adjusted to a new normal. In Illinois, many schools, offices, stores, restaurants, and bars temporarily closed to stop the spread of the virus. As a result, many people purchased gifts online this holiday season. Almost anything can be bought through online shopping, such as clothing, makeup, books, appliances, furniture, or electronics. Most manufacturers have quality control processes intended to identify manufacturing defects before their products are released to the public. However, mistakes made during this process can lead to defective goods being distributed to retailers and sold to unsuspecting consumers. In these situations, a user could be at risk of suffering a serious injury due to a flaw in design or production.

How a Faulty Product Can Harm Users

Since you can buy practically anything on the Internet these days, it can be difficult to determine the quality of these products if you cannot see them or try them in person. Although clothes cannot really cause you harm, other types of products can be dangerous if they do not work properly. For example, improper wiring may lead to an electronic or motorized toy or device to malfunction and catch fire, causing the individual who is using it to suffer first-, second-, or third-degree skin burns. Similarly, a faulty device could electrocute a person in some cases if it does not include adequate directions or warning labels. In other cases, missing or broken parts make them dangerous for users.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Slip and Fall Accidents

With the winter weather here, Illinois can become icy this time of year which means slippery streets. If you were to slip and fall on someone’s property, the owner may become responsible for your accident. However, there are some instances when the property owner is not held accountable for your injuries. Take precautions this year by understanding some important questions you may decide to ask if you are injured in a slip and fall accident.

Who is responsible for my injury resulting from a slip and fall accident?

Just because you fall on someone’s property does not mean that they are always responsible for the accident. There may be a number of reasons as to why you fell that have nothing to do with the owner. Yes, it could be the property owners fault but if it is not their fault then it might be yours. This is important to keep in mind when determining liability. Remember, if the owner of the premise caused the spill or other slippery or dangerous surface then they are legally responsible for the injuries you suffered.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Slip and Fall Accidents

In cartoons, when one character slips on a banana and falls on the ground, we are all supposed to laugh at the character’s ignorance and somewhat hilarious consequences that follow. For over fifty years, this type of slapstick comedy was a common way to get audiences to laugh and have a carefree time. Unfortunately, the reality is nothing like cartoons. In fact, when a person slips and falls, he or she may suffer some very serious injuries and may even die, depending on the level of complications that follow the slip and fall.

Slip and Fall Injury Statistics

Slip and fall injuries can be very serious if not treated right away. More women than men will experience a slip and fall accident in their lives, and of the more serious slip and fall injuries is a bone fracture.

• Over eight million emergency room visits are because of a slip and fall injury.
• Five percent of people who fall will experience a bone fracture, and they may even lose several weeks of work, depending on the severity of the injuries from the slip and fall accident.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Slip and Fall Accidents

Having a baby can be one of the most exciting experiences in a person’s life. For a woman, especially, giving birth is both exciting and frightening. During the nine-month period, there are many safety measures that women must take in order to protect herself and her baby. One of the most common injuries that pregnant women and their unborn babies endure comes from slip and fall accidents, potentially causing serious complications to both parties.

What Can Happen After a Slip and Fall Accident?

Pregnancy has a massive change on the woman’s body. Since her center of gravity adjusts so significantly, she often has difficulty maintaining her balance. Slightly over 25 percent of all pregnant women experience a fall at some point in their pregnancy. Even though there may be few complications after some falls, some of the potential complications to look out for include but are not limited to:

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Slip and Fall Accidents

A fall in a retail store or restaurant can come at any time. What should have been a quick grocery shopping trip can turn into a painful accident that requires extensive medical care and time off work.

While such an incident happens in the blink of an eye, getting you the compensation you deserve can take much longer. At our firm, we strive to get our clients compensation as quickly as possible while still protecting all of their rights.

There are numerous hazards that could cause a slip in fall in a retail store or restaurant. When business owners fail to take proper care to provide a safe environment for customers, they risk the health of everyone. It is important to hire an attorney to keep these businesses accountable.

In our legal practice, we see many hazards, again and again, that cause slip and fall accidents. These include:

• Uneven surfaces. A business owner has an obligation to provide a business that has reasonably even surfaces. There may be small variations in the surface, but there are safety standards in place that set how large the variation can be. Larger variations in surface height must be marked. Floors and flooring materials contribute directly to more than two million fall injuries each year.

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