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Recent Blog Posts
What If You Are Injured While Traveling on Business?
If your job requires you to travel and work off-site as a part of your employment, then it is possible for you to sustain a work-related injury while traveling. While sustaining an injury while traveling on business is a common occurrence, collecting on a workers’ compensation claim related to such an injury can be a little more complex than if the injury was sustained on site.
The Nuances of Work Travel
Some employees travel far more frequently than others who work for the same company. However, whether you travel once each month or just one time each year, if you are injured while on that business trip you are more than likely eligible to file a claim to help cover expenses and loss of income related to the injury. It is important to understand what is expected of you while traveling, and what you should do if injured while on the road.
Evidence of Traumatic Brain Injuries Spur New Football Helmet Design
During this current football season, and throughout the past year or more, much has been reported about the increasing evidence of head and brain injuries sustained by former professional football players. Even the two biggest manufacturers are getting involved as they look for ways to improve player safety.
Concussions and Worse
Until recently, getting one’s “bell rung” was a common injury sustained while participating in football that did not seem to require much concern. However, those involved in the medical diagnosis and treatment of head injuries brought to light the serious effects of sustaining a concussion. Through the course of these revelations, it was learned that many players, at all levels of the game, had sustained multiple concussions over the course of their playing careers.
Research on the brains of deceased former players revealed a startling new development, the many had developed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This is described as a degenerative brain disease found in those who suffered repetitive brain injuries, with the most cases found in those who had played football. The results of which seemed to have an effect on balance, memory and other cognitive skills, which led to suicide in some cases.
Auto Insurance Laws and Regulations
There is nothing worse than being involved in a car accident and learning the driver at fault is uninsured. Even though Illinois requires all drivers to carry minimum coverage amounts, uninsured drivers still operate vehicles and collecting claim payments in the event of an injury due to an auto accident may be complicated.
What Illinois Requires
To be considered in compliance with Illinois law, you must have the following minimum coverages for any vehicle you own.
- $25,000 coverage for injury or death of a person involved in an accident;
- $50,000 coverage for injury or death of more than one person involved in an accident; and
- $20,000 coverage for damage to the property of another person.
A driver must always be in possession of an insurance card when operating a vehicle. Even if they do not own the vehicle, the driver must be able to produce proof of insurance and present it to a police officer upon request.
Suit Filed as a Result of Attack at Six Flags
An Illinois family is claiming negligence by the employees of Six Flags Great America in a suit filed recently. The latest legal maneuver stems from injuries suffered at the hands of other park guests during a visit to the Gurnee theme park earlier this year.
The Attack
Three members of a family were allegedly attacked and beaten by what could be as many as 10 people when an incident escalated while park guests were waiting in line for one of the attractions. A woman, her husband, and their 12-year-old son all suffered physical injuries as a result of the altercation. Local 911 operators reported receiving more than one call from other park patrons who witnessed the melee. However, authorities have indicated that those alleged to have been responsible for the attack were permitted to leave the park before police could make contact.
The Aftermath
Self-Driving Cars and Accident Liability
As technological advances are made at increasingly higher rates, manufactures in a number of industries are racing to implement those advances to enhance the user experience of their products. Automobile makers are no exception, as the promise of self-driving cars appearing on roadways not only intrigues the public but has raised questions over matters of fault and liability stemming from injuries suffered in traffic accidents involving self-driving cars.
At This Point … More Questions Than Answers
While the roads are filled with vehicles that include a variety of semi-autonomous features such as parking assistance, blind spot detection and automatic braking, the vehicle that is fully self-driving has yet to hit the streets. As manufacturers work to introduce the self-driving car to the public, questions from drivers, law enforcement agencies and insurance groups relative to accidents and liability swirl.
When Truck Drivers Are Hurt on the Job
Workers who earn a living doing physical labor are at risk of injury nearly every day they are on the job. Overland truck drivers and delivery drivers who maintain local routes are at no less risk for injury simply because they are behind the wheel much of the day.
Drivers’ Injuries Due Compensation
Truck drivers and delivery drivers experience injuries from more than just being involved in accidents. Some of the injuries occur from slips that occur getting in or out of the cab, lifting or loading and unloading cargo, raising truck hoods or cargo doors, and even falls on loading docks. Any of these can cause a number of serious injuries, which include:
- Neck, back, and shoulder injuries;
- Muscle strains or sprains;
- Repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome;
Veto of Public Insurance Company Stands
Earlier this year Illinois legislators passed a bill that would create a taxpayer-funded insurance company that would issues workers compensation coverage policies. Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the legislation, and, despite their best efforts, the Illinois House of Representatives failed to secure enough votes to override that veto.
Latest Attempt at Workers Compensation Reform
The bill passed earlier this year, that would have created a state-run, publicly funded insurance company received its support primarily among Democratic legislators. In creating this plan, supporters felt it would force private companies to reduce the cost of workers compensation coverage policies, and pass along savings gained from earlier attempts at reform. Among the key issues surrounding this highly politicized matter that is important to employers and injured employees alike are:
Tis the Season for Slippery Sidewalks
As temperatures begin to dip and autumn turns (sometimes slowly and sometimes overnight) into winter, property owners prepare for the inevitable snowfall that arrives each year. Despite the knowledge that winter in Chicagoland and Illinois brings about snow-covered and slippery walkways, pedestrians often are forced to traverse treacherous routes that sometimes result in injuries caused by a slip and fall.
Mother Nature and the Law
The question of whether or not someone is responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalk and steps in front of their home or other property is a common topic during the winter months. The related issue of whether or not an individual can file a personal injury claim against a property owner when they call on a snowy sidewalk is just as common. Last winter, the Illinois Supreme Court clarified an Illinois law passed in 1979 that was designed to protect property owners under certain circumstances.
Illinois Limiting Suits Originating Out of State
Plaintiffs from across the country and around the world frequently file their cases in Illinois as the courts in a handful of counties gained the reputation for awarding large monetary settlement awards. However, a recent unanimous decision by the Illinois Supreme Court could impact the flow of suits, personal injury claims, and asbestos cases into the state from other jurisdictions.
Targeting Tort Reform in Illinois
Corporations operating in the state heralded the ruling as they have long sought some relief in the way of limits to general personal jurisdiction to which they were liable. Now, for a claim to be heard in Illinois it must meet some criteria in order to qualify for a place on a court’s docket. The ruling issued by the Illinois Supreme Court sought to establish parameters by which out-of-state plaintiffs could file its suit with a court in Illinois.
Who Is Liable When Wrongful Death Occurs?
While it may be true that sometimes accidents just happen, it is also true that many accidents are avoidable. When wrongful death occurs due to the negligence of others, there are legal avenues one can pursue to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
Examples of Wrongful Death and Liable Parties
Frequent incidents of deaths to road workers occurring on Illinois highways forced the state to enact stricter laws punishing motorists who strike and injure or kill construction or highway workers. However, regardless of the criminal outcome, the driver can still face a wrongful death suit in civil court.
In some cases, claims of negligence can be brought against a party not even present at the time an accident occurs that results in death. A recent example of such an incident involves the following:
- The family of an Illinois Tollway worker killed when a semi-truck struck him, is suing a towing company they say failed to properly clear away debris from an earlier incident. The worker was struck by another truck when he was picking up that debris along the side of the road.
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