There are nearly 70 million dogs in the United States, and while many of these animals are friendly, loving pets, there are also many instances of people being injured after being attacked by a dog. Whether a dog is considered dangerous or had no previous history of aggressive behavior, its owner may be liable for injuries resulting from a dog bite. However, many people do not realize the full extent of the damage that can be caused by a dog bite, so it is important for victims to be aware of both the short-term and long-term ramifications of these types of injuries.

Short-Term Injuries

The physical injuries caused by a dog bite are often immediately evident, and they can include puncture wounds or lacerations. In most cases, medical care should be received as soon as possible, and stitches may be needed to close these wounds. In addition, a dog may knock someone down during an attack, leading to broken bones, sprained joints, and serious bruises. Elderly people and young children are especially susceptible to these types of injuries.

Electric scooters, or e-scooters, are becoming more and more popular in cities throughout the United States. These vehicles offer riders a quick and easy way to get around urban areas, and multiple companies, including Uber, Lyft, Bird, and Lime, have begun offering curbside e-scooter rentals. However, as the use of e-scooters has increased, so has the number of serious injuries in e-scooter accidents.

E-Scooter Injuries

E-scooters have become incredibly popular in a short period of time. In fact, more than 38 million people took trips on shared electric scooters in 2018. Since this is a fairly new form of transportation, many cities have not yet put laws and regulations in place for e-scooters. In addition, the rules and guidelines for the safe operation of these vehicles are not yet fully established, and a large number of injuries have occurred as a result.

Since 2017, there have been more than 1,500 injuries involving e-scooters across the United States, as well as at least four deaths. Studies have found that around half of e-scooter accidents result in severe injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injury, and injuries to tendons, ligaments, or nerves.

A personal injury can turn your life upside down. In addition to the difficulties that come with your recovery, your injury is likely to have a major financial impact, including the cost of medical treatment and the loss of income while you are unable to work. If you are planning to file an insurance claim, you may expect to work with an insurance company to ensure that your injuries are covered. However, before doing so, it is important to consult with an attorney who can ensure that you are fully compensated for your damages.

How Can an Attorney Help With My Case?

When you are struggling in the aftermath of an injury, you may feel like you have to accept an offer made by an insurance company so that you can address your immediate financial concerns. However, an insurance company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible, and even if a settlement offer appears fair to you, it is likely that it will not fully cover your costs or meet your ongoing needs.

In reality, you should be wary of speaking to an insurance company at all before consulting with an attorney, because they may ask you to provide recorded statements, and any information you provide may lead them to reduce the amount of your claim or even deny your claim altogether. A lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to ensure that you receive the compensation you need.

In 2018, residents of the Chicago area were shocked to learn that a company had been releasing toxic chemicals into the community for decades, endangering the health of those who live and work in Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, and other nearby cities. Sterigenics International operates a facility in Willowbrook that uses ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment and other materials, and this facility was found to be emitting dangerous levels of this toxic chemical. Recently, some more information came to light that demonstrated the extent of Sterigenics’ negligence, and those who have been harmed by toxic chemical emissions should be sure to contact a personal injury lawyer to learn about their legal options.

Cover-Up of Toxic Chemical Emissions

Since the release of a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in August 2018 detailing the risks of ethylene oxide emissions in the Willowbrook area, Sterigenics has claimed that it had been following EPA regulations ever since its plant was opened in 1984. However, a recent report by CBS News contained some shocking revelations by former Sterigenics employees about the company’s practices.

According to the workers, Sterigenics committed a wide variety of violations when working with toxic chemicals. Rather than properly disposing of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol, these chemicals would often be dumped directly into local sewer systems. In addition, toxic fumes were often not properly sent through chemical scrubbers, and doors were left open, allowing gases to vent outside. To make matters worse, alarm systems were manipulated to avoid work stoppage, or alarms were ignored altogether.

A personal injury can have a wide variety of long-term effects on a person’s health and well-being, and one of the most serious issues victims may experience is chronic pain. Severe injuries involving brain trauma, damage to the spine, nerve damage, amputation, or other debilitating conditions can lead to long-lasting problems as victims struggle to deal with a high level of pain that greatly affects their lives, their comfort, and their ability to work and earn an income. However, many have found that medical marijuana provides a solution that allows them to manage this pain as they work to return to normalcy.

Benefits of Using Medicinal Marijuana

Many people are hesitant to consider marijuana as a medical solution because of its perception as a recreational drug. The federal government in the United States classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which signifies that it has a high potential for abuse and little medical value. However, research in recent years has found that marijuana has a wide variety of medical benefits, and this has led to it being legalized for medicinal use in more than half of the states in the U.S., including Illinois. An increasing number of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use as well.

There are a large number of active chemical components in marijuana, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which provides the “high” that people seek when using marijuana recreationally, and cannabidiol (CBD), which provides medical benefits, including relieving pain and serving as a muscle relaxant. Many strains of medical marijuana provide CBD while containing little or no THC, allowing patients to treat their conditions without experiencing mind-altering effects.