Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog

In 1998, the Division of Fire Prevention compiled at list regarding firework associated injuries in Illinois. The list was compiled from data at more than 200 area hospitals for a four-week time period surrounding the Fourth of July regarding patients who suffered injuries after a firework accident. That year, there were 172 firework related injuries. The largest number of injuries affected fingers at 23%. Firecrackers accounted the largest amount of injuries at 34 incidents, which was 20%. The leading type of injury were burn injuries, which accounted for nearly half of all the injuries. Some other types of injuries were lacerations, abrasions, fractures, loss of sight, dismemberment, hearing loss, and fatalities, with 6 people dying from their fireworks related injuries. Be safe this Fourth of July and watch a public display of fireworks.

To see more of the compiled data, click here.

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Posted In: Burn Injury , Fire Safety , Injuries to Minors and Children

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In 2007 in Illinois, 125 people received medical care at hospitals for injuries caused by fireworks. Mostly, teenagers and children were injured by fireworks. To blame for the injuries could be novelty fireworks, like snakes and sparklers, which parents often give to children assuming they are safe. However, these fireworks can be equally as dangerous as the fireworks that are illegal in Illinois. Sparklers burn at temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and 23 percent of emergency visits related to fireworks were attributed to innocent sparklers. Aside from the injuries that sparklers can cause, they can also ignite fires. Last year, fireworks caused almost 100 fires across Illinois, which in turn caused injury to five firefighters and resulted in over $1 million in property loss. The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to go to a public display.

To read more about the dangers of fireworks, click here.

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Posted In: Burn Injury , Fire Safety

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A fire on Chicago’s South Side resulted in two serious personal injuries. The potentially deadly fire occurred early Friday morning in the 1800 block of South Troy Street. By the time the Chicago Fire Department had arrived, the fire was at full force and an 88-year old woman had already escaped and collapsed outside the building, where firefighters found her in stable condition. Firefighters also rescued another victim, a 50-year old man, who was stranded on the second floor of the building. The two residents were taken to St. Anthony Hospital, where the second resident remains in critical condition. In addition to the two serious injuries, an undetermined number of other residents were displaced due to the fire. Officicals from the Fire Department have not commented on the cause of the fire and no personal injury law suits have been filed relating to the matter.

To read the full article, click here.

Continue reading "Chicago Fire Injures Two, One Critically " »

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Posted In: Fire Safety

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Wednesday morning 2 Illinois Department of Transportation workers died while painting a bridge in Elgin. The workers’ truck came into contact with a power-line and by the time firefighters arrived on the scene the truck was encased in flames. Both men were so severely burned that they were pronounced dead on the scene. It is as of yet unknown what caused the truck to hit the power-line, but human error or product liability are some potential issues. Later that same day, one IDOT worked died and another was injured in a car accident on one of Chicago, Illinois’ highways. It is not clear yet whether any workers' compensation claims, personal injury lawsuits, or wrongful death lawsuits will be filed in connection with the two construction accidents.

Read more here.

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Burn Injury , Construction Injury , Electrical Safety , Fire Safety , Products liability , Workers' Compensation , Wrongful Death

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For the second time in three days, paramedics and firefighters rushed to the Bloomer’s Chocolate factory near the Loop to put out a small fire. While the fire did not cause any injuries, officials were concerned that it might be related to a chemical reaction that led to the death of a worker on Sunday after he inhaled hazardous toxins. The fumes were emitted after an unknown chemical mixed with a vat of chocolate, creating a deadly combination. It is unknown whether the two incidents were related at this point. Two investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were inspecting the Blommer’s factory Monday to make sure no further injuries occurred. In addition, an investigator from the Chicago Department of Public Health was sent to the factory to insure that the chocolate was safe. So far, no wrongful death lawsuits have been fired and there has not been a personal injury suit related to either incident.

To view entire article, click here

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Posted In: Fire Safety

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A streetscape of New York, the King Kong attraction, the courthouse square from such movies as “Back to the Future” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a set used in “Spider-Man 2” and “Transformers,” and a archive vault were all engulfed in flames early Sunday at the Universal Studios back lot. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Chief, the flames and resulting massive damage were caused by workers using a blowtorch to apply shingles to the roof of a movie set building façade. However, the problem may have been complicated by low water pressure possibly increasing the time it took fire fighters to put out the blaze; although the studio’s water systems were up to current code, the fire fighters still had to use ponds and lakes at Universal Studios. The fire continued for many hours, over twelve, but did not spread past the back lot where it began. Luckily, no one was severely injured in the fire, the 40,000 to 50,000 videos from the vault that were destroyed in the fire had been duplicated, and none of the pricey and in demand soundstages were harmed. However, a number of firefighters and one sheriff's deputy did incur some injuries from the fire. The theme park portion of the Universal Studios lot was able to reopen Monday and tourists applauded the firefighters still present as they passed by the burnt streetscapes. There is no word yet whether any personal injury lawsuits will be filed in relation to this immense fire.

Read more here.

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Posted In: Fire Safety

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Four people were rushed to area hospitals and treated for injuries Wednesday after a fire erupted on the rooftop of 45-story Loop office tower at 500 W. Monroe in Chicago, Illinois. Faulty electrical wiring caused the loop high-rise fire that prompted hundreds of workers to evacuate the downtown office building, leaving at least four injured.

For the entire article, click here

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Posted In: Electrical Safety , Fire Safety

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The 22 victims of the Cook County office building fire from 2003 have settled their personal injury lawsuit against the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the building’s management. The $100 million dollar settlement for this personal injury lawsuit will compensate the victims who were injured when the high rise building fire broke out; most were caught in the stairwells and suffered from the smoke.

See the news story here.

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Posted In: Burn Injury , Fire Safety , Illinois statues and Chicago Municipal Codes , Smoke Detectors , Wrongful Death

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The tragic Cook County office building fire is set to begin in Chicago on April 22 after some delay. The office building fire resulted in the death of six people and injuries to more than two dozen others in 2003 when they were locked in a smoke-filled stairwell. The plaintiffs and victims’ family members hope that a fair settlement can be reached before trial. The trial will involve three wrongful death claims and four personal injury claims. Attorneys for the victims plan to show how rescuers disregarded victims trapped in the stairwells.

For more, please click here.

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Posted In: Building safety , Fire Safety , Land Owner liability , Wrongful Death

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A 12-hour-old baby recently sustained severe burn injuries to his face resulting either from the use of a defective product or medical malpractice. An oxygen hood the baby was wearing on his face caught fire and the infant is in critical condition, in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. It is too soon to tell if the parents will file a personal injury lawsuit claiming product liability or whether the accident occurred due to human error, implying medical malpractice. Hospital fires occur from 50 to 100 times a year during surgeries in the United States, often causing serious burn injuries and are sometimes fatal.

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Posted In: Burn Injury , Fire Safety , Injuries to Minors and Children , Products liability

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Levin and Perconti has been honored in Chicago Magazine's 2008 Illinois Super Lawyers Edition. Both John Perconti and Steve Levin were named Super Lawyers as Plaintiff's Personal Injury Lawyers. The pair have been honored for the last four years as two of Chicago's best Injury Lawyers.

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Posted In: Birth Injury , Current Issues , Fire Safety , Levin & Perconti in the Community

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At a news conference this morning, the lawfirm of Levin & Perconti announced that a Cook County judge has accepted a $6 million settlement figure in the Rogers Park fire that was one of the deadliest fires in recent Chicago history. Yadira Ramirez spoke on behalf of her family and the emotional struggles that they have been going through since she lost five siblings in a single blaze. In tears, Ms. Ramirez explained, “Every time we see a family, we remember everything.”

The fire also took the life of a sixth child, the only daughter of Maria Ramos. The wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the low-income building claimed that the building had faulty smoke detectors that did not sound when the fire started. The source of the fire is believed to have been a candle. The Ramirez family could not afford to pay their electric bill and was using candles to light their apartment at night.

Click here for the full article.

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Posted In: Building safety , Burn Injury , Fire Safety , Injuries to Minors and Children , Smoke Detectors , Wrongful Death

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A $6 million settlement was announced today by John J. Perconti and Patricia M. Gifford of Chicago personal injury firm Levin & Perconti for the deaths of six children and for the injuries of two children on September 3, 2006 in a Rogers Park apartment fire. The settlement was approved by Judge Elizabeth Budzinski today in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Ramirez and Ramos families. Augusta & Amado Ramirez lost five children in the fire, Kevin, Idaly, Sucette, Erik and Vanessa Ramirez and two other children, William and Natali Ramirez suffered severe burn injuries. A settlement was also reached on behalf of the Ramos family for the death of their daughter, Scarlet Ramos.

On September 3, 2006, a fire broke out at 7706 North Marshfield in Rogers Park claiming the lives of six innocent children and severely injuring two others. Five of the Ramirez children and the Ramos’ only daughter perished in this fire.

A personal injury lawsuit and a wrongful death lawsuit were filed on September 21, 2006 on behalf of the Ramirez and Ramos families against Marshway Limited Partnership, Marshway, L.L.C., and CIG Management L.L.C.

Continue reading "Settlement of $6 million announced in tragic fire that claimed the lives of six Chicago children" »

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Posted In: Building safety , Electrical Safety , Fire Safety , Illinois statues and Chicago Municipal Codes , Injuries to Minors and Children , Levin & Perconti in the Community , Smoke Detectors , Wrongful Death

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A press conference has been scheduled to formally announce the settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed after a Rogers Park fire killed six children ranging from three to fourteen years of age. The fire broke out in one of the several low-income buildings owned by Cornerstone Residential, LLC. The building did not have working smoke detectors.

The conference is scheduled for 10:30 am on November 13, 2007, at Levin & Perconti, the law firm that represented the victim’s families.

Click here for the full article.

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Posted In: Building safety , Burn Injury , Electrical Safety , Fire Safety , Illinois statues and Chicago Municipal Codes , Injuries to Minors and Children , Smoke Detectors , Wrongful Death

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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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American Airlines in Chicago, Illinois has been fined over $200,000 for safety violations at O’Hare Airport. The violations run from concerns over machine guards, electrical safety, trip and fall hazards, blocked exits, and improper storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders. The hazards all pose serious risks of personal injury and workplace injury to employees of American Airlines, as well as other employees and patrons of the airport.

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Posted In: Electrical Safety , Fire Safety

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The Illinois 1st District Appellate Court vacated a direct verdict for GM and remanded the matter for trial, finding that the plaintiff did present enough evidence of a design defect to warrant product liability. In 1999, the plaintiff sustained a severe burn injury after the rear seat of his van exploded into flames after trying to start the van for 10 minutes. At trial in the Cook County Circuit Court, the plaintiff alleged that the design defect rendered the van a fire hazard, but the jury found in favor of GM. The appeals court, however, ruled that GM should have tested the van in order to detect the defect and prevent automobile accidents, and the fact that the victim repeatedly tried to start the van was an act an ordinary consumer would perform without “expect[ing] the interior of the van to ignite.” The plaintiff’s expert presented sufficient evidence to support that specific industry standards of care were not met for the particular defects he identified.

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Burn Injury , Fire Safety , Machinery , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Products liability

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