Recent Blog Posts
Can I Get Workers’ Compensation for a Psychological Injury?
Mental and emotional injuries are very real harms that can occur in the course of a person’s employment. Traumatic events can happen in the workplace just as easily as they can happen anywhere else. Workers who witness a major accident can suffer psychiatric injuries just as the people involved in the accident may suffer physical injuries. Other extreme events that occur while an employee is performing their job duties can cause lasting psychological harm that makes it impossible for the employee to return to work immediately. Contrary to popular belief, these mental injuries can be covered under workers’ compensation. However, it is likely to take a skilled attorney to get you the assistance you deserve after a workplace psychological injury
When is a Mental or Emotional Injury Covered by Workers’ Compensation?
After a workplace psychological injury, you are likely to need treatment and time to recover. Your lawyer will need to show that your mental injury was directly caused by something that happened at work, typically a traumatic event. This includes situations like:
8 Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children Parents Should Never Ignore
Sexual abuse can have a devastating, lifelong impact on a child. Few crimes evoke the level of outrage that sexual abuse of a child does, and for good reason. Suffering from sexual abuse at a young age can leave a child in need of therapy for many years to come and cause troubling behavioral changes. The sooner the abuse is caught, the more complete a child’s emotional and psychological recovery can be. Parents should keep a lookout for any signs that their child is being hurt in this fashion. There are some signs that may prompt parents and other concerned adults to investigate further.
If your child was the victim of sexual abuse, you have the right to file a civil lawsuit on top of any criminal action that may take place. The individual or organization responsible for harming your child can be held financially responsible for their horrible behavior. Any money recovered can be used to aid your child’s long-term recovery.
6 Potentially Fatal Types of Medical Malpractice
People rely on their doctors to help them heal from illnesses and injuries. We tend to implicitly trust our doctors to help, rather than hurt us. Most people who do not work in the health care field lack a high level of medical knowledge and rely entirely on our doctor’s advice, diagnoses, and treatment plan. Like everyone else, doctors make mistakes at work. Unfortunately, these mistakes can cost people their lives. While the vast majority of doctors are not acting maliciously, those who have suffered due to medical malpractice deserve to be compensated for the harm done. No amount of money can undo this type of mistake, but it is quite frequently the best way the legal system can attempt to right a serious wrong.
What Medical Mistakes Can Become Fatal?
Some types of medical errors can cause people to become seriously ill, suffer disfigurement, or cause life-altering disabilities. Others can lead to a patient’s death if not caught and corrected quickly. These mistakes include:
5 Signs That You Need a Lawyer After a Workplace Injury
After a workplace injury, you may be unsure whether you can handle your workers’ compensation claim yourself. In most cases, it is a good idea to at least speak with an attorney who can evaluate your case and give you an educated estimate of what your claim is worth. Most injured workers could benefit from a little help - the claims process can be difficult and legally complex, especially if you are faced with a permanent disability. An experienced attorney can step in and advocate for you to help ensure that you receive all the compensation you need.
When Do I Need an Attorney to Help With my Workers’ Compensation Claim?
If your claim is uncomplicated, your employer is fair, and you are able to return to work quickly, you may be able to handle it yourself. If you are faced with any of these situations, it may be in your best interest to be represented by counsel during the claims process:
Who is Eligible for Permanent Total Disability After a Work Injury?
Most injuries that occur in the workplace are temporary. Injuries like broken bones, torn or pulled muscles, and severe sprains may take you out of the workforce for some time, during which Workers’ Compensation can help in the short term. On the other hand, some workplace injuries are so severe that you may never be able to return to your job. These life-altering injuries can render some individuals not only unable to work, but unable to care for themselves and in need of long-term medical care. When this is the case, you could be eligible for permanent total disability (PTD) payments through Workers’ Compensation. Navigating the application process for these benefits can be extremely complicated. It may be in your best interest to work with an attorney if you believe you may qualify for these benefits.
How Do I Know if I Qualify for PTD?
There are a couple of different ways to establish that you qualify for PTD. For starters, the injury that left you disabled must be a workplace injury. If you became disabled for another reason, you would look into Social Security benefits or a personal injury lawsuit.
When to Consider Seeking Guardianship of an Aging Adult
Seeking guardianship over an adult loved one is not a decision to be made lightly. There are quite a few factors that you should consider before taking this rather drastic step. However, becoming a guardian for an aging adult is sometimes a necessary step to keep them safe and financially stable. As people age, a variety of medical conditions such as Alzheimer's or dementia can prevent them from making reasonable decisions about their life or make it impossible for them to responsibly manage their property and finances. While it may at times be a difficult step - legally and emotionally - it may be the best way to protect a loved one.
A guardianship attorney may be able to help you decide whether filing for guardianship is an appropriate step, and guide you through the court proceedings if it is.
What Are the Two Types of Guardianships in Kane County?
What Should I Do If I Was Misdiagnosed With Cancer in Illinois?
According to the CDC, over 1.6 million people learn that they have cancer every year. As the second most common cause of death in the United States, cancer claims the lives of far too many people on an annual basis. However, not everyone who is diagnosed with cancer actually has cancerous cells in their body. Additionally, not everyone who has cancer is diagnosed with cancer upon seeking medical attention for their health concerns. Anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of people who receive a cancer diagnosis eventually learn that they were wrongfully diagnosed.
Whether they were told that they had cancer when they did not or they received a different diagnosis despite having cancer, a misdiagnosis of cancer in any capacity can greatly affect the lives of those who have been misdiagnosed. You may be wondering how there could be any confusion about someone’s medical status, but the reason behind a cancer misdiagnosis often comes down to medical malpractice.
What Should I Do If I Suspect Nursing Home Negligence?
The goal of finding a nursing home for your older friends or family members is to provide them with the opportunity to receive care when living alone is no longer an option for them. Many nursing homes are presented as being both credible and safe for the elderly.
As a concept, a nursing home sounds like a lovely place of residence where residents will be protected, assisted, and cared for on a regular basis. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes provide the competent care residents deserve.
Occasionally, residents of nursing homes are subjected to negligence on behalf of those who are supposed to keep them safe. If you suspect that your loved one was injured or killed by nursing home negligence, there are a few key steps that we suggest you take immediately upon becoming aware of the circumstances.
What Counts as Nursing Home Negligence?
What is the Statute of Limitations For Medical Malpractice Lawsuits in Illinois?
Patients should be able to enter offices, clinics, and hospitals with full confidence that they can trust their healthcare provider. However, the unfortunate truth is that not all medical procedures are conducted safely, and every so often, instances of medical malpractice take place.
Medical malpractice is a form of negligence that happens at the hands of medical professionals, such as nurses, doctors, physicians, clinicians, dentists, and ophthalmologists, among other professions. Examples of medical malpractice may include being prescribed the wrong medication, not receiving the proper dose of anesthesia prior to surgery, or failing to diagnose a patient with a disease like cancer.
Even though medical malpractice can cause serious and irreparable damage, negligence of this nature can be very difficult to prove. However, knowing that information should not deter you from pursuing justice and seeking appropriate compensation for your experience. It all starts with hiring an experienced attorney and understanding the statute of limitations.
Can I File a Workers’ Compensation Claim for Psychological Injuries in Illinois?
No matter which industry you work in or the job title that you hold, all types of employment come with their own set of stressors and complications. Ideally, your job will not cause you to experience unbearable stress or other related mental health concerns.
However, some employees find themselves wondering what their legal rights are in the midst of heightened stress that makes them concerned for their mental health. If you are interested in learning about whether or not you can file a workers’ compensation claim for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, or other mental illnesses in Illinois, keep reading.
What Is a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
A workers’ compensation claim refers to a legal demand presented by an employee who sustained an injury, developed a disability, or was otherwise harmed because of their job. Illinois employers are required to carry workers' compensation insurance.
