Dogs are thought of as man’s best friend. Unfortunately, not all dogs live up to this adage. Dog bites can lead to severe and lasting injuries. Broken bones, nerve damage, and deep lacerations that can lead to infection, and permanent scarring and are just some of the serious injuries that may result from a dog bite. Dog attacks can also take a significant psychological toll on the victims. Some dog bite victims suffer from debilitating anxiety or post-traumatic stress for months or years. If a dog bit you or a loved one, you may be interested in holding the dog’s owner accountable through a dog bite lawsuit.

Illinois Law on Dog Attacks

Unlike some other states, Illinois is not a “one free bite” state when it comes to liability for dog-related injuries. If a dog bites a person while he or she is on public property or lawfully on private property, that person typically has the right to sue. The only exception to this is if it can be proven that the bite victim intentionally provoked the animal. The injured person may be entitled to financial compensation for his or her damages. The injured person may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical bills including ambulance, hospital, and emergency room bills, expenses related to x-rays and other medical tests, medication, surgery, and more

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Under Illinois law, employers must provide workers’ compensation insurance for almost all employees. Failure to do so may result in up to a $500 fine each day of noncompliance. In the majority of cases, workers are eligible to receive these benefits even if they are partially to blame for the workplace accident. By obtaining these benefits, workers are prohibited from filing a lawsuit against their employer for additional damages. However, if a third party caused or contributed to their injury, workers can file a lawsuit against that third party.

Why You May Want to Pursue a Third Party Claim

Although workers’ compensation benefits cover your medical expenses and part of your lost wages resulting from a work accident, they do not cover other damages, like pain and suffering or loss of quality of life. In order to obtain these damages, you would have to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a third party is responsible for your work-related injury, you may be able to file a legal claim against that party.

There are several situations in which a third party may be held liable for your work injury, including:

Each year in the United States, an estimated 2.8 million people experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI), including many whose conditions were caused by car accidents. Of those, approximately 50,000 do not survive their injuries, and another 280,000 are hospitalized and ultimately released. The rest are treated in emergency rooms and then released home to heal. What makes the difference between these three groups of people? Sometimes, it is the severity of the injury itself, but being able to recognize the early signs and symptoms can also be crucial for both the short- and long-term prognosis of a victim.

Early Detection is Crucial

In situations involving a severe brain injury, time can mean the difference between life and death. However, even in cases of mild or moderate TBI, early detection can be important. It ensures that the victim does not do things they should avoid, such as tasks that involve concentration and activities that can result in a secondary injury. Early detection can also ensure that victims receive proper treatment.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Although a traumatic brain injury can be caused by any jolt, blow, or sudden and violent movement of the head, traffic accidents and falls are the most common causes. In addition, traffic accidents are among the leading causes of TBI-related death. As such, all car, truck, bicycle, and pedestrian accident victims should know the signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.

Restaurant and bar owners in Northern Illinois are hopeful that their businesses will soon be able to resume limited indoor dining after restrictions due to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in the region. If they are able to open soon, as local news outlets are reporting, they will be just in time for the National Football League’s championship weekend.

Unfortunately, the combination of alcohol, tension, and competing team loyalties can lead to verbal and even physical altercations. People often lose sight of the fact that no perceived slight or indignity related to a sporting event is grounds for assaulting another person. When flared tensions result in personal injuries or even emotional distress in some instances, there are consequences in both the state’s criminal courts and, if a personal injury victim should choose, civil courts. If you have been injured in a physical altercation in an Illinois bar or restaurant, whether as an intended victim or mere bystander, you have the legal right to hold the at-fault party responsible for the harms that you have suffered.

Battery is Both a Crime and a Tort

Physical violence has long been codified in criminal and civil law. In common law (the antecedent to American law), the tort of battery is a “harmful or offensive” intentional contact. Examples include a shove, punch, kick, grab, or inappropriate sexual contact. Importantly, in the context of battery in a bar or restaurant, the legal doctrine of “transferred intent” allows for liability for harm intended by a tortfeasor—the individual who caused the injury—to one person to be transferred when someone other than the intended victim is harmed.

If you have been injured in any type of accident where someone else is at fault, you have likely thought about how much money is necessary to compensate you for your injuries. While no one can fully restore your health or erase the pain you have felt, monetary damage awards can certainly help to make you whole again.

The ultimate goal of any personal injury suit is to help the victim return to a life as close as possible to his or her life before the accident occurred. In order to achieve this goal, Illinois law recognizes several types of damages that may be awarded in such a lawsuit. The two most common types of damages are “economic damages” and “non-economic damages.” Together, these two types of damages comprise what Illinois law calls “compensatory damages.”

Economic Damages for Personal Injury Victims

Economic damages are those out-of-pocket expenses that are tangible and can be documented. For example, medical bills are economic damages because a medical provider invoice can be used to prove how much the treatment costs. Another example of economic damages is property damage. With this type of damage, a repair shop’s invoice can be used as evidence of how much property damage was caused by the accident.