Recent Blog Posts
Understanding the Dangers of Social Media in Workers’ Comp Cases
Social media has become an everyday aspect of most people’s lives, so it can be difficult not to share what is going on in your life with your friends and family. That said, people who have active workers' compensation cases will want to avoid posting anything about their activities on social media because there can be enormous drawbacks to posting certain kinds of information on these websites.
While social media is still a relatively new phenomenon, it is being quickly understood to have relatively permanent effects in various kinds of court cases. Insurance companies and lawyers alike will often go through the social media accounts of parties to lawsuits and other court cases to try and uncover any evidence that might help their own case.
How Social Media Might Be Used Against You
When you have filed a workers' compensation claim, you need to remember that an insurance company is always going to be seeking reasons to declare that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. Certain kinds of social media posts can effectively make this point for them.
What Rights do Illinois Nursing Home Residents Have?
The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act sets out certain rights that people who live in skilled nursing facilities have. People who go to live in nursing homes often give up many of the freedoms and comforts of living at home. They may be asked to sign in and out when they leave. Residents prone to elopement may be required to wear a personal alarm that will alert staff if they attempt to leave. However, a person does not give up all of their personal liberties when they move into a long-term care facility. In Illinois, enumerated rights are set out to protect individuals who live in nursing homes. These rules are in place to prevent vulnerable residents from being taken advantage of, neglected, or abused. Sadly, many elderly and disabled Illinois residents face neglect and mistreatment in these facilities. When a resident has their rights violated, they may suffer irreparable harm. If you or your loved one has suffered harm due to nursing home mistreatment, you may wish to speak to an attorney about the possibility of recovering compensation.
Why Halloween Car Accidents Are a Risk to Children
Pedestrian accidents can happen any day of the year, as can drunk driving crashes. However, both of these horrifying types of auto accidents tend to increase in frequency on the days around Halloween. Many children love trick-or-treating, and many parents love to watch their children run around in a costume, collecting candy from neighbors. However, it is critical that parents be particularly wary of drivers on this holiday. Halloween invites dangerous driving practices - as well as unsafe pedestrian habits. Excited children are prone to abruptly running across the road. Likewise, adults who are uninterested in trick-or-treating tend to attend parties and events where drinking is a favorite activity. The combination of too many intoxicated drivers and too many children running about in a crowd can be incredibly deadly. Children are generally at more risk than adults for Halloween auto accidents. If your child is injured by a careless driver this Halloween, you may be able to recover significant compensation on their behalf.
Common Forms of Malpractice in Dental Care
Medical malpractice claims are often considered in terms of general practice and hospital care. While cases stemming from general healthcare errors are very common, those born of an error by a dentist or oral surgeon are also common. Dentists and other dental practitioners are held to a professional standard of care similar to healthcare professionals because careless mistakes by the medical professional tasked with caring for a patient’s teeth and mouth can cause significant harm to the patient.
Patients who have experienced medical malpractice at the hands of a dentist may suffer lasting harm, such as missing or badly damaged teeth, permanent numbness due to nerve damage, or anesthesia errors that can be severe or fatal. If you suspect that you have been harmed by medical malpractice in a dental setting, it would be advisable to contact an attorney as soon as your suspicions have been aroused. Strict statutes of limitation apply to malpractice cases of all varieties, so time is of the essence when preparing for potential malpractice litigation.
Options for Recovering Compensation After a Hit-and-Run
Being left injured on the side of the road with a disabled vehicle while the at-fault driver speeds away can induce feelings of hopelessness in anyone. If the driver who would be liable for the accident has disappeared, pursuing compensation from them may seem impossible, but in many cases, it actually is.
Hit-and-run car accidents involving personal injury are troubling to most police departments, and with the help of attorneys, they discover the identity of the at-fault driver more often than one might think. Additionally, the liable driver is not the only potential source of compensation. It would be wise to contact an attorney as soon as you are able to after a hit-and-run accident so that a prompt investigation can begin while evidence is more likely to be available at the location of the accident and from other sources.
Investigating a Hit-and-Run Accident
Hit-and-run drivers often assume that if they were not seen by the person they hit, it is not likely that their identity will be revealed so that they can be held responsible. This is frequently an errant line of thinking. Other options for discovering the identity of a hit-and-run driver include:
Understanding Illinois Premises Liability Law
Premises liability laws deal with injuries to welcomed persons due to dangerous conditions on a given premises. It is the duty of the party controlling the property to maintain the premises in a condition that is reasonably safe for visitors to the property, or otherwise to adequately caution visitors against conditions posing a potential risk of physical injury. In order to win a premises liability case in Illinois, a plaintiff must prove the existence of each of the four circumstances. The types of hazards and harms that may give rise to a valid premises liability claim are varied, and most frequently include accident types such as slip-and-fall incidents, staircase falls, swimming pool accidents, and in some instances, harms caused by animals, including canines. If you have suffered an injury on the premises of another, contact an attorney following the accident so that evidence can be promptly preserved.
5 Signs of an Unsafe Nursing Home
Choosing to move an elderly family member into a skilled nursing facility can be difficult. This decision is often made out of concern for the senior’s safety. When a person can no longer live at home because they are no longer able to care for themselves, or because their care has become overwhelming for family members, placement in a nursing home may be the best option. Nursing home residents are supposed to be cared for in a safe environment by skilled, concerned caregivers. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes are of equal quality. There are a few known telltale signs that a particular nursing home may not be the best place for vulnerable elderly people. If you notice several of these signs in the nursing home that is caring for your loved one, you may want to do a little more digging to find out whether they have been receiving the appropriate care. If you find that they may have been harmed by a negligent nursing home, you may want to speak to an attorney.
Unnecessary Treatment and Medical Malpractice
We often hear about doctors who fail to diagnose and treat their patients in a timely manner. Those with rare or chronic illnesses may sometimes spend years fighting for a diagnosis and getting the treatment they need. Failing to treat a patient who needs treatment can be a form of medical malpractice. On the other hand, so can overtreating health issues or subjecting a patient to treatment they did not need. When applied well, medical science can do incredible things to make sick people well again. However, medical science can also do extreme harm to a person when care is administered negligently. Medications, tests, procedures, and surgeries can all do serious harm if they are not medically indicated. Some patients endure needless treatments for years before learning that their health care is actually making them sicker. If you have been harmed by unnecessary medical treatment, you may be entitled to compensation.
What Not to Say After a Car Accident
Right after you have been hurt in a car accident, you are left with the unenviable task of battling an insurance company or other liable party trying to get the compensation you need. You can be almost certain that the insurance company will be recording every phone call and ready to use your words against you in any way they can. It is very easy to inadvertently provide them with a sound byte that could hurt your case. These profit-driven companies are not above taking something out of context if it could save them money on a settlement. This is one of the big reasons why conversations with insurance companies are best handled by a lawyer. If all you need to say is, “please contact my attorney,” then there is little chance of having your well-intentioned words thrown back in your face.
Phrases You Should Never Say to a Car Insurance Company
In general, you will want to avoid saying anything that could possibly be interpreted in a way that reduces the other driver’s liability. Even innocuous phrases can be twisted here. You will need to carefully avoid saying things like:
Seeking Financial Compensation For Rear-End Collisions in Illinois
Rear-end collisions can be exceptionally jarring. You probably never saw the impact coming when you were hit from behind. You may have had no chance to brace yourself or get out of the way. The injuries commonly caused by a rear-end collision can include whiplash, back injuries and head injuries, which can be serious. Rear-end collisions are likely the most common type of car accident. In Illinois, there is a legal presumption that the driver behind is at fault in a rear-end collision. The front driver can be at fault in rare instances, but for the most part, the driver who hit you from behind is going to be liable. If you were injured in a rear-end collision, you may be entitled to compensation. A lawyer can help you understand your rights.
Common Excuses From At-Fault Drivers After a Rear-End Crash
Drivers love to make excuses after rear-ending someone. If the responsible driver got out of his car after the accident and went off on you as if this was your fault, your experience is not unique. Some of the most common reasons and excuses at-fault drivers give - and why they do not get them off the hook - include:
