As mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets become increasingly ubiquitous, our culture is becoming more reliant on these tools. While they offer easy and fast access to information on the fly, the use of these technologies while driving cars can create dangerous situations for everyone on the road. Distracted driving is a big problem and if the trend of connecting cars to the Internet increases, it seems things are only going to get worse.

One type of personal injury lawsuit that is litigated quite frequently is a slip and fall case. In areas like Chicago, where there are long winters, snow and ice often accumulate on walkways and injuries can occur when someone slips and falls on a sidewalk outside of a business.

Chicago’s 2012 budget was recently released and includes a newly proposed “parking tax” which is proving to be unpopular with many Chicagoans. In a Chicago Tribune article, the tax is described as follows:

Car accidents are dangerous no matter who’s involved. But for children, the risks are even greater due to their smaller size. That’s why infant and children’s car seats are so important. They’re supposed to protect children from injuries and keep them safe from harm.

In Merca v. Rhodes, No. 1-10-2234, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, considered the issue of whether the trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of the defendant. This case arose from a serious accident which caused the death of 14 year old Cassandra Merca, a pedestrian who had been hit by a car driven by the defendant.

Last year, Illinois lawmakers passed a comprehensive medical care reform bill that imposed a cap in medical malpractice cases.

I don’t know a parent out there that has not experienced the panic of not knowing where their child is, even if only for a moment. It isn’t hard for a child to wander off in a supermarket, department store, playground, park, or even from their own backyard.

Have you ever been in a store and had someone follow you around watching your every move? That usually is because shoplifting is big business and, during a recession, it typically grows.

The holiday shopping season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, and with that so do the pickpockets.

The Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, recently considered the denial of a workers’ claim for workers’ compensation benefits where the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission concluded that his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease was caused solely by his cigarette smoking. In Gross v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, No. 4-10-0615WC, at issue was whether the claimant’s COPD was caused, in part, by his inhalation of coal dust while working as a coal miner.

There’s an interesting lawsuit pending in Florida that addresses just this issue. The lawsuit, Janowski v. Publix, may not be permitted to go forward based upon a Florida statute enacted in 2003, which effectively prevents any lawsuit by injured workers against their employers. However, the plaintiff’s attorney contends that the 2003 statute is unconstitutional to the extent that it prevents access to the courts.

At the Ankin Law Offices, practicing law is a family affair. For over a decade now, Howard Ankin has been defending the rights of personal injury and workers’ compensation clients with his father and law partner, Paul Ankin.

Simpkins v. CSX Corp., No 5-07-0346, raises the novel issue of whether an employer owes a duty to the spouse of an employee who contracted mesothelioma as a result of her exposure to her husband’s work clothes. This was an issue of first impression for the Fifth District of the Appellate Court of Illinois.

In late June, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of over 2 million baby cribs. The suspect cribs were manufactured between 2000 and 2009 and most of the recalled cribs have “drop-sides,” which were intended to make it easier for the parent to reach the baby.

Tannehill v. Costello, No. 1-09-0868, addressed this unusual issue. In it, the Appellate Court, First District of Illinois considered whether the defendant owed her neighbor a duty of care under the rescue doctrine.

The Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, recently addressed the issue of whether a release signed by a plaintiff before she embarked on a paid tour of Chicago precluded her from bringing a personal injury lawsuit based on injuries that she sustained during the tour.

In Anderson v. Zamir, No. 5-08-0542, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fifth District, took the unusual step of reversing a jury verdict and remanding the case to the trial court for a new trial on the issue of damages.

Two former Chicago Bears players have received sizable workers’ compensation awards from the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Board.

In July, as explained in this Business Week article, Massachusetts highest court overturned a long standing rule that absolved property owner’s from liability for failing to remove snow accumulation on their property. As explained in Papadopoulos v. Target, SJC-10529, the overruled holding was referred to as the “Massachusetts rule”, and stood for the proposition that property owners were not responsible for removing the natural accumulation of snow and ice.

In Krywin v. Chicago Transit Authority, No. 108888, the Supreme Court of Illinois considered the issue of whether the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) was liable for a passenger’s injuries that occurred when she exited the train and slipped on snow and water that had accumulated on the train platform.

The Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, recently addressed the issue of the proper scope of a subpeona duces tecum issued by the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Bell v. Hutsell is a recent decision out of the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District, that involved allegations that homeowners were responsible for the death of an 18-year old who died in an automobile accident after drinking alcohol at the home of the defendants.

In a recent article we discussed an Illinois court’s decision that addressed a homeowner’s potential liability for an automobile accident that occurred after an underage teenager drank alcohol at his friend’s home and was involved in a fatal car accident later that evening.

A former employee of a popcorn plant was recently awarded the largest verdict of this type by a Chicago jury. The plaintiff, Gerardo Solis, had been a worker in a Chicago popcorn plant owned by Flavorchem Corp for 8 years from 1998-2006.

At issue in a recent Illinois products liability lawsuit was whether the manufacturer of Motrin was liable for an adverse reaction to its product.

Over the last month we discussed two different Illinois personal injury cases addressing the liability of parties who provided alcohol to someone who then left the premises and caused a deadly automobile accident. This is an issue that is becoming more frequently litigated, in part because of the tragic consequences–which are especially apparent when the person who was served alcohol is underage.

In Gilmore v. Powers, No. 1-09-1478, the First District Appellate Court of Illinois, Sixth Division, addressed the issue of whether a private landowner owner or the City of Evanston was liable for maintenance of a walkway that straddled the city-owned parkway in front of the defendants’ house.

When you rent a car, you assume the vehicle has been properly maintained, don’t you? And wouldn’t you expect that a car rental company would only rent vehicles that had been fixed following safety recalls?

Generally speaking, in Illinois, lawsuits may not arise from the sale or gifting of alcoholic beverages, since the Dram Shop Act (S.H.A. 235 ILCS 5/6-21) preempts all alcohol-related liability claims. However, where the claim is based on legal theories independent from the defendant’s provision of alcohol, the Dram Shop Act does not preempt the lawsuit.

The problem of concussions in athletes is an issue that has been receiving lots of press lately, in large part due to the new found understanding of the seriousness of these types of head injuries. In the past, concussions were believed to be mild injuries, requiring little if any follow up attention. The exact opposite is true: concussions are serious brain injuries that can have lasting, long term effects.

It’s undeniable–social media use is increasing exponentially. And, with this rapid increase in the use of social media, more attorneys are quickly realizing the utility of social media postings in litigation. When witnesses or parties to a lawsuit publicly post about their activities and whereabouts, the information can be used to dispute claims of injury during the settlement phase of a case or as impeachment material at trial.

In April, we reported that the Court of Appeals of Maryland heard oral arguments in a case regarding personal injury damage caps. In the case being appealed, the parents of a young child who had drowned received a jury award of $4 million for their pain and suffering, but the damages were reduced to $1 million by operation of the damage cap laws. The specific issue considered by the court was whether jury awards for pain and suffering damage caps were constitutional.

The First District Appellate Court of Illinois recently addressed the liability of a property owner for negligently maintaining its premises in Morrissey v. Arlington Park Racecourse LLC, No. 1-09-3460 (2010).

Anyone who’s been injured in an accident is understandably eager to settle their personal injury lawsuit. The pressure to settle can be enormous, especially if you are out of a job or working reduced hours because of the injuries, while at the same time facing mounting medical bills and other expenses. But it’s very important to resist the temptation to accept a low-ball settlement offer early in a case. Here’s why.

Consider the millions of products on the market that are targeted for use by children—toys, jewelry, and electronics to name a few.

Lawsuit financing has seen phenomenal growth over the last 10 years, yet it is often misunderstood.

If you’ve suffered a personal injury due to the fault of someone else, you may be entitled to legal damages for your pain and suffering. You can protect your legal rights by following the suggestions below.

Illinois attorneys might be surprised by the recent holding of the state Appellate Court that allowed tort damages in a case involving injuries on the job. The ruling shows that workers’ comp attorneys should routinely assess all potential third party claims before concluding the sole source of recovery is under the Workers’ Compensation Act.

The number of car accidents caused by distracted drivers is steadily rising, and the consequences are devastating, resulting in serious physical injuries and even death.

The law provides for monetary compensation if someone causes you personal injuries away from the job. Workers’ compensation, on the other hand, provides monetary relief for injuries suffered on the job, irrespective of fault.

A legal claim involving an accidental death in Illinois is known as a wrongful death lawsuit. Most wrongful death cases involve negligence claims, and proving liability is no different than proving someone is at fault in a lawsuit involving personal injuries.

The Illinois Appellate Court allowed tort damages in a case involving injuries on the job. The ruling shows that workers’ comp attorneys should routinely assess all potential third party claims before concluding the sole source of recovery is under the Workers’ Compensation Act.