blog | Lane Brown, LLC

As you sit by your loved one’s bedside, it can be hard to predict all of the possible costs of a brain injury. It is difficult to imagine all of the emotional, physical, and financial repercussions of a doctor’s negligence. However, it is also important to plan for the future after a medical malpractice incident changes the course of your life.

The Costs You Could Incur

Every individual is unique and so too is every brain injury; it is not possible for us to provide you with the specific cost of your loved one’s brain injury in a blog post. However, we can encourage you to think about the following costs:

Medical costs. Your loved one’s ongoing medical care may be expensive. Hospital stays in Chicago, rehabilitation therapies, nursing home costs, in-home health care, and other costs can add up very quickly.
Lost income. If your loved one can no longer earn the money he earned prior to his accident, that is a significant cost to your family.
Emotional suffering. There is no price that can be put on the emotional suffering that your loved one has to endure because of the negligence of a doctor or hospital.
Physical pain. The pain can be excruciating and limit what your loved one can do after a brain injury.
Out-of-pocket costs. The costs of household help in your Chicago-area home can be expensive.
Other damages. Think about all of your costs, and talk to your lawyer about how to recover for them.

We can also encourage you to find out how to recover for these costs and make a fair recovery.

Get Started Today

Don’t let these costs add up without getting the relief that you deserve. Instead, learn how you can take care of your loved one, yourself, and your family by reading our FREE book, What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt by Your Doctors or Hospital.

You know that the crash that just occurred on the Eisenhower Expressway, the Edens Expressway, or another Chicago road was bad. The truck that hit you was big, and the force was significant. The wreckage is substantial, and you are left stunned and scared. You hit your head, but you do not yet know how badly you are hurt.

Not All Brain Injuries Are the Same

Several different types of brain injuries can occur after a serious accident. The specific type of brain injury depends on the force of the impact. Following are four of the most common:

Concussion. A concussion, which can occur as a result of a blow to the head, violent shaking, or force from a whiplash injury, is the most common type of brain injury. It may result in lifelong injuries if it is not properly treated.
Contusion. A contusion is bleeding on the brain caused by a direct blow to the head. Some contusions have to be surgically removed.
Diffuse Axonal. The rotational force of a car accident can cause the skull to move while the brain stays in place. The result may be a tearing in the brain that causes significant brain damage, a coma, or death.
Penetration Injury. As the name suggests, a penetration injury occurs when an object goes through the skull and into the brain. The damage that is done, and whether an individual survives, depends on what part of the brain is damaged.

No matter which diagnosis you receive, it is important to know that your treatment and your recovery will be unique.

You Deserve to Be Fairly Compensated

If a trucker or trucking company caused your injury, it is important to understand how to make a fair recovery. Please start an online chat with us now for more information.

Recently, an 18-month-old child was run over by a lawn mower at a home daycare in Wichita, Kansas. The child was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition; her leg injury was so severe that she may face a below-knee amputation. She was later transferred to a Kansas City hospital in hopes that doctors there could save her leg.

Here’s What We Know Now

While few details have been released about this tragic lawn mower accident, it is important for all parents and caregivers of young children to know the truth about lawn mower accidents. Before you mow the lawn again, please know that:

More than half of traumatic amputation injuries in children occur because of lawn mower accidents.
About 80,000 people, including more than 9,000 people under age 20, are hurt in lawn mower accidents every year.
Lawn mower operators are often not at fault for lawn mower accidents that involve children. Instead, there may be a design defect or manufacturing problem with a lawn mower that results in a serious accident. To compound the problem, children may not recognize the inherent risks of lawn mowers because of their experience with realistic-looking lawn mower toys that are marketed to children.

If your child is a victim of a lawn mower accident, you can find out more about his legal rights by starting a live chat or connecting with us using our online contact form.

Please Help Raise Awareness Among Your Family and Friends

We do not want what happened to this toddler in Wichita to happen to any other child. Please help keep your loved ones safe by talking to your friends and family about the potential dangers of lawn mower accidents and by sharing this blog on Facebook or Twitter.

The thought is horrifying. Someone whom you trusted to work at your business and to be around children is committing child sex abuse. As an employer, it is important that you know exactly what to do to protect the children who may be hurt, to prevent the employee from doing any further damage, and to protect yourself from potential liability.

What to Do Right Now

If you think a child is currently being abused or is in imminent danger of being abused, call 911 immediately. The police need to be notified right away, and they may need to come to your school in Chicago, daycare in Arlington Heights, or other Cook County business to provide immediate protection for the child, or children, who are being hurt.

If, however, you have reason to believe that a child has been abused but there is no immediate danger, you should:

Contact the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
Call the parents of the child or children who may have been abused

Additionally, you should begin your own internal investigation. However, it is important that you also report the suspected incidents to the state. Doing your own internal investigation does not relieve you of that responsibility.

What If It Was Your Own Child?

What would you do if your own child was abused? The answer to that question should guide your actions. Additionally, you should know how to answer that question if a parent asks it of you. You could, for example, encourage a parent to watch our free videos and read our free articles for important information about how to help his child recover.

You have no doubt about what happened. You know who caused your recent truck accident on I-94, I-290, or another Chicago-area road, and you know it was the truck accident that caused your spinal cord injury. You might expect that the trucker, the trucking company, and the insurance company also know the truth. However, unless you fight for your fair and just recovery, you should not expect to make such a recovery.

How a Lawyer Can Help

A spinal cord injury can change your life forever. Currently there is no cure for this type of injury, and the impact on your life may be permanent. Yet, that is not a reason to give up on recovering fair damages. An attorney can help you recovery money for the following:

Medical and rehabilitation expenses. Surgeries, medications, specialized medical equipment, physical therapy, and occupational therapy may be just some of the medical expenses you incur now and will continue to incur in the future.
Out-of-pocket costs. You may need help with transportation, childcare, and maintaining your home.
Lost income. You may not be able to work or earn the same income that you did prior to your spinal cord injury.

You only have one chance to make a recovery, and your time to do so is limited. Once the statute of limitations expires, you will no longer have the right to bring a lawsuit or to recover damages.

You Have a Decision to Make

And you deserve to be fully informed of your choices before you make those decisions. To find out more about your legal rights, possible recovery, and how a lawyer may help you after a truck wreck, please fill out our online contact form today or call us directly to schedule a free consultation.

How often do you look up when you walk the streets of Chicago? Do you worry about things falling from the sky and causing you harm? It might not be a danger that you think of often, but it is one that you might want to consider going forward.

Consider What Happened to One Chicago Woman and Her Family

On Thursday September 4, 2014, a mother of two was walking to lunch with her fiancé in Chicago’s South Loop. As she walked by the Second Presbyterian Church on South Michigan Avenue, a piece of decorative metal broke loose and hit a stone gargoyle. A portion of the gargoyle broke off and fell, hitting the woman in the head. She died at the scene, with her fiancé by her side. She is survived by her fiancé, her two children ages 10 and 14, and other relatives and friends.

Other Dangers That Lurk Above

It isn’t only falling gargoyles that you have to watch for as you walk Chicago’s sidewalks. You should also be aware of the following types of hazards:

Construction rubbish
Debris from trucks
Objects falling from rooftops where people are gathered
Pieces of buildings that may fall after a significant weather event, because of poor construction, or because of old age

Many types of accidents involving falling debris are possible, and it is important to know what to do if you are injured. If you have been hurt, or if you have lost a loved one because of falling debris, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and possible recovery. You can do that by starting a live chat, calling us directly, or filling out our online contact form today.