Recovering money damages for your injuries from a car accident requires you to prove several facts. Some people think that just being hurt in a car accident means that they have a successful lawsuit in their possession, but this could not be further from the truth.

There Are Many Complications that Could Arise in Your Car Wreck Lawsuit

Few car accident cases, especially where there is a large amount of damages at stake, are cut and dry. Most of these accidents have facts that could be damaging to your ability to recover. It is the job of your attorney to assess these weaknesses and determine possible defenses.

Many look forward to summertime for the longer daylight hours, road trips, and outdoor activities. However, summertime comes with its own accident risks of which you may not be aware.

In fact, there are more accidental deaths in July and August than in any other time of the year, according to the National Safety Council, a nonprofit and nongovernmental agency that focuses on safety at work. The National Safety Council says that certain accidents like poisonings, falls, and fires are especially common in the summer months.

While the United States’ overall death rates have fallen in recent years, unfortunately, in 2015 accidental fatality rates climbed to an all-time high. According to the National Safety Council, there were 146,571 accidental deaths in 2015, which is a 7 percent increase from the previous year. It is worth noting that preventable deaths account for more fatalities than strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and suicide.

Workers’ compensation is not just for those who have been injured in an accident at a job site. In fact, many people receive workers’ comp benefits for repetitive injuries and injuries that are sustained in an office environment.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a fairly common condition that affects workers who use computers and well as those on factory lines. CTS often causes numbness and tingling in the hand and arm. CTS is a serious condition and an expensive one to treat.

In fact, treatment of CTS costs $2 billion annually in the United States. The cost is so high because surgery is often required. The median lost work time by those who have CTS is 27 days. This is longer than any other work-related injury with the exception of fractures. Alarmingly, about 20 percent of employees with CTS leave their job within 18 months of feeling symptoms.

Losing a family member in an accident that was caused or partially caused by another party is one of the hardest things a person can go through. Whether it a spouse or a parent, a death of this type leaves a void that is impossible to fill.

Under Illinois law, family members of an accident victim are entitled to monetary compensation by filing a wrongful death claim. This compensation is only determined once, and it is meant to address the needs of the family for years.

Thus, it is not advisable to accept a settlement from an insurance company without having your case reviewed by an attorney. Wrongful death cases can involve significant issues of law and compensation, and a professional should be involved.

If you are injured on the job, the Illinois’ Workers’ Compensation Act provides that you are entitled to medical care from doctors of your choosing. However, this right is not unlimited; there are restrictions.

The Two Doctor Rule

In Illinois, injured workers must follow the two doctor rule. This rule states that the employee can select up to two doctors for treatment for a workplace injury. Under this rule, the employee will usually select a general doctor or occupational medicine specialist, who can refer the employee to an unlimited number of specialists. The referrals do not count toward the two doctor maximum.

After you have suffered a workplace accident and determine that you are injured, your first step should be informing your employer of the incident. This is required under the Illinois Worker’s Compensation Act.

Illinois law states that notice of the accident must be given to the employer as soon as “practicable,” and no later than 45 days after the accident. Failure to do this may mean a rejection of your claim, and you will not get your medical bills and lost wages paid by your employer.

While 45 days may seem like a long time, the deadline can approach quickly, especially if you did not initially realize that you were injured. If you are concerned about this deadline, contact a workers’ comp attorney as soon as possible.

Head injuries are commonly sustained in accidents such as car crashes and slip and falls. This is because the brain is vulnerable and more susceptible to injury. Unfortunately, the head is also one of the most difficult body parts to treat because of its complexity and because so many bodily processes involve the brain. Treatment for brain injuries can be varied and long-term.

Often, the extent of a head injury, which includes traumatic brain injury (or TBI), is not known in the direct aftermath of an accident. Therefore it is critical that accident victims not take a quick settlement offer before the full nature of the injury is known and until they can meet with a lawyer.

Initial Treatment for Head Injuries

In Illinois, there are 811 reported traffic crashes per day, according to the most recent data from 2014. By looking at the statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation, drivers can tell what situations on roads are most dangerous. 

If you have been seriously injured in a traffic accident on Illinois roads, speaking to an attorney who has experience in handling car accident cases is the first step you can take to be sure your medical bills and other injuries will be compensated to the full extent of the law. 

More on Illinois Traffic Accidents

Once a worker is injured, that part of the body remains more vulnerable to future injury, even though the worker has been fully treated. Aggravation of a pre-existing condition on the job is a common occurrence; however, the workers’ comp system can make recovery in these cases difficult.

Aggravation cases often require an attorney who is familiar with workers’ comp because these claims can be wrongly rejected by insurance companies.

Workers’ Compensation Should Cover Aggravated Injuries

When people think of an injury that would be covered by workers’ compensation, they often think of an accident that causes sudden pain and trauma like a fall off a ladder, an electrocution, or a forklift accident. However, one of the most common on-the-job injuries is a repetitive stress injury. These injuries are caused by making the same movement over and over. The movements need not be strenuous to cause this type of injury.

The onset of symptoms related to a repetitive stress injury should not be written off by the worker as a sign of aging or as part of the job. The workers’ comp system does provide for medical treatment and benefits for this type of injury.

Computer Work is a Major Cause of a Repetitive Stress Injury

Sometimes accidents happen during your workday when you are not “on the clock.” In these cases, an employee’s claim under workers’ comp may be denied by the employer’s workers’ comp insurance.

However, a claim denial is not the final word on whether there is coverage as these cases can present issues of coverage that may be difficult to decide. In these borderline cases, we advise that you have your claim reviewed by an attorney who practices in workers’ comp to determine whether you should be covered.

About Workers’ Compensation

Truck accidents can cause severe damage to other cars and motorists given the size of 18-wheelers. Trucks are more susceptible to accidents when trucking regulations are not followed.

If you are a driver sharing the road with big trucks, it is important to understand why truck accidents occur. If you were in a truck accident and believe that someone else is at fault, it is important to contact an attorney who handles truck accident cases.

About the Study on Truck Accidents

Traumatic brain injuries can arise in almost any accident, including car crashes and slip and falls. TBIs are caused by a sudden jolt or strike to the head. TBIs can also be caused by repetitive hits to the brain.

Brain injuries are serious, and accidents where a victim has sustained such an injury should be handled by an attorney to be sure that the claim’s recovery is maximized. Complications can range from being obvious (such as a coma) or more subtle and not immediately apparent to others (such as learning disabilities).

However, all complications stemming from a TBI are likely compensable under law and should be reported to get a full recovery.

Car accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. However, your odds of getting into a car accident are higher at certain locations and certain times of the day. Being aware of these risk factors can help you avoid accidents and practice defensive driving.

When Do Car Accidents Occur?

Nighttime accidents are especially dangerous. About 49 percent of fatal crashes occur at night. That means that the fatality rate per mile is three times higher at night than in the day. A key factor in the number of fatalities at night is seat belt use. Of nighttime fatalities, about 65 percent of motorists were not wearing a seat belt.

Nearly 450,000 Americans live with a spinal cord injury, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association. Each year, about 11,000 spinal cord injuries are sustained in the United States.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Most spinal cord injuries are attributed to vertebral column trauma. In a healthy person, the spinal cord sends and receives messages between the body and the brain. These messages control sensory, autonomic, and motor functions. However, when the vertebral column is injured, the spinal cord cannot send and receive these vital messages resulting in conditions such as paralysis and loss of sensation.

The world of workers’ compensation comes with its own language that can be difficult for an injured worker to understand. In addition, workers’ comp claims must follow a rigid procedural scheme that can be confusing and frustrating for a layperson to understand.

Clients often rely on their attorney to explain the workers’ compensation process. Below are several terms that may come up in your case.

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)

If you have been injured at work, you may think your only option is to pursue a Workers’ comp claim. While this may be true in many cases, it is not true in all cases.

In some circumstances, an accident victim may get adequate recovery through workers’ comp. However, other accident victims can receive more compensation under a theory of general negligence, which is sometimes called a personal injury action.

Workers’ Comp

Eye injuries are commonly sustained in construction and manufacturing jobs. Even office workers are at risk of eye injury caused by computer screens. In fact, approximately 2,000 U.S. workers sustain eye injuries each day that require medical treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of these 2,000, one-third are treated in hospital emergency rooms, and about 100 eye injuries a day will result in at least one day away from work.

Five of the most common ways workers’ eyes are injured include the following:

1. Small particles. Small particles get into the eye resulting in abrasions. Dust, wood, metal, or concrete all pose a risk. Also, small tools like staples and nails can injure the eye.
2. Chemicals. Chemicals can splash in the eyes. Also, fumes can irritate or burn the eyes.
3. Infection. Infection is a risk for workers who come into contact with blood and other bodily fluids.
4. Radiation. Exposure to certain light can seriously damage the eyes.
5. Computer eye strain. If a worker regularly uses a computer or electronic screen, temporary or permanent headaches, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain can result.

Protective Safety Measures

Workers’ compensation does not only cover acute injuries sustained on the job such as sprains and broken bones. Illinois workers’ compensation also covers diseases.

Occupational Diseases Defined

The Illinois Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act defines “occupational disease” as “a disease arising out of and in the course of the employment or which has become aggravated and rendered disabling as a result of the exposure of the employment.” 

Going to the gym has great health benefits, unless you get hurt. It is estimated that about 460,000 people were injured at a gym in 2012 alone.

Many of these exercisers have sustained injuries that cannot be the basis of a lawsuit because the exercisers caused the accident. However, some injuries are caused by the gym. In these cases, the gym may be held responsible.

Treadmill Troubles