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Although elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities try to maintain safe environments for students to learn and grow, unfortunate accidents do still happen from time to time. Even though children and teens sometimes make poor choices, many Illinois school-related accidents can be prevented when school systems and their employees take simple, reasonable, and appropriate actions to help students avoid injury.

In many instances, public schools can be protected from premises liability because of government immunity. However, because laws vary on a state-by-state basis, there are some exceptions to public school premises liability. These exceptions include: wrongful death cases, school bullying cases, serious injury incidents, and sexual harassment cases.

Examples of Common School-Related Accidents Include:

Playground injuries from defective, faulty, or poorly maintained equipment
Sports accidents from a lack of necessary protective gear, poor coaching, or defective equipment or apparatus
Science laboratory accidents from chemical spills, sharp scalpels, Bunsen burner flames, and toxic fumes
Wood shop and industrial arts accidents from sharp power tools, wood dust, lack of protective eyewear, or inadequate instruction concerning tool use
Home Economics kitchen accidents can be caused by hot ovens and various cooking ingredients, cleaning chemicals, or sharp scissors.
Slip and fall accidents on wet floors, stairs, or bleachers

Locking doors to unsupervised classrooms that tend to be more dangerous is one simple step that school employees can take to help prevent unnecessary accidents from occurring. Making sure that athletic coaches and classroom teachers are properly trained and skilled enough to teach students is also the school’s responsibility. Lastly, schools should have clearly posted warning signs explaining safety rules and potential dangers, and have supervision available to ensure youth are following those rules.

If you or someone you love has suffered injuries from a Chicago school-related accident, the school system could be held responsible for the accident that caused you harm. Our qualified Chicago premises liability lawyers at Lane Brown can examine your case, answer your questions, and determine whether you have grounds to take legal action. Call our Chicago personal injury lawyers at 1-312-332-1400 today to get the help you’re looking for.

Labels: Chicago personal injury lawyers Chicago premises liability lawyers Chicago school-related accident common school-related accidents public school premises liability

We’ve all passed them on the roadways, wondering whether it’s safe for them to be driving a car and whether they might be putting other drivers in danger. In many instances, those questions of concern—or even impatience—are unfounded. But in other circumstances, they are justifiable. The concern: elderly drivers on the road.

Recent statistics show that more than one out of every ten fatal car accidents involves a driver over the age of 65. As motorists continue to drive at older ages, there are numerous factors that contribute to senior driver-related car crashes.

Common Causes of Elderly Driver Car Accidents

Diminished Health

Vision and hearing are crucial components to safe driving. Visual cues allow drivers to see other motorists on the road, flying debris, and other objects in the road that could cause a dangerous Chicago car accident. Reduced hearing limits an elderly driver’s ability to hear horns, sirens, and other external noises that might warn of dangerous traffic conditions.
In addition, slower reaction times to sudden traffic changes, animal crossings, and a vehicle’s mechanical problems can appear as a senior’s cognitive brain functioning (reasoning and remembering) declines.

Wrong Vehicle Type for the Elderly

Elderly drivers should be driving vehicles that fit their physical and cognitive needs appropriately. Questions to be considered include:

Is the car too big or too small? Can the driver smoothly steer the car around turns? Can the driver see over the steering wheel while driving? The driver’s physical stature should be considered when choosing a car. Visibility can be reduced, creating unsafe blind spots for senior drivers.
Does the car offer appropriate space for drivers with infirmities? Older people who have had hip or knee replacements need special consideration. Those surgeries may require extra room for maneuverability in a vehicle. If a driver is uncomfortable in the car, it may cause distractions while driving.

When Illinois car accidents involving senior citizens occur, you may wonder what to do. After all, many of us want to show kindness and respect to the elderly. However, if you suffer catastrophic injuries from elderly drivers who shouldn’t be driving, you may have grounds to take legal action. Only an experienced Chicago vehicle accident attorney can help you understand the facts, learn your legal rights, and figure out what your next steps should be.

You can schedule a free consultation with a skilled Chicago car crash lawyer today by calling 1-312-332-1400, or by filling out the quick and easy online form.

Category: Traffic Accidents

Labels: Chicago car accident Chicago car crash lawyer Chicago vehicle accident attorney elderly driver car accidents Illinois car accidents involving senior citizens

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the discovery of bacteria and fungus in vials of injectable steroids.

The announcement, made in early June 2013, stated that sealed vials of steroids compounded by Main Street Family Pharmacy, located in Tennessee, contained the contaminants. The company recalled all of their products nationwide after 24 victims in Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, and North Carolina developed injection site abscesses.

According to a statement released by FDA officials, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working to identify the exact strains of fungus and bacteria found in the vials. To date, there have not been any known cases of meningitis associated with these contaminated steroid injections.

This recent batch of contaminated steroids contained the same drug that was at the center of the 2012 outbreak of fungal meningitis that affected approximately 800 victims nationwide. In more than 300 of those meningitis cases, abscesses developed at injection sites—similar to those that developed during this recent recall.

In total, Main Street Pharmacy distributed the contaminated drug throughout 13 states, including Illinois.

Since last year’s contamination outbreak, the FDA has increased their inspection of drugs produced by compounding pharmacies. The results show that many of these pharmacies operate under unsterile conditions.

Injuries or adverse reactions from contaminated steroid injections can be devastating for those who unknowingly become a victim. If you have suffered a serious illness or injury after an injection or medical procedure, an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney at Lane Brown may be able to help. Our skilled and compassionate lawyers will take the time to understand what happened, answer all of your questions, and help you to determine your next steps—all during a free case evaluation. Contact our office today at 312-332-1400 to schedule your complimentary appointment.

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Many times, the signs and symptoms of infection are obvious right away, making it easier to treat a newborn for illness. Other times, symptoms are not apparent for days, weeks, or even months following birth. Either way, infections in newborns can have serious side effects that change a baby’s life forever. Following are some of the common signs and symptoms of infection in infants:

Poor feeding—the baby does not want to nurse or drink from a bottle
Difficulty breathing
Restlessness
Decreased or elevated body temperatures
Unusual skin rashes or changes in skin color
Persistent crying
Unusual irritability
Sudden changes in sleeping habits
Vomiting or diarrhea

Signs of a congenital infection, one that is transferred from mother to baby in the womb, include:

Small body size
Abnormal head size—either too big or too small
Enlarged abdominal organs
Heart murmurs

In some cases, these symptoms can be identified during pregnancy through ultrasounds and proper prenatal care. When the symptoms are identified, precautions can be taken to help ensure the health and safety of the baby.

If your baby suffered a severe birth injury due to the negligence of a medical professional, help may be available. Contact a Chicago birth injury lawyer at Lane Brown for legal assistance. Our compassionate and skilled attorneys will take the time to fully understand your situation, answer your questions, and help you to determine your next steps—all during a free case evaluation. Give us a call today at 800-529-5377 to schedule your complimentary consultation. We will work tirelessly to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

In continuing coverage, Food Safety News (6/25) reports that the “ongoing outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco is now known to have sickened 119 people” in five states, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update. Among those sickened, five of the cases are in children; and although none of the children have been hospitalized, the number of adult hospitalizations has increased from 50 to 53, the CDC data show. The state-by-state case breakdown is “Arizona (16), California (61), Colorado (24), Hawaii (5), New Mexico (5), Nevada (5), and Utah (3).”

If you or a loved one has suffered injury from contaminated food products, 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.

Recently, there has been a string of injuries and wrongful deaths caused by the negligence of private bus and limousine companies. This week, one such case has resulted in the filing of a wrongful death suit being filed against a party bus operator. The Kansas City (MO) Star (6/18, Rizzo, 197K) reports, “A wrongful death lawsuit was filed Tuesday against the operators of a party bus from which a young mother fell to her death in May.” The Star notes that “according to the lawsuits filed by Kansas City attorneys Lynn Johnson and David Morantz, after Midnight Express bought the used vehicle in 2010, it made ‘extensive modifications’ that included removal of some of the vehicle’s safety features.” According to the Star, “in late May, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an ‘imminent hazard’ order that prohibited the company from continuing to operate until it addressed what the federal order termed an ‘appalling’ disregard for safety.”

If you or someone you know needs assistance after a bus or limousine accident, please contact The Law Offices of Lane Brown, LLC, or call 312-332-1400 or 1-800-LAWYERS.