North Chicago & St. Louis Injury Updates

What Do Drowsy Driving and Drunk Driving Have in Common?

Published on: October 7, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Legal Articles | October 7, 2016

Drowsy driving is a problem that affects most people at some point during their lives. Driving while sleep-deprived can be as dangerous as drunk driving.

As fall transitions into winter and the holidays are approaching, a great deal of attention is being placed on the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. Many drivers in Illinois and elsewhere might get behind the wheel after celebrating a little too much at a holiday party, or they could take out their cellphone to make a quick text to let relatives know when they will be over for Thanksgiving dinner. The most visible safety issues, however, do not make another common hazard any less dangerous.

Team Medical Staff Might See Improved Insurance Coverage

Published on: October 6, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Medical malpractice | October 6, 2016

College sports teams travel all around the country for events. The issue with this is that there isn’t any legal clarification that provides protections for team doctors who are traveling with the team. A recent bill passed the United States House of Representatives that would clarify that the medical malpractice insurance team doctors carry would follow them in other states.

The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act would strip away the jurisdictional limitations that many malpractice insurance carriers claim apply when the practitioner is in another state. The bill is backed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Those who support the bill note that the current state of medical malpractice insurance for the team medical staff leaves the staff members at an undue financial and professional risk if there is something that happens while the team is traveling.

Impaired Driving And Marijuana Law Reform

Published on: October 6, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Impaired driving | October 6, 2016

Earlier this year, the Illinois government made two changes to the law that may affect the incidence of drugged driving. First, possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana was changed from a criminal offense to a civil issue. Those possessing smaller quantities of cannabis are now subject to a fine of no more than $200. They no longer face criminal penalties, including jail time. The second change involves the definition of driving under the influence of marijuana. That crime is now defined as driving with 5 or more nanograms of THC in their blood, or 10 or more nanograms of THC in their saliva. The previous law allowed prosecutors to charge a driver with drug impairment if there was any amount of THC in their blood.

Whether these changes are a good idea depends, in part, on the connection between marijuana and other behaviors. When it comes to impaired driving, will deadly car accidents increase because more drivers feel free to use marijuana before getting behind the wheel? What is the connection between THC and unsafe driving? Without a solid understanding of how marijuana affects a person’s ability to drive, laws defining when a driver is “impaired” are simply guesswork.

Youtube Video Shows Crash Involving Semi and 6 Other Vehicles

Published on: September 30, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Truck Accidents | September 30, 2016

“It appears to be a video of the accident, but it’s going to investigators.” That’s what a captain with the Illinois State Police had to say about a YouTube video that surfaced that apparently shows an accident involving a semitruck and six other vehicles on the Tri-State Tollway in Gurnee.

The video footage is taken from the rear-view of a vehicle that was traveling ahead of a white semitruck. The truck is seen smashing into a row of vehicles backed up near the Grand Avenue exit. Two vehicles are seen going airborne during the crash. Investigators want to get a statement from the person who took the video and are trying to identify that person.

Uber Launches Self-Driving Taxis

Published on: September 14, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Auto Accident | September 14, 2016

Some experts question their safety

Uber has been available in Pittsburg for two years, and this week the company is unveiling driverless taxis to journalists and soon to the public. Some safety experts are concerned about the sophistication, or lack thereof, of the technology and the use of average people to test them.

Your Legal Options for Injuries Caused by Defective Products

Published on: September 13, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Defective Products | September 13, 2016

As American consumers, we typically trust in the designers and manufacturers of the products we purchase. Most of the time, this trust is well-founded. However, sometimes our trust and even our well-being are jeopardized by the use of products that have been found to be defective. When these products cause injury or death, victims often do not know where to turn for the help they so desperately need. They may not understand how the law can help and this is where an attorney first begins to assist the victims in seeking compensation.

Defective product claims can provide victims or their surviving family members with an effective way to acquire compensation for the damages suffered. More importantly, such claims can shine a spotlight on the danger so that others can avoid these injuries. Most claims center on one of three main product defects: design defects, manufacturing defects and lack of adequate warning about the dangers associated with the product.

3 Common Car Accident Injuries

Published on: September 1, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Legal Articles | September 1, 2016

Some of the most serious and common car accident injuries include soft tissue trauma, psychological injuries and damage to the spine or brain.

Car accidents represent an incredibly common cause of injuries in Chicago and other parts of Illinois. Per the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2014, over one-fifth of all car crashes reported in the state led to injuries, and over 82,000 injuries were recorded in total. Sadly, in many cases, the victims of these accidents may be left facing life-changing and debilitating physical or psychological ailments.

“Fair Pay And Safe Workplaces” Order Finalized

Published on: September 1, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Firm News | September 1, 2016

Final regulations and guidance for contractors to protect their workers’ wages, civil rights, safety, and workplace protections were passed last week – just in time for Labor Day. The final touches to the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order by the FAR Council and the U.S. Labor Department, were approved Aug. 25 – over two years after President Obama signed it on July 31, 2014.

The order is intended to stop government contractors with billion-dollar contracts who repeatedly violate the labor rights of their employees and prevent future violations. The companies will not receive future contracts with the government if the offenses continue.

Birth Injuries Due To Botched Delivery

Published on: August 31, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Birth injury | August 31, 2016

A new addition to the family is supposed to be an exhilarating and joyful experience for parents and family. On rare occasions, childbirth can be traumatic: in the United States, an estimated 7 babies born per 1,000 suffer from a birth injury. A birth injury or birth trauma is simply an injury to the infant caused by the birth process. These injuries can be temporary, like bruises or fractures, or permanent, like paralysis.

How Does A Birth Injury Happen?

The High Cost Of Tired Drivers

Published on: August 17, 2016 | by Seidman, Margulis & Fairman, LLP

Car accidents | August 17, 2016

There is little disagreement when it comes to the idea that drunk driving is dangerous. Likewise, few people believe that distracted driving is a safe activity. The general agreement on these topics does not stop people from drinking and driving, or from checking their phones while behind the wheel, but it does, at least, register with people that these behaviors should be avoided. Drowsy driving does not share the same level of agreement and understanding when it comes to the driving public.

The Department of Transportation reported that 3,179 deaths were the result of distracted drivers in 2014. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed drunk driving as the cause of death for just under 10,000 people that same year. Drowsy driving is a problem that fits somewhere in between. According to a recent study, fatigued drivers claim the lives of roughly 5,000 per year.

Seidman, Margulis, & Fairman Blog

Some experts question their safety