Category: Infographics

Winter has blown its icy breath across Illinois and made driving conditions more dangerous. Every year, thousands of automobile accidents can be attributed to bad weather and icy road conditions. These lead to innumerable injuries and dozens of fatalities throughout the winter season in Chicago.

Several states have begun the process of eliminating state administered workers' compensation programs. Oklahoma and Texas have already passed legislation allowing employers to discontinue contributions to state administered plans and instead administer their own in-house alternatives. These programs have come at a time when state legislators are seeking to streamline state budgets, but they are coming at a hefty cost to the workers who depend on these programs for their health and safety.

In the state of Illinois, the law requires drivers to carry auto insurance to help protect themselves and other drivers/ passengers in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, however, an estimated 15 percent of drivers in the state are uninsured. In January of 2012, Illinois increased the penalties for driving without auto insurance and now has some of the stiffest penalties in the nation, but uninsured driving remains a problem.

The Chicago Riverwalk project is ambitious. Still under development more than 12 years after its start, the meandering cityscape delights residents but sometimes challenges contractors. A September 21 construction accident highlights risks and reminds us that workplace safety must always be paramount. A construction barge used to deliver building materials sat in the Chicago River. Something went badly wrong. A construction worker had his legs cut by sheet metal. Construction equipment became rescue equipment as the man, strapped into a basket stretcher, was hoisted from barge through the air to land before being relayed to an ambulance.

August 21, 2015 marks a date that is certain to make history in personal injury cases in the state of Illinois. It is on that day that Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill that advocates claim will help prevent occurrences of abuse and neglect in the state's nursing homes. House Bill 2462, also known as The Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Long Term Care Facilities Act, takes effect on January 1, 2016, and enables residents of nursing homes and their families to install video and audio surveillance equipment in their rooms.