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 […]
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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 […]
Joshua L. Weisberg Selected Again to Thomson Reuters Most Recent Edition of Super Lawyers-Rising Stars
Joshua L. Weisberg, partner at Rapoport Weisberg Sims & VanOverloop has been selected for the second year in a row by Thomson Reuters for its 2012 Edition of Super Lawyers-Rising Stars. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in each state are named to the Rising Stars list. Mr. Weisberg was also recently named […]
David E. Rapoport Selected Again to Thomson Reuters Most Recent Edition of Super Lawyers
David E. Rapoport, founding partner of Rapoport Weisberg Sims & 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 […]
U.S. Department of Transportation Issues New Rule to Reduce Rollover Ejections
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a new safety rule aimed at reducing the number of occupants ejected from vehicles in rollover crashes. Under the new rule, vehicle manufacturers must develop a countermeasure for cars and light trucks which prevents the equivalent of an unbelted adult from moving more than 4 inches […]
Proposal in Wisconsin Would Make it Harder to Recover Damages
New Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has introduced a proposal which would make it more difficult for parties injured by defective products to recover damages in court. It would require that a plaintiff be able to prove exactly which part of the supply chain, the manufacturer, distributor or retailer, was responsible for the defect which caused […]
FAA Cracking Down On American And Northwest Airlines For Repeated Safety Maintenance Violations; Proposes Fines In The Millions
March is shaping up to be a rather expensive month for air carriers American and Northwest. On March 12, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was seeking $787,500 in fines against American Airlines stemming from three cases of alleged maintenance violations in 2008 and 2009. The first case involved the deferral of repairs to […]
NTSB to Report on Airbags and Shoulder Belts for General Aviation Planes
The National Transportation Safety Board is set to meet today to release a report on the effectiveness of airbags in mitigating injuries in survivable general aviation accidents. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the report will examine 138 accidents in planes equipped with airbags and look specifically at several accidents in which an airbag […]
