On February 28, 2011, Judge Gary Feinerman of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago ordered the distribution of more than $1.8 million to 67 victims of contaminated heparin-filled syringes, manufactured by Illinois-based pharmaceutical company AM2 PAT, Inc. In 2007, AM2 PAT manufactured heparin-filled syringes contaminated with the dangerous […]
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NTSB investigating fatal plane crash
The Chicago Tribune reports that the National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into a fatal plane crash that occurred Wednesday night in Indiana. The crash of the twin engine Cessna occurred at approximately 8:15 according to Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory. The tragic plane crash occurred in a rural area of Indiana about two […]
Engine failure forces Delta flight to make emergency landing
The Chicago Tribune reports that a flight originating from Fort Lauderdale airport was forced to make an emergency landing after the aircraft suffered a mid-air mechanical failure. The airplane had left the Florida airport at approximately 7:45 on Sunday morning. The engine failed shortly into the flight and the plane was forced to return to Fort […]
Patients Fight Back Against Banning Cameras From The Delivery Room
For years, expecting parents have been celebrating one of the most joyous occasions in life, the birth of a child, by taking pictures and video before, after, and often during the delivery. But recently many patients and their families have been surprised to learn that the hospital where the delivery is taking place has denied […]
Airplane collisions with wildlife an issue at Wisconsin airports
In January of 2009, a US Airways flight taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York struck a flock of Canadian Geese and was disabled. You likely remember the amazing water landing and rescue in the Hudson River. This dramatic event brought to light the dangers posed by wildlife collisions to aircraft during take-off and landing. Different […]
Worker killed in Chicago area construction accident
A 43 year-old construction worker was killed in the Chicago suburb of Glenview last week when he was struck by a metal beam. The man was working on part of a new $100 million dollar expansion of the Glenbrook Hospital. After being struck by the steel beam the worker was taken to the emergency room […]
AAJ Dispels Tort Reform Myths
The American Association for Justice has released a new primer separating the myths about the need for tort reform from the facts. Among the myths dispelled are “the number of lawsuits filed is skyrocketing.” In reality, AAJ cites statistics from the United States Department of Justice revealing a massive decrease in tort lawsuits. The statistics show that […]
Pilot rescued from frozen Wisconsin lake after plane crash
The pilot of a small airplane was rescued by snowmobilers after crash-landing on a frozen lake in southern Wisconsin. Rescue and dive teams from the Rock County sheriff’s department also responded at the scene after the crash was reported last evening. Fortunately the plane did not break through the ice of Lake Koshkonong during the […]
Rockford area father and son injured in semi-truck accident
Last week a father and son travelling in Toyota minivan sustained serious injuries in an accident on Illinois highway 75 when their vehicle collided head-on with a semi tractor trailer. According to an article from the Rockford Register Star, the accident occurred early Tuesday morning when the semi truck driver lost control of his rig which then […]
NHTSA Announces Recall of Ford Windstar Vans Over Safety Concerns
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has announced a recall of Ford Windstar vans due to concerns over a potential equipment defect posing an increased risk of crashing. The recall is intended to fix brackets and mounts in the front subframe that may separate and cause reduced steering control. More than 400,000 vehicles are potentially affected, including […]
CTA Bus passengers, motorists stuck on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive
This week’s blizzard that swept across the nation hit Chicago especially hard. Heavy snow and icy conditions on Lake Shore Drive had initially rendered it very slow although passable. But bus riders and motorists found themselves stranded after a series of crashes, including a bus accident, stopped traffic. Passengers on the number 146 bus were stranded […]
Report finds dangerous chemicals in home improvement products
A recent study found that the same chemicals and heavy metals that have been banned in children’s toys are still appearing in home improvement products such as floorings and wall coverings. The researchers focused on heavy metals such as lead and cadium as well as phthalates. These compounds can have negative medical consequences including learning disabilities, early […]
David E. Rapoport Selected Again to Thomson Reuters Most Recent Edition of Super Lawyers
David E. Rapoport, founding partner of Rapoport Sims Perry & VanOverloop has been selected for inclusion by Thomson Reuters for its 2012 Edition of Super Lawyers. Mr. Rapoport has been selected in every edition of Super Lawyers since the program came into existence. No more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are […]
Two Illinois Grain Operators Cited For Willfully Violating OSHA Labor Laws Resulting in Workers’ Deaths
The U.S. Department of Labor has fined two Illinois grain operators nearly $1.4 million following the deaths of three workers, including two teenagers, who were killed when they suffocated after being engulfed by grain. Haasbach LLC was issued 24 citations following an investigation into the deaths of the two teenage workers, Wyatt Whitebread and Alex Pacas (ages […]
An Amtrak train and two semi-trucks collide near Elmwood
In a story that sounds like a lead-in to a bad joke, There was an accident earlier this week involving two semi-trucks and an Amtrak train at the intersection of Highway 53 and Explosive Road. Determining liability in multi-vehicle accidents can be complicated because there is often not just one single collision, but instead a […]
Family of girls killed in accident with trooper receives $8M
The Illinois Court of Claims has awarded $8 million to the parents of two Collinsville sisters who were killed in an auto accident caused by an Illinois state trooper. Judge Peter J. Birnbaum’s opinion in the wrongful death case stated that when the trooper drove his vehicle “at a speed of 126 mph he operated his vehicle […]
OSHA Investigating after Heavy Equipment falls on Workers
Two workers at the Good Samaritan hospital in Downers Grove were injured last week when a 3,000 pound piece of equipment fell on them. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating what caused the equipment to fall. One of the workers was treated and released and the other remains in fair condition at the […]
Study Questions use of Nitric Oxide for Premature Infants
A recent study released by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center finds that administering nitric oxide gas to infants born prior to 34 weeks may not provide a health benefit in most cases. Babies born pre-term are regularly given nitrous oxide gas in an effort to improve survival rates and avoid disabilities and related complications such […]
NTSB Study Shows Benefits of Airbags and Shoulder Harnesses In General Aviation Aircraft
The National Transportation Safety Board has adopted a study confirming the safety benefits of shoulder harnesses in general aviation accidents and concluding that airbags can provide additional protection for occupants of such aircraft. Everyone is familiar with airbags in cars, where they have been mandatory for more than a decade, but the general public may not be […]
Seahawks’ Plane Struck by Laser While Returning from Chicago
According to the FAA, a laser pointed at an aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot and threatens the lives of the passengers and flight crew on board the plane. They have documented over 3,000 incidents of lasers being pointed at airplanes. The effect of lasers pointed at an airplane can be especially dangerous at night […]
