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In a national job market, some occupations will come with more inherent risks than others. Today, the construction industry is known as one of the most dangerous industries throughout the United States. Despite stringent regulations established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), designed to keep employees safe, workplace injuries and fatalities are more common in the construction industry than many would like to assume. According to statistics compiled by OSHA, construction industry fatalities account for upwards of 20% of annual private sector fatalities. If you or a loved one have been injured while working construction, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
According to OSHA, the leading cause of injury in the construction industry is falling. Construction workers are asked to work on multiple story buildings, roof builds, and other tasks that put them at risk of falls. Throughout 2018 alone, over 300 construction workers were fatally injured after falling on a job site. Other common causes of injuries and fatalities include being struck by objects and electrocutions. In many injury instances, employers fail to apply proper protective measures throughout the site or equip their employees with necessary protective equipment.
Every single day thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries in motor vehicle collisions. While many people involved in car accidents will willingly share insurance information and handle the situation with professionalism, others will attempt to flee the scene. Unfortunately, hit-and-run accidents occur daily throughout the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 737,100 hit-and-run accidents occurred throughout 2015 alone. If you or a loved one have been injured in a hit-and-run collision, it is important to know how to react.
After ensuring that all passengers are safe after the initial collision, it is important to react quickly in a hit-and-run situation. First and foremost, contact law enforcement officials. The quicker that police can arrive on the scene, the more likely they are to apprehend the other party. If you believe the other vehicle is attempting to flee, you should attempt to document the license plate number, color, or make of the fleeing vehicle. While pictures of the vehicle can be incredibly beneficial to a police investigation, a written description and potential license plate number can also lead to an arrest. Regardless of whether you are able to document the aforementioned information, it is crucial that you speak with any witnesses of the accident.
When a worker is injured on the job, the impact of their injury can have a serious impact on the financial well-being of their family. Not only can a work injury result in significant medical expenses, but also potentially long-term income loss. Recognizing this, securing workers’ compensation can be incredibly important to the injured party and their family. Commercial trucking is an inherently dangerous profession and employee injuries are more common than most would assume. If you have been injured while working as a commercial trucker, you may be entitled to significant workers’ compensation payments.
Due to the dangerous nature of commercial truck driving, workers’ compensation claims are common throughout the industry. Long driving hours and inconsistent exercise patterns can lead to an increased likelihood of injuries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60,000 commercial truck drivers suffer non-fatal injuries each year. The most common causes of injuries within the industry include motor vehicle collisions, accidents while loading or unloading cargo, and long-term overexertion.
When a person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they are making a statement that they are in good health and capable of safely operating a vehicle. Unfortunately, many people fail to recognize the tangible impact that lack of sleep can have on a person’s ability to safely drive. The reality of the situation is that drowsy driving is a massive traffic safety issue, throughout the United States. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, it is time to speak with an attorney regarding your options.
While we all can understand the inherent dangers of falling asleep at the wheel, driving while still conscious but sleep deprived is also incredibly dangerous. According to studies conducted by the National Safety Council, driving while drowsy impacts a person’s reaction time, attention span, and general awareness. The study also found that driving after twenty consecutive hours without sleep is the cognitive equivalent of driving with 0.08 blood alcohol content.
According to the Illinois General Assembly, state law defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle with a willful disregard for the safety of others. The most common forms of reckless driving include driving at excessive speeds, following other vehicles too closely, disregarding traffic signs, and weaving through traffic. Unfortunately, many motor vehicle collisions are caused by the reckless actions of a driver. If you or a loved have been injured in a motor vehicle collision caused by a reckless driver, you are entitled to significant injury compensation.
Whenever a driver chooses to operate their vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner, they are compromising the safety of other travelers. The following are some of the most common types of reckless driving:
When a person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they are making a statement that they are in good health and capable of safely operating a vehicle. Unfortunately, many people fail to recognize the tangible impact that lack of sleep can have on a person’s ability to safely drive. The reality of the situation is that drowsy driving is a massive traffic safety issue, throughout the United States. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, it is time to speak with an attorney regarding your options.
While we all can understand the inherent dangers of falling asleep at the wheel, driving while still conscious but sleep deprived is also incredibly dangerous. According to studies conducted by the National Safety Council, driving while drowsy impacts a person’s reaction time, attention span, and general awareness. The study also found that driving after twenty consecutive hours without sleep is the cognitive equivalent of driving with 0.08 blood alcohol content.
When a person suffers an injury in the workplace, it is the employer’s responsibility to pay for medical expenses and compensate the injured party for lost work time. After suffering an injury in the workplace, a person will be financially reliant on the workers’ compensation benefits, failure to secure those payments can result in serious financial instability. If you have been injured while at work, it is time to speak with a knowledgeable legal professional.
In the state of Illinois, a worker can pursue two types of temporary disability payments, based on the extent of their injuries. If a person has suffered injuries that are significant enough to keep them out of work entirely for a certain amount of time, the employer is obligated to make Temporary Total Disability (TTD) payments. The employer will be asked to pay two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly wages. If the employee is able to work a job that requires less physical stress to the injured area, the employer will be asked to make Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) payments. The amount of the payments will be calculated through subtracting the wage of the new temporary job from the wage of the employee’s old job, and compensating the employee with two-thirds of the difference between the two salaries. It should be noted that in both payment programs, the employer will be forced to pay for all medical expenses.
According to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation, approximately 33,654 fatal car crashes occurred throughout the United States in 2018. While any and all car accidents can come with inherent dangers, some collisions are simply more dangerous than others. Head-on collisions are the most dangerous form of motor vehicle collision, due in large part to the proximity of the collision on the vehicle and the merging speeds of both vehicles. While head-on collisions only account for 2% of all annual motor vehicle collisions, they make up more than 10% of all traffic fatalities. Below we will explore some of the most common injuries that occur in head-on collisions, as well as some of the most common causes of these dangerous motor vehicle collisions.
As mentioned above, head-on collisions are notoriously dangerous. This is in large part due to the fact that both drivers and front-seat passengers collide instantly with the other vehicle. Unsurprisingly the injuries suffered in head-on collisions can be incredibly severe. The most common forms of injury range from brain trauma, spinal injuries, broken or fractured ribs, and various injuries to the limbs. If you or a loved one are injured in a head-on collision, it is critically important to document the full extent of all injuries suffered.
Throughout the United States, an average of 16 pedestrians are killed after being struck by a car, each and every day. According to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), just under 6,000 pedestrians were fatally injured in car crashes, throughout 2017 alone. Due to the sheer size difference between a standard automobile and a pedestrian, pedestrians often suffer severe if not fatal injuries in these accidents. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, that pedestrian fatalities accounted for 16% of all traffic deaths throughout 2017. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, it is time to speak with a qualified legal professional.
After you or a family member has been struck by a motor vehicle, it is imperative to act in a timely fashion. First and foremost, ensure that all injured parties are safe and sound. If any person is significantly injured, seek out emergency medical attention immediately. It is also worth noting that brain and spinal injuries often display delayed symptoms, and you should seek medical attention if you are experiencing any head, neck, or spinal discomfort. Once all medical aspects of the collision have been taken care of, it is time to contact the police. Police presence can be an incentive for the driver to remain on scene and answer any questions regarding their insurance or the incidents that lead to the accident honestly. When proving negligence in a personal injury case, a police report can also be critical throughout the legal process.
Here in the state of Illinois, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is seen as one of the top safety concerns in the state. Recognizing this, law enforcement officials arrested approximately 28,386 people for driving while intoxicated, throughout 2018 alone. Tragically, despite diligent work of local law enforcement, just under 300 Illinoisans lost their lives in accidents involving drunk drivers in 2018. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 28% of all fatal car accidents throughout Illinois, in 2018. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, it is time to speak with a knowledgeable legal professional.
If the accident you or a family member were injured in involved an inebriated driver, it is more than likely that the collision will involve a criminal investigation. That being said, a personal injury or wrongful death suit must be filed by an individual. In both instances, the lawsuit will be filed if the plaintiff (the person filing) believes that another party acted recklessly or negligently leading to the injuries of themselves or a loved one. If the injuries suffered proved fatal, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by family members of the victim.
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2114 Deerpath Road, Aurora, IL 60506 630-907-0909
