Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

The greatest enduring threat to the residents of East Palestine is contaminated groundwater. Fast remediation — and not empty political assurances — can solve the problem. 
The director of Ohio’s Department of Health sought to assure East Palestine residents of their safety by remarking that the cancer-causing solvents from the derailment now in the town are no cause for concern, because these chemicals are already “a part of our everyday life.”
What a terribly callous, ignorant, thing for a health official to say. Just because there were some carcinogens in East Palestine before the train derailment does not excuse Norfolk
Continue Reading Contaminated Groundwater is the Greatest Potential Threat in East Palestine, Ohio

Hair relaxers are the latest beauty products to come under fire because of their link to potentially dangerous health effects. New scientific evidence has emerged that suggests that the long-term use of hair relaxers is linked to increased rates of uterine cancer. More specifically, a groundbreaking new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shown that women who use chemical hair straightening or relaxing products regularly are at a higher risk for developing uterine cancer than those who do not use these products. This study along with an earlier NIH study linking hair relaxer use to ovarian cancer
Continue Reading Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Attorneys in Illinois

Gardasil, the leading vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) first introduced by Merck & Co. in 2006, has recently come under fire as a growing number of lawsuits are filed against Merck. The lawsuits name numerous medical diagnoses allegedly following vaccination with Gardasil and claim Merck fraudulent concealed the potential health risks linked to the vaccine. Specifically, the Gardasil lawsuits have been filed against Merck for issues such as failure to warn, negligence, and manufacturing defects.

Gardasil was introduced after a six-month fast-track, a process determined by FDA approval for drugs that it determines “fulfill an unmet medical need.” This is
Continue Reading Gardasil Lawsuits Link Vaccine to Health Risks

If you spend any time on the websites of the leading defense contractors with the U.S. Department of Defense – Lockheed Martin[1], Boeing[2], Raytheon Technologies[3], General Dynamics[4], Northrop Grumman[5] – you will notice a common theme. Each of the above corporations, and many others receiving contracts from the military budget, have a page outlining their commitment to green initiatives and sustainable environmental practices.
So, a new rule proposed by the Biden administration, the Federal Supplier Risks and Resilience Rule, that would compel defense contractors to disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
Continue Reading Biden Administration’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule a Necessary Step in Tackling Climate Crisis

Just in case you were under the impression that dark chocolate is a healthy treat that you can enjoy every day, new research has come out that challenges that idea.
The Hidden Health Dangers of Dark Chocolate
Until now, dark chocolate has been touted as a healthier alternative to milk chocolate because of its lower sugar content and abundance of antioxidants linked to improved heart health. Unfortunately, a newly released study by Consumer Reports has uncovered a hidden health danger in dark chocolate that may outweigh the benefits. Consumer Reports (CR) studied 28 dark chocolate bars–including popular brands such as
Continue Reading Are There Heavy Metals in Dark Chocolate? Yes, According to New Study

I’ve been an environmental lawyer for more than 20 years, working for communities whose homes, air, and water have been polluted by industry’s careless disposal of dangerous chemicals.  I’ve seen government respond aggressively to protect its citizens under these circumstances, but more often not so aggressively.  I’ve even seen government pretend that the contamination is not as bad as it really is to justify not doing anything about it.
But I’ve never seen a state government so matter-of-factly abandon its citizens in need of protection as the State of Kansas did to the residents of more than 1,000 homes in
Continue Reading “You’re On Your Own”, Says Kansas to Residents of a Contaminated, Historically Black Wichita Neighborhood

The FDA recently issued a safety communication warning about a link between breast implants and certain cancers that can develop in the scar tissue around implants.
This new agency warning does not include Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma which has previously been linked to certain Allergan textured breast implants. Those textured implants were recalled after being linked to 600 illnesses and 33 deaths.
Now the FDA is warning women about squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lymphomas that are linked to all types of implants, regardless of whether they are saline or silicone filled, smooth or textured. These cancers
Continue Reading FDA Warns of New Cancer Risk from Breast Implants

We’re inching closer to that time of year when everyone starts making New Year’s resolutions to hit the gym more. If you’re one of those people, you should make an additional resolution to only buy sports bras and athletic shirts that don’t contain BPA, a dangerous hormone disruptor.
 Recent testing by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has discovered that 14 different brand-name companies are selling sports bras and athletic shirts that contain up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA (also known as bisphenol A). The brands affected include:

  • All in Motion (sports bras)

Continue reading ›
The
Continue Reading Is Your Sportswear Toxic? Recent Testing Finds BPA in Athletic Clothing

Baby strollers and other children’s products top the list of  items recalled in September.
Recalled: Cityscape Travel Jogger Strollers 
 Cityscape Travel Jogger strollers (Model TJ75B12A) are being recalled because the parking brake can fail, posing fall and injury hazards to children.
Continue reading ›
The post September Product Recalls appeared first on Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Blog.
Continue Reading September Product Recalls

Chicago has a lead problem that may rival the contamination in Flint, Michigan, according to The Guardian. The publication analyzed years of Chicago tap water tests (conducted for residents between 2016 – 2021) and discovered that 1 in 20 of the tests performed by the city showed lead levels at or above U.S. government limits. Out of 24,000 tests, 1000 had lead levels exceeding the federal standard of 15 ppb in drinking water. More than 30% of the tests had lead levels exceeding the FDA standard of 5 ppb lead for bottled water. This is extremely concerning because lead exposure
Continue Reading Chicago’s Lead Problem: Analysis Reveals Shocking Lead Contamination in the City’s Tap Water

Many of us love our furry friends and would never expect a dog to hurt us. Unfortunately, however, dog attacks do happen, and the resulting injuries can be serious. So, who is liable when a dog bites someone? In many states, owners are only responsible if they have a reason to believe that their dog might hurt someone, for example, if their dog has bitten someone before. In Illinois, however, dog owners are liable if their dog hurts someone, regardless of whether the owner had any forewarning that their dog might be dangerous.

What Does Illinois Law Say About Liability
Continue Reading Understanding Illinois’ Dog Bite Law

We have all been told about the benefits of drinking water out of a reusable bottle. It’s convenient, better for the environment than single-use bottles, and increases your daily water intake. However, if your reusable water bottle is made out of plastic, it may be more damaging to your health than it is beneficial. In a recent study,  chemists at the University of Copenhagen discovered that tap water that gets stored in reusable plastic bottles contains hundreds and sometimes thousands of chemicals; many that are damaging to human health, and many more that have unknown toxicity.

The chemists tested
Continue Reading Are Reusable Plastic Bottles Leaching Hundreds of Chemicals into your Water?

After years of denials by the government, Camp LeJeune veterans and their families–who were exposed to cancer-causing toxins on the military base–may be on the brink of getting their day in court.
In a long-overdue action, the House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 3967, the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (Honoring Our PACT Act), a broad bipartisan bill that addresses the needs of veterans subjected to toxic exposure. The bill is now in the Senate and is expected to pass soon with some possible changes. Importantly for Camp LeJeune veterans, this bill includes the Camp LeJeune Justice
Continue Reading Camp LeJeune Veterans and Families May Finally Get Justice in Court

The product liability attorneys at The Collins Law Firm are investigating claims from the parents of premature infants who were fed Similac or Enfamil baby formula while in the hospital and then developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
What is NEC?
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious intestinal illness–typically affecting premature infants—that can cause permanent damage to a baby’s gastrointestinal system. The word “Necrotizing” refers to cell damage and death. “Entero” means the intestine, and “Colitis” means inflammation of the colon. NEC typically happens after the first 2 weeks of life in premature babies who are fed cow’s milk-based formula instead of
Continue Reading Necrotizing Enterocolitis Linked To Infant Formula

On April 21st, 2022, Best Buy issued a recall of nearly 775,000 Insignia air fryers and air fryer ovens due to multiple consumer reports of the devices catching fire, burning, or melting. The fryers, which have the brand name Insignia on the top or front of the appliance, were sold in the U.S. and Canada between November 2018 and February 2022.
These air fryers pose a potential risk to consumers and may cause severe injury if something goes wrong. If you are currently using an Insignia air fryer, you should stop using it immediately and register here (or call Best
Continue Reading Air Fryers Recalled Due to Fire Risk

As environmental lawyers, one of our passions is fighting for clean drinking water for communities affected by contamination. So, it is disappointing that the EPA, under President Biden, has endorsed a Trump administration decision and decided not to regulate perchlorate in drinking water.

What is Perchlorate?

Perchlorate is a contaminant that can be found in groundwater, surface water, and soil. Most perchlorate manufactured in the U.S. is used for rockets and missiles. Perchlorate-based chemicals are also used in safety flares, fireworks, matches, pyrotechnics, explosives, and batteries. Because perchlorates are used in military applications, some countries prefer to keep the amounts
Continue Reading Should Perchlorate in Drinking Water Be Regulated? Biden’s EPA Says No; Doctors and Environmentalists Say Yes