Posted on May 31, 2018 in Workers' Compensation

Accidents happen--that is why all employers in Illinois are required to carry insurance for workers who get injured on the job. Workers’ compensation covers medical costs for all employees if they are hurt on the job and pays for expenses such as doctor’s visits, surgery, hospital stays, medication and physical therapy. In the case that an injury or illness makes you unable to work, you could be able to receive disability benefits, which vary based on whether the injury or illness is partial or full, or if it is temporary or permanent.

Temporary Partial Disability

When you are still healing from a work-related injury or illness, but are able to work part-time or have limited ability of what you can do at work, you might be eligible for temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits. This means that you are not earning as much as you would have been earning pre-injury. TPD benefits are usually two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury weekly wage and your post-injury weekly wage. These benefits are paid to you until you are healed and can return to work.

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 Posted on May 23, 2018 in Car Accidents

Unfortunately, in the United States, car crashes are not uncommon--and the majority of crashes are caused by driver error. In the U.S., 34,439 fatal car crashes occurred in 2016, taking 37,461 lives. Even if you are a responsible, safe driver and obey all traffic laws, you cannot assume that other drivers are doing the same thing. If you have been in a car crash that is not your fault, you should not be held responsible for the damages or loss of life that happen due to the crash. Understanding the common causes of crashes can help you to drive safely and can aid in filing a car accident claim if a crash resulted in damages.

1. Distracted Driving

Each year, distracted driving is the cause of more crashes. Information published by New Virginia Tech found that when drivers engaged in behavior that distracted them from driving, it more than doubled their chances of crashing. Distracted driving behaviors include:

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 Posted on May 16, 2018 in Wrongful Death

Losing a loved one is hard, and it’s even harder when their death is the result of negligence. In this case, family members may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking damages, usually in the monetary form. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death from unintentional injuries is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, meaning wrongful death is unfortunately uncommon.

What Is Wrongful Death?

Wrongful death is any death that is caused by another person’s recklessness or negligence. According to the state of Illinois, wrongful death is defined as death due to another person’s, company’s or corporation’s intentional, negligent or misconduct. Some common examples of wrongful death include:

• Automobile accidents;
• Pedestrian accidents;

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 Posted on May 09, 2018 in Car Accidents

The weather is getting warmer and that means that motorcycle enthusiasts are waking their bikes from their winter hibernation. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and is desperately needed in Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune, nationwide motorcycle accident deaths have dropped 5.6 percent since last year, while the rate of motorcycle accident deaths has continued to increase in Illinois, with 162 in 2017.

What Drivers Should Know about Motorcyclists

A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) of Illinois is an organization that supports the education of all motorists to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving motorcycles. In response to Motorcycle Awareness Month, ABATE has the following facts for drivers to consider when they encounter a motorcycle on the road:

• Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or rolling off the throttle, which does not activate the brake light. Always allow for more following distance.

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 Posted on April 30, 2018 in Catastrophic Injuries

According to a study published in the journal Neurology, even relatively minor brain injuries carry an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder.

The Study

Researchers studied 325,870 veterans whose health data was recorded from 2002 to 2014 to explore the correlations between traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and the development of Parkinson’s Disease. Of those who developed Parkinson’s Disease, 65% percent had previously had a TBI ranging from mild to severe in nature.

What Is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that develops gradually and affects movement. The disease causes neurons in your brain to slowly break down or die. Symptoms of the disease include:

• Tremors;
• Slow movement;

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 Posted on April 23, 2018 in Car Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were an estimated 6,296,000 car accidents reported to police in 2015. An estimated 737,100 of those were hit-and-run accidents. In Illinois alone, 313,316 crashes were recorded in 2015. Hit-and-run accidents can be stressful and take an emotionally toll on the victim. Hit-and-run accidents can also be expensive - unexpected medical bills and vehicle reparations can put a dent in your finances. Understanding what a hit-and-run accident is, common causes of them and what you should do after an accident will be pertinent to getting the compensation you deserve.

What Is a Hit-and-Run Accident?

A hit-and-run accident is when a person flees the scene of the crash before giving any information to the other person involved in the accident or if they fail to report the crash. According to Illinois state law, all accidents involving death or personal injury must be reported to police within 30 minutes of the incident, or you will face criminal charges.

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 Posted on April 17, 2018 in Workers' Compensation

Head injuries are one of the most serious types of injuries a person can experience, and unfortunately, head injuries at the workplace are not uncommon. If your head injury is caused by a misplaced object, poorly maintained work environment, or by another worker, it may have been preventable.

How Head Injuries Occur

Head injuries commonly occur in the workplace from the following causes:

• Walking Into Objects – If a worker walks into a solid object such as wall, cabinet, or glass window, they may bump their head and suffer an injury.
• Being Underneath Falling Objects - When an object falls or is dropped from above, it may hit a worker on the head, causing injury. A worker may bump a shelf and knock an object over, or a coworker could accidentally drop an object when they are working above the other person.

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 Posted on April 09, 2018 in Car Accidents

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is taking place this month. Every car crash resulting from distracted driving could have been prevented if the driver had given their full attention to the road. Despite this, distracted driving continues to be a significant cause of car crashes and resulting injuries. In 2013, a US Department of Transportation study found that distracted driving was related to 10 percent of all crashes resulting in death and 18 percent of crashes resulting in injury.

Types of Distractions

Distracted driving can include any type of mental, physical, or visual task that takes a person’s concentration away from the road. Common distractions include:

• Using a cell phone;
• Using electronic devices such as a GPS or radio;
• Checking directions or reading signs;

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 Posted on March 28, 2018 in Car Accidents

With the increased availability and use of ride-sharing services, the question of who is liable for an accident and injuries sustained during the accident is becoming more common. Pursuing a claim as a result of an automobile accident injury is something to consider carefully as part of ensuring the cost of medical treatment, future care needs and lost wages are covered.

Determining Who Is Liable

While the thought of pursuing a big claim against one of the country’s large ride-sharing companies, the likelihood of doing so is usually quite rare. In most cases one would file a suit with the driver of the vehicle:

• Generally identified by the company decals in the rear window of their vehicle, rideshare drivers are considered independent contractors and not employees of the company they represent. This generally provides the company deniability of any liability in an accident. However, it is important to review laws carefully as they may vary from state to state.

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 Posted on March 21, 2018 in Workers' Compensation

We frequently use this space to present relevant information pertaining to work-related injuries and deaths, high-risk careers and other workers’ compensation related topics. The array of variables and nuances impacting this important social and legal issue literally fill pages and pages of books and require copious amounts of time both in and out of the courtroom. This time around we are taking a closer look at reports indicating high-risk worker groups.

Age and Gender Play a Role

As workers and employers strive to provide and sustain equal footing in the employment market for both men and women, some evidence suggests that there is an area in which women have an edge, especially as they get older. One Canadian study presented evidence that older women are more likely to sustain an on-the-job injury than their younger counterparts. Some of the findings included:

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