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None of the reasons schools, churches, youth groups, or other entities use to explain why they failed to report child sex abuse are good enough. None of them excuse the inaction of the adults we trusted to protect our children in Skokie, Northbrook, and other Chicago-area communities.

These Arguments Don’t Work

The supervisors at an entity may argue that:

They tried to handle it internally. Illinois law is clear about who must report suspected child sex abuse and how to do it.
They were concerned that, if word got out, it could harm their reputation. This is irrelevant. They had a responsibility to your child and a responsibility to report alleged child sex abuse in the state of Illinois.
They didn’t know it was happening. The better question is whether they should have known it was happening. If they should have known that sexual abuse was occurring and decided to look the other way, they should be held accountable.

Any or all of these arguments may be true; yet, a child was still violated in an intimate and inexcusable way.

They Are Just Excuses

Instead, you can send the loud and clear message that these arguments are not good enough. Your child’s mental and physical health—his innocence and childhood—are worth more than these excuses.

If you know a parent whose child has been sexually abused, please share this blog post with him. Let him know that multiple parties may be responsible for what happened and that help is available for children who have been sexually abused.

July 21, 2014, was a deadly afternoon on I-55—two fatal truck accidents occurred within three miles and 16 minutes. The first accident occurred south of Arsenal Road, killing four people. A few minutes later, another accident occurred three miles north of the first one, killing another person.

What Caused These Fatal Accidents?

While the cause of both accidents remains under investigation, initial accident reports drive home the point that truck driver negligence is often the underlying cause of fatal truck accidents—even though the circumstances of the accidents can vary greatly. For example, the trucker involved in the first accident was charged with felony log book violations. It is alleged that he willingly entered false information in a false log book. The trucker reportedly made an abrupt lane change and hit a car that was stopped in traffic. And while the second accident did not immediately result in any criminal charges, one semi-truck rear-ended another semi, killing one of the truckers.

Why Is the Cause Important?

We know that the effect of these accidents is important. We know that people lost their lives unnecessarily and that their families are devastated. However, the cause of these fatal truck crashes is also important. In order for the grieving families to recover, they need to know what caused the crash that killed their loved ones.

If you have questions about the cause of a truck accident that hurt you, or killed your loved one, please start an online chat with us now to find out more about your rights and your possible recovery.

The unthinkable has happened. An adult whom you trusted to care for your child has abused him in an intimate and cruel way. It wasn’t a stranger on the street who hurt your child, but rather a scout leader, a youth group advisor, or a team coach. As much as you’d like to turn back the clock and keep your child out of that adult’s care, you know that you can’t. Instead, your focus has to be on the future.

Your Focus Has to Be on Your Child’s Recovery

As you do everything in your power to help your child through this difficult time, you may have a nagging question in the back of our mind. You may wonder if a person can ever truly recover from childhood sexual abuse.

The American Psychological Association has identified several factors that are relevant to whether a child recovers from sexual abuse. Those factors include:

The age of the child and the type of abuse suffered
The relationship between the child and the abuser
The child’s interpretation of the abuse
Whether the child talks about the abuse to anyone
How quickly the child reports the abuse
The child’s family support, support outside the family, self-esteem, and spirituality
Whether the child gets support through other means such as counseling, support groups, and books

It is important to consider all of the issues described above when deciding how best to help your child.

You are the Most Important Factor in Your Child’s Recovery

As the parent, you are the one who is going to determine whether your child gets the help that he needs to recover from sexual abuse. It may be one of the most important parenting jobs you ever do, but you don’t have to do it alone. Learn how we may be able to help you by watching our free videos and by starting an online chat with us today.

You can’t get the child out of your mind, yet there is nothing else that you can do. You learned about alleged child sex abuse at a church in Oak Lawn, a scout troop in Skokie, or a school in Berwyn, and you made the appropriate calls. You called the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) and you notified the parents of the alleged victim. The responsibility is no longer yours, but you can’t help wondering….

What Will Happen Now?

We can’t tell you what the parents of the child will do. Every family reacts differently to news of suspected sex abuse. However, the state of Illinois has specific procedures that it should follow when a call of suspected sex abuse is made. Specifically:

A trained social worker should answer your call and make a professional determination about what to do next.
A social worker may decide that a formal investigation should occur. This happens in about 25 percent of cases.
A social worker may decide that the child and family can be connected with the right resources to prevent future abuse.

It is the responsibility of the state and of the family to keep the child safe once you make the call.

Do You Know Someone About to Make a Child Sex Abuse Report?

The reporter, and certainly the family of the child, may need support. Please share this blog post with that person and encourage him to watch our free videos to learn more about protecting children from the horrors of sex abuse.

It could have started with a misdiagnosis by your doctor at the Cicero Health Center, an anesthesia error at University of Illinois Hospital, or some other form of medical negligence at any Chicago-area medical facility. The mistake made by your doctor, nurse, or medical facility left you with a serious brain injury that has changed your whole life. The things that were once routine are now difficult, and the future that you once eagerly anticipated is now frightening.

What You Can Do Now

There are some things that you should not have to worry about after a brain injury. However, in order to cross these particular worries off your list, you may need to file a medical malpractice claim. More specifically, a medical malpractice claim can help you:

Get the medical care you need
Pay your bills
Get ready for a new future

If you don’t file a timely claim, however, you may struggle to get the medical care that you need and live the life you want.

You May Only Have One Chance to Get This Right

You may only have once chance to file a medical malpractice claim to recover damages for a brain injury. Thus, it is important that you file the claim in a timely fashion and that you make the right decisions with regard to your claim. To find out more about how to do this, please read our free report, What to Do If You’ve Been Injured by Your Doctors or Hospital, and please contact us directly.

Category: Medical Malpractice

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The Consequences of a Bite

This wasn’t the first time he bit, but this may have been the bite seen around the world. It was during a June 2014 World Cup soccer match that a player for Uruguay, Luis Suarez, allegedly bit an Italian soccer player on the shoulder. Suarez was sanctioned for his actions by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The initial penalty imposed by FIFA was that Suarez could not play soccer for four months. However, that penalty is being appealed and could be changed.

Suarez Is Not a Dog, But Any Kind of Bite Has Consequences

Suarez did not immediately apologize or admit any wrongdoing. However, as a human, he has the ability to understand why his actions are potentially harmful and wrong.

A dog might not understand the consequences of his actions or learn from previous mistakes. However, the effect of a dog bite can be just as significant as a human bite and the consequences for the dog and dog owner may be severe.

In Chicago, the consequences of a dog bite may include:

The dog owner paying for the dog bite victim’s injuries
The City requiring that the dog be kept securely confined on the owner’s property
The City requiring that the dog wear a muzzle when not on the owner’s property
The City requiring that the owner display a “Warning – Dangerous Animal – Keep Away” sign on his property
The City requiring that the dog be euthanized

Other consequences may also be enforced.

Have You Been Injured in a Dog Bite Attack?

Whether a dog bit you while you were taking a walk near your home in Austin, at a neighbor’s house in Lawndale, or elsewhere in Chicago, it is important to understand what should happen next—not only for the dog but also for you.

You may be entitled to damages and to a fair recovery. Please start an online chat with us now to find out more.