Posted on October 07, 2022 in Personal Injury

For more than three decades, veterans and their families have tried to seek justice and financial compensation for the injuries they experienced at Camp Lejeune. Contaminated water at the base was a hidden hazard that led to severe illnesses and death. There is new legislation creating an opportunity for you to seek restitution from the federal government. A personal injury attorney can help you navigate the governmental bureaucracy and legal challenges to bring you the compensation you deserve.

What Has Changed?

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is now law and a part of the Honoring Our PACT Act,

a veterans’ healthcare and benefits legislation. It lays out a new process that allows Marines and their family members to seek compensation for injuries sustained from contaminated water at the base.

In 2012, veterans received access to medical care for Camp Lejeune illnesses stemming from the toxic chemicals in the water for qualifying medical conditions. Employees and veterans were only eligible for certain benefits such as health care from VA-affiliate care centers. Loopholes prevented victims from pursuing legal action against the United States government.

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 Posted on September 30, 2022 in Personal Injury

Allergic reactions occur when the human body’s immune system is sensitive to a substance in food, medication, or the environment. Allergic reactions can be mild, but they can also be severe enough to kill someone. When doctors are treating patients with allergies, they need to pay close attention to whether the allergy is something to which a patient could be exposed during the course of treatment. When doctors are distracted, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or negligent in their duties, patients can be exposed to allergens at the risk of their very lives. Anaphylactic shock, permanent organ damage, and wrongful death may occur when patients are administered improper medication or exposed to allergens in a hospital. 

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 Posted on September 23, 2022 in Personal Injury

Marines and their family members who served and worked at Camp Lejeune during certain years were exposed to dangerous levels of toxic substances in the drinking water on base. Many serious and even fatal illnesses have been associated with exposure to the water and the U.S. government has now made it easier to recover compensation for the suffering and medical expenses of Camp Lejeune victims. Some people who may be eligible for compensation may be worried that they will lose their Veterans Association (VA) benefits if they receive a Camp Lejeune settlement. 

Can I Get VA Disability Benefits and a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit Settlement? 

Veterans, reservists, and guardsmen who have not been dishonorably discharged and who served at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River between August 1953 and December 1987 for at least 30 days may be eligible to receive disability benefits from the VA. Those seeking benefits must also have a diagnosis for one or more conditions, including: 

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 Posted on September 16, 2022 in Personal Injury

Accidents often occur at Illinois construction sites and usually, the people injured are construction workers. But sometimes, pedestrians passing by or crossing through a construction site can suffer serious injuries as well, through no fault of their own. In cases of serious injuries involving pedestrians and construction sites, the construction company or third-party contractors may be held responsible for compensating the pedestrian for their injuries. If you or someone you love has been injured at a construction site, make sure you speak with an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney before speaking with the construction company or accepting any settlement offers. 

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 Posted on September 09, 2022 in Wrongful Death

Many American construction workers are injured or killed by electrical hazards at job sites every year, and a tragic percentage of these deaths take place in Illinois. In some years, as many as half of all construction site fatalities happen because a worker was electrocuted on a job site. 

When these wrongful deaths result from negligence, the deceased party’s loved ones are entitled to compensation from the responsible party. If an employer’s negligent actions caused or contributed to the worker’s death, workers’ compensation provides benefits to surviving family members. But when a third party is responsible for the worker’s death, surviving family members may need to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover the damages to which they are entitled. 

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 Posted on August 31, 2022 in Personal Injury

Earlier this month, United States Armed Forces servicemembers and activists celebrated a major milestone: Legislation was finally signed into law that will help veterans exposed to different kinds of toxic substances during their service recover damages for their injuries. An important part of this legislation aims to help servicemembers, their families, and employees who were living at Camp Lejeune from 1953 through 1987, when leaking toxic substances from a nearby dry cleaning factory tainted the drinking water with dangerous chemicals. Exposure to these chemicals resulted in many long-term and even fatal illnesses for many people and now, thanks to this legislation, they can now pursue compensation for their injuries. 

How Can I Prove I Lived at Camp Lejeune? 

Unfortunately, getting benefits for injuries sustained at Camp Lejeune is not an instant guarantee. Victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination will need to prove that they were at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987. They will also need to show evidence that they were injured by the water at Camp Lejeune. 

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 Posted on August 24, 2022 in Car Accidents

Texting while driving is illegal in Illinois, but thousands of people still do it every day. In 2020, distracted driving lead to nearly 200 people losing their lives in car accidents in Illinois alone. Even more financial and physical damage was caused by the many distracted driving accidents that were not fatal. 

The primary cause of distracted driving accidents is the use of cell phones while driving. While eating, talking, and adjusting the radio can all cause accidents as well, it is the ubiquitous need to be constantly checking text messages and app notifications that causes the most distracted driving traffic fatalities. 

How Do Distracted Driving Accidents Happen? 

When someone is talking on the phone or texting, they are unable to pay attention or respond quickly to the flow of traffic or changing road conditions. Distracted driving accidents can occur when a driver: 

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 Posted on August 19, 2022 in Personal Injury

On August 10th, President Joe Biden signed a bill called the PACT Act, making it law. The PACT Act, or The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxic Act, expands benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their military service. This includes burn pit victims from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, veterans harmed by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, and servicemembers, their families, and employees of Camp Lejeune who were seriously harmed by the toxic drinking water that was present there for several decades. 

Camp Lejeune Water Contaminated by Dry Cleaning Chemicals

Located in Jacksonville Carolina, Camp Lejeune is a Marine Corps base camp that was established in 1942. In 1982, Camp Lejeune realized that volatile organic compounds existed in the potable water from two of the base’s eight water treatment plants that exceeded the maximum safe levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency. These chemicals came from a nearby dry cleaning facility that was improperly disposing of waste chemicals. Despite the discovery happening in 1982, the contaminated sources of water were not shut down for another three years. 

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 Posted on August 04, 2022 in Personal Injury

Most of us take our vision for granted. Without giving it a second thought, we drive, work, and spend time with our loved ones, never dreaming of how full or partial vision loss would meaningfully change our lives forever. But when an accident or someone else’s negligent or malicious behavior causes eye damage, a victim’s future can be changed in a split second. If you have suffered from a serious eye injury, seek advice from a personal injury attorney before you agree to a settlement or compensation from an individual, business, or insurance company.  

Vision Loss From Accidents or Attacks

Eye injuries and vision loss often happen when people are being careless, negligent, or malicious. Frequent accidents that involve vision loss include, but are not limited to: 

• Vehicle accidents

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 Posted on July 28, 2022 in Personal Injury

The birth of a new baby is an exciting, if not unnerving, experience to go through. Every parent hopes that their baby will be born healthy. Sadly, many parents are devastated to learn that their baby suffered a birth injury before, during, or shortly after delivery. The devastation is compounded when a baby’s injury is preventable.

Brain damage during pregnancy, labor, or delivery is almost always caused by reduced oxygen to the baby’s brain. The causes of infant brain damage are nearly countless, so determining exactly what happened can be a long, complex process. If your baby suffered brain damage due to a birth injury, contact a medical malpractice lawyer experienced in infant injuries and deaths for help taking the next steps.

Oxygen Deprivation During Labor and Delivery

When a baby transitions from life inside the womb to the outside world, he or she takes his or her first breath of air. Any delay or disruption in the birth process can lead to oxygen deprivation. Brain tissue that does not receive enough oxygen begins to die within a few minutes. Consequently, brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation is often permanent.

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