815-215-7561
Recent Blog Posts
What You Should Know About Chemical Burns
In workplaces nationwide, workers are required to use various chemicals and other materials in order to perform their jobs properly. While many chemicals are fairly safe, others often present severe dangers, including the ability to cause serious burns. If you have suffered a chemical burn while on the job or while visiting an industrial or construction site, seek treatment immediately and learn about your rights to possible compensation.
Breaking Down a Chemical Burn
Chemicals that can seriously burn a person are usually strong acids or bases. Some such chemicals are found in most homes and may include ammonia, chlorine bleach, and drain cleaning liquids and gels. In manufacturing and industrial settings, however, there are many more chemicals that are often used for a wide range of applications. These chemicals are usually even more concentrated—and therefore more dangerous—than their household counterparts.
What Types of Compensation Are Available in an Illinois Burn Injury Case?
Burns are some of the most painful and debilitating injuries a person can experience. Although minor burns heal quickly and do not leave lasting damage, severe burns, especially third-degree and fourth-degree burns, can cause permanent disfiguration and nerve damage. The pain experienced by a severe burn victim is incomparable to anything else. If you or a loved one suffered a major burn injury due to the carelessness or wrongdoing of another party, you may choose to file a personal injury claim. Through an injury claim, compensation for your economic and noneconomic damages may be available.
Determining Fault for Your Injuries
In order to bring a personal injury claim and recover damages, you and your attorney will need to prove that the defendant caused your injuries. Many burn injury cases are the result of an individual or entity’s negligence. A serious burn injury can be the result of an electrical accident, house or apartment fire, construction accident, restaurant accident, car crash, or a number of other incidents. Determining who is liable for a burn-causing accident is often challenging. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you collect evidence, gather witness testimony, and consult with experts who can testify to the defendant’s role in causing your burn injuries.
The Burden of Proof in a Personal Injury Claim
Thanks to its inclusion in TV procedural dramas, movies, and other dramatic depictions, there is a good chance that you are familiar with the phrase “beyond a reasonable doubt” as it pertains to legal matters. While the concept predates American law, it has become a cornerstone principle in criminal courtrooms around the country, providing a basis for protecting the rights of the accused. Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of entertainment, it is easy to assume that the same standard applies in any type of court proceeding. Reasonable doubt, however, plays no specific role in civil court or personal injury claims, as the standard used in such cases is much different and much easier to attain. In civil court, a claimant must only show that his or her version of the event in question is more likely than not based on the “preponderance of the evidence.”
Popular Insulin Pumps Recalled Due to Incorrect, Dangerous Dosing
Insulin pumps are important devices that can make a world of a difference to suffers of diabetes. An insulin pump delivers insulin to the body at regular intervals based on the user’s needs. Many people find insulin pumps to be much easier to use and less painful than traditional insulin shots. Insulin pumps are often considered superior to other insulin delivery methods because the devices more effectively manage blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar lows. Unfortunately, some insulin pumps do the exact opposite of what they are intended to do. A company called Medtronic recently issued a recall of two types of its insulin pumps after major problems with the medical devices were discovered.
Malfunctioning Insulin Pumps Have Already Been Linked to Death
Over 300,000 Medtronic insulin pumps have been recalled after the FDA received thousands of reports of the devices malfunctioning. Two models of the MiniMed 600 Series Insulin Pumps have been recalled because many of the devices contain a broken or missing retainer ring. The retainer ring is meant to tightly secure the insulin cartridge to the pump. When this component is defective, the user can receive an inaccurate dose of insulin. This can result in dangerous hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Sadly, at least one death and over 2,000 injuries have already been associated with the defective insulin pumps.
When is a Daycare Liable for Injuries to a Child?
Parents who drop their children off at daycare trust that the daycare staff will treat their child with the care and attention they need and deserve. Unfortunately, daycare accidents do happen, and children can be seriously injured as a result. Sometimes these injuries could have been prevented if daycare workers took the steps necessary to ensure the safety of the children in their care. If your child has suffered an injury while at a childcare facility, you may be wondering whether the facility or childcare staff are at fault for your child’s injury.
Determining Fault in a Childcare Injury Case
Tragically, sometimes an injury to a child is the result of abuse. If you have reason to believe that your child was harmed by the intentional actions of daycare staff, contact law enforcement right away. Next, contact an experienced injury attorney. It is possible that you may be able to file a civil claim in addition to any criminal charges brought against the daycare staff.
Suing For Negligent Security After Being the Victim of Assault
Being assaulted is a nightmarish experience to endure. If you have been injured in a robbery or any other type of attack, you may be left with significant mental trauma and expensive medical bills. One way you may be able to receive compensation for these and other damages caused by the assault is through a premises liability lawsuit. If inadequate security was to blame for the assault, you may bring a civil claim against the property owner in addition to any civil claim or criminal charges you press against the attacker
Examples of Negligent Security
Property owners and managers have a legal obligation to keep properties reasonably safe for individuals who are invited onto the property. A property owner cannot guarantee the safety of everyone who enters his or her property, but the owner must appropriately address foreseeable risks. When a property owner does not fulfil this obligation and a visitor to the property is injured as a result, the owner may be liable for the damages caused by the injury. Examples of negligent security may include:
Seeking Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury is often the result of a violent blow to the head which causes the brain to strike the inside of the skull or an object penetrating the brain tissue. Traumatic brain injuries vary dramatically in their severity. Some people experience a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and do not even realize it. Other people experience debilitating symptoms for months or even years after suffering a TBI. If you or a loved one have experienced a brain injury in an accident caused by negligence, you may be eligible for compensation.
How Do Brain Injuries Happen?
There are almost infinite ways that a person can sustain a brain injury. Slip and fall injuries can be caused by a number of hazardous conditions. A person may suffer a concussion after slipping on an icy walkway and striking his or her head on the concrete. A faulty handrail could become dislodged and cause an individual to fall down the stairs and suffer a major brain contusion. A serious slip and fall accident could even be caused by something as simple as spilled motor oil in a retail store aisle. Property owners have a legal obligation to keep premises free of environmental hazards that present a risk of injury. If your injury was due to an unsafe condition on someone else’s property, you may have a valid injury claim.
Have You Suffered Due to a Misdiagnosis?
When medical symptoms interfere with our ability to go about our lives normally, we go to the doctor to receive a diagnosis and treatment. Although no one expects doctors to instantly know exactly what is wrong, we generally trust that when we receive a diagnosis, it is the correct diagnosis. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis is common. According to one study, a shocking 12 million adults are misdiagnosed every year in the United States. Being misdiagnosed can cause a person to suffer through unneeded or even harmful medical procedures and medication regimens all while missing out on the treatment that is actually needed. If you have received an inaccurate diagnosis from a doctor, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Medical Concerns
It is estimated that one out of every 20 patients who receive a medical diagnosis at a hospital, outpatient clinic, or doctor’s office receives an inaccurate diagnosis. Research shows that about one half of these misdiagnoses have the potential to cause severe harm to the patient. Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions include:
Frequent Bed Sores in Nursing Home Residents Could Be a Sign Something Is Not Right
Deciding to place a disabled or elderly loved one in a nursing home can be an extremely difficult decision to make. On one hand, you want your loved one to be able to maintain as much independence as possible, but on the other hand, you want to ensure that he or she is safe. When the loved one can no longer complete daily living tasks and look out or his or her own wellbeing, a nursing home may be your only option. While many nursing home staff are hard-working, compassionate caretakers, instances of nursing home neglect and abuse do happen. One indicator that a nursing home resident is not being adequately cared for is reoccurring bedsores.
Causes of Bed Sores
Bed sores, also called pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are wounds caused by long periods of pressure on body parts. The symptoms of bed sores start out mild and then become increasingly noticeable. The skin will first appear discolored or take on a “waxy” appearance or firm texture. If the pressure to the body part is not relieved, the skin can become much more damaged and develop into a painful open wound. Bed sores that are not treated are prone to serious infection. Pressure ulcers are most likely to occur the buttocks, back, hips, and ankles. Bed sores are especially common in individuals who have decreased mobility. Spending long periods of time laying down in bed or sitting in a wheelchair can cause bed sores to develop. For this reason, nursing home staff are trained to help residents with limited mobility periodically move around or change positions.
Surgical Errors May Be More Common Than You Think
Getting surgery is already foreboding enough. The thought that a surgeon or other medical professional could make a dangerous or even deadly mistake during surgery is especially frightening. Unfortunately, surgical mistakes do happen. When a person is injured because a negligent surgeon or other medical staff member makes an avoidable mistake, the injured person may be left with devastating and often painful consequences. Some surgical errors result in the death of the patient. When medical malpractice results in a patients’ death, the surviving family of the deceased person may choose to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the practitioner or facility.
Surgical Mistakes Happen at Alarming Frequency
Studies have shown that outrageous surgical mistakes are made at very disturbingly high rates. One study showed that in an average week in the United States, surgeons:
815-215-7561
Century Plaza Business Center
7210 East State Street, Suite 102A, Rockford, Illinois 61108
Contact Our Firm
The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.
I have read and understand the Disclaimer and Privacy Policy.
