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Recent Blog Posts
Why Should You Get Medical Help After a Car Accident?
It may seem obvious that you should seek medical attention if you are injured in a car crash, but the reality is that many injury victims choose not to do so in the immediate aftermath. Some are concerned about the costs of their treatment, while others may be unaware of the extent or severity of their injuries. Unfortunately, forgoing medical treatment can have serious repercussions for both the injury victim’s health and their chances of recovering full compensation in a personal injury claim.
Medical Reasons for Seeking Treatment
Regardless of how minor your injuries may seem, it is a good idea to get examined by a doctor who can help you better understand your condition. Some car accident injuries can be difficult to detect, and many have the potential to become more serious over time. For example:
Using Expert Witnesses During a Medical Malpractice Case in Illinois
Nobody ever goes into their doctor’s office expecting them to make a mistake or harm you. However, that is exactly what happens to hundreds of thousands of people each year. There is no single reliable source that is used to gather medical malpractice statistics. However, one study from Johns Hopkins found that an estimated 250,000 people die every year because of medical mistakes. Other studies cite that number being as high as nearly double that. If you have been injured because of the negligence of your doctor, you might be eligible to file a medical malpractice case to help recoup some of your losses. In many cases, your attorney will utilize expert witnesses in various ways to gather information for the case and to help prove your point in court.
Requirements for Expert Witnesses
If you want to call an expert witness to testify during parts of your case, you will have to make sure that they are credible. You cannot just call up any person to testify for you -- they must meet certain requirements. According to the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, in any case that brings into question the standard of care of a medical professional, there are a specific set of criteria that must be met before a witness qualifies as an expert witness and can testify as such in court.
How Can Cargo Loading Violations Cause an Illinois Truck Crash?
There are many reasons why a semi-truck driver could lose control of their vehicle and cause an accident. Many of these reasons are related to the driver’s negligence, including in cases involving speeding, distracted driving, driver fatigue, and drunk or impaired driving. However, sometimes the root cause of a truck accident is something that happens before the truck enters the roadway. One common factor in many semi-truck crashes is improper loading of the truck’s cargo.
Cargo Loading and Truck Accidents
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces strict regulations for cargo loading and securement in commercial trucks. If these regulations are violated in any way, the risk of an accident tends to increase. Some cargo-related causes of truck accidents include:
Was Your Child’s Cerebral Palsy a Result of Negligent Medical Care?
The birth of a new baby should be one of the most joyous days of a parent’s life. Unfortunately, some births are wrought with anxiety. If your baby suffered a birth injury during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, it is possible that this birth injury will cause lifelong medical concerns. Cerebral palsy is a condition that has been linked to substandard medical care during a child’s birth. If your child has cerebral palsy, it is possible that an avoidable birth injury may be to blame.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy can lead to profound physical and cognitive limitations. Muscle spasticity and rigidity, involuntary movements, difficulty walking, problems eating, and hearing and vision impairments are all known symptoms of this condition. There is still much about cerebral palsy that doctors do not understand. The condition is caused by abnormal development of the brain. Some children are born with the condition while others acquire the condition after suffering damage to the brain.
How Do I Know If My Car Accident Was Caused by a Vehicle Defect?
The majority of car accidents are caused by human error. Taking a turn too fast, running a red light, driving while intoxicated, or texting and driving may all lead to injury-causing crashes. However, not every collision is the result of poor driving. In some cases, a crash is caused or aggravated by defective vehicle components. If you or a loved one were harmed in an auto accident, it is important to understand how vehicle defects may have played a role.
When is a Vehicle or Vehicle Part Considered Defective?
Just like all other consumer products, motor vehicles cannot present unreasonable risks to buyers. If a vehicle or vehicle component is defective and that defect causes an individual to be injured or killed, the party responsible for the defect may be liable for damages.
Can I Sue for Medical Malpractice if I Was Misdiagnosed?
Medical professionals attend years of rigorous schooling before they are licensed to practice medicine. They learn about thousands of medical conditions and the signs and symptoms of those conditions so that they can properly diagnose patients. However, doctors cannot always provide an immediate diagnosis. If a doctor fails to provide a diagnosis or misdiagnoses a patient, is he or she guilty of medical negligence? Does the patient have a right to compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit? As with most personal injury matters, the answer depends on a variety of factors.
Delayed Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis of an Illness, Disease, or Other Medical Condition
When we visit a doctor or medical specialist, we expect to receive answers. We need to know what condition is ailing us so that we can get the proper treatment. In many cases, the sooner a patient can start receiving treatment, the greater his or her chance of recovery. This is especially true of illnesses like cancer and heart disease. If a doctor does not diagnose a patient or diagnoses the patient with the wrong condition, that patient will not receive the potentially life-save medical care he or she needs.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawsuit Benefit a Burn Victim?
Burns are some of the most agonizing injuries a person can suffer. If you or a loved one were the victim of a serious burn, you know just how awful these injuries can be. Many burn victims require significant medical treatment including surgery such as skin grafts. They may also require hospitalization and weeks or months of recovery. The financial and non-financial expenses associated with a serious burn injury can be staggering. Fortunately, a personal injury claim may be one way to recoup compensation for these and other losses.
Holding the Liable Party Accountable for a Burn Injury
A successful personal injury claim is possible when a party’s carelessness or wrongdoing causes someone else to be injured and sustain damages. Some examples of situations involving burn injuries that may justify a personal injury lawsuit include:
Can I Claim Compensation For Injuries From an Accident Involving a Drowsy Truck Driver?
Drowsy driving is a common issue across America. In a society where people want what they want when they want it, trucks - the way most consumer goods are transported across the country - run nonstop, causing many people not to get the sleep they need. Unfortunately, this has shown to be dangerous. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were an estimated 499,000 motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks in 2018, which is the latest information available. Of those, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there were around 785 fatalities from drowsy truck drivers in 2018. Drowsy driving can be difficult to prove, but an Illinois truck accident injury lawyer can help.
Truck Drivers Must Abide By Rules
Even though you are just sitting in a seat, it can be exhausting to keep your attention on the road for hours at a time. If you drive for too long, it can dull your senses and almost lull you to sleep at times. This is why the FMCSA put rules into place that strictly govern the hours that a truck driver is allowed to drive. If a truck driver is only carrying cargo, they must adhere to rules including:
Can I Sue for Medical Malpractice If I Was the Victim of a Surgical Mistake During a C-Section?
Cesarean sections or “c-sections” are used as an alternative to vaginal birth. Some individuals choose to have a c-section for personal or medical reasons while others are forced to under c-section delivery due to medical complications. Doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals must use extreme caution during a c-section. Any mistake or oversight has the potential to harm the mother or the newborn baby. Sadly, some c-section errors are fatal. If you or a loved one were the victim of a surgical mistake during a c-section, you may be able to hold the surgeon or other at-fault parties accountable through a medical malpractice claim.
Examples of Medical Negligence During a C-Section
Medical negligence occurs when a surgeon or other medical professional fails to act as a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same situation would act. If a medical professional’s negligence causes a patient to be injured or killed, that doctor may be liable for damages.
Can I Receive Compensation if I Was Injured at a Retail Store?
The last thing you probably expect when you visit a grocery store, big-box store, mall, or other retailer is to be injured. Whether you were hurt because of a slip and fall accident, parking lot accident, or another type of incident, you may be left with painful injuries and expensive injury-related costs. You may wonder if you can sue the store for failing to prevent your injuries. The answer depends on the circumstances of your injury and other factors.
Bringing a Premises Liability Claim for an Injury Sustained at a Retail Store
Premises liability is the area of law that deals with the expectations of property owners. In Illinois, store owners are responsible for keeping their properties reasonably hazard-free. A store owner or property owner is not responsible for every injury that occurs on the premises, but they are responsible for injuries caused by negligence. If a store allows a dangerous condition to exist on the property, the store may be liable for injuries caused by that condition.
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