Semi truck at loading dock

Should truck weight limits be increased despite safety risks?

Legislation is currently pending in Congress which would permit the weight limits of trucks to increase by 20%. Currently, the weight limit for trucks traveling U.S. interstates is 80,000 pounds. Proponents of the proposed law, which includes a group made up of large shipping companies, including the likes of Coca Cola and The Home Depot, […]

Speed camera

Chicago to install speeding cameras

Last week, we discussed the safety issues presented when municipalities outsource the maintenance of red light cameras and in the past, we’ve discussed the continuing debate about the efficacy of red light cameras. Now, in Chicago, there are concerns regarding the new proposal to install speed cameras at Chicago intersections located near schools and city […]

Red traffic light

Does outsourcing maintenance of red light camera systems sacrifice safety?

In recent years, many cities have installed red light cameras at intersections. These cameras take photos of drivers running red lights and then tickets are issued based upon the photos. Red light cameras are not particularly popular with motorists and, based upon the results of numerous studies, some have questioned the safety of these systems. […]

Work Injury Claim form

The Workers’ Compensation System Should Not Be Used as a Scapegoat

As the economy limps along, everyone is looking for someone, or something, to blame. Increasingly, workers’ compensation programs have been targeted, with opponents portraying them as an unnecessary expense that undermines local businesses’ attempts to survive in this challenging economic climate. Critics of the workers’ compensation system offer what appear to be, at first glance, […]

Teenagers in a car collision

Teen Drivers and Distracted Driving–A Lethal Combination

Distracted driving is a problem for anyone who drives a car. If you’re not paying attention to the road and are focused on something else, whether it’s your cell phone, the radio, or a GPS device, you’re putting others on the road at risk. Distracted driving is dangerous, no matter who’s doing it. But it’s […]

Injured construction worker laying on ground

Findings Support Worker’s Claim That His COPD Was Work-Related

The Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, recently considered the denial of a workers’ claim for workers’ compensation benefits where the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission concluded that his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease was caused solely by his cigarette smoking. In Gross v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, No. 4-10-0615WC, at issue was whether the claimant’s COPD […]

Young handcuffed teenage boy

Shoplifting

Have you ever been in a store and had someone follow you around watching your every move? That usually is because shoplifting is big business and, during a recession, it typically grows. Many retailers use deterrents such as surveillance cameras and security tags to deter shoplifters. Because of the high number of store thieves in the past few years, store managers and owners are more likely to accuse first and ask questions later. Accusing, holding, and detaining shoplifters can put store managers and owners at a risk for civil liability if the accusations are untrue.

Man with wallet in back pocket

Beware of Pickpockets

The holiday shopping season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, and with that so do the pickpockets. On a typical day in Chicago the streets are filled with hundreds of shoppers, tourists and business people who can be seen talking on a cell phone, texting, taking pictures or wearing earphones as they listen to music on their electronic devices; everything except focused on their surroundings. These distractions, together with larger crowds, make you a perfect target for a pickpocket or a scam artist.

Child holding teddy bear

November is National Child Safety and Protection Month

November is National Child Safety and Protection Month and you should consider putting together a plan for what to do if your child is taken by an estranged relative, goes missing, or even is kidnapped. You have a plan for if a fire strikes your home, a designated case of emergency person should something happen to you and even a will for when you pass away. Knowing what to do if something should happen to your child is just as important.

Doctors doing research

Illinois Doctor Database Passed Under Overturned Medical MalPractice Law is Reinstituted

Last year, Illinois lawmakers passed a comprehensive medical care reform bill that imposed a cap in medical malpractice cases. As explained at the PopTort, when that law was overturned as unconstitutional, a number of other beneficial medical malpractice regulatory laws that were included as part of the reform were scrapped as well due to a […]