Illinois Injury Law Blog

This holiday season it is likely with the economy still in turmoil and the price of airfare skyrocketed that more people will be headed to family gatherings in their personal vehicles. The best advice we can adhere to is to be patient and don’t let the stress of the holidays and traffic inconveniences be the cause of a Chicago car accident.

No one wants to end the year or start a brand new year on a dismal note. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there were a total of 1,719 fatalities on Christmas Day (640), New Year’s Eve (75) and New Year’s Day (1,004). Illinois accounted for 39 of these traffic fatalities, (12, 2, and 25 respectively).

Instead of stressing about the traffic congestion there may be some things you can do to make your family road trip a little more enjoyable this year. Kids have a tough time sitting in cars for long periods of time. Most vehicles come equipped or can be hooked up with video equipment but there are also some stimulating games you can play as a family. Road trip games can include alphabet, word, geography, songs, and twenty questions to name a few. Road games are good because they pass the time and keep everyone interacting.

In order to avoid additional holiday stressors when you travel to relatives, there are a few things you can do to help eliminate your stress:

-Pack up the car the evening before you leave so that all you have to do the next morning before leaving is double check you haven’t forgotten anything.

-Do a quick check on the car to make sure everything is working properly (for example, the heater, windshield wipers, sufficient air in the tires, etc)

- Double check the house before you leave to make sure everything is turned off and adjusted – you don’t want to have to worry if the house is going to burn down or get broken into while you are celebrating the holidays elsewhere.

-Allow plenty of time for stops so that normal holiday travel dangers like speeding, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and traffic congestion don’t become a concern.

Continue reading " Peak holiday travel increases risk of Chicago car accidents " »

Last minute shopping a danger to Chicago patrons

As you head out to your favorite stores for some last minute shopping, keep in mind you may run into some last minute dangers as well. Store owners and property managers have a responsibility to keep shoppers safe. During this time of year when inventory is high and shoppers are filling the aisles the dangers of merchandise falling, wet floors, or faulty escalators (to name a few) become much more prevalent. Our Chicago premise liability attorneys understand the dangers and want to remind you to be careful on these last few shopping days of the year.

Premise liability can be defined by the owner's responsibility to keep their store or property in safe condition for patrons. Failure to maintain the property leads to negligence and they can be held liable. Things like making sure the parking lot is safe, secure, and well lit, stocking merchandise properly, keeping a safe evacuation route in case of a fire, and keeping floors dry and clear are a few safety concerns that need to be monitored throughout the busy holiday shopping season.

At the start of the shopping season the federal government issued an alert from Occupational Safety & Health Administration that retailers and property managers should keep stores clean and safe throughout the holiday season. The increased volume of shoppers makes it more difficult to do so but every effort should be made to reduce the risk of serious injury.

Though not as common as slip and fall accidents, merchandise falling from shelves is one danger that can be avoided by proper merchandise control proceedures. Items can fall for a number of reasons and at anytime. Forklift operators have dropped their loads or have pushed other items off shelves while stacking a different item. Shoppers bumping into items stacked on the floor can topple them over. Boxes can suddenly fall if they are leaning. Heavier boxes when placed on lighter boxes can create an unbalanced stack and cause serious injury if the heavy box falls right on top of someone.

One suggestion, (probably common sense) made by OSHA recommends that employees use low or middle shelves for placing the heaviest items. This not only keeps heavy merchandise close to the ground but also helps stabilize the shelving.

Shoppers can help store owners by using some of the following safety tips recommended by My Parent Time:

-Store ladders are not for customer use, ask an employee for help.

-Don't cross aisle barricades, it is blocked off for a reason.

-Let store employees know if you see unbalanced items on the floor or shelves.

-Merchandise stacked in the aisles can topple over too. It doesn't have to fall from above to cause an injury.

-Stay alert when forklifts are in operation, keep away from the area whenever possible.

Store owners and shoppers can help each other this holiday season by being more aware and using extra caution. Make the holidays safe by doing your part.

Continue reading " Premise liability a concern for last-minute Chicago shoppers " »

Nursing homes are often visited during the Holidays. At a time when elderly loved ones are home bound, family members make the extra effort to visit during the holidays. One priority to note as you make your visit is that your elderly family member is being given the best care possible. Our Chicago nursing home neglect lawyers want to urge you to pay close attention as you roam the halls.

If you have concerns after visiting an area home this holiday, please discuss them with an attorney or speak to the authorities. Illinois nursing homes have come under heavy fire in recent years for instances of gross neglect and abuse.

Making the decision to put your loved one in a nursing home is hard enough but when you discover that there could be abuse going on it is heart wrenching. Sadly, nursing home neglect and abuse is more prevalent than what we think so it's important for you and your elderly loved one to know your rights. In 1987, the Nursing Home Reformed Act was established to protect the rights of nursing home residents. Essentially the act established that residents have the right to: be updated; decisive about personal healthcare; make choices regarding clothes, food, etc.; privacy; valued opinion; management of financial affairs; 30 day notice of being moved or let go; voice their opinion; and visitors.

In concern for your elderly you should look for signs of abuse or neglect because they probably will be afraid to talk about it openly. Things you should look for would be things like:

-Physical injuries like scratches, abrasions, or bed sores.

-Unchanged clothes like dirty underwear

-Odors in their bed or on their person.

-Increased weight loss

-Emotions such as moodiness, irritability, quietness, withdrawal

If a loved one seems distant or not quite themselves try to talk to them about it. It may just be the sadness of being alone during the holidays or the loss of a spouse or child causing them to be depressed. If there are evident signs of abuse or neglect, please seek professional help. Protecting your elder is of utmost importance so its important to take the right steps to assure that it happens.

Continue reading " Visiting your elderly can make a difference in Chicago nursing homes " »

Holiday shopping for your kids brings on a whole new dimension when you take on the safety precautions involved with purchasing toys. It’s a good time of year for you to consider the toys that are safest for your children. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys want you to realize the common danger of defective toys and products before you purchase them.

A good source to use in keeping current with defective products is the Consumer Products Safety Commission. The CPSC updates constantly on product defects and recalls so you know what is safe to buy for your family. Some of the most recent toy product recalls were Rocking Horse toys, bathtub toys, and inflatable balls. The goal of the CPSC is to protect consumers from buying a faulty product that can potentially burn, electrocute, or cause personal injury or wrongful death to to inherent defect of design or manufacture. The worst way to learn if a toy is not made up to standards is through personal experience.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Public Research Interest Group (USPIRG) putting out the Trouble in Toy Land report. Over 250,000 kids ended up in the emergency room last year due to toy related injuries. THE USPRIG puts out this report annually to try to prevent these kinds of injuries from happening. In this year's report you will find safety guidelines for purchasing toys as well as toys that are currently in stores that could likely cause a threat to your child.

The USPIRG offers the following hazards to look for this holiday season:

-Choking is the leading cause of child fatalities due to toy-related incidents. Buy bigger toys, read the warning labels, and don't give small balls or balloons to a young child.

-Refrain from buying magnetic toys because if swallowed they can cause serious intestinal damage to a child.

-Batteries, if swallowed, can be fatal so keep toys with a battery away from a child if unsupervised.

-Noisy toys can not only be annoying, they can do serious damage to a child's ears. If a toy is too loud you should either cover the speakers or take the toy away from the child.

-Toys with cords or drawstrings can be potentially dangerous so as an example, don't hang mobiles within reaching distance of a baby's crib.

-Avoid buying toys with PVC plastic, lead or other contaminants. You should read the label before purchasing play make-up or a toy that has been painted.

Continue reading " Chicago consumers consider toy defects before purchasing this holiday season " »