Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog

The Seante is currently considering legislation that would force OSHA to adopt standards that would regulate workers’ exposure to diacetyl, the commonly-used butter flavoring that has been linked to the onsent of brochiolitis obliterans, or popcorn lung. Currently, there are no federal regulations, and OSHA is only now beginning to investigate the risk of diacetyl exposure to workers at microwave popcorn factories. Recently, ConAgra Foods and Weaver Popcorn discontinued use of the chemical in their microwave popcorn products. However, diacetyl is used in the preparation of many other foods with butter flavoring, and federal regulation is necessary to ensure the safety of other workers in the prepared foods industry.

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Posted In: popcorn lung

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In response to the editorial published by the Chicago Tribune last week, lawyers, advocates, clients and victims of negligence and wrongful death have spoken out. Click here to read the responses to the editorial.

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Posted In: Tort Reform , Wrongful Death

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In late November, 2005, a Greyhound bus headed along the 101 to San Fransisco crashed when it went off the road, slid on to its side, and rammed into a tree. Two more personal injury lawsuits have been filed recently, alleging that the Greyhound company was responsible for the automobile accident that resulted in the wrongful deaths of a 22-year-old pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man. Although California Highway Patrol first believed that the driver of the bus had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving that early morning, the county District Attorney’s Office announced in June of 2006 that it believed that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure. These two lawsuits are the latest in a string of personal injury lawsuits that have been filed against Greyhound and the driver of the Greyhound bus for their roles in causing the automobile accident that injured over 40 people.

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Posted In: Bus Accidents , Wrongful Death

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In response to a recent editorial that appeared in the Chicago Tribune, consumers, advocates and those wronged by the conduct of others have spoken out. Last week, the Tribune published an article bashing trial lawyers. It is no surprise that the bashing came from a special interest group that protects insurance companies and big business.

The agenda of this group is not to protect consumers but to limit access to justice by citizens in Illinois who have been wronged by defective products, medical malpractice and catastrophic accidents. In reality, the civil justice system is the only way that injured people and families who have lost loved ones can hold wrongdoers accountable for negligence.

Consider the outraged response from a woman whose sister was killed in a workplace accident, leaving a child without a mother. Or the response of a consumer group dedicated to protecting citizens from the negligence of product manufacturers, big business and greedy insurance companies. Clearly, many of the citizens of Illinois realize that trial lawyers and personal injury lawsuits are often the last line of defense for those wrongfully injured or killed and their families.

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Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Products liability , Tort Reform , Wrongful Death

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Today a panel of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised that over the counter medications for coughs and cold should not be taken by children younger than 6. The panel also recommended that more research be conducted about the risks of the medication for children aged 2 to 12. The medication may be dangerous for children if taken by those younger than 6 and serious injury could result. If your child has been injured from taking this medication, contact a lawyer.

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Posted In: Injuries to Minors and Children , pharmaceuticals

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After the horrific Interstate 35W bridge collapse this summer, families affected by the tragedy are learning the compensation allocated to victims may not be enough. Take, for example, Paula Coulter, whose family was injured as their care tumbled onto the bridge collapse. Paula’s days consist of physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and recreational therapy due to brain damage sustained during the bridge collapse. For this family, with medical bills already toppling $380,000, the $300,000 cap allocated to each individual involved in the crash will not be enough.

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Posted In: Federal Tort Claims Act , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Products liability , Wrongful Death

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Patients of shoulder surgery almost always experience excruciating pain afterward. A common solution to post-surgical pain is the insertion of a pain pump that releases painkillers at the site of the surgery for a few days afterward. Patients complain that oral treatment doesn't accommodate properly for the pain. However, pain pumps have been linked to the development of postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis (PAGCL), a condition causing lifetime pain and permanent effects on shoulder mobility. There is currently no adequate treatment for PAGCL and doctors are not familiar with it as it is a newly arising condition. Symptoms of PAGCL may not develop for months after surgery, sometimes over a year. If you have had shoulder surgery and are noticing unusual symptoms, it is important to contact a doctor. The manufacturer is facing product liability lawsuits, and others claiming that patients were not properly warned about the risks involved with the implants.

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Posted In: Products liability , pharmaceuticals

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In the mid-1990s, numerous studies showed that microchips, currently being implanted in humans, caused malignant tumors in lab rats and mice. Doctors can scan the chips to gain immediate access to patients' medical histories. The FDA approved the microchip and maintains that it was never presented with the veterinary studies. When brought to the attention of America's leading cancer specialists, they showed alarm and many stated that they would not allow a loved one to receive a chip implant. 2000 of the chips have been implanted in humans worldwide. Studies performed in varying states and countries, including France and Germany, have returned similar results, calling them surprising or alarming. Most specialists say that while adverse reactions in animals may certainly not have a connection with human reactions, more studies are needed and the findings of past studies should be disclosed to patients considering the chip implant. This practice is currently not implemented. The FDA and manufacturer stand beside the decision to okay the chip and maintain its current usage. Because the implants are relatively new, no claims of product liability have been made.

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Posted In: Products liability

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Five workers were recently killed at a hydroelectric plant when a fire erupted. The men died of smoke inhalation. The contractor, RPI Coating, had been fined 90 times since 1988, with fines totaling $135,569. The company had also been fined numerous times, for hundreds of thousands of dollars, for violating hazardous waste rules. The plant is owned by Xcel Energy, and some people have been questioning the company's decision to hire RPI despite the numerous fines and citations relating to safety. The men that died in the fire range from 18-years-old to 52-years-old. Numerous other workers were injured in the fire. No personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits have been filed as of yet.

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Posted In: Burn Injury , Construction Injury , Electrical Safety , Fire Safety , Wrongful Death

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An $8,400,000 verdict was recently awarded in a personal injury lawsuit to a 21-year-old woman who was in a car accident and sustained severe and permanent brain injury. The woman claimed that she was a victim of auto repair negligence, resulting in the motor vehicle accident. She had her car repaired twice by the defendant auto repair facility for stalling, but her car stalled on the freeway four months after the final repair. The woman was rear ended and suffered severe brain injury. She will no longer be able to work or attend school.

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Brain Injury , Motor Vehicle Accidents

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