Recent Blog Posts
Recognizing the Signs of Sexual Abuse
When someone is a victim of sexual abuse, they may experience a wide variety of physical and emotional problems throughout their lives. Depending on a victim’s age group and personality, every person displays their reactions to sexual abuse differently than others. It is important for friends and family members to recognize the signs of abuse and help their loved ones seek help when needed.
Sexual Abuse Warning Signs in Children
Research shows that one in five girls and one in 20 boys are affected by child sexual abuse. Between the ages of seven and 13 years old, children are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse. If a child has been sexually abused, then he or she will likely display the following signs:
- Unexplained sleep problems or nightmares
- Distracted and distant personality
Avoiding Personal Injuries From Medical Malpractice
Every year, millions of patients visit a doctor or hospital to receive medical treatment. Most of the time, they expect to have their issues taken care of, and they trust doctors and nurses to provide quality care. However, there are far too many cases in which medical procedures go wrong, and serious injury or death occurs as a result. When someone is injured due to the negligence of medical providers, they may be able to seek compensation for medical malpractice.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice occurs when a hospital, doctor, or other healthcare professional causes injury or death to a patient, due to an error in diagnosis, treatment, health management, or aftercare. Medical negligence is responsible for the deaths of over 400,000 Americans every year, with these medical errors costing the country more than $19 billion.
How to Prevent Workplace Slip and Fall Accidents this Holiday Season
The holiday season has officially begun, and as the weather gets colder and we begin to experience snowy and icy conditions, the roads and sidewalks are likely to become slick. Slippery walkways can lead to premises accidents, and when these types of accidents occur while someone is working, they can result in expensive workplace injury claims. To prevent serious injuries and even death, both employers and employees should take steps to stay safe during the holidays.
Slip and Fall Injury Statistics and Prevention Tips
In 2014, slip and fall accidents resulted in over 247,000 workplace injuries that resulted in time off from work, including 818 worker deaths. To avoid these types of injuries and the personal and professional costs that can result, follow these tips:
8 Tips for Avoiding Distracted Driving Car Accidents
Distracted driving is risky and dangerous. It is one of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States; in 2015, distracted driving led to crashes that claimed the lives of 3,477 people and caused 391,000 injuries.
Distracted driving involves any activity that causes a driver to take their attention off the road. Eating, drinking, and talking to passengers are activities that often distract drivers, and cell phone use is one of the primary causes of distracted driving. In fact, about 660,000 drivers utilize their cell phones while driving during daylight hours every day in the U.S.
Here are some tips on how you can avoid distracted driving:
- Anything that diverts your attention from driving is considered a distraction. Focus solely on driving, and watch for pedestrians and cyclists. While driving, your eyes should be on the road in front of you, and you should be checking your rearview and side mirrors regularly.
Types of Illinois Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Workplace injuries can be devastating to your life and your finances, impacting not only your health and well-being, but your ability to earn an income and provide for your family. For employees who are injured while on the job, workers’ compensation benefits allow them to obtain financial relief due to the situation and/or injury. There are three types of workers’ comp benefits:
- Disability benefits: These benefits replace the wages an injured employee loses due to their inability to work. The injury the employee has must be work-related. Disabilities fall into four groups:
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): If an employee has this type of disability, that means they are unable to earn income in the future from the type of job he or she held when they received the injury. Employees with a permanent disability are eligible to receive lifetime disability payments.
Recognizing the Signs of Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse
You should always take your time when viewing potential nursing homes for your loved one. Observing the general emotional state of the patients and the physical condition of the facility is imperative in ensuring you choose a nursing home that will take care of your loved one well. However, when your family member is living in a nursing facility, it can be sometimes difficult to ascertain whether abuse or neglect have occurred and resulted in your loved one suffering from an illness or ailment. The following are some general signs of abuse or neglect that you should look out for in a nursing home:
- Observe the physical conditions of the facility. If the nursing home you are visiting is consistently dirty and smells foul, consider looking for a new facility.
- Look for signs of any pain your loved one is experiencing. Bruises could occur because of abuse or a fall which happened due to insufficient supervision.
6 Tips for the Proper Use of a Child Safety Seat
Here is a sobering statistic: the leading cause of death in U.S. children ages three to 14 is car accidents. In 2014, 121,350 children aged 12 and younger were injured in a car accident, and in 2015, more than 663 children died in a motor vehicle accident.
Studies have shown that consistent use of a car seat for young children can help prevent severe injury in the event of a car accident. However, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in a single year, more than 618,000 children aged 12 and under rode in a car without the use of a car seat, booster seat, or a seatbelt.
The proper use of a car seat (also called a child safety seat) is essential in preventing children from being severely injured during a car accident. Here are six tips that outline how to properly use a child safety seat:
The Dangers of Leaving the Hospital Too Soon
If you have ever been hospitalized for any reason, you probably know the feeling of homesickness that often develops quickly. Even a short hospital stay forces many to wonder how soon they can escape the antiseptic smell, checks by doctors and nurses and at all hours, and the often questionable food. In most cases, a patient must remain in the hospital under he or she is well enough to go home to a relatively non-controlled environment with no—or limited—professional supervision. Unfortunately, however, cost-cutting efforts and other factors have been blamed for the uptick in cases where patients are discharged from the hospital too soon. Early hospital discharge can put lives in danger and open the door to possible medical malpractice claims.
Creating a Plan
Deciding when to send a patient home can be challenging, but the doctor and the patient must work together in developing a discharge plan. The patient knows his or her body and, generally, has a good idea of his or her own limitations. The doctor will better know what symptoms need to be monitored as well as certain conditions that could develop once the patient leaves the hospital. If both the doctor and patient are comfortable with the decision to discharge and the patient fully understands the recommended course of follow-up treatment, it is probably fine for the patient to go home.
Illinois Court Rejects Workers’ Comp Claim for Lunchtime Fall
When you suffer an injury in the course of performing your job, you are usually eligible to collect benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation System. Workers’ comp benefits typically cover medical costs, lost wages, and other expenses that you may have incurred as the result of your injury. But, getting hurt at work is not necessarily the same as getting hurt in course of performing your job, as an Illinois appeals court recently determined.
Injured During Lunch
The case arose out of a 2012 injury sustained by a woman who worked at a DuPage County high school. The woman fell as she was leaving the building to go home for lunch, slipping on wet pavement on a handicap ramp. According to court documents, the woman stumbled, struggled to regain her balance, then fell forward “face first onto the pavement.” She was subsequently diagnosed with a broken nose, post-concussive syndrome, and injuries to her shoulder and hip.
Appeals Court Allows Defective Products Suit Against Bicycle Manufacturer to Continue
When a person is injured due to the failure or poor performance of a defective product, he or she may usually seek compensation from a number of parties. In many cases, the maker of the product may be held liable, along with distributors, retailers, and other entities involved with the production, preparation, and sale of the product in question. Determining which party is truly at fault can be challenging, of course, but doing so is necessary for obtaining the damages the injured person needs to put his or her life back together.
Some of the difficulties were recently highlighted in a case that is currently pending in Illinois. In this case, a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer petitioned to be removed as a defendant due to a lack of personal jurisdiction by Illinois courts.
A Line of Defendants
