Posted on January 29, 2021 in Workplace Accident

No one expects to get hurt when they go to work, but it does happen. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 4 million work-related injuries that required medical attention in 2019. These injuries may be caused by various factors and can affect different parts of the body. For example, falling from scaffolding at a construction site can result in fractured or broken bones. In other cases, exposure to toxic or dangerous substances can harm an employee. Even when safety measures and procedures are followed, workplace accidents involving chemical hazards can still occur. In some situations, exposure can result in severe to life-threatening consequences.

Exposure to Hazardous Substances

Toxic chemical exposure can occur in several types of industries, but there are some settings in which workers may be more susceptible to these hazards. These can include manufacturing, oil and gas, welding, transportation (trucking, railroad, agriculture, and healthcare. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides standards for preventing illnesses and injuries. However, many of the chemicals used in these types of jobs increase the risk of serious injury or death when workers are repeatedly exposed to them over a long time.

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 Posted on August 22, 2012 in Car Accidents

A mother and son from Rodgers Park spent their Saturday at the Air and Water Show on August 18^th.  Unfortunately, the pair never made it back home to talk about their fun filled day. Marija Bala, 39, and her 6-year-old son Luka were travelling home to the 1700 block of W Estes Avenue on Lake Shore Drive nearby Montrose Avenue, when a horrific accident occurred.

The vehicle transporting the Balas lost control around 6 pm on that Saturday.  They travelled from the northbound lanes across the sizable median and into the southbound lane of traffic. Marija’s car smashed into a vehicle travelling the opposite direction and injured two people. Luka Bala was pronounced dead at 6:21 pm at Lurie Children’s Hospital from injuries suffered during the car accident. His mother, Marija died two hours later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

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 Posted on August 08, 2012 in Car Accidents

Thursday, August 2^nd was a difficult day for nearly 70 passengers on a Megabus coach bus.  On a ride between Chicago and St. Louis, the double-decker bus hit a highway overpass support beam 55 miles south.  Investigators were initially confused as to how the bus came to hit the concrete pillar near Lichtfield, Illinois around 1:20 pm.

"We've had no reports of erratic driving or anything along those lines," said Illinois State Police Lt. Louis Kink. "From our witness statements, most of its leaning toward the tire malfunction."  The bus company endorsed the suppositions of the authorities.  The bus itself had been manufactured within the year as well as passing a full preventative maintenance test less than a week prior to the accident.

A total of thirty ambulances, seven fire departments and five helicopters were present at the scene of the accident.  The front of the bus itself was so destroyed by the accident that rescuers had to use ladders to save people from the wreckage.  47 people in all were taken to hospitals for varying degrees of injuries.  Some people were airlifted to hospitals in Springfield and St. Louis, including the driver of the bus who immediately went into surgery.

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 Posted on July 25, 2012 in Car Accidents

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, a woman from Steger ran over her infant child while backing up her vehicle in her driveway on July 18^th.  40-year-old Yvette Y. Guerrero-Silva accidently ran over her baby while under the influence shortly after 7 pm.  When she admitted to consuming numerous alcoholic beverages before operating her minivan the police took her into custody.

Holly Silva was the 19-month-old daughter who was ran over by her mother.  Prior to the accident, Holly was playing around the vehicle in the 1100 block of Main St in Crete.  After Holly was transported to St. James Hospital, she was pronounced dead.  The police report noted that the death was due to massive head trauma.  Although the autopsy report only referred to the multiple injuries sustained from the car accident.

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 Posted on July 11, 2012 in Car Accidents

A Round Lake Beach man named Vincente Torres-Vasquez, 47, was watching a soccer game at Chiefs field near Wauconda IL.  He was having a bit of fun and decided to have some drinks, which is a typically pastime for any sporting event.  But on that fatal day in July 24, 2011, he drank too much to drive.

He exited the soccer field with his Ford Explorer through the wooded area surrounding the field.  At that time five motorcyclists were driving east on Route 176.  Torres-Vasquez missed four of the motorcycles but fatally struck one.  Gregory Homola, 56, of Lake Geneva, WI, was transported to the nearest hospital near Lake Barrington after his motorcycle accident.  He was pronounced dead when he reached Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital.

After hitting Homola’s motorcycle, Torres-Vasquez crossed into the westbound lane of traffic and had a car accident with a Hyundai.  Two women were travelling in that car and one of them was pregnant.  The woman and her baby were fine, suffering only minor injuries in the crash.  The driver of the car was less fortunate; she endured leg paralysis and speech problems resulting from the accident.

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 Posted on July 03, 2012 in Car Accidents

A woman was killed Sunday afternoon when the vehicle in which she was a passenger lost control and was struck by another vehicle.  Authorities and witnesses say that the vehicle in which the woman was a passenger lost control on a turn which was left wet and slippery from recent rains.  When that vehicle lost control it veered into the opposite lane of traffic and was t-boned on the passenger door by a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.

The drivers of each of the vehicles were both taken to area hospitals where one remains in serious condition.  Witnesses say that neither vehicle appeared to be speeding at the time of the collision.  Of course, the fact that a vehicle wasn’t speeding does not mean that it was driving at a safe speed for the slippery conditions that were present on the road at the time, particularly when approaching a curve in the road.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a passenger in an automobile, call Khaled Issa today.  With over 10 years of experience representing clients who have been the victims of auto accidents, Khaled Issa can protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.

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 Posted on July 03, 2012 in Car Accidents

The eastbound Borman expressway in Northwest Indiana was shut down last week after two semi-trailer trucks collided.  The accident happened when one semi changed lanes to avoid a police car which was partially blocking the right lane and was rear-ended by a semi traveling in the middle lane of traffic.  The driver of the rear semi became pinned in his vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency crews.  All eastbound traffic on the Borman was stopped so a rescue helicopter could airlift that driver to a nearby hospital.

Interestingly, the police car which was partially blocking the right lane was an unmarked car driven by an off-duty Calumet City police officer.  The officer operating that unmarked vehicle acted to pull over a car which was obviously being driven by a drunk driver.  However proper the officer’s intentions, the incident has left some asking why a Calumet City police officer who was off-duty was acting to pull over a drunk driver in Indiana.  Such speculation has led some to believe this is an accident which could have been avoided had the drunk driver been dealt with by local authorities who were on duty an in properly marked and lit police vehicles.

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 Posted on June 30, 2012 in Car Accidents

The scene in a Chicago, Illinois parking garage looked like something out of a bizarre comedy on Friday, June 22 when Mari Moreria of Spanish radio station 107.9 La Ley returned to her vehicle.

Perched on top of her Mercedes Benz and the Jaguar next to it was a rented BMW. Apparently when attempting to return the rented vehicle to the Enterprise rental car office, the driver accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes, driving through a guardrail on the level above. CBS-2 news writer Vicky Baftiri witnessed the accident.

“All of a sudden, boom, this huge crash,” Baftiri stated. “I was really afraid for my life, because that car nearly hit me.”

While the Mercedes survived in damaged but drivable condition, the Jaguar took the brunt of the collision and wasn’t so lucky. Needless to say Sylvia Kappos, the owner of the Jaguar, was not too happy when she returned from her shopping trip to find the bizarre scene.

The driver had rented the BMW for business. He was given a citation for driving too fast for present conditions.

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 Posted on June 29, 2012 in Truck Accidents

Two trucks collided on Interstate 355 on the morning of June 16, resulting in a large amount of hard liquor being spilled onto the highway.  One of the trucks involved was a semi-trailer and the other was a smaller box truck.

According to police, the two trucks were proceeding through a construction zone southbound on I-355 near the town of Addison when the semi-trailer truck attempted to change lanes.  As the driver changed lanes the semi collided with the box truck, which then lost control.  The box truck then crossed through lanes of traffic and struck the concrete median, breaking open the box truck and spilling its contents of 350 cases of hard liquor onto the highway.

The truck drivers were both transported to a local hospital with reportedly minor injuries.  After an investigation was conducted, which left several lanes of I-355 closed during the morning commute, authorities determined the driver of the semi was at fault and issued him a citation for improper lane usage.

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 Posted on June 29, 2012 in Car Accidents

A car crash on Lake Shore Drive injured five people, one critically, early Monday morning.  Reports indicate that the crash occurred at Balbo and Lake Shore Drive when a driver going northbound on Lake Shore Drive attempted to make a left turn westbound on Balbo.  That driver apparently did not wait for traffic to clear before making his turn, because a vehicle coming southbound on Lake Shore Drive collided with the vehicle when it attempted its turn.  Some reports have stated that one of the vehicles was caused to collide with a nearby ambulance after the initial impact.

Five of the people involved in the collision were taken by ambulance to area hospitals with one person being listed in critical condition.  Several lanes on southbound Lake Shore Drive were shut down while authorities investigated the collision.  However, the driver of the vehicle attempting the left turn was issued citations for failure to yield the right of way, operating a vehicle without insurance and damage to city property.

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