For those who are injured while on the job, workers’ compensation benefits can be crucial. Medical benefits will cover the costs of all treatment related to an employee’s injury, and wage benefits will provide compensation for the loss of income due to a temporary or permanent disability. However, even though employees are eligible to receive these benefits following any work-related injuries, whether they or their employer were at fault, some employers or their insurance companies deny workers’ comp claims. This can cause a great deal of financial difficulty for a person, since they may be unable to pay their medical expenses, especially if they are unable to work while recovering from their injury. Fortunately, employees who have been denied benefits can file a claim through the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) and take steps to receive the benefits they deserve.

The IWCC Claims Process

An employee who has been denied workers’ comp benefits can begin the claims process through the IWCC by submitting an Application for Adjustment of Claim. A claim must be filed within three years after an injury occurred or within two years after the employee last received payment for medical bills or Temporary Total Disability (TTD).

After a claim is filed, the IWCC will assign an arbitrator to the case. Every three months, a status call will be scheduled, and either party may ask for a hearing to be held to review the case. In most cases, an employee must reach “maximum medical improvement” before the arbitrator can make a decision, although an emergency hearing may be necessary if an employee needs immediate assistance with medical bills or disability benefits.

Construction sites can be dangerous places due to the use of large, heavy equipment and materials and multiple people performing different tasks at once. When working in one of these areas, it is important to follow the proper safety procedures. However, even if employers and workers take precautions, construction accidents can still occur due to defective tools or equipment. People who have been injured because these types of items did not function properly may be able to pursue a product liability lawsuit against a manufacturer or a company that did not follow the correct practices when performing maintenance.

Common Issues with Defective Tools

While any tool that fails can present hazards, some types of tools are more likely to cause serious injuries when they malfunction. These include:

• Ladders and scaffolding - When these items break, those who are using them can suffer fall injuries, which may include traumatic brain injuries, spine injuries, or broken bones. Hand tools or materials that fall from defective ladders or scaffolds can also injure the people walking or working below.
• Fall prevention equipment - Harnesses, safety straps, or safety nets may be used to protect those who are working in high places. Other types of safety devices, such as protective railings or barriers, may prevent people from falling in holes or off the edges of a roof or upper floor. If these devices break or otherwise fail, they may be unable to prevent dangerous fall injuries.
• Power tools - Electrical equipment such as drills or nail guns can cause electrocution injuries or fires if they are not wired properly. In some cases, defects in these tools can send projectiles flying that can cause injuries to the tool’s user or others working nearby.
• Heavy equipment - Defects in large pieces of equipment, such as cranes, excavators, or cement mixers, may cause drivers or operators to lose control and roll over a person or strike someone with moving parts. Parts failure could also cause these pieces of equipment to tip over and crush workers or damage the structure of a building, leading to further injuries.

Contact Our Aurora Construction Accident Lawyers

If you have been injured while working at a construction site, the lawyers of Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C. can investigate your case and determine whether defective tools or equipment were to blame. In addition to helping you file a workers’ compensation claim, we will make sure you understand your options for pursuing a third-party product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of defective equipment. To learn more about how we can help with your case, contact our Kane County construction site injury attorneys at 630-907-0909 and schedule a free consultation today.

When you visit a doctor, you expect them to properly evaluate your physical condition, listen to your concerns, and determine the best course of treatment to address any issues that affect you. However, if a doctor does not properly assess your condition and identify diseases or other issues that may impact your health and well-being, you may not be able to receive the proper treatment within the right amount of time. In some cases, doctors may misdiagnose a condition, or they may not make the correct diagnosis in time to provide the necessary treatment. This form of medical malpractice is much more prevalent than many people would expect; around 12 million people are misdiagnosed every year in the United States, and one out of every three cases involving misdiagnosis result in serious injuries or wrongful death.

Reasons for Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis

When a patient is misdiagnosed, they may suffer harm not only because their condition goes untreated, but because they undergo unnecessary treatments that could have a negative effect on their overall health. Delayed diagnosis can also result in serious injuries due to the lack of treatment. For instance, a delayed cancer diagnosis may result in the cancer spreading beyond the point where it can be addressed through treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.

There are multiple reasons why a patient’s condition may not be diagnosed correctly, including:

Over the past decade, Amazon has skyrocketed from a small online forum for third-party vendors to the nation’s largest online retailer. Their cardboard boxes adorned with a smile-shaped arrow are delivered to billions of houses across the world on a daily basis. Consumers typically turn to Amazon as a one-stop-shop that offers cheaper products and quick shipping. With the high volume of packages that are delivered each day, some of the products are bound to be faulty—even Amazon can’t be perfect. But what happens when these quick-shipped, defective products lead to serious injuries? Will Amazon take the blame or leave you empty-handed?

Groundbreaking California Case

One woman's battle with Amazon began back in 2016 when her recently purchased laptop battery exploded and left her with third-degree burns on her arms, legs, and feet as well as damaging her San Diego apartment. In the five years since the incident, the victim has had skin graft surgery to repair the scars that the $12.30 replacement battery left behind, and pursued a product liability case to hold Amazon accountable. The woman is not the first, and certainly not the last, person to be injured by products sold by the global enterprise. However, a California state appeals court ruled that Amazon can be held liable for defective products sold on their site this past August.

Amazon’s responsibility for the defective product may seem like a no-brainer — they did sell the woman the dangerous battery. However, the company has repeatedly come away scot-free from cases like this one. Amazon’s core defense against complaints like this one is simple: the company is an online marketplace facilitator that helps manufacturers connect with customers on a global scale, not a distributor or retailer that is subject to product liability law. A trial judge initially ruled Amazon to be dismissed from the liability case, but after the victim appealed the ruling, the appellate court reversed this decision.

When employees suffer work-related injuries, they are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Injuries can occur in workplace accidents, employees may experience repetitive stress injuries due to the activities they perform while working, or they may contract illnesses after being exposed to toxic substances or infectious diseases in the workplace. The costs of medical treatment for work-related injuries will be fully covered by workers’ comp, but employees should be sure to understand their rights and the procedures that should be followed to receive medical benefits.

Understanding Workers’ Compensation Medical Benefits

An employer’s workers’ compensation insurer will be required to pay all costs related to medical treatment that is needed to address the effects of a work-related injury. This includes any immediate or emergency medical care, as well as treatment that will address the ongoing effects of an injury and restore a person to their condition before being injured, or as close to that condition as possible. Covered treatment may include:

• First aid
• Emergency room treatment
• Doctor or hospital visits
• Surgery
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic treatment
• Medications
• Prosthetics and other medical devices or appliances

Employees should notify their employer as soon as possible after a workplace accident or after a work-related injury begins to affect their activities either while working or outside of work. When receiving treatment, an employee should inform the provider that their injury or illness is work-related, and the provider will bill the employer for the services provided.

Commercial trucks are large, heavy vehicles that contain multiple types of complicated equipment. Trucks should be properly maintained at all times, since the failure of any of these systems can cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, leading to dangerous truck accidents that are likely to cause serious injuries to people in other vehicles. Following this type of accident, victims will want to determine whether a truck driver, trucking company or other parties were responsible for equipment failure due to inadequate maintenance.

Truck Parts That Most Commonly Fail

Before and during a trip, a truck driver should inspect their vehicle and identify any issues that need to be addressed. Regular maintenance should also be performed to ensure that all systems are working properly. Some maintenance issues that can lead to truck accidents include:

• Brakes - A truck’s air brakes should be inspected to ensure that there are no leaks that could lead to loss of air pressure. Brake failure can cause a driver to be unable to slow down or stop in time to avoid a collision.
• Tires - In addition to ensuring that tires have the proper air pressure, the tread depth should be checked to make sure that a truck will have the proper traction, and worn tires should be replaced. Improperly maintained tires can blow out and cause a driver to lose control of their truck.
• Trailer couplings - If the coupling between a semi-truck’s trailer and cab breaks down or fails, this may cause the trailer to detach during transit and collide with other vehicles.
• Cargo securement - Straps or other devices used to secure cargo should be checked for wear and to ensure that they are functioning properly. Failure of these systems can cause cargo to fall from a truck and collide with other vehicles, or shifting cargo may affect the weight distribution of a truck, causing a driver to lose control.
• Engine - All fluid levels should be checked and maintained in a truck’s engine. Leaks of coolant, antifreeze, or oil could cause an engine to overheat and fail, leading to truck accidents.
• Electrical - Faulty wiring or burned-out lights could affect other drivers’ ability to see a truck and avoid collisions.
• Steering and suspension - A driver may not be able to fully control a truck if the steering system is not properly maintained. Problems with the suspension systems in the cab of a truck or a trailer can also lead to a loss of control.
• Windshield - Wipers should be functioning properly to ensure that a driver will be able to see the road during inclement weather. Any cracks or pits in a windshield should be repaired, since they could cause a windshield to break, especially in colder weather.

Contact Our Aurora Truck Accident Attorneys

If you have been injured in a collision with a commercial truck, the attorneys of Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur, PC can help you determine whether inadequate maintenance played a role in your accident. We will review maintenance records and identify any forms of negligence by a trucking company that led to the collision, and we will fight to make sure you are fully compensated for the damages you have suffered. Contact our Kane County commercial truck accident lawyers today at 630-907-0909 to schedule your free consultation.

There are a variety of situations in which a person may be injured while on someone else’s property. If a person’s injuries occurred because of the property owner’s negligence, the victim may be able to recover financial compensation through a premises liability claim. These cases will often involve accidents that occur because a property owner failed to correct hazardous conditions or warn visitors about the risks of injury. However, victims may also be able to pursue compensation for injuries that occurred because a property owner was negligent in providing the proper security to protect the safety of guests.

Requirements for Adequate Security

Property owners or tenants in control of property have a duty to protect the safety of those who are allowed to enter and use the premises. This duty includes taking steps to prevent foreseeable events, such as assault, robbery, or theft. Adequate security must be provided at all times when visitors or guests are present.

Property owners may need to address multiple different forms of security, including:

Anyone who undergoes a surgical procedure is likely to be concerned about their health and safety since complications can occur even when an operation is completed correctly. Unfortunately, complications and long-lasting injuries become much more likely when errors are made by doctors, nurses, or other medical staff members during a procedure. In many cases, surgical errors are considered medical malpractice. Those who have suffered these types of injuries will want to understand how they can receive financial compensation for the damages they have suffered as a result of the negligence of surgeons or other medical personnel.

Five Common Surgical Errors

Surgical errors can occur for a variety of reasons. Doctors or nurses may fail to follow the correct procedures when preparing for surgery or performing a procedure, or they may make mistakes during a procedure that cause harm to a patient. Some of the most common surgical errors include:

• Operating on the wrong body part - If doctors or staff members do not take the time to verify the details of a procedure before beginning surgery, they may perform an unnecessary operation on the wrong part of the patient’s body. This will not only cause harm to the patient that may require additional procedures to correct, but it will leave the patient’s initial conditions unaddressed. In some cases, a procedure may be performed on the wrong side of the body, such as a knee operation performed on the left leg when it should have been performed on the right. In other cases, surgery may be performed at the wrong site, such as a spinal procedure done at the wrong level of the spine.
• Operating on the wrong patient - Even though it may seem unlikely, a surgery that was intended for one patient may be performed on another patient. These situations are often the result of clerical errors at a hospital or medical facility, such as when patients have similar names or when patient records are accidentally switched.
• Leaving foreign objects inside a patient - Doctors and nurses should be sure to account for all tools used during a procedure, and failure to do so may result in objects such as sponges or clamps being left inside a patient’s body. This can lead to serious infections or damage to internal organs.
• Injuring organs or other body parts - Mistakes made during a procedure may cause long-lasting harm to a patient. For example, accidental perforation of the bowels could lead to infections, or accidentally severing a nerve can lead to paralysis in certain parts of the body.
• Anesthesia errors - A procedure may involve local anesthesia to prevent pain and sensation in the parts of the body where surgery is being performed or general anesthesia that puts a patient to sleep during surgery. Injuries can occur during surgery if anesthesia medication is administered incorrectly, if a patient’s vital signs are not monitored to address any signs of distress, or if a patient experiences an allergic reaction. Overdoses of anesthesia can restrict oxygen flow to a patient’s brain, resulting in permanent brain damage, disability, or wrongful death.

Contact Our Aurora Surgical Malpractice Lawyers

If you or a member of your family have suffered injuries because of mistakes made during surgery, Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur, PC can help you understand your options for recovering financial compensation. We will investigate your case and gather evidence to show that your injury was caused by medical negligence, and we will fight to make sure you are fully compensated for your damages. Contact our Kane County medical malpractice attorneys at 630-907-0909 to set up a complimentary consultation.

On-the-job injuries can occur in a wide variety of situations, and they are not always caused by workplace accidents. In many cases, an employee may suffer injuries that are caused by repetitive motions that put strain on different parts of their body. These types of injuries often develop over months or years, and they can cause a person to suffer pain and discomfort, affecting their ability to continue working.

Those who have been injured while working are typically eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits that will cover the costs of their medical treatment, as well as the loss of income due to a temporary or permanent disability. Workers’ comp will cover injuries that are fully or partially related to a person’s work, including repetitive stress injuries that develop over time.

Types of Repetitive Stress Injuries

Workers may experience multiple different forms of bodily harm related to the movements and tasks they perform while on the job. These repetitive stress injuries may include:

Driving is such a commonplace activity that many people do not realize how dangerous it can be. Motor vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, and even at relatively slow speeds, a collision can cause a great deal of damage. While modern cars and trucks have a variety of safety systems, drivers and passengers can still suffer serious injuries in car accidents. Because of this, drivers should take care to operate their vehicles safely at all times. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to do so, and distracted driving is one of the most common forms of driver negligence that can lead to dangerous accidents and injuries to other drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, or pedestrians.

Types of Driver Distractions

Drivers should always pay close attention to the road and the act of driving, but there are a variety of issues that can cause them to become distracted. In some cases, a person’s attention may wander, especially if they are driving on familiar routes, such as traveling to and from work. Drivers may also try to divide their attention and complete other tasks while driving, or they may be distracted by other people in their vehicles.

Distractions are classified into one or more of the following categories:

Many elderly Americans and others who have disabilities or health concerns reside in nursing homes. They may do so because they cannot fully care for themselves or because their family members cannot take on the responsibility of providing for their needs. While many facilities provide quality care, there are far too many cases in which residents suffer from nursing home abuse or neglect. In many cases, injuries to nursing home patients occur because of understaffing. The family members of those who have been injured will want to work with a personal injury attorney to determine whether a nursing home can be held responsible for negligence related to staffing.

Nursing Home Injuries Caused by Inadequate Supervision and Care

Staff members at nursing homes should have the proper training that will allow them to provide care to residents. However, many nursing homes struggle to maintain adequate staff levels due to a shortage of qualified workers, or they may be unable to retain staff members because of the long hours and demanding work that is required, as well as what is often inadequate pay. Because of this, a nursing home may only have a minimal number of licensed nurses on staff, and other staff members may not have received the training necessary to meet the needs of elderly residents.

If a nursing home does not have enough staff members, or if its staff is not properly trained, residents may not receive the supervision they need to attend to their concerns. This can lead to serious injuries due to neglect, such as bedsores, malnutrition, or dehydration. A lack of supervision can also result in fall injuries for patients who do not receive the proper assistance getting into or out of bed or who wander inside or outside of a nursing home without being protected from harm. Without proper monitoring, residents may also be subject to abuse by staff members or other residents.

Drowsy driving is a serious risk that affects the safety of everyone who uses the roads. While falling asleep at the wheel is likely to lead to collisions, driver fatigue can also affect those who manage to stay awake, and it can make it difficult for a driver to pay attention to the road and react to the conditions around them. Lack of sleep can be even more dangerous for those who operate semi-trailer trucks or other commercial vehicles. Truck drivers who drift off to sleep may collide with other vehicles or obstacles, and even a momentary lapse in concentration can lead to truck accidents that cause serious injuries to drivers and passengers in other vehicles.

Increasing Risks of Truck Driver Fatigue

Studies have found that around 13% of commercial vehicle drivers who were involved in collisions were found to be fatigued at the time of the crash. In recent years, there has been an average of more than 4,000 fatal accidents involving trucks and buses throughout the United States, and over 100,000 annual commercial vehicle accidents which resulted in injuries. This means that more than 500 people are killed and 13,000 people are injured in accidents involving fatigued truck drivers on an annual basis.

Truck driver fatigue is likely to be even more of a concern going forward. While the overall amount of traffic on roads throughout the United States may have decreased in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have been ordering products online, and expectations regarding fast shipping and delivery have led to an increase in the number of trucks on the road. However, the trucking industry has reported a shortage in the number of available drivers, which may result in fewer drivers spending more time on the road, increasing the risks of driver fatigue.

The holiday season is meant to be a happy time that is full of family togetherness, gift-giving, and preparing for the year to come. Unfortunately, car accidents involving drunk driving often increase during this time. Hundreds of people are killed in these types of collisions every holiday season, with around 300 fatalities occurring during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

While it is unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the rates of traffic fatalities in the 2020 holiday season, drunk driving continues to be a concern. Even though many bars and restaurants are currently closed, reducing the chances that a person will drink and drive after a night out on the town, many people will still be drinking alcohol while attending holiday parties or getting together with their families. In addition, the isolation that many people are experiencing during the pandemic may cause them to increase their use of alcohol or drugs, leading to risky behaviors that could lead to dangerous car accidents.

Legal Options Following a Drunk Driving Crash

Car accident victims may have multiple options for pursuing compensation from a negligent driver or another party who was at fault for a collision. A person may be covered by the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy, or in a case involving an uninsured or underinsured motorist, they may receive coverage through their own insurance policy. A personal injury lawsuit may also allow a person to recover damages from a driver or other parties, such as the manufacturer of defective auto parts or a government organization that did not correct a dangerous road or intersection.

If you are injured while working, you will typically be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits will fully cover the costs of medical treatment for a work-related injury, and you may also be able to receive compensation for loss of income due to a temporary or permanent disability. Workers’ compensation will be available whether you or your employer were at fault for your injury. In addition to workers’ comp, you may also be able to pursue a third-party personal injury lawsuit against other people or organizations who were liable for your damages.

Reasons to Pursue a Third-Party Claim

Multiple parties aside from you or your employer may have been responsible for your work-related injury. For example, if you were injured in a car accident while working, another driver may have been responsible for the collision due to speeding or distracted driving. You may also be able to pursue a third-party claim against a manufacturer of defective tools that caused an injury, or a premises liability lawsuit may be filed against a property owner who did not properly address hazards in an area where you were working.

In many cases, a third-party claim can allow you to recover additional compensation that is not available through a workers’ comp claim. Disability benefits through workers’ compensation will only provide you with a percentage of the income you were unable to earn because of your injury. A third-party claim, on the other hand, may allow you to be fully compensated for all income you have lost while recovering from your injuries, as well as impairment to your ability to earn an income in the future.

Falling down after losing one’s footing on a sidewalk, floor, or walkway may seem like a minor incident, but in reality, slip, trip, and fall accidents can lead to a variety of serious injuries. The impact with the ground may lead to broken bones, including fractured wrists, hips, or kneecaps. Victims can also suffer dislocations of joints such as wrists, shoulders, knees, or ankles, or they may experience painful sprains and bruises. In especially dangerous cases, such as a fall from a higher level to a lower level, a person may suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or even wrongful death.

Victims of slip and fall accidents may be able to pursue compensation for their injuries and damages through a premises liability lawsuit. In these cases, a property owner or the tenant in control of a property may be held responsible for injuries that occurred because of their negligence.

Elements of a Premises Liability Case

To pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, a plaintiff will need to demonstrate the following:

Work-related injuries or illnesses can put a person and their family in a difficult position. Medical treatment can be very expensive and paying these and other bills may seem impossible if an injury has affected a person’s ability to continue working. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits are available to those who are injured while on the job. Employees will want to be sure to understand the types of benefits they can receive, including payments that address the income lost due to their injuries.

Temporary and Permanent Disability Benefits

Any injuries that occur while working or illnesses contracted because of a person’s job are covered by workers’ comp, whether an employer or employee was at fault. Disability benefits will address the income lost while a victim is recovering from their injuries, as well as any impairment to their income-earning capacity in the future. In Illinois, disability benefits are grouped into the following categories:

• Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) - An injury may lead to a reduction in the number of hours a person can work during the time they are recovering, or they may need to temporarily move to a new position where they earn a lower income. TPD benefits will provide an injured worker with two thirds (66.7%) of the amount calculated by subtracting the amount they currently earn from their average weekly wage before their injury.
• Temporary Total Disability (TTD) - If injuries cause a person to be unable to work at all while they are recovering, TTD benefits will provide them with two thirds (66.7%) of the average weekly wages before being injured.
• Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) - A work-related injury or illness may lead to the loss of body parts or an inability to fully use certain parts of the body. In many cases, PPD benefits will provide a certain number of weeks of pay, depending on the part(s) of the body that were injured and the percentage of function they have lost in these parts. These benefits will be calculated by determining 60% of a person’s average weekly wage and multiplying that amount by the number of weeks of pay they should receive. In other cases, a person may receive wage differential benefits, in which they will receive two thirds (66.7%) of the amount calculated by subtracting their current wages from what they previously earned.
• Permanent Total Disability (PTD) - When injuries are so severe that a person becomes permanently disabled and unable to resume work, they may receive PTD benefits, which will provide them with two thirds (66.7%) of the average weekly wage they had earned before being injured. These benefits will be paid for the remainder of their lifetime.

Contact Our Aurora Disability Benefits Attorneys

At Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur, PC, we can provide legal help to make sure you understand the steps you should take following a work injury, and we can assist in filing a workers’ comp claim and protecting your right to disability benefits and medical benefits. To set up a free consultation, contact our Kane County workers’ compensation lawyers today by calling 630-907-0909.

When a person files a lawsuit in the wake of a car accident, slip-and-fall, or other personal injury matter, they hope to recover enough in the way of damages to address the losses they have suffered. These losses generally include expenses related to physical injuries, as well as lost wages, property damage, and more. What many victims do not realize, however, is that their compensation may be reduced, as it is fairly common for an injured party to share in the liability for the accident. The legal doctrine under which a personal injury can be reduced for this reason is called “comparative negligence.”

Contributory Negligence vs. Comparative Negligence

One of the first questions in any personal injury matter is “Who was at fault for the accident?” Under the principles of common law, historically, if the injured party played any part in causing the accident, he or she was barred from seeking compensation from anyone else. The thought process was that a person has the duty to reasonably protect themselves from injury, so failing in that duty was seen as grounds to bar recovery.

Over time, U.S. states began to shy away from this principle, which is called “pure contributory negligence.” Lawmakers realized that it was unfair to deny recovery in a case where, for example, the injured party was only 10 percent responsible for the accident. While four states and the District of Columbia still maintain pure contributory negligence laws, all of the other states—including Illinois—have adopted comparative fault standards. There several different versions of comparative fault standards, but the most common allow a plaintiff to recover damages as long as he or she is not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident.

Most of us can remember the joy of being a child playing on a playground during summer break. Playground equipment like slides, monkey bars, jungle gyms, and swings can be a source of endless fun for children. However, this type of equipment must be accurately constructed and carefully maintained in order to be safe for children to enjoy. When a park or playground is not adequately maintained, unsafe conditions can lead to a child being seriously injured or even killed. If you have a child who has suffered an injury or wrongful death in a playground accident, an Illinois personal injury attorney may be able to help.

Most Common Playground Injuries

Children playing on a playground at a daycare, school, city park, church, health club, or other facility are probably not worried about whether or not the equipment they are climbing on is safe—nor should they have to be. Facilities with playground equipment have a duty to ensure that their equipment is not flawed or faulty in such a way that it presents a hazard to those lawfully using it.

Unfortunately, serious playground accidents can and do happen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 200,000 children under the age of 14 require emergency room treatment for a playground-related injury each year in the United States. These injuries can include serious fractures and broken bones, concussions, internal injuries, dislocations, and amputations. Some of these injuries are so severe that they can change a child’s life forever.

Throughout the United States, pedestrian fatalities have increased by an incredible 50%. According to statistics compiled by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), approximately 6,590 pedestrians were fatally injured in car accidents throughout 2019. The number of pedestrian fatalities in 2019 marked a 5% increase over 2018 numbers and a thirty-year high in the United States. In the state of Illinois, pedestrian fatalities rose by a staggering 19% throughout 2018. If you or a loved one have been struck by a motor vehicle, you deserve compensation.

Why Pedestrian Fatalities Are Rising

Throughout the early portion of the 2000s, pedestrian fatalities were on a consistent decline, but over the past decade have risen to disturbing and unprecedented levels. According to safety officials throughout the United States, the rise can be largely attributed to increased driver negligence. According to the GHSA, intoxication often plays a role in collisions involving pedestrians. Driving while intoxicated is proven to impact a driver’s vision, decision making, and reaction time. Studies also indicate that an increase in cell phone usage has contributed significantly to the number of pedestrian fatalities. Despite the implementation of Bluetooth and other hands-free technology, drivers continue to text and drive. Taking your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road is a dangerous and negligent action.

Securing Compensation for Your Family

After seeking the necessary medical attention, it is important to act quickly in the aftermath of a car accident. If you are able to seek out as much information from the other driver including the make and model of their vehicle, the driver’s license plate number, and the insurance information of the driver. If the driver flees the scene, which occurs in roughly 12% of all collisions throughout the United States, contact law enforcement officials and gather information from any witnesses of the accident. As mentioned above, negligence plays a role in a significant number of pedestrian accidents, a police report can be used as evidence of the driver’s negligence.

In 1999, the medical community was rocked by a report prepared by the Institute of Medicine which classified the problem of medical errors as an epidemic. That report concluded that approximately 95,000 people died each year from preventable medical mistakes. The annual cost to medical facilities was determined to be between $17 billion and $29 billion.

Although the Institute of Medicine’s report prompted much debate over the years regarding what could be done to protect patients, a more recent report prepared by researchers from John Hopkins University found that the medical community might not have had too much success in doing so. In fact, preventable medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in this country.

Disturbing Numbers

Unlike the 1999 report, which relied upon data from just one study, the Johns Hopkins report used data collected from four major studies. Two of these studies were from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, during the years 2000 to 2008.