Posted on August 31, 2015 in Car Accidents

Parents across Illinois have been helping their kids get ready to go back to school. People have been out shopping for new clothes and school supplies, adjusting work schedules to make room for extracurricular activities and helping kids prepare to get back to a more structured daily routine.

However, there is another way to prepare kids to go back to school that could ultimately save lives. Many teen students will be driving to school for the first time this fall and this means that going over safe driving behaviors can be crucial.

Young drivers can be especially vulnerable on the road. They are inexperienced, easily distracted and may take more risks behind the wheel than other drivers. In order to keep your child and other people on the road safe, parents will want to be sure kids are prepared.

To begin with, drivers and passengers should all be sure to buckle up. Unfortunately, many teens fail to do this. In fact, we have discussed this very issue in an article on our website titled, "Illinois teens not buckling up, putting their lives at risk." In that article, we noted that teen drivers are less likely to use a seat belt when compared to other drivers.

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 Posted on August 18, 2015 in Firm News

Most workers in Illinois are covered by employer-provided workers' compensation insurance. This system allows people who get hurt or sick on the job to have their medical bills covered and receive partial wage replacement if their condition keeps them from working. In exchange for providing this insurance, employers are protected from being sued by workers.

This can seem like a fairly straightforward system. However, there are some common mistakes people can make when it comes to pursuing workers' compensation that could put these benefits at risk.

1. Failing to act quickly: The clock is ticking after you get hurt or sick at work. If you do not report your injury, seek medical help and/or make sure a claim is filed in an appropriate amount of time, you could be ineligible for benefits.
2. Listening to people who say you shouldn't file: There are people who may try to discourage you from seeking workers' compensation, including employers or co-workers. However, legally speaking, you cannot be punished for pursuing these benefits and your decision to seek compensation doesn't affect anyone but you and your family.

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 Posted on August 11, 2015 in Car Accidents

In the coming weeks, students all across Illinois will be heading back to school. It might seem like the beginning of school only affects kids and their parents, but every person around the state should be aware that classes are about to be back in session because with that should come some changes to how everyone drives.

To begin with, drivers should always use caution when driving around a school. In many cases, there are clearly marked crosswalks for pedestrians in these areas and drivers should be very cautious and yield to people crossing the street. Drivers should also slow down and be extra focused on scanning the roadways for things like children, toys or other debris that may be in the road around schools.

It is also crucial for all drivers to obey traffic laws when they are sharing the road with a school bus. These buses typically make frequent stops to pick up passengers or if they approach a railroad crossing. Bus drivers should alert other motorists by flashing the appropriate lights and extending the stop sign arm if necessary and the other drivers should know what they are expected to do in those situations.

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 Posted on August 03, 2015 in Firm News

We often discuss the hazards of working in the farm industry on this blog, as it typically is physically demanding and the use powerful, heavy machinery is generally necessary. These factors can and do contribute to many different and tragic accidents across Illinois.

However, farm workers are also at risk of being injured even when their work takes them off the farm. In rural areas across the state, it is not uncommon to see tractors and other types of farm equipment on the road. While other motorists are expected to slow down and give slower-moving vehicles enough room, this doesn't always happen. One recent accident is a devastating reminder that vehicles of all kinds are at risk of getting hit when people don't drive safely.

The accident involved a 75-year-old man on a farm tractor and the driver of a tractor trailer. Reports indicate that the tractor was being driven on Route 154 when it was hit by the truck. The truck driver evidently did not see the tractor and struck it from behind.

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 Posted on July 27, 2015 in Firm News

Accidents involving tractor trailers can be among the most catastrophic on the road due to size of trucks, the potential for cargo spills and the often devastating injuries suffered by victims.

While the chaos of a crash will eventually pass and everything will get cleared up, the physical and emotional toll of these crashes can linger on long after an accident. This is why many people choose to seek compensation after a truck crash.

Filing a lawsuit in light of these types of accidents can be an effective way to get the financial resources necessary to cope with the considerable adjustments that need to be made afterward. This can be a difficult process, especially because there are a number of ways that truckers and/or trucking companies may try to avoid responsibility. Below are a few common defenses.

• Trucker blames driver: A trucker may claim that the victim did something like cut off the truck, followed too closely or swerved over a lane line and the driver's actions, not the trucker's, caused the crash.

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 Posted on July 22, 2015 in Articles

Working in hot weather can be riskier than you realize

For most people in Illinois, summer is a time to look forward to. But, for farm workers, construction workers and anyone else whose job requires them to work outside, the hot and humid weather can actually pose a huge risk. Without proper safety precautions, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses and injuries can take a serious toll on workers' health.

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, every year dozens of workers die while working in the hot outdoors. Thousands more become ill or injured. While this is tragic, the good news is that there are many preventative strategies workers and employers can take to minimize the risk of on-the-job harm.

If you're going to be working outside this summer, consider the following:

• Dress appropriately: At the very least, wear light-colored clothing and a hat. Folks who are going to be outside for a long time might want to consider investing in ventilated clothing, or clothing made from moisture-wicking or UV-blocking fabric.

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 Posted on July 20, 2015 in Firm News

Families all across Illinois know a loved one who is being cared for in a nursing home. In fact, there are roughly 1.4 million residents in these facilities across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many of these patients receive the type of care that has been promised by individual facilities. However, there are many people who are mistreated or neglected by nursing home staff workers who are untrained, overworked, poorly supervised or not properly vetted during the hiring process. If you suspect that your loved one is in the latter group, you need to understand what you can and should do to protect that person.

To begin with, you need to report any suspected mistreatment as soon as possible to state Adult Protective Services. Depending on the information provided, the agency may launch an investigation into the allegations. 

The investigation will generally involve speaking with nursing home staff, other patients, family members and the person who may have been abused or neglected. Unfortunately, many victims and other nursing home patients are not physically or mentally capable of reporting or discussing instances of mistreatment which is why these investigations can be so complicated.

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 Posted on July 14, 2015 in Firm News

People all across central Illinois work in the farming industry and people all across the world depend on the fruits of that labor. However, in addition to being crucial, farming can also be very dangerous.

Consider the equipment that is used on modern farms. There are huge combines, tractors, plows, planters and cultivators, not to mention the machines and tools like mowers, chain saws and trucks that many people use on a daily basis. With so much equipment on site, it is important to understand what your options may be if a machine is defective and causes a serious accident.

Farming equipment can be very complicated and intricate. People who buy the equipment typically won't know where the nuts and bolts were made or how the engine was assembled. They won't know who designed the product or whether all the proper warnings have been noted.

Because we don't know these things as consumers, we rely on the designers, manufacturers and sellers of the products to take seriously their duty to put out products that are free from defects. If any of these parties fail in this duty and a person is injured as a result of a defect, they can be named in a product liability lawsuit.

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 Posted on July 06, 2015 in Firm News

When it comes to legal issues, it can be easy for people to assume that their situation will be resolved in accordance to what they feel should happen. If someone is hurt on the job, for example, a worker probably feels like that their employer should have workers' compensation insurance that should be available to people who get sick or hurt at work. 

Unfortunately, even though something is expected to happen doesn't mean it will. And even when people feel like they know what the rules are doesn't mean that other people will always follow them. This is why legal matters can be so frustrating and why it can be so important to have the help of an attorney.

Let's go back to that scenario we discussed above. It is true that most employers in Illinois should have workers' compensation. They should also post notices in the workplace and avoid taking negative action against an employee who reports an injury and seeks the compensation available to them.

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 Posted on July 01, 2015 in Car Accidents

If you are like many Illinois residents, you have some fun plans to celebrate the Independence Day this weekend. You may be heading out to a cabin, spending the long weekend at a loved one's house outside of Illinois or just relaxing with your friends at a backyard barbecue right here at home.

Whatever your plans may be, however, it is crucial to remember that this time of year comes with some serious risks that can drastically change a person's life. One of the biggest risks that seem to go hand-in-hand with the 4th of July is drinking and driving.

Drinking is not uncommon during holidays, especially when a holiday also comes with a long weekend. People are off of work and wanting to relax and celebrate. Parties, barbecues, parades, firework shows and all kinds of events that happen around Independence Day typically involve alcohol to some degree.

Because of this, police officers in Illinois and across the country regularly crack down on enforcing DUI laws. They increase patrols and set up checkpoints; they stop more drivers and are more suspicious of behaviors that could suggest intoxication.

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