Illinois Personal Injury & Workers Compensation Law

Auto Recall Cases

Salvi — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:46:58 +0000

With the recent developments of the Toyota and GM vehicle recalls, I thought it would be a good idea to address these issues and how our law firm can help.

Toyota’s recalls are because of a “sudden acceleration” problem with the vehicle. The “sudden acceleration” syndrome is explained by vehicle owners as “the car taking on a life of its own”. In other words, the vehicle will suddenly accelerate extremely fast without the driver pushing the pedal and in almost all instances of this traumatic experience, the vehicle won’t stop accelerating until it has collided with something that would stop it, such as a building for example. This defect in some vehicles often causes severe injuries for the driver, any passengers in the vehicle and anyone in the near vicinity.

GM’s recalls are said to be caused by a problem with the power steering in some of their vehicles. I have had the power steering go out on my old vehicle one time many years ago and it was extremely frightening because I was trying to get off the road but I could hardly move the steering wheel and almost hit a car and a gas station sign because of it. This problem could also have serious consequences for the driver, passengers and anyone in the area near the vehicle.

If you were injured in an accident because of a defect in your vehicle or the vehicle of someone who hit you, SALVI & MAHER can help you. We are one of the only law firms in the Chicagoland area that have been successful in cases against auto makers for defects in their vehicles. In fact, we settled and were successful in a “sudden acceleration” case in 2009.

Please contact our office if you need help getting compensation for your injuries as a result of a defect in a vehicle. We will work hard for you!

Posted by Chicago car accident attorney, Al Salvi.

Understanding Medical Malpractice Cases

Salvi — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:17:24 +0000

In order for there to be a medical malpractice case, there needs to be a major mistake usually resulting in a catastrophic injury. Attorneys often get calls about minor injuries or from patients that have made a full recovery without hardship. Minor mistakes made by doctors are too expensive to litigate to get the client any decent settlement for their time. Not only does the mistake need to be something a reasonably prudent doctor in his/her situation would not have done, but there needs to be a serious/catastrophic injury. However, if there is a major mistake that has resulted in a serious injury to you or a loved one, call Salvi & Maher. They are excellent at recovering money for your lost income, medical bills, and pain and suffering. Feel free to call Salvi & Maher for a free consultation if you think such a tragedy has affected you.

Key Practice Areas in Personal Injury

Salvi — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:31:51 +0000

Personal Injury involves several different areas. Many people might be confused on what personal injury encompasses. People get injured every day, but some of these injuries are too minor to make it worth going through the hassle of filing a case. However, there are a great number of times where you do have a claim. The areas that we cover at Salvi & Maher include but are not limited to:

Car & Motorcycle Accidents

Drunk Driving Accidents

Uninsured & Underinsured Motorists

Truck Accidents

Airline & Railroad Injuries

Watercraft Injuries

Snowmobile Accidents

Dog Bites

Slip & Fall

Industrial & Construction Site Injuries

Workers’ Compensation

Medical Malpractice

Birth Injuries

Defective Products

Wrongful Death

Legal Malpractice

Bad Faith Insurance

Bike & Scooter Accidents

If you or someone you love have a claim that fits one of these areas, it is very possible that you have a case that we can help you with. Contact personal injury lawyers Salvi & Maher for a free consultation.

Illinois Statute of Limitations

lawupdate — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:58:21 +0000

If you are injured due to the fault of another, it is important that you speak to a lawyer fairly quickly. In Illinois there are rules on how long you have to file a lawsuit, or else you may forfeit the right to do so. Some of the rules for how long you have to file in Illinois are as follows:

NEGLIGENCE/PERSONAL INJURY
-2 Years from date which Plaintiff knew or should have known injury was wrongfully caused in even if Plaintiff did not know it was actionable.

WRONGFUL DEATH
-2 Years from date of the death, except for fraudulent concealment which is five years from date of claim.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
-2 Years with Discovery Rule, no action may be commenced after 4 years from act or omission causing injury unless concealment by defendant. If Plaintiff is under 18, action must be brought within 8 years after date or omission causing injury and never after 22nd birthday.

PRODUCTS LIABILITY
-2 Years with exceptions.

It is important to get all of the information to a top Personal Injury firm, such as Salvi & Maher, relatively quickly after the injury etc, so that they can properly and thoroughly handle the case and get you everything that you deserve.

More information on the specifics of the rules can be found at :

http://www.statutes-of-limitations.com/state/illinois

11 Things You Should Do If You Get Into a Car Accident

Salvi — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:52:55 +0000

There is a great chance that everyone will be involved with at least one car accident at some point in their lives no matter how good of a driver they are. It is amazing to see how many people are truly unprepared to deal with it once this happens. You should always have your insurance information, a note pad, a few pens, and a disposable camera in the car for these rare occurrences. Not every accident will be identical, but the following steps should provide some guidelines for making the situations less stressful and easier to deal with.

1-Stop.
2-Check for injuries.
3-Alert oncoming traffic.
4-Call the police.
5-Exchange information with the other driver(s).
6-Obtain witness Information.
7-Document any damage done.
8-Contact your insurance company.
9-Consult a physician.
10-Consult Salvi & Maher or another attorney’s office to get valuable legal advice on how to proceed.
11-Document any losses that are a result or will be a result of the accident.

Posted by Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Al Salvi

Slip and Falls: Let’s See….

Salvi — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:05:09 +0000

Whenever someone asks to meet with Salvi & Maher about an injury caused by a “slip and fall” accident, we set up an appointment, and ask that the prospective client quickly take several pictures of the place where the fall occurred. Bring those valuable pictures to the initial consultation.

These pictures are essential for us in evaluating whether we will accept the case. If we accept the case, these pictures often become the evidence with which we secure a successful result. In “slip and fall” cases, a picture truly is worth a thousand words!

The law in Illinois is simple: for there to be liability, the owner of the premises must have done something negligently that caused the fall. For example, if you just slipped on snow or ice in a parking lot, Illinois courts will say there is no case: it is just a “natural accumulation,” and thus not the fault of the property owner. If, on the other hand, the ice was caused by a defective gutter which spilled water into a walkway, a jury may conclude that the fault indeed lies with the property owner.

Other examples that we have handled: steps that are broken or not in compliance with code, stairways without rails/lights, very large cracks in pavement, debris (e.g., liquid, grapes, etc.) on the floor, and extension cords or wires littering a path.

Often, serious injuries or even death can result from a slip and fall, but whether there is a case against the property owner depends on whether the fall was caused by premises which were defective or unreasonably dangerous. The best way to establish “premises liability” is with timely pictures.

Posted by Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Al Salvi

Preserving Justice for Personal Injury Victims

Salvi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:35:28 +0000

The law is designed to preserve justice and help those who have been harmed. A great example of this type of justice was in the Daily Herald today. There have been problems with abuse of power in the area, and recently an ex-police officer was punished. Ryan Hallett was arguing with two off-duty police officers inside a bar. Following the argument, the officers followed Hallett, forced him into handcuffs and beat him up. The Herald reported that Brian Quilici was ordered to pay $450,000 for beating an innocent man while off-duty. The other officer settled for an undisclosed amount before trial. The beating was excessive and unnecessary according to witnesses. They even kicked him repeatedly while Hallett was on the ground. Hallett’s attorney was quoted by the Herald as saying, “Justice was done.” Justice was done. The police officers clearly were at fault and were abusing their power. They severely injured an innocent man. If you or someone you know has been injured, contact Salvi & Maher for a free consultation. We believe in preserving justice and helping those who have been unjustly harmed.

Understanding “Fault”

Salvi — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:16:01 +0000

There is a common misunderstanding about personal injury cases; created, ironically, by the critics of the system. People think that if someone is injured, they are entitled to money from someone. This is false.

The truth is that our system is founded on basic Western principles of justice. If there is damage or injury, the person at fault is liable to pay for the damages. This is a “laissez-faire” approach: bureaucrats will not follow you around, fining you large sums for safety violations; doctors will not be sent to prison (as they are in non-Western cultures) for egregious errors. If, however, it is proven that a person’s negligence causes damage, he pays the damage– not the victim, not the taxpayers.

This system is just, and, more importantly, creates a safer society at a low cost. Though less than 4% of the time of our courts involves personal injury and medical malpractice, the mere possibility of “being sued” is an incentive for people to be careful. The system is not perfect, but it is the best in the world.

Posted by Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Al Salvi

Welcome!

lawupdate — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:57:57 +0000

Hello and welcome to our new legal blog. The attorneys at Salvi and Maher, of Chicago, Illinois, practice personal injury and workers compensation law in the Chicago Area and have over 70 years combined experience. It is our goal to bring you relevant legal updates and news from the Illinois and surround region to keep you updated on what’s happening legally in your area. Thank you for visiting!