The Illinois legislature recently passed a bill that amends the Illinois Wrongful Death Act to allow for the potential recovery of punitive damages in certain wrongful death cases. This is the first time in 130 years that punitive damages are available for wrongful death claims under Illinois law. Here is what you should know about […]
Wrongful Death
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Death of Trinity University Football Player
Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. is representing the family of Avery Gilbert, a student and football player at Trinity International University who died after having an allergic reaction to the food he consumed at a dining hall at the university. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the food was mislabeled and cross-contacted, ultimately leading to […]
Pedestrian Accident Fatalities Rose in 2015
Recent reports indicate that 2015 was a bad year for traffic safety. Fatal car and truck accidents increased in the first nine months of the year, according to preliminary data. Now, a report issued by the Governors Highway safety Association suggests that pedestrian deaths rose by an estimated 10 percent in 2015. The report indicated […]
Swimming Pool Safety A Serious Issue For Children And Adults – Part Two
It takes more than the simple presence of an adult to provide a safe swimming environment and prevent drowning. Inexperienced swimmers should wear life jackets, even if they are being actively supervised. Those watching the pool should be trained to identify the signs of distress. Many people have an incorrect idea of what drowning looks like. A […]
Swimming Pool Safety A Serious Issue For Children And Adults – Part One
Swimming is a popular activity during the hot summer weather. A visit to a residential or community pool can be fun, but it also carries the risk of drowning if proper safety measures are not observed. While pool owners should be aware of the dangers involved, all parents should take the time to ensure that their children […]
License of Nigerian Airline Suspended After Deadly Crash
Dana Air, based in Lagos, Nigeria, first began operating in 2008. On June 3, Dana Air flight 0992 crashed, killing 153 passengers and crew as well as at least 10 individuals on the ground. In response, Nigerian aviation officials have suspended the airline’s operating license. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority in Nigeria indicated that […]
State of Indiana Releases Stage Collapse Findings
The Indiana State Fair disaster that left seven people dead and 58 seriously injured drew national headlines. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited three groups in connection with the fatal accident. The Mid-America Sound Corp. of Greenfield, Indiana, the Indiana State Fair Commission and the International Alliance of Theatrical and State Employees Local […]
Fatal Truck Accident Raises Issues of Safe Towing
An Illinois truck driver was struck and killed over the weekend when a trailer towed by an SUV came loose, crossed the median and struck the semi on Interstate 80-90. The driver of the UPS semi truck was declared dead on the scene from blunt force trauma caused by the trailer. The fatal truck accident raises questions […]
Indiana Government Adds Insult to Injury By Denying Responsibility and Failing to Promptly Compensate Victims of State Fair Catastrophe
Sunday August 14 at approximately 8:49 p.m. EDT, a wind gust estimated at 60 to 70 mph caused the Main Grandstand Stage at the Indiana State Fair to collapse, killing five people and injuring another 45. Since the accident, the Indiana Government has steadfastly denied it has any responsibility for what happened. Governor Mitch Daniels […]
Campers mourn victim in tragic drowning accident
A 15-year-old Illinois boy drowned during an organized swim held at his camp in Michigan. The tragic death occurred despite the presence of camp counselors and lifeguards. The boy was one of 15 young men swimming in water roughly 10 feet deep when he went under. By the time lifeguards were able to pull him up some […]
Study: A Sleep-Deprived Person Behind The Wheel Or In The Cockpit Is Just As Dangerous As A Drunken Driver
A comprehensive investigation into the effect that fatigue has on the ability to safely operate vehicles within the nations four major modes of transportation has revealed some daunting information about just how powerful fatigue is – and how lightly the responsible federal agencies seem to regard it. The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit investigative […]
Recent Highway Construction Worker Fatalities Underscore The Importance Of Increasing Driver Awareness And Safety In Illinois
A 33-year-old construction worker who was killed September 17th when he was struck by a semi-truck in an Interstate 55 construction zone became the 22nd person – and third construction worker – to die in a work zone crash this year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The post-crash investigation resulted in the driver being […]
Unintentional Injuries: The Economic Effect Is Felt By More Than Just The Person Injured
According to estimates made by the National Safety Council (NSC), fatal and non-fatal unintended injuries have a surprisingly large economic impact on a national scale, an impact that the NSC says underscores the importance prevention work. The most recent estimate, based on data from 2008, sets forth the approximated cost incurred by society for these deaths […]
Daughter Of Trucking Crash Victim Hands Out First-Ever Top Trucking Safety Award – To VP Of Trucking Company That Killed Her Father
At this year’s Sleep Apnea and Trucking Conference, held on May 11-12 in Baltimore, Don Osterberg, vice president of safety and driver training for Green Bay, Wisconsin-based trucking company Schneider National, was presented with the first-ever Distinguished Safety Leadership award, which was created by the Truck Safety Coalition. Osterberg’s receipt of the award was an unexpected moment […]
Illinois Driver Polishing Her Nails In Traffic Found Guilty Of Hitting, Killing Woman; Just One Day Before, The 25th State Passed Ban Cracking Down On Distracted Driving
On May 5, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood announced that Wisconsin had become the 25th state in the U.S. to ban texting while driving, calling distracted driving “an epidemic” responsible for killing and injuring thousands of people every year. That statistic is a very unfortunate reality for the family of Anita Zaffke, the […]
OSHA: 14 Workers Are Killed Every Day On The Job; President Obama Declares April 28 “Worker’s Memorial Day”
President Barack Obama, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), proclaimed April 28, 2010 to be Worker’s Memorial Day to celebrate and preserve the memory “of those who have been killed due to unsafe working conditions.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as […]
U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA Fines Three Wisconsin Companies Over $231,000 For Workplace Safety and Health Violations
Three different companies in Wisconsin were hit with proposed fines by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during the months of March and April for alleged violations of federal workplace health and safety regulations. On March 29, 2010, Val-O-Mo Farm, Inc. in Elmwood was cited and fined after an October 2009 investigation into the […]
NTSB Says Poor Maintenance, Including Extremely Under-Inflated Tires, Caused 2008 Plane Crash That Killed Four And Critically Injured 2 In South Carolina
On April 6, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its findings in the investigation into the fatal, September 19, 2008 plane crash of a chartered, Bombardier Learjet at South Carolina’s Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The jet, carrying 6 people on board, was operated by Global Exec Aviation and was destined for Van Nuys, California, when […]
Bus Company Responsible For Fatal Phoenix Interstate Crash Was Operating Illegally; FMCSA Granted Emergency Action To Shut Down Carrier
The company involved in the fatal, March 5 bus crash outside of Phoenix, Arizona had been denied passenger carrier operating authority in April, 2009, but continued to operate anyways, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Pursuant to an emergency request by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Tierra Santa, Inc., was ordered […]
Jury Awards $7.1 Million Verdict To Family Of Victim Of Comair Flight 5191 Plane Crash
A jury in Lexington, Kentucky, awarded $7.1 Million to the family of a 39-year-old man killed when Comair Flight 5191 took off from the wrong runway at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport on August 27, 2006. After a four-day trial in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the jury of eight returned […]
