Posted on August 01, 2024 in Personal Injury

Did you know there is a time limit for filing a compensation claim after an injury accident caused by someone else? Called a statute of limitations, this deadline is an important part of your personal injury claim. If you miss it, you will likely lose your opportunity to receive compensation.

Many people do not have the necessary legal knowledge or resources to effectively handle their personal injury claims alone, so they turn to an experienced Chicago, IL lawyer from Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC for assistance. Because of the filing deadlines, it is best to contact us as soon as possible after your accident so we have enough time to build a solid case.

What Is the Illinois Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Lawsuits?

In most cases in Illinois, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a civil personal injury lawsuit. As with most laws, there are exceptions to this two-year deadline. For instance, if the injured person does not discover their injury until a later date, the clock starts ticking on the date of discovery. If a government agency is an at-fault party, you only have one year to file a lawsuit. Other exceptions may apply to your case, and your timeframe depends on specific circumstances. Request your free consultation with Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC to ensure that you do not miss your filing deadline.

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 Posted on July 30, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

Despite advances in cancer research and treatment, many doctors may still fail to notice important symptoms of cancer or misdiagnose cancer in their patients. This can have serious repercussions for the patient, especially when quick treatment of cancer is essential to a patient’s continued health. Many reasons may lead to a cancer misdiagnosis, and it is important to speak with a skilled Illinois cancer misdiagnosis lawyer if you have experienced this and wish to pursue a claim.

Common Causes of Cancer Misdiagnosis

Cancer misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor makes incorrect conclusions about a patient’s symptoms and fails to diagnose cancer. Common causes of cancer misdiagnosis include:

• Diagnosing a patient with a different disease instead of cancer

• Failing to diagnose cancer in the early stages due to missing symptoms

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 Posted on July 22, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

Surgical operations are major medical procedures and patients expect their medical team to take the utmost care as they operate. However, surgeons and other medical staff involved in an operation may act negligently, leading to surgical errors and permanent injuries or disabilities to patients. A compassionate Illinois personal injury lawyer can help you explore your legal options if you have been left disabled after an operation.

Surgical Errors Can Result in Permanent Disability

According to a 2020 study published in The BMJ, around one in twenty patients suffers from preventable harm during medical care. When it comes to surgical procedures, this harm can result in life-altering impacts for the patient, as surgical procedures are invasive and come with inherent risks.

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 Posted on July 10, 2024 in Personal Injury

Bicycle accidents can be life-altering for those involved, as people on bikes have much less protection when a collision with a vehicle occurs. Bicycles and other cars must adhere to local and state road laws in order to minimize accidents, but even when a cyclist is extremely careful, tragic collisions still happen. After an accident occurs, it can be complex to determine which driver is liable.

An experienced Illinois bicycle accident attorney can help you understand your rights and work with you to investigate your case.

Determining Fault After Your Bike Accident

In Illinois, motor vehicles and bicyclists must share the road, with the exception of protected bike lanes. This means that both kinds of vehicles will need to follow specific vehicle codes, with additional regulations for bicyclists outlined in the Illinois vehicle code.

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 Posted on July 03, 2024 in Dangerous Products

Firework displays are hard to miss, as these displays are often one of the most enchanting and fun ways to spend a summer evening. However, fireworks are dangerous products, and negligence in handling a firework or dealing with a defective firework can result in serious injuries. Defective fireworks have the potential to injure victims even when care is being taken with the product.

If you have been injured by a firework, you may be able to pursue a claim against the party responsible for your injury. An Illinois defective products lawyer can further answer your questions.

The Serious Impacts of a Fireworks Injury

Firework injuries result in a number of different complications, with burns being the most common. Burns sustained due to a firework injury can be catastrophic, resulting in serious pain, disfigurement, or severe scarring for the victim.

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 Posted on June 24, 2024 in Premises Liability

When you live in an apartment complex, you expect the area to be safe and to be able to spend time inside and outside of your unit without worrying about your personal safety. However, a lack of apartment security caused by negligent or reckless landlords or property owners can encourage crime, which can lead to tenants sustaining serious injuries or even being killed.

If you have been injured at your apartment complex and negligent apartment security is a factor, you should contact an experienced Illinois apartment injuries lawyer to learn more about your legal options.

What Is Negligent Apartment Security?

Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, property and building owners have a duty to ensure that safety and care standards are met for people who are legally on the property. With apartment complexes, this means that landlords and property owners have a duty to ensure that tenants are safe and aware of any areas of hazard.

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 Posted on June 17, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

While pregnancy and giving birth has never been a completely risk-free process, medical professionals must ensure that they provide proper treatment for infants as they are born, in addition to using care during the birthing process. When medical professionals violate their duty of care to a child, this can result in birth injuries, many of which can cause significant health problems in the future.

If you suspect your child has experienced a birth injury, it is vital to speak to an Illinois birth injury attorney to understand your legal options.

How Are Birth Injury Claims Different From Other Claims?

Birth injury claims must be taken seriously, and these claims are slightly different from other types of medical malpractice claims. In many cases, if a child suffers a birth injury, the parents of the child may not be able to determine this right away. As the child grows, symptoms may appear that indicate the presence of a birth injury, and it can be hard to tell the full impact of a birth injury until these symptoms make themselves present and further testing is completed.

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 Posted on June 10, 2024 in Medical Malpractice

Anesthesia is commonly administered during surgeries and other medical procedures, and even minor mistakes with the dosage or administration of anesthesia can have severe consequences for patients. While many anesthesiologists and other medical professionals working with anesthesia are careful with how they handle anesthesia, errors do happen, sometimes caused by the direct negligent actions of medical staff.

Patients who have experienced anesthesia errors may deal with a number of different complications and long-term costs. A knowledgeable Illinois medical malpractice lawyer is key to exploring your options if you have suffered from an anesthesia error.

Common Complications of Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia errors are serious, and the complications that result from an anesthesia error can be life-changing for patients. In many cases, these complications are caused by improper monitoring of the patient once he or she is under anesthesia, failure to administer the correct dosage, intubation errors, and equipment malfunctions, or failure to inform the patients of proper pre-surgery procedures.

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 Posted on June 05, 2024 in Car Accidents

Car accidents occur regularly throughout the Illinois area, and many of these accidents are serious and result in catastrophic injuries. After a car accident has occurred, you may face the challenge of proving the other driver’s fault in order to get compensation. This process is often difficult, especially for those who have been injured in a car accident and need to focus on recovery.

The assistance of an experienced Illinois car accident lawyer is essential as you work to prove fault and recover the compensation you deserve.

Proving Fault After a Car Accident

In Illinois, the state uses a modified comparative negligence system to determine fault in car accidents. This means that a person who is injured in a car accident can only recover damages if he or she is no more than 50 percent responsible for the accident.

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 Posted on May 31, 2024 in Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect

Though it is not commonly thought of as one of the most important things to health, personal hygiene for nursing home residents is essential to maintaining good physical and mental well-being. Many factors may contribute to nursing home staff neglecting the personal hygiene of residents and the hygiene throughout the facility, including improper hygiene procedures and negligent behavior by staff.

If you have noticed a lack of hygiene around your loved one’s nursing home facility, your family member may be suffering from neglect by nursing home staff. An experienced Illinois nursing home neglect attorney can answer your questions about what to do next.

Signs of Improper Nursing Home Hygiene

Lack of hygiene can be generally easy to notice in a nursing home facility, as you are likely to see dust, dirt, cluttered areas, and stained bedding around the facility. You may also notice stains in bathroom areas and dirty eating or living areas.

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