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Understanding Common Risk Factors for Pedestrian Accidents in Illinois
At some point throughout the day, we are all considered pedestrians. We are all at risk of being injured in a motor vehicle accident as a pedestrian, which happens more often than you may think. According to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 79,000 motor vehicle accidents that occurred involving a pedestrian in 2019. When a pedestrian is involved in an accident with a vehicle, the results can be devastating and can inflict damage and trauma onto the pedestrian because of the sheer size and weight comparison. If you have been in a traffic accident as a pedestrian, you should get in touch with an Illinois pedestrian accident attorney to discuss your options for compensation.
Risk Factors for Accidents Involving Pedestrians
When you are walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting on a bench, or stretching out in the grass, you are a pedestrian. According to the NHTSA, pedestrian fatalities decreased between 2018 and 2019, but only slightly with a small 2.7 percent decrease. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, recovering compensation may be possible if you can determine who is at fault for the accident. Some of the most common causes of accidents involving pedestrians include:
What You Need to Know About Dog Bites and “Dangerous Dogs”
When you think of a dog, you likely think of a happy, tail-wagging companion that is a common addition to families across the world. However, it is very easy to forget that while dogs can be part of the family, they are still living creatures that can sometimes act unpredictably and lash out if they feel the need. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Insurance Information Institute (III), there are an estimated 85 million dogs in the U.S., however, insurance companies paid out around $854 million in claims relating to dog bites in 2020 alone. If you have been bitten by a dog in Illinois, you are likely eligible for claiming compensation for your injuries.
Illinois’ Animal Control Act and Liability
In the state of Illinois, owners are responsible for the actions of their animals in nearly all situations. If a person is bitten by a dog, the owner of that dog is liable for the injuries that the dog causes. Specifically, the Illinois Animal Control Act states that a person is responsible for civil remedies for injuries caused by their dog biting a person if the person was in a place that they were legally allowed to be and the dog was not provoked.
What Do You Have to Prove in a Medical Malpractice Case in Illinois?
When you have an injury or illness that needs treatment, you want to believe that the people you are seeking help from know what they are doing and have the skills to keep you safe. Unfortunately, medical malpractice is not an uncommon occurrence. According to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), which compiles information about adverse actions and malpractice payments across the country, there have been more than 58,000 adverse actions or medical malpractice claims paid out since 2020. It is fair to say that everyone makes mistakes, but when you are handling something as serious as someone’s health, negligence is unacceptable. If you have experienced the effects of a negligent physician, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim to gather compensation.
Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case
In general, medical malpractice is characterized by a physician’s negligent action to harm a patient, causing them to suffer a loss. In order for an injury to be a malpractice case, there must be three separate elements present: a clear violation of the standard of care, an injury that resulted from the violation, and damages that result from the injury. Without all three of these elements, you do not have a medical malpractice case.
Can I Claim Compensation if I Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome From My Job?
In some cases, a workers’ compensation claim is fairly straightforward -- either the worker suffered from a blatantly clear work injury, like suffering a broken bone from something falling on it while working. In other cases, there may be hesitation or uncertainty when it comes to paying benefits for certain injuries. For example, many repetitive motion injuries can be questionable for many employers to cover under workers’ compensation. Carpal tunnel injuries can be painful and debilitating, which is why you need to retain the assistance of an attorney if your workers’ compensation claim for a carpal tunnel injury was denied.
What Is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, a large nerve that runs down your arm to your hand, is compressed or pinched in the passageway from your arm to your hand. That passageway is called the carpal tunnel, which the median nerve must pass through to get to the hand. If the median nerve is pinched, a person may experience numbness or tingling in the hand, and sometimes pain. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Financial Compensation for Aggressive Driving Accidents in Illinois
We have all felt it before -- the feeling of annoyance mixed with anger and frustration that manifests and appears when we are behind the wheel of our vehicles. Driving can be a stressful activity for some people, especially those who experience extreme anger and frustration while driving. In some cases, aggressive driving or road rage can contribute to or even be the cause of some motor vehicle accidents, which can result in serious injuries. In many cases, damages sustained from injuries resulting from an aggressive driver can be claimed in a personal injury lawsuit.
What Is Aggressive Driving?
In general, aggressive driving is considered to be any action taken by a driver that endangers the lives or safety of themselves or others. Aggressive driving can include any behavior that a driver deliberately engages in with ill intentions or a disregard for the safety of others on the road. It is important to note that there is a difference between aggressive driving and “road rage.” Even though both instances involve angry drivers, road rage only occurs when the aggressive driving elevates to the driver intentionally means to cause the other driver physical harm.
What Are My Options if My Loved One Was Killed Due to the Negligence of Someone Else?
One of the most stressful events that you could ever experience in life is the death of a loved one. While we will all have to experience the loss of someone close to us at one point or another, experiencing that loss unexpectedly can be even more stressful than it would usually be. When you suddenly lose a loved one, you now have expenses that you were not planning for and in some cases, even financial losses that can devastate your family. Thankfully, you have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit if another person is at fault for the death of your loved one.
Filing a Wrongful Death Claim
Wrongful death lawsuits can cover a variety of actions, both intentional and unintentional, that are taken by individuals that cause the death of another person. For example, a common reason why wrongful death claims are filed are from deaths from car accidents. In most cases, a wrongful death claim involves a personal injury claim that could have been made by the deceased individual if they were still alive.
How Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Help Illinois Car Crash Victims?
When a person is injured in a car accident, it is not uncommon for their medical expenses to total in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. In cases involving driver negligence, the at-fault party often lacks the resources to compensate the victim out of pocket, and instead, compensation usually comes through the driver’s liability insurance, which is required by law in Illinois. However, there are a variety of situations in which the at-fault driver’s insurance cannot cover the victim’s damages. In these cases, victims can often turn to their own car insurance policy for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
When Should I Use Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
By default, car insurance policies in Illinois include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injury and death, and policyholders often have the option to purchase additional coverage for uninsured or underinsured property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can be a life-saver for injury victims under many different circumstances, including when:
Recovering Damages for a Brain Injury in an Illinois Car Accident
March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. In recent years, there has been a lot of research conducted on traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), most notably concussions that are caused by sports. However, significant head trauma is often a result of a motor vehicle accident. The force of impact in a car crash can be severe, causing a driver and passengers to slam their head against the steering wheel, windows, or doors. In many head injuries, the brain is negatively affected, and the long-term consequences of it can be serious, often requiring medical treatment such as surgeries or therapy. Depending on the details surrounding the collision, a victim may be able to bring a personal injury claim against a negligent party.
Types of Head Trauma
Brain injuries can affect an individual’s speech, critical thinking skills, memory, and more. Physicians usually classify traumatic brain injuries into two main categories. Closed injuries do not fracture the skull but open injuries can break or penetrate the skull bone, leaving a person’s brain exposed to outside elements. This can lead to other complications, such as infections.
Can Medical Negligence Lead to Maternal Injuries During Childbirth?
Having a baby can be a beautiful, momentous, and life-changing experience. However, complications during childbirth can cause serious injuries to the mother and child. Depending on the circumstances, a maternal injury may lead to debilitating conditions and even death. The risk of injuries to the mother may increase when certain procedures such as a cesarean delivery (C-section) are performed. However, some maternal injuries during childbirth can be prevented if medical staff are able to address risk factors and provide intervention when signs or symptoms first present themselves during pregnancy or labor. Mothers who experience trauma when their child is born may be able to pursue compensation through a medical malpractice claim if negligence played a role in their injuries.
Prenatal Care Is Vital
Expectant mothers are advised to see their physician regularly while pregnant to monitor the baby’s development. If the safety of the mother or unborn child is in jeopardy, the medical staff should be ready to take necessary measures to ensure their health and safety. Doctors and nurses should take care to notice any signs of distress in the mother during routine visits or labor and delivery, which may include high blood pressure.
Who Is Liable for Injuries Caused by Snow and Ice in Illinois?
Winters in Illinois are known for being brutal. They can bring snow, wind, sleet, and slush not to mention freezing temperatures. Driving can be downright treacherous due to black ice, which can cause a driver to slide, lose control, and crash with other vehicles. Even walking can present its own set of dangers. Ice can cause people to slip and fall, which may result in serious injuries. In other cases, icicles hanging from gutters or roofs may fall onto bystanders below. If you or your loved one was hurt in an accident that involved winter weather, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses or damages.
Illinois Premises Liability
Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, property owners have a duty of care to maintain their grounds and buildings so they are safe for patrons, visitors, and guests. It is unrealistic for property owners to be expected to keep their land completely free of snow and ice all of the time. However, property owners are tasked with taking steps to prevent injuries caused by the “unnatural accumulation” of snow or ice. This means that property owners are not automatically liable for injuries that are caused by the natural accumulation of this precipitation. If the snow or ice accumulates unnaturally due to improper or inadequate maintenance or repairs, the property owner may be liable for injuries caused by the accumulation.
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9631 W. 153rd St., Suite 32, Orland Park, IL 60462
708-966-2408
