blog | Lane Brown, LLC

Car crashes happen every day. Some are serious, some are minor. No matter the severity, every crash leaves us, as drivers, a little shaken up, more acutely aware of the roadways afterwards, and in some cases, severely injured. But did you know that in many cases, those accident-related injuries are not directly caused by the crashes themselves? Many times these injuries are caused by the airbags designed to keep us safe.

During the first 10 months of 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that more than six million cars were recalled because of potential dangers related to defective airbags. This is a significant problem, since airbags have been known to fail in a variety of ways. They can: fail to deploy during and accident, deploy while motorists are safely driving behind the wheel, or even cover passengers with dangerous chemicals, gases, or metal shrapnel when they explode. All of these defective airbag cases can, and have, caused serious injury or death.

Through mid-October, car manufacturers have issued 29 separate airbag recalls, a record-setting number for our nation. One of these most recent recalls came in October when Toyota recalled more than 800,000 vehicles because of electrical problems that prevented the airbags from opening during a crash.

As science and technology improve, why are more and more defective airbag recalls happening?

Airbag systems are more complex. Some manufactures put as many as 10 airbags in each car they assemble. This means that there are more electrical components, sensors, and mechanisms to fail during a crash. If performance isn’t calculated perfectly, people can die.
A few airbag manufacturers supply products to multiple companies for numerous vehicle models. When one airbag company announces that their airbags have a problem, numerous auto manufacturers are affected. In these cases, there may be four or five car models per company that have to be pulled to correct the problem. In 2013, more than half of the 23 defective airbag recalls that have happened stemmed from only two airbag manufacturers.

This news is extremely important to you as a motorist, because, if you are ever involved in a high-speed car accident on a Chicago toll way or interstate, or even in a low-impact crash through one of Chicago’s residential neighborhoods, the airbags designed to keep you safe could be the very cause of your injuries.

So, as you drive around Cook County’s highways-and-byways, just remember that 2013 is not over yet. The airbags in your car could be next on the list.

If you have legal questions concerning your car accident and related injuries, please contact us today to schedule your free consultation. You can also request a free copy of the guidebook The 8 Steps to Follow After Your Illinois Car Accident.

Boston US Attorney Carmen Ortiz is joining Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette in announcing new developments in a state and federal investigation of New England Compounding Center’s role in nationwide outbreaks of fungal meningitis. The company sold steroid injection materials that have been linked to hundreds of meningitis and other infections around the country.

Meningitis, an inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord, can be a crippling, and even deadly infection that affects the central nervous system. Meningitis can be caused by bacterial infections, fungal infections, or viruses. Meningitis can be fatal within hours, so it’s important to know the symptoms. The first symptoms are usually fever, vomiting, headache and feeling generally unwell. Other symptoms of meningitis may include rash (anywhere on the body), sensitivity to bright light, lethargy or unusual sleepiness (difficulty waking), confusion and seizure activity.

Because a person suffering from meningitis can become seriously ill very quickly, if you suspect any of the above symptoms, you should trust your instincts and get the person to medical help as quickly as possible. Oftentimes, if detected early enough, meningitis can be treated successfully. On the other hand, if not treated promptly enough, meningitis can case severe neurological injuries, brain damage and even death. The victims of poorly managed meningitis often suffer life-changing losses… crippling physical and economic damages and emotional tolls.

If you or a loved one has been injured by meningitis, we may be able to help you to take action. Please contact the attorneys of Lane Brown, LLC, or call us at 312-332-1400 to speak with us about your options. We can help.

Staff shortages and overextended shifts for nurses are a nationwide issue, according to National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union representing registered nurses, with nearly 185,000 members throughout the country. “Chronic understaffing is rampant throughout hospitals around the country,” said Bonnie Castillo, the union’s government relations director. “It is probably the single biggest issue facing nurses nowadays, and it’s not only affecting nurses, but patient health as well.”

Hospitals choosing to understaff and overwork their nursing staffs risk the health of nurses and patients alike. Recently, the husband of an Ohio nurse who was killed in a car accident while driving home after a 12-hour shift, filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging that from 2011 to the time of her death, his wife’s unit at the Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati was “regularly understaffed,” causing some nurses, including his wife, to work through breaks and pick up additional shifts.

While the nurses themselves may be exercising a choice to work longer and harder hours, patients do not enjoy the choice of who their nurses are, or what their state of readiness or exhaustion may be. Nursing understaffing and exhaustion is dangerous, especially to patients!

If you or a loved one has been injured during a Chicago hospital stay, you may be able to take action. Please contact the attorneys of Lane Brown, LLC, or call us at 312-332-1400 to speak with us about your options. We can help.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (11/12, Barrett, 798K), “Harley-Davidson Inc. has issued another safety recall on its 2014 Project Rushmore motorcycles, this one for a defect that could result in the loss of brake fluid.” The Journal Sentinel notes that the recall of 436 cycles is for 3-wheeled motorcycles, “trikes”, manufactured from July 24 through Sept. 2, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Journal Sentinel explains that “due to an incorrectly machined part, the trike may have an excessive steering angle that allows the inner fairing to come into contact with a brake fluid reservoir, resulting in a loss of fluid.”

Motorcycle “safety” has always been questioned, and some refer to them generally as “donorcycles”. It’s true that motorcycles offer less protection to riders than other, enclosed vehicles, but it’s for that very reason that motorcycle manufacturers must use the highest diligence in their manufacture and design quality controls and pre-sale safety inspections. Brake failures in any vehicle are dangerous. Brake failures with motorcycles are often catastrophic. Too often, blame is unfairly placed on motorcycle riders, who are often more highly trained, experienced and careful in the operation of their vehicles than many automobile drivers. Those conscientious motorcycle riders cannot control other drivers. They can control and conform their driving to some road, weather and traffic conditions. When their motorcycle is defective, life and death tragedy that is beyond their control may be just around the next bend in the road.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious personal injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident, you may be able to take action. Please contact the attorneys of Lane Brown, LLC, or call us at 312-332-1400 to speak with us about your options. We can help. To learn more about Lane Brown, please visit our website at lanebrownlaw.com.

We’ve all seen “those” drivers on the road — those that drive too slow in the fast lane, change their speed without cause, or can’t seem to pick a lane to drive in. When we’re running late, most of us don’t like being caught driving behind the slow-moving truck or school bus. But, when feelings of frustration behind the wheel turn to road rage, everyone around is put in greater risk of being involved in a serious traffic accident.

Was your Cook County traffic accident the result of road rage? Often described alongside aggressive driving, motorists driving with road rage are often distracted while driving, focusing more on their emotional reaction to other drivers than on safe driving habits. The signs of road rage can often lead to serious auto accidents, or even physical confrontations, between drivers. When aggression takes over, clear, rational, controlled thought can be replaced with revenge, anger, and hostility, all of which can be a breeding grounds for disaster on the road.

Pay Attention to Common Signs of Road Rage

Excessive honking at other drivers.
Swearing or using foul language at other drivers, whether they can hear you or not.
Tailgating other drivers.
Swerving in out of multiple lanes, cutting off other drivers.
Speeding up to prevent other drivers from passing or merging.
Stealing other drivers’ parking spots in lots while they wait.
Assaulting other drivers, whether physically or using a vehicle as a weapon.

There can be a wide variety of reasons why a driver would be enraged while behind the wheel. But, no matter the cause, drivers have a responsibility to make safe choices while driving, so as not to endanger themselves or others on the road. When they fail to do so, they may be found negligent for their actions if they cause an accident.

As motorists, we can make every attempt to follow safe driving practices, but ultimately, we have no control over other drivers on the road. If you were seriously injured in a Chicago area car accident, and believe that driver road rage may have been a contributing factor to the crash, having an experienced traffic accident attorney on your side can help you assert your legal rights. Call Lane Brown, LLC at 312-332-1400 today to schedule a no-cost appointment with an attorney to discuss your claim.

4The Nursing Home Reform Act was passed in 1987 in an effort to reduce nursing home negligence and to ensure a standard of quality care for residents depending on the long-term care provided by medical professionals. And today, despite the laws and regulations that have been put in place over the 25 years, nursing home negligence is still prevalent. Patients are injured, go unfed, and are neglected, often left helpless to respond to the poor care being provided to them. However, because The Residents’ Bill of Rights exists, guilty parties can be held accountable for deliberate neglect and denial of patient rights.

If you believe your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect in Illinois, an experienced attorney can help you better understand these patient rights, and who might be liable if your loved one was injured.

The Residents’ Bill of Rights

The right to freedom from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment.
The right to freedom from physical restraints.
Right to privacy.
The right to have accommodations for medical, physical, psychological, and social needs.
The right to participate in resident and family groups.
The right to be treated with dignity.
The right to exercise self-determination.
The right to communicate freely (with family, friends, other residents, and staff).
The Right to participate in the review or one’s care plan, and to be fully informed in advance about any changes in care, treatment, or change of status in the facility.
The Right to voice grievances without fear of discrimination or reprisal.

Our experienced, personal injury attorneys at Lane Brown have a successful history of fighting for the rights of victims of serious injury or wrongful death accidents. We may be able to help you receive the compensation you are entitled to after a nursing home neglect incident. Call 312-332-1400 today to schedule your free case evaluation.