Man slips on icy sidewalk

Who’s Insurance Pays If You Fall At A Friends Home?

It happens! You’re visiting a friend or a relative and you take a nasty fall and hurt yourself. This is when the question of liability arises and you, as the injured party, wonder if you can recover the costs associated with your injuries from the homeowner or renter. Although you may be hesitant to pursue a claim against a homeowner or renter, especially if that person is a friend or family member, it is important to know that the majority of the time their insurance company

Person holding home keys

Renter’s Have Rights

Have you ever rented an apartment for yourself or one of your kids and wondered if all your rights are being protected and respected when moving into a new apartment? The relationship between a landlord and renter is based on trust and respect. Yet many people feel that their landlord took too long to fix something in their unit or that they have been scammed out of their security deposit at the end of the lease.

Heart decorations

Valentine’s Day Is A Popular Day To Get Engaged

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to get engaged and this year both heterosexual and homosexual couples will be able to plan for a licensed happily-ever-after event due to the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, signed into law on June 1, 2011.

Product Recall sign

What is the automobile recall process?

We’re all familiar with motor vehicle recalls. They happen all the time. Whether you hear about it in the news or receive a letter from the manufacturer, we’ve owned cars that have been recalled at one point or another. But how exactly does an automobile manufacturer decide whether to issue a recall? And what is […]

Young woman driving pickup truck

Are Women More Likely to Be Injured in Car Accidents Than Men?

Whether women are more likely to be injured in the event of a motor vehicle accident is up for debate, although the results of a recent study tend to support that conclusion. As reported at the Huffington Post, according to a study published just a few months ago in the American Journal of Public Health, […]

Business man slips on wet floor

Court Holds Illinois Hospital May Be Liable For Physician’s Fall

In Caburnay v. Norwegian American Hospital, No. 1-10-1740, the plaintiff was an anesthesiologist who tripped and fell in the lobby of the hospital where he worked. On the date of the accident, he was waiting for an elevator when he tripped over a floor mat that he alleged was folded. As he fell, he hit […]

Helmet on a bike

Over 30,000 Children’s Bike Helmets Recalled

Parents should be aware of a nationwide recall of children’s bicycle helmets. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission recently recalled approximately 30,400 Little Tricky kid’s bike helmets after tests determined that helmets failed to meet safety standards. Bicycle helmets are an important part of bicycle safety and their use helps to prevent severe head and […]

Red traffic light

New Illinois Law Permits Some Motorcyclists and Bicyclists to Run Red Lights

Last month we reported on a number of new Illinois laws going into effect. Another interesting new law of note is one that, in certain situations, allows motorcycles and bicycles to run red lights. The law provides that some motorcyclists and bicyclists can, after a reasonable amount of time, proceed through a red light. Although […]

Amtrak train on tracks

Palsgraf causation issues revisited in Illinois, but with more distressing facts

The Chicago Tribune recently reported on a lawsuit arising from a bizarre set of circumstances, but which raised an interesting legal issue. The facts in the case, Zokhrabov v. Jeung-Hee Park. (2011 WL 6823803), are decidedly gory and tragic. On September 13, 2008, 18-year-old Hiroyuki Johowas struck by an Amtrak train traveling approximately 70 miles […]

Frontal vehicle collision

Defense Counsel Crossed the Line During Car Accident Trial

Sometimes during litigation, lawyers go too far. They become overzealous and let their personal experiences influence their tactical decisions. Unfortunately, doing so can oftentimes lead to disastrous results for your client. That’s exactly what happened in Petraski v. Thedos, No. 1 10-3218, a recent decision issued by the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District. The […]