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A serious injury has tremendous consequences far beyond bodily harm. You may be unable to work, burdened by medical debt, and troubled by psychological trauma.
Overcoming these obstacles is incredibly challenging. If a person’s injuries are the result of negligence or wrongdoing, they can file a personal injury claim against those responsible to pursue compensation for the harm they suffered.
There is, for example, significant confusion regarding who can be sued. It is often assumed that only the person directly responsible for an accident is liable, but in reality, many different parties could be responsible because of the doctrine of vicarious liability.
Vicarious liability is sometimes a factor in car accident claims. If the car involved in the accident is not owned by the person driving it, another party may be liable for damages caused in an accident. For example, if an employee causes an accident while performing work duties, the employer may be legally responsible. An underage driver is an additional example. In this scenario, the plaintiff could potentially bring a claim against the child’s parents.
Suffering a serious workplace injury can disrupt your life on multiple fronts. Besides debilitating physical injuries, you may be left unable to work and with a mountain of medical debt. It may be difficult to simply pay the rent and put food on the table. However, your situation becomes much more perilous if your workers’ compensation claim is denied. Unfortunately, employers and insurance companies devise crafty ways to avoid their responsibilities to injured workers. For example, they may claim that the injury is not work-related or not serious enough to prevent the claimant from working. Thankfully, injured workers can appeal denied claims to pursue the benefits they so desperately need and deserve.
When an injured worker believes they were wrongly denied workers compensation benefits or that the size of their benefits package was too small given their injuries, they may file a claim with the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission.
Childbirth does not always happen naturally. Sometimes, doctors utilize a variety of techniques to facilitate the birthing process. An episiotomy is one of the most common procedures to help the mother deliver. When a doctor performs an episiotomy, he cuts the area between the vagina and the anus known as the perineal. This incision creates a wider opening for the baby to pass through. Episiotomy is often performed out of necessity, such as when the baby’s head is too big for the birth canal, the mother requires a forceps or vacuum-assisted delivery, or the baby is in breech position. Most medical associations recommend that they only be performed when the mother or baby’s health depends on it. Such caution is necessary because an unnecessary episiotomy can seriously injure the mother.
An unneeded episiotomy can seriously harm the mother. It can cause dozens of different injuries and complications, including:
Nursing homes abuse is an endemic issue that exists in every state and around cities throughout the country. According to the National Coalition on Aging, nearly 5 million seniors are abused on an annual basis, violating the dignity of some of our most vulnerable citizens.
Nursing home abuse takes many different forms. It may be obvious in some cases, while more covert in others.
Nursing home abuse may be:
Not all car accidents are the same, some simply have more destructive potential than others. Among the most dangerous car accident types is the sideswipe.
A sideswipe accident occurs when the sides of two vehicles traveling in the same direction collide. Although the initial impact by itself may not cause much destruction, it often causes one or both of the drivers to lose control and either drive off the road or crash into other vehicles.
Thousands of people are injured in sideswipe collisions every single year. In fact, over 900 people died in sideswipe accidents in 2020 alone, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Victims that survive often face a long uphill battle back to normal. The physical injuries are only one part of the equation, they may also face medical debt, job loss, and mental trauma.
Although the situation is often dire, they may be entitled to compensation. An experienced personal injury lawyer can evaluate their case, provide them with options, and craft a personalized legal strategy around their unique interests.
When an elderly individual starts to experience accidental injuries, such as bruises, cuts, or broken bones, their families often opt to move them to a nursing home so that they can receive proper and attentive care. Unfortunately, placing a loved one in a long-term care facility does not always mean they are safe from injury. While accidents can still happen, abuse and neglect also play a significant role in nursing home injuries. The following addresses some of the most common physical dangers residents face while living at a nursing home.
1. ) Bedsores
When a patient remains in one position for an extended amount of time, they may develop bedsores. Bedsores are most often seen in a patient’s ankles, elbows, tailbone, and hips. When nursing home residents are not capable of moving on their own, it is the staff’s responsibility to assist in rotating or shifting the patient’s position on a regular basis. When staff neglect this duty, the sores can become severely infected and have life-threatening effects.
When a pregnant mother is preparing to give birth to her child, she may not consider the possibility of facing an emergency situation. In some instances, this emergency situation may require a cesarean delivery. The need for a first-time cesarean delivery, better known as a C-section, is often not apparent until the delivery process has already begun. Some mothers opt for this method ahead of time if they have been experiencing complications through their pregnancy or have already undergone a c-section with a previous child. In other cases that require an emergency c-section, it is the doctor’s responsibility to understand the warning signs that necessitate this procedure and how to perform the surgery safely. When a doctor fails to uphold these expectations and the mother or child suffers an injury, It may be possible to hold the doctor accountable for their medical negligence.
When an employee is injured at work, in most cases, they are entitled to financial damages through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance program. In Illinois, any injury resulting from the employee’s job can qualify for a workers’ compensation claim. However, it is the employee’s responsibility to file the claim correctly and provide sufficient evidence. Anyone pursuing a workers’ compensation claim, should be aware of the mistakes that employees often make that diminish the validity of their claim and ability to collect compensation.
1.) You fail to seek medical attention after the accident.
Some work-related injuries can be incredibly harmful long-term, such as ladder falls and repetitive stress injuries. Seeing a doctor immediately after can help an employee address, diagnose, and treat their injuries. Additionally, visiting a healthcare facility after an accident will assist in adding validity to a workers’ compensation claim. It is important to see a doctor and follow their instructions. Failure to see a doctor after suffering an injury on the job may make the impression that the injury is not serious enough to qualify for a claim.
Even the most confident of drivers can feel a twinge of intimidation and vulnerability when passing a large semi-truck on the highway. Some drivers accelerate faster to lessen the amount of time spent next to the truck, while others may avoid passing them until absolutely necessary.
These instincts are not entirely unfounded. Accidents involving large trucks have proven to be incredibly devastating to occupants of passenger vehicles and often result in catastrophic injuries. This blog details some of the most common injuries seen in truck accidents and the long-term consequences the injured victims may suffer.
Truck accidents often result in passengers experiencing moderate to severe pain in their back and neck. In some cases, the accident may only result in minor neck pain, however, in worse cases, a person may suffer dislocated discs and whiplash. Back and neck injuries can greatly impact a person’s ability to complete daily tasks, likely delaying the timeframe in which an individual can return to work.
Construction accidents continue to be one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities. There are many factors that contribute to the dangers of a construction worksite including heavy machinery, high heights, and insufficiently trained employees. Workers in this industry should understand the dangers they may face and what steps they can take in order to protect themselves against construction accidents.
Studies completed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have identified four leading causes of construction site injuries and fatalities. These causes, which are referred to as the “Fatal Four,” include falls, being struck by objects, electrocution, and caught-in/between.
Falls include both falling from heights and slips and trips. Falling from heights is one of the most common causes of construction fatalities. Employers in the construction industry can make an effort to reduce the dangers of construction falls by implementing the following safety recommendations:
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2114 Deerpath Road, Aurora, IL 60506 630-907-0909
