Illinois Construction Accidents & Personal Injury Lawsuits

Workers’ Compensation alone may not be enough to help cover your expenses after a construction site accident. You may have other legal options for recovering compensation. If you or a loved one has been involved in an Illinois construction accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080

Illinois Construction Accidents & Workers’ Compensation

Chicago construction site accidents will likely require Workers’ Compensation, but other forms of compensation may also be available. If you or a loved one has been involved in an Illinois construction accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080

Loading Dock Accidents & Forklift Safety

Forklift accidents on loading docks can cause serious injuries. If you or a loved one has been involved in a loading dock accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080

Loading Dock Accidents & Statute of Limitations

When you are injured in a loading dock accident, you will face a statute of limitations that only allows you to file a claim within a specific amount of time. If you or a loved one has been involved in a loading dock accident, a Chicago worksite accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080

Elevator Shaft Accidents & Illinois Workers’ Compensation Disputes

If you have been injured in an elevator shaft accident, you may have questions about how Workers’ Compensation will impact your potential for an injury settlement. A Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

Workers’ Compensation Requirements for Employers

Elevator shaft accidents are surprisingly common and can result in serious worksite injuries. If you or a loved one has been involved in an elevator shaft accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

Documenting Scaffolding Accidents

If you have been injured in a Chicago scaffolding accident, it is important that you properly document the incident and your resultant injuries. If you or a loved one has been involved in a scaffolding accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

Scaffolding Accidents & Illinois Damages

A scaffolding accident in Chicago can mean serious injuries and huge medical bills. If you or a loved one has been involved in a scaffolding accident, a Chicago construction accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file your personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

The Importance of Crane Safety

On US construction sites, crane accidents are one of the most common causes of injuries and deaths. If you have been injured in a Chicago crane accident, an experienced Chicago construction accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can provide you with a free case evaluation. – 312-263-1080.

The Dangers of Cranes on a City Construction Site

In 2008, a crane collapsed in New York City, killing two people and injuring several more. If you have been injured in a crane accident, an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can provide you with a free case evaluation – (312) 263-1080.

A Third Party Could be at Fault in Your Chicago Trench Accident

A third party could be responsible and legally liable for your injuries resulting from a trench collapse accident. If you have been injured in a trench collapse accident, an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can provide you with a free case evaluation. – 312-263-1080.

Safety Mandates to Prevent Trench Collapses

Understanding safety mandates regarding trenches could greatly aid you in your personal injury claim for your Chicago trench accident. If you have been injured in a trench collapse accident, an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can provide you with a free case evaluation. – 312-263-1080.

Preventing Construction Site Hazards with OSHA Safety Regulations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides standards for workplace safety. If you were injured at a construction site, there may have been OSHA violations that lead to your accident. The Chicago construction accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have the experience to properly investigate your claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

Common Construction Site Hazards

Construction sites carry many more hazards than the typical workplace. If you were injured at a construction site, the Chicago construction accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have the experience to fully investigate your claim. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.

Dealing with Insurance Companies in a Third-Party Liability Lawsuit

It’s important to understand how to deal with insurance companies in a third-party liability lawsuit. If you have been injured at work, contact a Chicago injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. for a free evaluation of your case – (312) 263-1080.

The No-Fault System and Illinois Workers’ Compensation

You may be wondering what the no-fault system means for Workers’ Compensation. If you have been injured at work, contact a Chicago personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. for a free evaluation of your case – (312) 263-1080.

Occupational Disease Compensation At a Glance

If you have been injured or made ill on the job, you may be entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits. If you have been diagnosed with a disease because of the nature of your work, you may be eligible to receive Occupational Disease Compensation. Contact a Chicago personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. for a free evaluation of your case – (312) 263-1080.

How do Temporary Total Disability benefits work?

You may be wondering how Temporary Total Disability benefits work. If you or someone you love has been injured in a work-related accident, contact a Chicago personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. for a free evaluation of your case – (312) 263-1080.

Truck driver killed in accident

A speeding car hit a tractor trailer last week in Connecticut, causing the truck to jackknife and rollover.  The driver of the truck was killed in the accident.  According to news reports, the cab of the tractor trailer came apart during the rollover accident.

As an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer, there are a few things that come to mind when reading a story like this:

• The family of the deceased truck driver is entitled to worker's compensation benefits;
• A skilled lawyer will know to look into the issue of whether the truck driver is covered by uninsured and/or underinsured motorist coverage through the policies on the truck he was driving at the time of the accident.  These can provide a significant additional amount of compensation for the family of the deceased truck driver; and
• It is worth investigating whether a products defect suit against the tractor manufacturer is viable.  The power units in a tractor trailer are not subject to the same kinds of regulations that cars are, but the basic design principle of crashworthiness still applies -- that truck drivers should be able to survive foreseeable crashes such as the one involved here.
  

Highway worker struck by truck

In Maryland last week, as highway workers tried to clear the roads of snow following the blizzard that hit that area, one worker was injured when the vehicle he was driving was hit by a tractor trailer.  The injured worker was towing an arrow board to alert traffic that one lane was closed ahead due to snow removal operations.  Even though he was towing an arrow board, a truck driver still managed to hit him.

Needless to say, it is a little perplexing to figure out how the truck driver missed the arrow board.  The likely culprit will probably be either distracted driving or fatigued driving, neither of which is an acceptable excuse for a professional truck driver.

Because this worker was injured on the job, he has a right to seek worker's compensation benefits.  He would also have a right to pursue a third party liability suit against the truck driver and his employer.  This would allow him to potentially recover a higher level of damages than he would receive just from worker's compensation.

However, the relationship between the third party trucking accident liability suit and the worker's compensation case is complex.  Had this occurred in Illinois, we would strongly recommend hiring an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer.

Reported settlements in Illinois worker's comp cases

One question that we receive frequently from potential clients is, "Why is my worker's comp settlement so much less than someone else who had the same injury?"

There are a few good reasons for this:

1.  The two main factors for determining the amount of a lump sum settlement are the nature of the injury and the injured person's average weekly wage (AWW).  A settlement in a worker's compensation case is for permanent partial disability (PPD) which is paid according to a schedule set in the Worker's Compensation Act at 60% of the AWW.  This means that if you suffered 50% of the loss of use of a body part that the Act values at 100 weeks pay, you would get 30 weeks pay at your average weekly wage.  This 100 weeks x 50% x 60% = 30 weeks pay.

The bottom line on this:  if someone has a higher average weekly wage, they will receive a higher settlement, even when the cases are otherwise identical.

2.  No two cases are truly identical, and there may be other factors which are coming into play, most likely that there is evidence of pre-existing conditions or that the injury you are making a comparison to is not truly the same kind of injury you had. 

The bottom line is that you need to evaluate your case on its own merits, and not look at what someone else is saying they go on their worker's compensation case as a guide for the value of your worker's compensation case.

Motorcycle cop injured by car failing to yield while turning left

Last week, outside Buffalo a sheriff's deputy assigned to escort duty on a motorcycle was injured when a car failed to yield the right of way  to him and made a left hand turn in front of him.  The deputy had to be taken to the hospital for leg and should injuries.  Sadly, this is like many of the other motorcycle accident cases we have discussed this year where the driver of the car failed to yield the right of way while making a left turn.

This motorcycle accident presents a classic type of third party car accident liability suit.  First because the deputy was on duty, he would be entitled to receive worker's compensation benefits in Illinois.  Second, because someone else was to blame for the accident, he can also pursue a lawsuit for his motorcycle accident.  This is commonly referred to as a third party liability suit.

The legal relationship between the worker's compensation case and the liability case can be very complex, so we always recommend hiring an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer to work with you on cases such as this to ensure that you take home the maximum possible compensation for your injuries.

Naperville accident claims life of Nicor employee

A Naperville motor vehicle accident last week claimed the life of a Nicor employee.  The Nicor employee was operating a backhoe on the shoulder of the road near the intersection of Leverenz Road and Book Road.  A box truck sideswiped the backhoe, causing it to topple over and trap the operator beneath it.  He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The family of the deceased Nicor employee is certainly entitled to worker's compensation death benefits, but can also pursue a third party motor vehicle liability suit and Illinois wrongful death suit against the driver of the box truck, and presumably his employer.  In serious accidents like this, it is crucial to identify all of the potential sources of compensation for the family of the decedent, so it would also be worth looking into seeing whether a product liability suit against the manufacturer of the would be feasible.  Areas worth considering is whether the outriggers on the backhoe were in use at the time and whether there was sufficient roll protection for the operator.  As experienced Chicago wrongful death lawyers, this would be part of the work-up that we would do on a case such as this.

Tractor trailer strikes bucket truck

A New Bedford, MA worker is recovering from serious injuries sustained when he was catapaulted from the elevated bucket of a bucket truck.  The bucket was raised to an elevation of about 30 feet and was supporting a worker who was painting traffic signal lights.  He was injured when a tractor trailer struck the support arm after the truck driver failed to notice the support arm for the bucket truck or the worker being raised in the bucket.

This truck accident actually results in two kinds of cases: the first is a worker's compensation claim on behalf of the injured worker, and the second, a third party liability suit against the truck driver.  The relationship between the worker's compensation case and the third party suit can be very complex, so we always recommend that anyone who is injured in a work-related accident like this hire an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer to reporesent their interests.

Some things you should know about medical care and worker's comp in Illinois

There are a few things that every worker should know about getting medical care after a work accident in Illinois:

• Your employer or their worker's compensation carrier is responsible for payment of all related medical expenses.
• It does not matter whether you have health insurance or not.  If you do not have health insurance, your bills are paid through worker's compensation insurance, which is a different kind of insurance than worker's compensation insurance.  Every employer in the State of Illinois is required to either have insurance or a certificate of self-insurance.
• Your health insurance will not cover work-related injuries.  "Putting it through health insurance" may make your employer feel better about not having to make a claim on his worker's comp coverage, but every health insurance policy I have seen excludes work injuries from coverage.  Health insurers known that your employer has to pay for a work injury, so they exclude it from coverage.
• You have a right to see your own doctor and receive care from your own doctor.  You have a right to physician choice in Illinois worker's compensation cases up to two times. 
• Any time you choose a doctor and he refers you to another doctor, that still counts as a single choice.
• You cannot be required to receive care at the company clinic or from the company doctor, but you may be required to see the company doctor for an "independent medical examination."  Most often, "independent medical examinations" are nothing but a pretext for cutting off worker's compensation benefits.  Being sent for an "IME" is a sign of bad things to come, and is one of the times that we suggest that you should be hiring an experienced Chicago worker's compensation lawyer.