blog | Lane Brown, LLC

We’ve all seen “those” drivers on the road — those that drive too slow in the fast lane, change their speed without cause, or can’t seem to pick a lane to drive in. When we’re running late, most of us don’t like being caught driving behind the slow-moving truck or school bus. But, when feelings of frustration behind the wheel turn to road rage, everyone around is put in greater risk of being involved in a serious traffic accident.

Was your Cook County traffic accident the result of road rage? Often described alongside aggressive driving, motorists driving with road rage are often distracted while driving, focusing more on their emotional reaction to other drivers than on safe driving habits. The signs of road rage can often lead to serious auto accidents, or even physical confrontations, between drivers. When aggression takes over, clear, rational, controlled thought can be replaced with revenge, anger, and hostility, all of which can be a breeding grounds for disaster on the road.

Pay Attention to Common Signs of Road Rage

Excessive honking at other drivers.
Swearing or using foul language at other drivers, whether they can hear you or not.
Tailgating other drivers.
Swerving in out of multiple lanes, cutting off other drivers.
Speeding up to prevent other drivers from passing or merging.
Stealing other drivers’ parking spots in lots while they wait.
Assaulting other drivers, whether physically or using a vehicle as a weapon.

There can be a wide variety of reasons why a driver would be enraged while behind the wheel. But, no matter the cause, drivers have a responsibility to make safe choices while driving, so as not to endanger themselves or others on the road. When they fail to do so, they may be found negligent for their actions if they cause an accident.

As motorists, we can make every attempt to follow safe driving practices, but ultimately, we have no control over other drivers on the road. If you were seriously injured in a Chicago area car accident, and believe that driver road rage may have been a contributing factor to the crash, having an experienced traffic accident attorney on your side can help you assert your legal rights. Call Lane Brown, LLC at 312-332-1400 today to schedule a no-cost appointment with an attorney to discuss your claim.

4The Nursing Home Reform Act was passed in 1987 in an effort to reduce nursing home negligence and to ensure a standard of quality care for residents depending on the long-term care provided by medical professionals. And today, despite the laws and regulations that have been put in place over the 25 years, nursing home negligence is still prevalent. Patients are injured, go unfed, and are neglected, often left helpless to respond to the poor care being provided to them. However, because The Residents’ Bill of Rights exists, guilty parties can be held accountable for deliberate neglect and denial of patient rights.

If you believe your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect in Illinois, an experienced attorney can help you better understand these patient rights, and who might be liable if your loved one was injured.

The Residents’ Bill of Rights

The right to freedom from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment.
The right to freedom from physical restraints.
Right to privacy.
The right to have accommodations for medical, physical, psychological, and social needs.
The right to participate in resident and family groups.
The right to be treated with dignity.
The right to exercise self-determination.
The right to communicate freely (with family, friends, other residents, and staff).
The Right to participate in the review or one’s care plan, and to be fully informed in advance about any changes in care, treatment, or change of status in the facility.
The Right to voice grievances without fear of discrimination or reprisal.

Our experienced, personal injury attorneys at Lane Brown have a successful history of fighting for the rights of victims of serious injury or wrongful death accidents. We may be able to help you receive the compensation you are entitled to after a nursing home neglect incident. Call 312-332-1400 today to schedule your free case evaluation.

Birth injuries in Chicago happen frequently, with several potential causes and results that can have lifelong effects on mothers and babies. Some of these injuries are unnecessary and can be avoided through proper medical care and preventative steps. One such health condition that is growing more prevalent is autism spectrum disorder.

Recent findings from a study conducted by the Duke University Medical Center have suggested a possible link between birth induction procedures and autism diagnoses during childhood. Although researchers concluded the study with a disclaimer that the findings were not yet sufficient to recommend any permanent changes in obstetricians’ current practices, the results have opened up many questions surrounding the safety of birth induction procedures and any potential links to childhood autism.

The study published in JAMA Pediatrics examined both birth induction and augmentation procedures; it analyzed over 625,000 live births and their subsequent school records once the children had reached school age. The results showed that 5,500 children were later diagnosed within the Autism Disorder Spectrum. This indicated that mothers who had one of the two types of assisted labors were more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism.

The study’s researchers also took notice to other, previously known, external factors that could impact a child’s risk for autism. These include:

Health of the mother
Socioeconomic status
Other pregnancy-related events
Birth year

One other interesting finding from this study showed that autism was more prevalent in male children than in female children.

Currently, 1 in 88 U.S. children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a number that has been on the rise over the last several years. Due to these statistics, understanding the external factors that could contribute to its cause is very important. One potential connection between birth induction procedures and autism spectrum disorder is the exposure to oxytocin, the hormone used to induce between 50-70% of birth-assisted deliveries.

If you have questions concerning your child’s birth injury accident, and had a birth induction procedure, you may have been the victim of medical malpractice. Our skilled Chicago birth injury attorneys at Lane Brown, LLC are here to listen to your case and examine the details, and may be able to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call our personal injury law offices today at 312-332-1400 to arrange a free consultation to discuss your case.

Exciting new technology could be able to provide a “Black Box” in every operating room.

Every time there is a private or commercial airplane crash, investigators retrieve the flight data recorder, known as a “Black Box”, to determine what went wrong. The same type of technology has been developed by a Canadian surgeon for use in operating rooms to find out why adverse events happen and what can be done in the future to improve patient safety and enhance surgical outcomes.

“It’s amazing how the aviation industry approaches error analysis and how they’re able to identify the root cause and chain of events that led to a disaster,” says Teodor Grantcharov, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the department of surgery at the University of Toronto and a general surgeon at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. “It’s quite unbelievable that we haven’t yet done this in surgery.”

His black box platform captures video from the surgeon’s imaging equipment and from a camera mounted in the operating room. It also captures audio recordings of surgical team interactions, tracks physiological data from the anesthesia monitor, and records the room’s decibel levels and air temperature.

The software syncs all the inputs, which timestamps every event during surgery, and every event can be looked at from many different perspectives. At a particular point in time during a surgery, for example, the patient’s vital signs can be known, and at the same time, the surgical team’s discussions and actions can actually be seen and heard. Surgical techniques can be known with real precision. The goal is to determine the factors that led to an error, and come up with ways to limit those factors from harming again.

Dr. Grantcharov has collected records and is in the process of capturing data, and hopes to release his findings sometime next year. For now, he offers a sneak peek: “The number of errors and adverse events in the OR that require corrective measures are more than we thought,” he says.

In the future, he believes the black box will be used to analyze adverse events or assess new procedures, technology and techniques. But will surgeons and surgical teams resist technology that watches and records their every move, especially in a litigious society? Dr. Grantcharov appreciates those concerns, but believes putting black boxes in ORs serves a greater purpose.

“If it’s done well and used constructively, the potential to enhance patient safety is significant,” he says. “This is not about the surgeon or the surgical team. Everything that’s going on in the OR is about the patient.”

This new technology does not create adverse events where there were none. It simply sheds light on what actually was going on during surgery. Medical and hospital practitioners alike should welcome this as an instructional tool that can save lives, and as a litigation tool that can establish the high quality of their care when medical care has been appropriate. At the same time, those patients who have been injured by substandard medical care should welcome the transparency and objectivity the technology provides.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of poor medical, surgical or hospital care, you may be able to take action. Please contact the attorneys of Lane Brown, LLC, or call us at 312-332-1400 to speak with us about your options. We can help. To learn more about Lane Brown, please visit our website at lanebrownlaw.com.

School is back in session and thousands of Chicago-area students are immersed in the classrooms learning reading, math, and science. While many parents and guardians worry about the safety of their children at school, one area of safety that you may easily forget about is the time before and after school when kids are traveling.

Data released by AAA showed that around one-quarter of all child pedestrian fatalities happen between 3–7 p.m., the hours right after school lets out. It’s important for motorists to understand safety tips that may prevent a catastrophic Illinois pedestrian and motor vehicle accident from happening.

Extra Caution and Vigilance

During the hours of 7–9 a.m. and 3–5 p.m., it’s important for drivers to maintain vigilance and extra caution in school zones and residential areas. Here are the key steps you can take:

Slow down. School zones have reduced speed limits for a reason. The slower you go, the less likely a child walking will die if struck by your car. No child’s life is worth the extra 30 seconds you save by speeding through a school zone.

Come to a complete stop. Studies show that more than one-third of all drivers admittedly roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods. Always look carefully at intersections and crosswalks before moving ahead.

Eliminate distractions. Loud music, cell phones, eating, and loud passengers all take your mind off the road and divert your eyes away from unpredictable kids walking outside, and could contribute to a car accident.

Watch for bicycles. Kids on bikes may be inexperienced, unstable, and unpredictable on the road. Darting between parked cars or not crossing in designated crosswalks can be common.

Back up with caution. Because kids are often unpredictable, it’s important to always use your mirrors and watch your blind spots to be sure that kids aren’t running or playing around your car. School drop-offs are often congested with cars and students, so be alert.

Car accidents and injuries can be a devastating combination, but when kids are added into the equation, emotions can be heightened and the consequences can be catastrophic. The experienced Chicago car accident lawyers at Lane Brown have the skills and dedication needed to help you understand and pursue your legal rights. Fill out an online form today to schedule your no-hassle free case evaluation, or call us toll-free at 312-332-1400.