Chicago Personal Injury Blog

Property owners need to prove safe staircases to visitors

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Premises Liability on Friday, March 22, 2019.

Defective stairways can be found in many places, from the steps you take to get to the beach to the stairs that lead into the most luxurious of hotels. As you use them, you might slip on slick steps, trip over boards that have come loose or fall as a result of the railings that no longer support weight without moving.

When you fall or get hurt as a result of someone's dangerous stairways, you are a victim of an accident that the owner of the property can be held liable for. In most cases, owners are held to strict standards and must make sure their properties are safe for those who visit them.

Undue influence: You can challenge a will

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

Undue influence is a term that refers to actions that influenced a person to change a will or other document against their free will or due to manipulation. Undue influence is one of a few reasons why people enter into will contests.

Imagine that your mother or father had already designated that you'd receive the family home in their will. You were established as the only beneficiary of their assets. Somehow, prior to their death, that changed. Now, it's an aide at the nursing home who has been willed everything.

Falling accidents can be fatal: You deserve justice

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Serious injuries and wrongful death on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

Slip-and-fall accidents can be fatal. While you might think about slip-and-fall accidents as one-off incidents that lead to broken wrists or a bump on the head, the truth is that they can be significant and cause real harm to the victims.

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen for many reasons. For example, if your loved one is in a nursing home and already struggles with balanced footing, having to walk on a slick walkway could be a recipe for disaster. Similarly, if you are walking into a nursing home to visit and slip on an icy walkway, you could fall, too.

Recognize nursing home abuse to help protect patients

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Nursing Home Abuse on Thursday, March 7, 2019.

Some patients in nursing homes sadly have to suffer through abuse. In many cases, it's difficult for patients to report the abuse, fearing that it will get worse if they do so.

The reality is that those who suffer from abuse need to speak out if they can. Additionally, those on the outside need to do all they can to recognize abuse so that they can help those in need. Here are a few tips for recognizing abuse in a nursing home.

3 tips for monitoring your loved one's care in a nursing home

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.

Elderly loved ones often cannot speak out against the abuse they face. There are a few reasons for that, such as being scared of the abuser, having a memory condition that makes it hard to remember incidents or being isolated and unable to reach out for help. In each of these cases, the person who is a victim will continue to suffer as a result of their inability to get help.

The good news about nursing homes is that not everyone is bad. Even if there is one nurse who is abusive or a single resident who lashes out at others, there are people there looking out for the better interests of patients. Often, it is coworkers or other residents who report abuse to help those who are threatened. This can't be relied on, though, so there are some steps you need to take to keep your loved one safe.

Officer hurt due to violation of Scott's Law

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Motor vehicle accidents on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

When you see that there are emergency personnel on the highway or on the side of the road, it's important to move over into another lane. Doing so helps keep them safe and reduces the likelihood of getting into an accident.

Unfortunately, for a trooper in Illinois, a driver did not move over and instead collided with them on Interstate 94. The crash happened at approximately 11:43 p.m., when the vehicles were parked blocking the northbound lanes of the highway. The Chicago police were there investigating the scene.

Get your head checked out after you're in a crash

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Serious injuries and wrongful death on Thursday, February 21, 2019.

When you suffer a serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury, there is much recovery that has to take place. In some cases, people don't fully recover from traumatic events, but there is a great potential for at least some quality recovery.

Immediately after you're involved in an accident where you hit your head or suffer from whiplash, you should go to the hospital. You might wonder why you should do that if you feel fine, and the answer is twofold. First, you need an exam to provide to an insurer. Second, you need to guarantee that there aren't hidden health problems occurring.

What types of treatment count as nursing home abuse?

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is likely that they will be physically weak, and they may also be emotionally vulnerable. They may not be able to clearly communicate with you about fears and the experiences they are having in the nursing home. However, you may become suspicious of ill treatment by the way that they are behaving.

If you are concerned about the safety and treatment of your loved one, it is important that you observe the situation and write down the specific things that make you feel concerned. By keeping a diary of concerning incidents in this way, it will make it easier to figure out the reality of your loved one's treatment, and it will be easier to make a claim if it becomes necessary.

Collision leads to gunfire in Chicago

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. posted in Motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, February 14, 2019.

It's not often that you hear about a crash that has a shooting involved, but that's what happened during one collision in Chicago. There was a stolen vehicle traveling quickly at around 2:50 p.m., and it T-boned an SUV traveling on West Cermak. This caused the SUV to crash into two unoccupied vehicles while the Buick ran into a pole.

After crashing, the occupants of the vehicles began to shoot at one another. Ultimately, no one was injured by the gunfire, but three unoccupied vehicles nearby were found to have bullet holes. The SUV's driver had to be treated at Stroger Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The other vehicle turned out to be stolen and its occupants fled the scene.

Drivers: Don't let distractions cause a crash

On behalf of Mark L. Karno & Associates, L.L.C. on Friday, February 8, 2019.

Cellphones and other distractions in vehicles can quickly lead to accidents. Did you know that around 3,477 traffic deaths were caused by distracted driving in 2015 alone? Imagine what paying attention could do to reduce the number of deaths each year.

There are three types of distractions that can affect drivers. They include: