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Recent Blog Posts
Recognizing and Preventing Elder Abuse
Roughly one in ten Americans over the age of 60 face regular forms of abuse. Elder abuse, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), can come in forms of overt physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, but also in the form of neglect. Elderly Americans are frequently victims of abuse due to their unique living situations. At senior living facilities, victims often suffer from social isolation, and they can also be more susceptible to abuse due to dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other health issues.
What Can You Do?
In many cases, nursing home abuse can be hard to detect, especially if a senior is afraid to talk about mistreatment by a staff member. Still, there are a few things you can do to help limit the likelihood of your loved one facing elder abuse:
Recovering Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries
This May, a North Chicago woman suffered a traumatic and violent injury when she was bitten by a neighbor’s dog. The attack happened rapidly according to the victim, who was quickly rushed to the emergency room in the aftermath of the incident. The injuries were severe, as the dog jumped up to bite the woman’s face. The victim suffered serious injuries to her face and mouth requiring stitches and emergency medical attention, and she lost a substantial amount of her lip in the incident.
The victim is now stable and healthy, but the ramifications of her injury could be lifelong. She now faces medical bills, loss of work hours, and emotional trauma, which is all too common in the aftermath of dog bite injuries.
Dog Bites Throughout the United States
Severe Hip Injuries Continue to Impact Senior Citizens
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300,000 Americans over the age of 65 are hospitalized due to a severe hip injury each year. As one reaches an advanced age, the severity of a hip injury increases exponentially. Even a standard hip fracture can bring on serious and even life-threatening complications to those over the age of 65. In almost all cases, hip fractures require surgery and months of laborious physical therapy.
For senior citizens, hip fractures can occur anywhere, but they are almost always brought on by a fall. The CDC estimates that more than 95% of all hip fracture injuries to those above the age of 65 occur due to falling. In many cases, these falls can occur because of negligence, such as icy or wet sidewalks outside an establishment or neglect by a nursing home staff member.
The Dangers of Severe Injuries in Semi-Truck Crashes
Plainfield, IL is home to a convergence of traffic thoroughfares. Highway 59 runs through the city to the north and south, Highway 126 to the west and northeast, and Highway 30 to the northwest and southwest. Each of these three local highways crosses paths with Interstate 55, the mighty freeway that carries commerce and commuters between the Chicago area and St. Louis. If you venture on or near I-55 during morning or evening rush hour, you will doubtlessly see vehicles of every type, including throngs of semi-trucks.
With so much activity, and so much of it ridden with intensity by the time deadlines and the expectations of drivers, accidents involving tractor-trailer trucks are an unfortunate reality in and around the Plainfield area. Fortunately, Illinois state law allows for truck accident victims to seek financial recourse for the harms and losses suffered in a collision.
Pursuing Compensation After Being Injured in a Bicycle Accident
Cycling in the Chicago area gives one cause to feel both free and vulnerable. On the one hand, outdoor exercise provides a sense of well-being and allows for enjoyment of breathtaking sights of area life. On the other, the frenetic whir of traffic and daily life presents a sense of ever-present danger. A safety helmet is an unquestionable must-have item for cyclists of all ages and skill levels, but it can only protect the head and brain, leaving other areas exposed.
When a bike accident occurs, whether with another cyclist or a motor vehicle, the injuries suffered can be severe. The trauma suffered in a bicycle collision can result in substantial medical bills, as well as adverse effects on work responsibilities, educational pursuits, domestic life, and the ability to enjoy recreation and exercise. Fortunately, Illinois state law allows for personal injury victims to recover monetary damages for the harms inflicted by a negligent individual, business, or institution.
Seeking Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Injuries
“Look both ways before you cross the street.” This is one of the first lessons one is taught in learning how to navigate the social world. Years later, when behind the wheel of an automobile, the paramount instruction is “keep both eyes on the road.” For both pedestrians and drivers, there is the ever-present need to comply with all traffic signs and rules of the road.
Strangely, however, social norms enter the picture and erode the lessons and systems which have been put in place to maximize personal safety for all persons in the stream of traffic and everyday life. It becomes customary to drive a few miles over the speed limit, and fellow drivers often become aggressive and express frustration with those who simply wish to follow the precise speed limit. Crosswalks with clear “walk” and “stop” signals are often disregarded in favor of a quick jaywalk across the street. A school zone crosswalk or decreased speed limit is quietly ignored when no one appears to be within sight.
Distracted Walking Can Lead to Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents
Everyone needs to get around, whether they travel by car, by train, by bus, or by foot. Unfortunately, the size and speed of motor vehicles make the roads a dangerous place for everyone who uses them. While many people know the dangers of texting and driving, they may not realize that texting or using a cell phone while walking can also be dangerous. Just as distracted driving greatly increases the likelihood of a car accident, distracted walking makes a pedestrian accident more likely.
Cell Phones and Distracted Walking
The cell phone has grown to become one of society’s biggest necessities, serving as one of the primary ways that people communicate with each other. The ease of sending text messages, looking up information, or performing any number of other activities has led people to use their phones in a wide variety of situations. However, paying attention to a cell phone often takes a person’s focus away from their surroundings. While this is especially dangerous when a person is in control of a vehicle, it can also result in a person being seriously injured or killed when they are on foot, since they may not be able to react in time if they are in danger.
The Dangers of Texting While Driving
In the past few decades, the use of the phones has greatly evolved in society. While phones used to be large devices connected to the wall with a cord, in which we communicated with others through a mouthpiece, they are now small, powerful computers which we carry in our pockets or purses, allowing us to call others no matter where we are. For many, the ability to send a quick text message through our fingertips is an even faster and more convenient method of communication. However, the constant presence of cell phones and the ease of sending a quick message has led many to attempt to do so while they drive, and this has proven to be a very dangerous activity that can greatly increase the likelihood of a car accident occurring.
What Is at Stake When Texting and Driving?
How Drowsy Driving Can Be Dangerous
For many Americans, it is important to have a car to drive places. Being able to say that you can drive can be exciting enough, until you get feel drowsy behind the wheel. Car accidents as a result of sleeping behind the wheel are all too common, and these accidents have caused serious injury and even death. It is important to take action when you feel drowsy behind the wheel, so you can prevent a car accident more easily.
Drowsy Driving Statistics
Drivers who do not get enough sleep or have other outlying medical problems are most likely to drive while drowsy and potentially cause a car accident. Other drivers more likely to drive while drowsy include commercial drivers who have to cover a huge part of the United States in their driving route, drivers who work night shifts or long shifts, drivers with sleep apnea, and drivers who use medications to help them sleep better.
How to Drive Safely and Avoid Car Accidents on Black Ice
The first months of the year are typically when the Chicago area and Will County experience the most frigid winter weather. Depending on the day, temperatures can range between 40 degrees and well below zero. With these drastic changes in temperature, it is very important for drivers to use extra caution on the road, since winter conditions can often lead to potentially fatal car accidents. One common culprit in winter car accidents is black ice, which can be very difficult to notice when driving in low temperatures.
The Dangers of Black Ice
Black ice forms when the temperature at a road’s surface is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This causes water on the road to freeze, creating slippery conditions that can be difficult to recognize. When black ice is present, pavement will appear to be slightly darker and duller than other road surfaces. If, when you are driving, the road looks wet, and the tires of the cars ahead of you do not spray water, then there is cause for concern.
From our office in Plainfield, Illinois, we serve clients in Will County, DuPage County, Kendall County, Kane County, Joliet, Naperville, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Aurora, Orland Park, Lemont, Crest Hill, Shorewood, Lockport, Woodridge, Wheaton, Oswego, Yorkville, Homer Glen, Lisle, and surrounding communities.
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