Amusement park ride accidents can cause serious injuries or even death. If the rides are not adequately maintained or the safety rules in place are not followed, serious accidents can occur. In fact, according to RideAccidents.com, there have been 17 reported accidents stemming from amusement park rides thus far in 2011. A recent article describes a […]

In July, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, considered whether a homeowner was liable for the injuries sustained by a guest who fell as he walked down a flight of stairs. In Van Gelderen v. Hokin, No. 1-09-3283, the plaintiff claimed that the location of the door through which he exited in relation to […]

Popular wisdom is an interesting thing–it tends to be based on observation rather than scientific testing. But, interestingly, in many cases, once experiments are run to test the truth of a particular hypothesis, it turns out to be true. Such is the case with the longstanding, but unsubstantiated belief that medical errors increase in July. […]

Last year we wrote about an Illinois asbestos case that addressed the issue of whether an employer could be liable to the spouse of an employee who contracted mesothelioma cancer from asbestos found on the work clothes worn home by the employee. In Simpkins v. CSX Corp., No 5-07-0346, the Fifth District of the Appellate […]

Everyone signs them–those release forms that are often required before participating in a race or other physical activity. But, does signing that release actually prevent you from bringing a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois if you are seriously injured? An Illinois court considered that very issue last month in Hellwig v. Special Events Management, No. […]

Last month, 75 ex-football players filed suit the National Football League seeking unspecified amounts of damages for head injuries sustained over their careers. In the lawsuit, the players allege that the NFL knew of the harmful effects of multiple concussions as early as the 1920s, but kept that information from players until 2010. Riddell, the […]

The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, (33 U.S.C.S. § 901 et seq,. is a federal law that protects and provides benefits for those injured while working on “navigable waters” and those engaged in a “traditional maritime activity.”

During the past decade gluten-free has become a $2.6 billion dollar industry. The problem is that many of the products that are labeled gluten-free vary greatly with the amount of gluten actually present. The 2004 Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act mandated that the agency designate a federal standard for the term by 2008. […]

Illinois law already requires all front seat passengers and “children” under age 19 to wear seat belts. The new law requires any person, child or adult, riding in the backseat to buckle up.

To what extent is a railroad carrier liable under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) to an employee injured while at work? The Supreme Court of the United States considered this very issue in a recent case that arose in Illinois, CSX Transportation Inc. v. McBride, No. 10-235. McBride was a locomotive engineer for CSX […]