As the temperatures dip, the chances of a slip-and-fall incident increase.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, more than 1 million people visit emergency rooms due to a slip and fall. If you fall on someone else’s property and get injured, you may wonder what options you have.
1. What should I do after a fall?
Seeking medical should also top the list after an incident. Even though you may think you are fine, some injuries take time to show up. Next, document as much as you can. As some from Illinois, you know that the weather could change…
Continue Reading 3 FAQs about winter slips and falls

When you go into the hospital for an operation of any kind, you expect that the physicians and surgical staff overseeing your care will follow all protocols to encourage an expected outcome. But this is not always the case, and you could become the victim of a surgical error that renders you unable to return to your normal life.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, errors occur in 1 out of every 112,000 surgical procedures. To reduce your chances of a surgical error happening, there are certain steps you can take as a patient.
Talk to your…
Continue Reading How can patients help prevent surgical errors?

You probably already understand that texting and driving or using a cellphone while driving are dangerous activities. But like most people, you may not be as aware of the dangers of drowsy driving.
According to The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, in 2017, drowsy driving was a factor in 91,000 motor vehicle collisions. When you drive drowsy, it is harder to pay attention to the road in front of you, maintain appropriate reaction times and make good decisions behind the wheel.
Risk factors
Some people are more at risk of drowsy driving than others. For example, commercial drivers, shift workers…
Continue Reading What makes drowsy driving so dangerous?

In the Midwest, fall can also bring snow and ice, so you can never start preparing for winter weather too soon once summer ends. The best prevention for slip and falls is to choose the right footwear.
There are a few characteristics you want to pay attention to when choosing what you wear on your feet to avoid potentially disastrous falls.
Fit
When choosing footwear, you need to make sure they will fit when wearing thicker socks. While you might buy them in warmer weather when you are wearing light socks, you need to think ahead. If your shoes are…
Continue Reading What footwear is best to avoid winter slip and falls?

Injuries sustained during the crash of an overloaded big rig and a passenger car can be severe, and the victim may require treatment for a lifetime.
Medical expenses would escalate over time, and the victim would need help to pay those expenses. In such a situation, how do you determine liability for the injuries?
Overloading issues
There are many reasons for truck-car crashes, but one the driver of a passenger vehicle would not see coming is a big rig with overloaded cargo. Too much cargo that is not properly loaded will result in a truck that is off balance, which…
Continue Reading An overloaded truck, your injury and determining liability

When you are struggling in the time after your surgery because of an error that happened during the procedure, you may wonder what lead up to this problem.
Distracted doctors can make serious mistakes. The sources of these distractions often come from staff inside the room or the tools the doctors are using.
Having off-topic conversations
According to the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, some medical assistants may begin to bring up unrelated topics while in the middle of surgery. The room may even have music or sounds from cell phones that take the head surgeon’s attention away…
Continue Reading How can distractions during surgery lead to malpractice?

Nursing home abuse is a widespread problem in the U.S. that may go unnoticed until it becomes too severe to ignore. Patients may suffer from neglect and violence for months or even years before the discovery of the abuse.
Facilities often refuse to report incidents of abuse as well. Physical signs of abuse and neglect include sores, bruises, cuts, malnourishment, dehydration and dirty bed linens. However, these signs are not always due to abuse, making true cases of it hard to identify, and abuse does not always leave visible markers.
Emotional abuse is also nursing home abuse
Emotional mistreatment may…
Continue Reading Physical signs are not the only indicators of nursing home abuse

Gone are the days when American drivers preferred smaller vehicles. In fact, according to Car and Driver, eight of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. are pickups, SUVs or crossovers. The top three are full-size trucks.
Even though large vehicles tend to have roomier interiors and perform well in all weather conditions, they may be more dangerous than you think. Specifically, the tall frontends on these vehicles make them prone to front-over accidents.
What are front-over accidents?
In the 1990s and early 2000s, many parents believed the biggest risk to children came from backover accidents. Because all new…
Continue Reading Are pickups and SUVs becoming too tall to be safe?

When you first approach a dog, the owner may tell you that this dog is playful and relaxed.
However, there are many signs that a dog is actually tense or unhappy that many people may miss. Understanding why dogs harm people and why aggression is hard to spot at times can help you if you get hurt or bit.
Approaching first
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a dog may not jump and bark like usual if it is becoming more upset. Instead, it could stand still and stare at you without attempting to…
Continue Reading How often do dogs show aggression toward humans?

Slipping and falling is no laughing matter. A person of any age can suffer a painful and serious injury, but a fall can be particularly dangerous for seniors or people with disabilities. If you experience a fall, you should know the different ways to alert someone that you are in distress.
It will probably not be a problem to call for help if you are young, have no disability or did not suffer a major head injury. If your situation does not let you shout for aid, Sfgate describes other ways to signal your predicament.
Use your phone
The wide…
Continue Reading How can you summon aid after a fall?

A hit-and-run incident can be difficult to deal with. In many cases, you have no idea who the culprit was. Luckily, technology has made it harder for hit-and-run drivers to hide, so you may be able to get justice.
The Illinois General Assembly outlines what you need to do after a hit and run. It also explains the penalties for a driver who commits this type of criminal violation.
Mandatory reporting
Hit-and-run drivers must stop and leave their information or make a police report, but most will not. In these situations, you should contact the police. You will need a…
Continue Reading Is justice possible after a hit and run?

Although most hospital emergency rooms in Illinois can be chaotic, patients can usually rely on them confidently to administer appropriate and urgent care. Unfortunately, a trip to an emergency room can worsen a patient’s condition if staff members fail to follow proper protocols.
These are emergency room circumstances that may justify medical malpractice claims.
Diagnostic errors
An emergency room physician who misdiagnoses or overlooks a severe medical condition can significantly impact a patient’s prognosis. An acute illness could lead to chronic health problems or life-threatening consequences without timely or adequate treatment.
Premature discharge
Emergency room physicians must observe patients sufficiently…
Continue Reading How can an emergency room visit lead to medical malpractice?

Dogs attacking the mail carrier is an often joked about cliche, but it is also something that actually happens. In the city of Chicago, IL, it is something that happens a lot.
A recent poll ranks the city eighth on its list of American cities with the most dog attacks on mail carriers.
The rankings
The poll includes dog bite statistics from 2021. Chicago earned its spot thanks to the 35 dogs that attacked mail carriers during that year. Illinois has the seventh most dog bites in the country with 226 in 2021 and 289 in 2020. The United States…
Continue Reading Chicago is eighth-worst city for dog attacks on mail carriers