Yearly Archives: 2017

After a car accident, you are likely suffering in a variety of ways—going back and forth to doctors and specialists to receive treatment for your injuries, making appointments with car repairmen and insurance policy adjusters, and dealing with the emotional fallout from the incident. Depending on the severity of your injuries and the damage done to your vehicle, you may be unable to get to work, or unable to resume the physical activities your job requires, and if this is the case, your employer may not be able to pay you your full wages, or anything at all. If you’re not working, how do you pay your bills? How do you handle the mounting expenses of your recovery—hospital bills, car repairs, and more? Depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, you could be able to recoup compensation from the person who caused the accident to cover the time that you have to be away from work. This is called lost earning compensation or reimbursement. How Does Lost Earning Reimbursement Work? The person who caused the accident can be ordered to make restitution for all of the victim’s expenses, including any lost earnings, or the potential for lost earnings. In order to file a claim to receive this compensation, the victim has to prove that he was directly impacted by the car accident, and that the injuries sustained directly limited his ability to work. This injury could be something short-term, like a pulled muscle or sprained wrist, or something that requires […]

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From the moment parents bring home their first babies, they have likely done everything in their power to teach him or her how to be a good person, and how to make smart choices, follow the rules, and be an upstanding citizen. Parents take responsibility for their children’s actions when they’re young, but just how far does that responsibility extend as children grow into teenagers, with licenses and driving privileges? Parents of teenaged drivers are already worried about the potential for disaster once their children take the wheel. Risks abound from other drivers and hazardous weather conditions, as well as from the teen driver himself, with distractions, alcohol, and drugs. Teen drivers who are negligent or who willfully break the law can cause serious damage to others on the road, and under Illinois’ parental liability law, their parents may be forced to shoulder the financial responsibility. Understanding Parental Liability Parental liability refers to the responsibility assessed to the parent whenever a child is charged with causing damage to another person or property. This liability typically begins when the child is at the age of reason (somewhere between 8 to 10 years old), and should know the difference between right and wrong, and lasts until the child is considered a mature adult. Under the Illinois Parental Responsibility Law (IPRL), found in the 740 ILCS 115 of Illinois Compiled Statutes, the parent or legal guardian can be held legally responsible for any intentional acts of negligence committed by a minor child, if […]

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The sudden impact of a car accident will often throw a car’s inhabitants forward, or to the side or the back, depending on where the impact hits, and this sudden jolt can cause serious injuries no matter how “crash-proof” your vehicle may be. Whiplash is a common injury in car accidents, and the term covers any damage done to the soft tissue of a person’s neck. Whiplash can happen in a variety of ways, but it is incredibly painful, and can lead to long-term complications that affect a person’s ability to work and go about his or her daily life. Whiplash is caused when your neck snaps suddenly to one side, typically due to a sudden jolt or impact, and then snaps back immediately. This sudden snap can result in strains and sprains to the muscles and tendons in your neck, and can lead to soft tissue injuries. Because of the sudden impact of a car accident, victims of a rear-end collision or car crash are often diagnosed with whiplash. Signs and Symptoms of Whiplash People who suffer from whiplash can experience any of the following symptoms: Neck pain, either when moving the neck, or when holding the neck still Pain in the shoulders, arms, and upper back Neck stiffness Minimal ability to turn the neck from side to side, or up and down Dizziness, disorientation, and headaches Blurred vision Sleep deprivation and fatigue Difficulty remembering things, or trouble concentrating Hearing a ringing sound Mood swings and depression Many people […]

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Slipping, tripping, and falling in public is generally embarrassing. Most people tend to brush off these types of accidents automatically, and claim to be uninjured or otherwise fine, to avoid further scrutiny. It’s understandable to want to put the incident behind you quickly, but if you just brush off your accident, you could run the risk of serious injury, especially if the symptoms are not immediately apparent after you fall. Obviously, bleeding, dizziness, and disorientation are all serious and immediate side effects of falling. But less obvious are the strained muscles, bruises, soreness, and long-term head trauma that could have been suffered in a slip and fall accident. Some injuries may take a few days or even weeks to develop, and by that time, the opportunity for immediate action is lost. Below are a few common injuries caused by a slip and fall accident, and a description of the effects a person who has fallen may suffer: Head injuries. If you trip and fall, and hit your head, you could suffer a concussion or a traumatic brain injury. In fact, falls are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, and these injuries can range from mild to very serious. Brain and head injuries can cause disorientation, dizziness, mood swings, and seizures, and they can also affect a person’s ability to remember things or concentrate. Back and spine injuries. A slip and fall accident can cause serious trauma to the back and the spinal cord. Even if you don’t land directly […]

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Choosing a nursing home is one of the most difficult decisions you may have to make for an aging family member. It’s never easy to watch a loved one grow old and require long-term or round-the-clock care, but in many cases, the best way to help your elderly family members is to find a great nursing home that offers the medical and physical care they need, especially when you are unable to do so. However, there’s a great deal of stigma that comes with nursing homes, due in no small part to the widespread reports of abuse and neglect in many facilities. This doesn’t mean that all nursing homes are bad places, but it does mean that when you look at particular facilities, and even after you’ve selected one, you should be on guard for any signs of abuse or neglect that is suffered by residents. An important part of being able to spot instances or signs of nursing home misconduct is understanding the difference between abuse and neglect, and how signs of these two things may be evident in a nursing home resident. Abuse Nursing home abuse occurs whenever someone deliberately takes actions that lead to harm or injury to a patient. The four main types of nursing home abuse are listed below, along with a brief description of how an abuser could be taking advantage of an elderly resident. Physical abuse. This could include hitting, punching, pushing, shoving, or any rough conduct that is intended to harm. Older […]

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