Posted on December 22, 2021 in Personal Injury

If you have an abnormal heart rhythm you may need a pacemaker to maintain a consistent heart rate. You trust that the device implanted into your body is safe and efficient. However, if a pacemaker is not properly manufactured or tested, it can cause serious injuries or even death. At Schwartz Injury Law we represent the interests of our clients who have suffered injuries due to a defective medical device.

Defective Medical Products Can Cause Irreparable Damage

Doctors will implant pacemakers near the heart so that they deliver electrical shocks and impulses. This is designed to maintain a normal heart rate. Despite strict regulations by the Food and Drug Administration, time pressures and tight budgets can force a manufacturer to rush a device to market before it is thoroughly tested.

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 Posted on December 21, 2021 in Personal Injury

Although car crashes that result in serious injuries or fatalities are always tragic, these accidents leave victims and loved ones especially grief-stricken when they occur during the holiday season. The loss suffered in a serious car crash can be made even worse when it could have been prevented by something as simple as sober driving or using a designated driver. 

Unfortunately, the holiday season in Illinois often sees an increase in drunk driving accidents, and poor driving conditions resulting from inclement weather can make bad accidents worse. If you have been a victim of a car crash because somebody broke the law and drove under the influence of alcohol or drugs, consider working with a personal injury attorney who will work to hold them accountable. 

Why Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help After a Car Crash? 

Although some victims of car accidents consider representing themselves, having a skilled attorney with experience in litigating against major insurance companies can make the difference between a successful outcome and a lost case. Although there is never a 100 percent guarantee that any case will result in a specific outcome, personal injury attorneys are often able to recognize the extent of a client’s injuries and the way they have affected the client and their family. Insurance companies are often more willing to negotiate substantial settlements with attorneys because they know they mean business. 

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 Posted on December 14, 2021 in Personal Injury

Although cats are notorious for not being as friendly as dogs, people often do not take the idea of cat bites as seriously as they take dog bites. Because cats are usually so much smaller than people and their bites are rarely as superficially damaging as dog bites, people may be surprised to learn just how dangerous cat bite injuries can be.

The Illinois Animal Contract Act provides that a guest in someone else’s home who is bitten or scratched unprovoked by a cat may be able to recover damages from the cat’s owner for their injuries. As long as the guest was conducting themselves peacefully and had a legal right to be on the premises, the cat’s owner may be held responsible for a bite. 

One in Three Cat Bites Requires Hospitalization 

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 Posted on December 07, 2021 in Personal Injury

Most of us go through life without ever having to think about the extent to which we completely rely on our vision. However, for some victims of serious accidents, catastrophic eye injuries can get in the way of everything they do. Expensive medical bills can pile up, and a person may never be able to find employment in their former line of work again. In this blog post, we will explore some of the common types of eye damage, how they happen, and what victims may be able to do about it. 

Common Types of Traumatic Eye Injuries

Eye injuries can be complex and severe. Some of the most common types of traumatic eye injuries include: 

• Corneal abrasions like cuts and scrapes

• Puncture wounds

• Demyelinating Optic Neuritis, or optic nerve dysfunction leading to vision loss and pain

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 Posted on November 30, 2021 in Personal Injury

Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for Americans under age 55, and the frightening truth is that they can happen to anyone, at any time. For many victims of car accidents, injuries are instant and obvious; for others, however, symptoms of injuries may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks. In stressful situations, the human body releases adrenaline that can mask pain, leading to a failure to diagnose and treat issues right away. If you have recently been in a car accident and are now experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be time to take legal action. 

Common Delayed Symptoms of Car Accident Injuries

Everyone’s body is different, and we all respond to trauma in different ways. However, certain symptoms are more common than others. These include, but are not limited to: 

• Headaches - Headaches are one of the most common complaints after a car accident. Although headaches are frequently suffered by people who have never been in a car accident, if you have recently experienced a car crash, do not second guess whether you should seek treatment for severe headaches. Many headaches will go away on their own, but they could also be a sign of a more serious problem such as a concussion, blood clots, or head and neck trauma. 

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 Posted on November 23, 2021 in Medical Malpractice

New research has found that colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer are now the leading three health conditions that are most commonly missed by physicians. This stands to be extremely detrimental for cancer patients. Often, when cancer is not quickly caught it spreads throughout the body. Early detection is still the key to saving lives but unfortunately, 12 million Americans are misdiagnosed every year. These medical errors result in various health complications and in some cases death. If you or a loved one has been misdiagnosed you could have a medical malpractice lawsuit on your hands.

Misdiagnosis Pitfalls

It can be difficult for physicians to diagnose complicated health conditions and we acknowledge that not every missed diagnosis can be considered a medical malpractice claim. However, new research found at least 21 pitfalls when it comes to making the right diagnosis. These are some of the top reasons why a diagnosis can be delayed or incorrectly made:

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 Posted on November 18, 2021 in Personal Injury

The birth of a child is a time of joy and hope. It is hard to imagine that the leading cause of illness and death for newborns is their inability to breathe when they first come into this world. This health problem occurs when the baby’s first stool or meconium passes into the amniotic fluid during labor and delivery. Unfortunately, meconium aspiration birth injuries occur in about five to ten percent of all births.

Detecting the Problem  

Meconium is the stool passed by a newborn after birth before they begin feeding. Sometimes, the baby passes meconium while inside the womb. When the baby inhales or aspirates this fluid into the lungs it makes breathing very difficult. It is known as meconium aspiration syndrome. The meconium can block the infant's airways because the baby’s lungs swell up. Low-birth babies or those delivered past their term face the greatest risk. The birth and delivery team should also know that if the mother has diabetes or high blood pressure the risk factors are even greater. Here are some ways medical staff can look for meconium aspiration: 

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 Posted on November 15, 2021 in Personal Injury

When victims of serious personal injury are eligible to receive damages from a responsible individual or company, there are two main kinds of damages that are recoverable: Compensatory damages and punitive damages. These two categories may be split into further categories, but for most purposes, understanding the difference between compensatory and punitive damages is sufficient. 

Not everybody will be able to sue for both kinds of damages, and although compensatory damages are the most common form of damages, there are cases where punitive damages are available as well. If you have been injured in a personal injury case, a qualified Illinois attorney can help you determine whether a lawsuit is appropriate. 

What Are Compensatory Damages? 

Compensatory damages are awarded to the victim of negligence or other unlawful behavior and are intended to cover the expenses associated with the victim’s pain, suffering, and losses. Among the costs compensatory damages can cover include: 

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 Posted on November 09, 2021 in Personal Injury

Sometimes car accidents are simply tragic affairs and it is impossible to blame a party who acted wrongly. Other times, however, serious personal injury or death resulting from a car accident is the consequence of negligent or wrongful behavior on the part of an individual or company. When someone is in a car accident and dies before a full legal recovery can take place, survivors often have the right to file a lawsuit. 

There are two main parts of a wrongful death lawsuit in Illinois - survival action and wrongful death action. These are related but distinct, and it is important to have an understanding of the difference between the two. An experienced Illinois personal injury attorney can help you explore your options and help you bring the lawsuit that is appropriate for your case.  

Survival Action vs. Wrongful Death Action

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 Posted on November 03, 2021 in Personal Injury

A fiery car crash can happen in the blink of an eye. A car may explode exposing you to toxic fumes and burning flames. Burns are among the most devastating of all injuries. Unfortunately, vehicle fires make up 16 percent of the roughly one million fires in the United States each year. Crashes that cause fires are more likely to result in catastrophic injuries that require multiple surgeries and physical therapy.

Fire Dangers in a Crash

Burn trauma is a serious health problem that involves a long and painful recovery because the trauma is not just physical but mental. 

The skin is the largest organ of our body. In burn injuries, the exposed skin becomes vulnerable to infections. Every layer of the skin can be damaged by burns. The severity is determined by the layer of skin that is damaged. The more severe the burn, the more likely it is to cause permanent injuries and scarring. Serious burns can increase the risk of some of the following potentially life-threatening health complications:

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