Posted on October 17, 2013 in Firm News

People put a lot of dedication into their careers and, by extension, the Sangamon County companies that they work for. It's their hope that if they are ever injured on the job, they'll be able to rely on their employers to compensate them for any medical expenses associated with the accident. It's important that employees understand what their employment agreements or contracts entitle them to in the event of an injury. Failure to know what those benefits are can leave one unprotected in dealing with their medical expenses.

Such is the case of three football players who were injured while playing for an indoor football team in Rockford. All three were injured while playing on the team's home field, yet all three are being denied workers compensation by the insurance company whose policy the team's ownership had in place to cover player injuries. The reason for the denial centers on two issues: First, the policy was purchased when the team owner owned a football team in Wisconsin, and thus the policy called for compensation to be paid according to Wisconsin state law. Because the players' injuries occurred in Illinois, the insurance company claims they are not required to cover the expenses.

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 Posted on October 04, 2013 in Firm News

Car accidents in Springfield are all too common on today's roads. Even as vehicle safety standards have improved and new features have been created to help people try and avoid accidents, they still occur. Unfortunately, there's nothing that vehicle engineers can do to remove human error from the equation, and more often than not, that's usually what causes most car collisions. The number of ways that a driver can make a mistake behind the wheel that leads to an accident is endless, ranging from driving while impaired to simple carelessness or lack of attention.

A simple case of one driver following another too closely appears to have been the cause of a recent accident in Springfield. A woman following a truck had little time to stop and avoid colliding with her vehicle into the back end of a truck after the truck driver stopped suddenly. Although the reason for truck's sudden stop was unreported, it was the woman who ended being cited by police.

Fortunately for the two drivers involved in this particular collision, neither sustained any serious injuries. However, that isn't always the case. Injuries from car accidents can be both debilitating and disabling, and may leave victims with a large amount of medical debt. In such cases, the driver responsible for causing the car accident may held liable for any damages, be they to the damage to the car or injuries to its passengers. This often remains true even in those cases where no blatant recklessness by the driver was displayed. Those looking to earn that compensation from another party may wish to secure the services if an experienced personal injury lawyer to assist in doing so.  

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 Posted on October 03, 2013 in Articles

Farming is a source of livelihood for many people in Sangamon County and thousands of people throughout Illinois. Unfortunately, there are many risks inherent to agricultural work, and farm accidents can be fatal or leave victims permanently disabled.

Encouragingly, 2012 was the safest year for farm work that Illinois has seen in over three decades. However, this doesn't mean that farm workers should let down their guard or that there isn't still room to improve farming practices.

Agricultural work remains hazardous

The CDC states that agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in this country. The organization reports the following troubling facts:

• In 2010, the fatality rate per 100,000 workers was 26.1 deaths.
• An estimated 243 agricultural workers are injured every day.
• One in twenty of those injuries will have permanent effects.
• Annually, farm injuries prove fatal for an average of 113 youth under age 20.

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 Posted on September 20, 2013 in Firm News

People who place elderly loved ones in the care of nursing homes in Springfield put a great deal of trust into the home’s caregivers. The violation of that trust through abuse can be heartbreaking, and often can have tragic consequences. What makes nursing home abuse all the more egregious is that it is perpetrated against victims that have little to no capacity to defend themselves from it. In such cases, it may up to the family and friends of those victims to fight for them. However, the difficulty in taking up that fight is knowing in whom one can trust to handle these claims of abuse.

A disturbing trend has recently been highlighted in California regarding potential neglect in the investigation of allegations of elder abuse in nursing homes. A former Department of Health worker familiar with these investigations has shed light on the department’s past mishandling of claims, with many complaints filed away for years before action was taken. While new leadership of the department has initiated changes in the handling of nursing home complaints, the former investigator continues to be concerned about what he perceives to be a misguided emphasis on resolving complaints quickly rather than correctly. He points out new department policies that encourage investigators to close cases rapidly, with some even being investigated by phone rather than in person. While the department acknowledges that some cases have been mishandled, it defends its new policies, saying they have greatly reduced the number of backlogged complaints.

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 Posted on September 13, 2013 in Firm News

Employees injured in workplace accidents in Sangamon County are often already hesitant to file workers' compensation claims because they fear causing friction with their employers and any potential repercussions that they believe they may face by doing so. While they shouldn't have to worry about these potential consequences, they should also be able to rely on the insurance companies paying out for workers' compensation claims providing adequate funds to cover their medical expenses. Any concerns about not receiving sufficient funds to help pay for their medical bills may discourage injured workers from filing claims even further.

Illinois Health care providers have recognized this potential obstacle to their patients receiving compensation for their injuries and taken notice. An Illinois-based chiropractic office was part of a 2004 class action lawsuit against the insurance provider now known as Coventry that alleged that the insurer offered such poor benefits for workers' compensation claims that employees were actually deterred from seeking medical care for their work-related injuries. As part of the settlement reached with the defendant, area health care providers and educators such as the Southern Illinois University School of Law and the Illinois Osteopathic Medical Society have received over $1 million to support ongoing medical education.

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 Posted on September 06, 2013 in Firm News

Each year, millions of people are effected by serious and catastrophic accidents. And even in instances where lives are spared, Illinois auto accident victims and their families can have an incredibly difficult time recovering from physical and emotional injuries. Even though their current medical condition is not stated, two sisters may be relieved to learn that the man accused of causing their near-fatal collision is facing criminal charges.

The two young women were on their way home one night in August, 2012, when they were struck by a vehicle that veered into oncoming traffic. The impact of the head-on collision caused the sisters to be trapped inside the car. They both sustained severe injuries, including traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding and broken bones. The younger of the two sisters is 15 years old, and her 20-year-old sister was on break from college when the incident occurred.

The man who is identified as the defendant in the case was also injured. He is accused of carrying a methadone card and driving illegally because his license was terminated, according to official complaints. Furthermore, the defendant is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and methadone.

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 Posted on August 30, 2013 in Firm News

Cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, tractor-trailers and farm equipment all share the roads and highways throughout rural Illinois. This wide range of vehicle types poses unique risks for accidents. Driving conditions, speed, weather and any driver impairments or distractions also have direct affects on the number and severity of motor vehicle accidents in the state. From single-car accidents to fender benders to deadly multi-car pile-ups, accidents take place everyday.

A new Illinois highway speed limit bill approved by the state legislature has now been approved by the governor. The new law, set to take effect January 2014, will raise the Illinois highway speed limit from its current 65 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour. Since 1995, almost 36 other states have increased their highway speed limits to 70 miles per hour. 

Supporters of the bill say it will help streamline and regular traffic flow on the highways because so many drivers already travel at 70 miles per hour. The state Department of Transportation and state police were against the speed limit increase saying that they believe it could increase the risk for auto accidents. The impact of a car accident depends largely on the speed of the vehicle or vehicles involved.

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 Posted on August 23, 2013 in Articles

Jacksonville, Ill., and the surrounding communities are mourning the loss of a local teenage couple that died in a motorcycle accident late one Wednesday evening in June 2013. The motorcycle driver was 19 and a graduate of Jacksonville High School, while the passenger was 17 and about to begin her senior year at the school.

Reportedly, the driver of an SUV turned left in front on the approaching motorcycle, which struck the passenger side of the motor vehicle. According to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, the driver told police that he did not see the motorcycle and he received a citation for failing to yield while turning left.

Illinois motorcycle accident statistics

Unfortunately, motorcycle crashes with fatalities like the Jacksonville incident happen all too often. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that in 2011, 142 fatal motorcycle accidents occurred in the state, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. The average age of riders who died in those accidents was 42 years old, with almost a third of them under 30. A whopping 86 percent were men or boys and about three-quarters of those who died were not wearing helmets.

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 Posted on August 19, 2013 in Firm News

The problems associated with care for elderly family members are common to a great number of Americans. Concerns about elder abuse are legitimate and scary. Reports of insufficient care of and treatment for medical conditions like bedsores or physical, emotional and sexual abuse are easily found in the media all around the nation.

A report recently released by Families for Better Care gave Illinois an F for its care of elderly residents in nursing homes. The report leveraged 2012 federal data and reviewed complaints, inspection results, deficiencies and staffing levels. Illinois was ranked 51, the lowest of all, for the number of direct care staffing hours provided to residents on a daily basis. The study concluded that only seve states provided more than one hour of skilled nursing care per day to patients. Those states also had larger and more experienced staff.

Illinois placed 44 out of 51 for its number of deficiencies, or violations that resulted in harm or injury to residents, with 25 percent of facilities found to have severe deficiencies. The overall rankings place Illinois fourth out of the six Great Lake states. Grades were given to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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 Posted on August 06, 2013 in Firm News

Farm jobs in Illinois abound during the summer months when crops mature and harvest time nears. Laws allow children as young as 12 to work in fields with parental consent for jobs that are considered non-hazardous, keeping a strict eye on workplace safety. Despite best efforts, farm accidents can still happen and can affect teenage workers.

A recent article highlights a case where 79 teenage farm workers required emergency decontamination after being sprayed by a fungicide from an overhead crop-duster. The teens were hired by Team Corn, based in Princeton, IL, to "detassle" corn, a non-hazardous task that is allowed to be conducted by teenagers. While the children were working, the plane accidentally sprayed the fungicide on the field. 

Emergency personnel treated each worker at the scene and then took them to the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana for follow up care and observation. Some of the teens had skin irritations as a result of the spraying. The article did not specify what fungicide was sprayed or the name of the pilot. The Illinois state Bureau of Environmental Programs together with the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the incident.

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