Recent Blog Posts
Illinois Law Ambiguous for Workers’ Compensation Question
The 7th Circuit U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals certified a question to the Illinois Supreme Court last month to determine whether a workers’ compensation settlement is exempt in a bankruptcy hearing. In the case Re Elena Hernandez, the panel of judges on the federal circuit court certified the question for the state supreme court… Read More »
Illinois Woman’s Estate Awarded $4.8 Million in Medical Malpractice Case
A jury last month awarded an Illinois woman’s estate $4.8 million in a medical malpractice case against a physician and medical provider. According to the case, Dr. Muthiah Thangavelu and Danville Polyclinic caused avoidable injury to one of their patients, Linda Shelly. The lawsuit alleged that during a procedure to remove an abdominal cyst,… Read More »
Pedestrian Killed by Metra UP-NW Train
A Metra Union Pacific Northwest train struck and killed a pedestrian recently on the Northwest Side. Kassie Heffernan, 35, was hit by outbound train No. 618 around 7:30 a.m. near the Edison Park station at 6730 N. Olmsted Ave. according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and Metra Office. The Chicago Fire Department… Read More »
Fatal Car Accidents Reported Due to Slick Roads
Freak weather in mid-April dropped over five inches of snow in downtown Chicago last weekend and caused a number of traffic accidents on the roads around the city. Major delays, serious injuries, and even fatalities occurred as a result of the slick roadways in Illinois and Indiana. According to reports, multiple crashes were reported… Read More »
Semi-Truck Causes Chain Reaction Accident on Interstate
Five people were critically injured over the weekend after a tractor trailer crashed into vehicles stopped on the roadway, causing a chain reaction accident on Interstate 94. The accident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on Easter Sunday in the eastbound lanes of the interstate near Northbrook. Four cars including a black KIA Sportage, gray Honda… Read More »
Cyclist’s Family Award Millions in Fatal Bikeshare Accident
A lawsuit in the death of a 25-year-old cyclist has finally ended with millions in damages being awarded to the victim’s family. Virginia “Ginny” Murray, 25, of Wicker Park was struck and killed by a flatbed truck in July 2016 while riding a Divvy bicycle in the Avondale neighborhood. She was taken to the… Read More »
Passenger Killed in Uber Accident
A passenger was killed in an accident in an Uber vehicle while coming home from her birthday celebration this weekend. The crash occurred around 3:20 a.m. on Sunday on Interstate 55 near the Damen exit. An Uber vehicle was traveling southbound on the interstate with three passengers when a speeding car plowed into the… Read More »
The Basics of Illinois Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides medical and wage benefits to employees injured on the job in the scope of their employment in exchange for relinquishing the right to sue their employer for damages. The vast majority of employees in the state of Illinois are covered by workers’ compensation coverage, so it is critical… Read More »
Electric Scooters Coming to Chicago – What You Need to Know About Accident Liability
With three weeks left in his term, the mayor of Chicago has announced a pilot program for dockless, motorized scooters on the west side of the city. The purpose of the program is to test the viability of the motorized scooter as a means of transportation around Chicago, with companies like Uber, Lyft, Lime,… Read More »
Court Rules Doctor’s Credentialing File Protected in Medical Malpractice Case
The Illinois appellate court ruled in a recent case that a Chicago hospital is not required to produce a doctor’s credentialing file as part of an ongoing medical malpractice case, finding that the documents are considered privileged under state law. This ruling overturned the trial court’s order for the hospital to turn over the… Read More »
Illinois State Trooper Killed in Wrong Way Crash
Illinois State Trooper Gerald Ellis was killed early Saturday morning on March 30 by a wrong way driver on the interstate. The crash occurred on the westbound lanes of I-94, just east of the IL-176 exit in Green Oaks. The driver of the vehicle traveling eastbound on the westbound lanes was identified as Dan… Read More »
Learned Intermediary Doctrine Protects Pharmacy from Medical Malpractice
The First Appellate District Court held last month in a medical malpractice case that the learned intermediary doctrine protects a pharmacy from liability and that the pharmacy has no duty to warn customers of prescription drug side effects that may occur in anyone who takes the drug. According to the facts of the case,… Read More »
No Additional Benefits Allowed for Illinois Worker
Last month, an appellate court denied additional workers’ compensation benefits to an injured beverage distributor because he did not seek job rehabilitation services in light of his diminished abilities stemming from a back injury caused by a degenerative condition. In Euclid Beverage v. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission et al., John Bohentin had been… Read More »
Two-Year-Old Killed in Car Accident on Far South Side
A two-year-old girl was killed in a car accident in the Far South Side neighborhood of Roseland when she was ejected from a vehicle that was trying to escape Chicago police. A 21-year-old man was taken into custody who was driving the car, a 1999 black Chrysler. The accident took place around 8:45 p.m…. Read More »
Man Charged with DUI in Fatal Accident
A Chicago man was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and reckless homicide after causing a car accident that killed a woman earlier this month in Oak Park. Kendall Harrison, 25, from Humboldt Park, was driving an SUV on March 10 around 10:30 p.m. when he ran the red light at the intersection… Read More »
Slip and Fall Injuries Prevalent at Emergency Rooms Around Chicago
Many Chicagoans are learning the dangers of hidden ice and suffering injuries as a result. Hospitals and emergency rooms around the city are reporting a prevalence of slip and fall injuries even as the weather begins to turn warmer. Dr. Harris, a Northshore University doctor, stated that he had never seen so many wrist… Read More »
Resident Sues Oak Brook Healthcare Center for Medical Malpractice
A woman is suing a long-term healthcare facility in Oak Brook for medical malpractice after suffering injuries while in the facility’s care. Donna Keller has filed a lawsuit against Oak Brook Care, alleging that the facility’s neglect led to her injuries. According to the lawsuit, Keller was a resident of the healthcare center in… Read More »
Several People Injured in Multi-vehicle Accident
Several people were injured and a man was arrested after a multi-vehicle car accident in the West Englewood neighborhood late last month. On January 20th, a 28 year old man crashed his vehicle into several cars at the intersection of 63rd and Ashland around 7:00 p.m. The police reported that at least two people… Read More »
Premises Liability in Slip and Fall Cases
Slip and fall cases happen often in Chicago during the winter months, and the injuries caused by these accidents can be serious and require extensive rehabilitation for the victims. Slip and fall accidents fall under the umbrella of premises liability, which is codified in Illinois as the Illinois Premises Liability Act. As the victim… Read More »
Four People Injured in Rollover Accident
Four people were injured in a car accident early Saturday morning when a vehicle crashed into and rolled during the accident. The accident occurred in the South Side Englewood neighborhood around 2:10 a.m. at the intersection of 69th Street and the 6900 block of South Halsted. A car was being chased down South Halsted… Read More »
