Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog

As a personal injury lawyer in Chicago, I have represented many clients who were diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These individuals who experienced traumatic events, such as a being in a car accident, received compensation for their injuries related to their PTSD. Although PTSD is not always visible like a broken arm or leg, the injury and pain is very real.

For more information on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, please review the following online resources and consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist:

PTSD Facts on Google Health
National Institute of Mental Health - PTSD
Mayo Clinic defines PTSD

Continue reading "PTSD: A SERIOUS CONDITION DESERVES SERIOUS COMPENSATION" »

Two boats collided Saturday night in Lake County's Nippersink Lake. Both drivers have since been charged with operating under the influence.

The driver of a 22-foot Crownline, a 53-year old man from Fox Lake, was driving his boat allegedly under the influence when he collided with a 20-foot Crownline, driven by a 48-year old man from Glenview. The 22-footer flipped over in the collision, sending a 55-year old female passenger out of the boat. A passerby rescued the woman and two deputies from the Lake County Sheriff's Marine Unit resuscitated her with CPR. She was taken by Flight for Life to Centegra Hospital-McHenry where she is now in fair condition.

This story serves as a reminder to all of us that drinking while boating is dangerous and can lead to catastrophic injuries. Thankfully there were no fatalities in this accident.

Two Illinois teenagers were seriously injured Friday when the water tubes they were riding on collided with a floating wooden dock on Round Lake in Van Buren County, Michigan. The boys, ages 11 and 17, were riding on individual tubes and being pulled by a speed boat. When the boat turned toward shore, a third tube ridden by a 13-year-old boy struck the other two tubes. The collision caused the tubes carrying the 11-year-old and 17-year-old to spin toward shore where they struck a floating wooden dock and were ejected from the tubes. The older boy landed on the dock, while the younger boy struck the dock's side and came to rest under it.

The 11-year-old suffered severe head trauma and multiple internal injuries and was flown to South Bend Memorial Hospital's trauma center in Indiana. The older teen also suffered severe internal injuries, multiple scrapes on his arms and a cue to his face and was also taken to the trauma center in South Bend. The 13-year-old boy on the third tube was uninjured in the incident. The boat's drive and four other passengers on the speed boat were unharmed.

Tubing can be a fun summertime activity, but it is important to keep the following safety tips in mind so that your tubing experience is not just fun, but also safe.

* Always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when tubing. A life jacket is especially important in the event that the rider should become separated from the boat.

* Know your equipment. Be familiar with the capabilities of your water sports tubing equipment. It is important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for water tubing capacity in terms of size and weight, number of riders, age limits and maximum towing speed.

* Know your rider. Know the capability of your rider, especially when young children are involved. While sharp turns, high speeds and big waves can be fun, these should never come at the expense of rider safety.

* Use a spotter. Designate one person on board the boat as a spotter who will keep a look-out for water tubing accidents or see if anyone has fallen off the tube. The driver of the boat should concentrate on oncoming obstacles, not on the people riding on the tubes.

* Be aware of water regulations, in particular, be mindful of towing speeds.

* Drive responsibly. The driver should be alert, sober and have a solid grasp of boating rules and regulations. be respectful of and keep your distance from other boats in the area when pulling tubes and always keep an eye out for additional water hazards such as rocks, docks and buoys.

* Use a secure tow line. Check for sings of wear, tear and fraying and replace as needed. Be sure to only use rope that is specifically designated for towing inflatables. Make sure the tow line is securely tied before take off.

* Never start the boat without first making sure that your rider is ready to go, meaning they have a firm grip on the line, are properly positioned on the tube, and that the line is properly and safely positioned.

* Handle wakes with care. Slow the boat speed when crossing wakes. Bouncing off wakes at extremely high speeds has been known to cause back injury, especially with riders who are water tubing stomach-down.

* Exercise caution when pulling more than one tube. It is especially important to travel at slower speeds and keep an extra careful eye out if you are boat tubing with more than one tube. Dual water sports tubing can often result in large crashes and serious accident should the tubes collide.

Continue reading "TWO TEENS INJURED IN TUBING ACCIDENT" »

A first-grade teacher from DeKalb died in a June 25 boating accident on the Vermilion River in Oglesby. Her co-worker, a third-grade teacher from the same school, has since been charged with operating a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol. Also charged was a 38-year-old Florida man.

The three were rafting on the Vermilion River in Oglesby when their raft went over the dam and was caught in the "boil" of recirculating currents at the dam's base. Instead of moving to the river right passage, their raft went over the low head damn. Although all three were wearing approved flotation, devices, the one teacher drowned and was pronounced dead at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) just recently spearheaded an initiative called "Operation Dry Water" aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related deaths and injuries due to boating while intoxicated. During the weekend of June 26 through June 28, the NASBLA, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and other partner agencies, coordinated a national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.

Coast Guard statistics indicate that 21% of all boating fatalities in 2007 were a result of alcohol use. This continues an upward trend in the percentage of fatalities where alcohol was the primary cause of the accident. Alcohol can impair a boater's judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion – "stressors" common to the boating environment – intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications.

As the 4th of July weekend approaches, I urge everyone to designate a driver...for both the roads and the waterways. Celebrate safely this Independence Day!!

Continue reading "DEKALB TEACHER DIES IN BOATING ACCIDENT" »

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), more people have died on Illinois waters in the past 8 months than were killed in boating accidents in the entire 12 months before. Thirteen people died on Illinois waters from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008, compared with 14 people who have died since October 1, 2008.

IDNR hopes the grim numbers lead fishermen and recreational boaters to exercise caution on the water this summer. IDNR Director Marc Miller reminded boaters that "safety should always be your first priority when it comes to outdoor recreation." Boating safely can be mastered easily thanks to free boat safety classes offered by the IDNR. These courses review boating laws and provide instruction on safe and attentive operation of watercraft.

While Illinois state law requires young boaters aged 12 to 17 to take boating education courses, statistics show that the majority of accidents involve older boaters who are not required to take safety classes. Indeed, 80% of injuries, 61% of fatalities and 72% of watercraft involved in accidents were operated by people between 20 and 59 years of age. Most of the operators in those accidents had over 100 hours of boating experience but little to no classroom safety instruction.

IDNR Chief of Law Enforcement Rafael Gutierrez noted, "Again and again, we see accidents, injuries, and sometimes deaths, that could be avoided." Wearing a personal flotation device could have prevented many of the deaths according to Gutierrez.

Continue reading "NUMBER OF DEATHS ON ILLINOIS WATERS IS UP" »

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, we begin to get involved with more outdoor activities. Not only are we kicking off barbeque season, the warmer weather often means the beginning of boating season.

Drowning remains second only to motor vehicles accident as the leading cause of unintentional injuries-related death among children ages 1 to 14. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep their children safe on the water and mandating that children wear life jackets. Ironically, many parents enforce the helmet safety rules when their children are riding bicycles but do not force them to wear life jackets.

Unfortunately, many parents are under the mistaken notion that they are capable of diving into the water to rescue a child who falls overboard. This is a dangerous misconception. Under many circumstances, an adult may not notice a child falling overboard right away. Some children will not surface immediately. Many rivers and lakes have murky water and it is often difficult to locate a child. This is especially true when a boat or vessel is in motion.

How can parents assist children in this endeavor? The coast guard recommends adults always wear life jackets as well. This is not only to keep themselves safe but to demonstrate safe behavior for their children. Boaters should never operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol. Boaters should always wear life jackets and require their passengers to wear life jackets as well. Additionally, a boat safety course provides boaters with additional information on how to keep safe out on the water.

Continue reading "CHICAGO BOATING ACCIDENT LAWYER HIGHLIGHTS SAFETY RULES" »

The weather is warming up in Chicagoland as spring has finally arrived. With the warmer weather comes an increase in outdoor recreational activities, including boating. Boating is a lot of fun, but it can also be extremely dangerous. As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I have represented many people injured in boating accidents. It is imperative that boat operators do not drink and drive and that the U.S. Coast Guard Rules are followed to avoid collisions between watercraft.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, alcohol is the leading contributing factor in boating accidents; in 2007, alcohol was listed as the leading factor in 21% of the boat-related deaths.

Sadly, on the evening of Easter Sunday, a tragic boating accident occurred near St. Augustine, Florida, that took the lives of five people and seriously injured seven others. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is leading the investigation into this tragedy. According to FWC investigators, a 22-foot boat with 12 people on board struck the the rear and right side of a 25-foot tugboat. In 2007, collisions between boats accounted for 1,329 of the boating accidents reported to the U.S. Coast Guard. These collisions resulted in 66 deaths and 953 injuries.

Continue reading "BOATING ACCIDENT LAWYER ENCOURAGES SAFE BOAT OPERATION" »