Oct 20, 2021 by Phillips Law Offices

If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. However, one important option to consider while seeking compensation is engaging a personal injury attorney. This post will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of hiring a personal injury attorney after a car accident in Chicago.

Following an accident, individuals often wonder, “Do I need a personal injury attorney?” and “How much do they cost?” At Phillips Law Offices, we have dealt with just about every type of personal injury claim you can imagine. We take our time answering all of our inquiries because many have never been hurt or gone through the personal injury claim process.

Because personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, you are only required to pay a fee if money is recovered. As a result, there is no risk in engaging a lawyer.

The Pros of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer will likely improve your chances of victory

Attempting to manage your legal case after an injury is frequently a losing prospect. The reason for this is straightforward: personal injury law is complex. Without a strong grasp of the law, you likely will make mistakes—mistakes that might jeopardize your case. Further, to win your personal injury lawsuit, you must understand how the court system operates. Your chances of success are limited if you do not have this information. However, having an experienced and skilled personal injury attorney on your side substantially increases your chances of a favorable outcome.

A personal injury lawyer will have a better understanding of how much your case is worth

If you are harmed in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation, including economic, emotional, and non-economic damages. A personal injury lawyer can accurately evaluate the worth of your case and work so that you receive the compensation to which you are entitled. However, unless you have knowledge in personal injury litigation, it may be very hard for you to assess your case correctly.

You will save time by hiring a personal injury attorney

Handling a case on your own is not only complex but also time demanding. Without a strong grasp of personal injury law or the court system, you’ll have to spend a significant amount of time coming up to speed. This may be incredibly challenging, especially if you’re suffering from a major injury at the same time. When you engage an attorney to handle your case, you concentrate on your rehabilitation while your attorney handles your personal injury case.

Stress about Financial and Physical Recovery will be reduced

Numerous studies have demonstrated that stress harms physical recovery, the immune system, and the body’s healing process. Personal injury attorneys can reduce your mental and emotional stress.
Assume you are concentrating on recuperating after an injury. The last thing you need is legal document deadlines, unpleasant meetings with insurance agents, and doubts about whether you’ll obtain your due compensation.

The Cons of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Costs

The good news is that you do not have to put any money down or make any payments to hire a personal injury lawyer. Every personal injury case is handled on a contingency basis. This means that the lawyer gets paid a portion of the proceeds from the lawsuit.
Choosing a personal injury lawyer with experience is a smart place to start. You should also read reviews and speak with them to see whether they are the proper person to take your case to court. Because this is a critical position, you must trust your lawyer and feel comfortable trusting them to represent you and your case.

What Should You Look for in a Personal Injury Attorney?

If you consider filing a personal injury claim, you should know the advantages of hiring an experienced personal injury attorney. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side will significantly increase your chances of success.
If you need a seasoned personal injury lawyer to fight your case call Phillips Law Offices at (312) 346-4262 to speak with a personal injury attorney today. Our experienced attorneys have successfully litigated injury cases for over seven (7) decades, and we are here to help.

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Oct 10, 2021 by Phillips Law Offices

If you’ve been in a truck accident in Chicago, and you’re reading this, you already know that the best way to get a fair settlement is to find a lawyer that specializes in truck accidents. Let’s look at some steps you can take to make sure you find the best truck accident attorney in Chicago.

Do I Need to Hire a Truck Accident Attorney in Chicago?

If your accident happened in Chicago, you should hire a truck accident attorney that works in Chicago, because they will be familiar with all the local and state laws and statutes. Having experience in the geographical area where the accident happened will help a great deal. They will also be closer to you, which is important since you will have appointments at their office.

Should I Go with a Lawyer that a Friend Recommends?

There are basically three ways you can get a referral to find an attorney near you. One method is to ask people you know. Make sure that the area of expertise is Truck Accident Cases. You need someone that specializes in this type of case.

You can inquire with the State Bar Association, who should be able to give you some names in Chicago that you can consider. You can also check and make sure that the attorney you are considering is in good standing with the Illinois State Bar Association.

A third way to find a lawyer is to ask another lawyer. If you used someone for a divorce, or estate planning, for example. They would not be a good choice for your truck accident claim, but they will probably know the best attorney for you.

How Will I Pay for an Attorney?

A personal injury attorney that specializes in truck accident cases will offer you a free consultation. They will get paid after you receive your settlement. The percentage will be agreed upon at the initial consultation. If you don’t like what you hear, schedule another consultation and find the right attorney for your case.

What Should I Ask the Lawyer at the Consultation?

Verify that the attorney specializes in truck accident cases. What’s their success rate with these cases? Will the lawyer that you’re meeting with do all the work on your case, or can you meet the other people that will work on it? Can they estimate the size of your claim? What percentage will they be working for? How long have they been in practice? Have they ever done legal work for a trucking company or truck driver? Consider the answers that you get from these questions. When you are comfortable with the answers, it’s time to sign an agreement to have the attorney represent you. It is not advised to ask if they took the best bar review courses, but you should make sure they passed the bar.

What Do I Need to Do After I Sign with an Attorney?

Now, just let your attorney run the show, and they will tell you what they need. You don’t have to worry about knowing all the right things to do. They will help you and guide you through the whole process.

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Sep 28, 2021 by Stephen Phillips

On June 14, 2021, manufacturing giant Philips issued a recall on their commonly-used Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), and Adaptive-Servo Ventilation (ASV) devices, which are used to treat sleep apnea. Millions of the Philips CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator devices were recalled after the discovery of the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam being linked to an uprise in lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancers, leukemia, liver cancer, thyroid cancer, and many other life-threatening cancers.

In addition to the numerous carcinogenic risks, the CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator devices have led to a vast array of toxic chemical exposure-related injuries and serious respiratory issues. The FDA has recorded over 100 injuries and 1,200 complaints since Phillips issued their recall. There have yet to be any reports of death as a result of these issues.

How Many CPAP, BIPAP, & Ventilation devices were recalled?

According to Philips’ production & shipment data, approximately 3 million to 4 million devices were recalled globally. The devices that were recalled were distributed between July 2009 and April 2021. This recall consists primarily of first-generation DreamStation machines. DreamStation 2 machines and users are not currently known to be affected.

What are the dangers of the recalled CPAP, BiPAP, and Ventilation Machines?

What makes the recalled devices so harmful is the disintegrating polyurethane foam inside the breathing devices. As this foam decomposes, it emits toxic gases that can be harmful or even fatal to users of the recalled devices. Chemicals that are emitted when polyurethane foam decomposes include the following: Formaldehyde, Methylene Chlorine, Benzene, Solvents, Perfluorooctane sulfonate, volatile organic compounds, and flame retardant. These chemicals are known to cause various cancers, inflammation, irritation, learning disabilities, lower IQ levels, damage to cellular DNA.

List of Recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP, and Ventilators

On June 14, 2021, Philips issued a recall on the following devices:
• System One 50 series CPAPs, Auto CPAP, BiPAPs
• System One 60 series CPAPs, Auto CPAP, BiPAPs
• DreamStation CPAP, Auto CPAP, BiPAP
• DreamStation GO CPAP, APAP, Auto CPAP
• Dorma 400, 500 CPAP, Auto CPAP (not marketed in US)
• System One BiPAP AVAPS (C-Series), System One BiPAP S/T (C-Series)
• System One BiPAP autoSV, System One BiPAP autoSV Advanced
• DreamStation BiPAP autoSV ASV
• DreamStation BiPAP AVAPS, DreamStation BiPAP S/T
• E30 (Emergency Use Authorization)
• OmniLab Advanced Plus
• Trilogy 200 Ventilator
• Trilogy 100 Ventilator
• Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent Ventilator (not marketed in US)
• A-Series BiPAP V30 Auto Ventilator Also known as BiPAP V30 Auto Ventilator
• BiPAP Hybrid A30 Ventilator (A-Series) (not marketed in US)
• A-Series BiPAP A40 Ventilator (not marketed in US)
• A-Series BiPAP A30 Ventilator (not marketed in US)

Devices that are not affected by the recall and why?

Some Philips CPAP, BiPAP, and Ventilation devices are not affected by the recall because newer generation devices may utilize different sound abatement foam materials and technologies that have become available. For other unaffected devices, sound abatement foam may be placed in a different location due to their modernized device designs.

Devices unaffected by the recall include:
• Trilogy Evo
• Trilogy Evo OBM
• Trilogy EV300
• Trilogy 202
• A-Series Pro and EFL
• Respironics M-Series REMStar CPAPs, Auto CPAPs, BiPAPs
• DreamStation 2 Auto CPAP Advanced and DreamStation 2 Auto CPAP
• Omnilab and OmniLab Advanced Titration devices
• V60 Ventilator
• V60 Plus Ventilator
• V680 Ventilator
• REMStar SE and Sleep Easy CPAPs
• Dorma 100, Dorma 200 CPAPs (not marketed in US)
• All oxygen concentrators, respiratory drug delivery products, airway clearance products.

What should I do if My CPAP, BiPAP, or Ventilation Device has been recalled?

According to Philips, anyone using BiLevel PAP and CPAP devices should immediately stop using these devices and talk with their doctors about safer alternatives. However, patients using life-sustaining devices should NOT stop using them but should immediately talk with their physicians to discuss the risks and determine what steps should be taken.

What if I have been diagnosed with Cancer or Sustained a Respiratory Injury, and I have used a Philips Recalled Sleep Apnea or Ventilation Device?

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, thyroid cancer, leukemia, lymphatic cancer, liver cancer, nasal cancer, lung cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, brain cancer, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, stomach cancer, hematopoietic cancer, or papillary carcinoma and have used a recalled Philips CPAP or another breathing device, call Phillips Law Offices at (312) 346-4262 to speak with a products liability attorney today. Our experienced attorneys have successfully litigated products liability cases for over seven (7) decades, and we are here to help.

Aug 28, 2021 by Phillips Law Offices

A brain injury can affect every aspect of a person’s life. The sexual consequences of traumatic brain injury are typically underestimated.

Many persons, who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, may complain of lower sexual desire or lack of desire after the injury. In other cases, persons may actually experience a spike in interest in sex after a brain injury. That can result in impulsive sexual behavior, promiscuity, and other inappropriate behaviors. These persons may make inappropriate sexual advances, making others uncomfortable.

Patients with a traumatic brain injury also often complain of failure to become sexually aroused, or difficulty attaining an aroused state. They may experience difficulty in achieving or maintaining and erection, or difficulty or inability to achieve an orgasm.

All of these changes in a person’s sexual functioning can severely impact his self-esteem, and lower the quality of his life.

In a personal injury claim, the spouse of the person with a brain injury can file a claim for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium will seek to compensate the spouse of the victim for loss of sexual relations, as well as loss of affection, care and companionship as a result of the injury. The injured victim can also make a claim for loss of enjoyment of life.

Speak to a Chicago personal injury lawyer to determine what legal remedies you have in the case of a traumatic brain injury that has resulted in sexual consequences. Schedule a consultation with a Chicago personal injury lawyer today.

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Jul 31, 2021 by Stephen Phillips

Taxicabs are a popular and convenient way to get around Chicago, but while they should be a safe way to get to your destinations, accidents can happen. Unfortunately, some taxi drivers choose to focus on making as much in profits as possible, sometimes jeopardizing the safety of passengers and other drivers by speeding or driving recklessly in order to maximize the number of trips done in a single day. Our taxicab accident attorneys explain what you should do if you ever find yourself injured after a taxi accident in Chicago, and who may be financially responsible for it.

What Steps Should I Take After a Taxicab Accident in Chicago?

The first thing you should do is to check yourself and others for injuries. If your injuries are serious or require medical attention, seek emergency medical help right away. If your injuries are not serious, it is still strongly recommended you get examined by a doctor shortly after the accident, because injuries such as whiplash may not manifest themselves right away, only to begin showing symptoms weeks later. By getting examined, you will have an easier time proving that your delayed symptoms are a direct consequence of your taxi accident and injury.

Another step you should take is to get as much information as possible about the accident and the taxi driver. Important items such as name, company name, badge number, and insurance information will be needed when it is time to file a claim later on. You will also need to report the accident to law enforcement. If possible, take photos or videos to document the scene and write down the contact information of any witnesses.

Who Is Financially Responsible for My Taxi Accident?

Identifying which party is financially responsible for your taxi accident is not always an easy task. If the taxi driver was hit by another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle may be to blame and thus will likely be the responsible party for the accident. If the taxi driver was at fault for the accident (due to speeding, distracted or reckless driving, for example), then both the driver and the taxi company may be held responsible.

Sometimes, taxi owners hire someone to drive the vehicle for them but may act in a neglectful manner when it comes to properly maintaining the vehicle and keeping it operationally safe. If your accident is determined to have been caused by a poorly maintained vehicle, the taxi owner may be held liable. Unfortunately, taxi companies are well-known for trying to push their responsibility around in an effort to minimize or evade the obligation of compensating accident victims. A seasoned taxicab accident attorney will be instrumental in determining which party or parties hold financial liability in your case and making sure that you receive compensation.

How Can I Recover Compensation for Damages After a Taxi Accident?

Chicago city ordinances governing taxicab operations require all taxi licensees to carry automotive liability insurance of at least $350,000.00 combined single limit coverage per occurrence. If a taxicab medallion holder fails to provide adequate insurance, he or she may have to deal with several penalties varying from fines to license revocation.

Your first avenue for seeking compensation is through the taxicab insurance policy. In some cases, you may also be able to file an additional claim through the taxi driver’s personal automotive insurance if it is determined that he or she is at fault. However, in some cases, compensation obtained from an insurance claim may be inadequate or insufficient to cover all your losses such as medical expenses and lost wages. In those cases, you may also consider filing a civil lawsuit if you can prove the taxi company and/or driver acted negligently and did not uphold their duty of care towards their passenger (you).

How Much Money May I Be Entitled to Receive?

If you are injured and unable to work, you may be concerned about how much your taxicab accident claim may be worth, especially as your medical bills begin to pile up. Every case is different and it is difficult to estimate the exact value of a claim without analyzing exactly what happened and getting an idea of the severity of your injuries and the monetary and non-economic losses resulting from it.

At the Phillips Law Offices, we help taxicab accident victims to recover fair compensation for their injuries. We understand the strategies taxi companies and insurers may use to try to reduce the settlement amount they owe you or to deny your claim altogether, pushing their responsibility onto someone else. Besides helping you identify the responsible parties for your accident and filing the appropriate insurance claims, we can also assist you if it becomes clear that a civil lawsuit against the taxicab company is an adequate route to recover compensation for your injury, including any financial damages such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages not usually covered by insurance settlements. Those may include payment for pain, suffering, and emotional distress resulting from the accident. If you are unsure about whether you have a claim or would like a better estimate of how much money you may be entitled to receive, contact the taxicab accident attorneys at the Phillips Law Offices for a free case analysis as soon as possible.

Jul 10, 2021 by Phillips Law Offices

A truck accident is always traumatic and can be quite serious. You may be dealing with substantial injuries or even the death of a loved one. It’s not always clear what steps you should take during this difficult time. Here are some of the first things you should do after an accident.

What to do at the Accident Scene

You’re liable to be shaken up from the experience, but try to remember that you need to call the police. It’s important to document any accident, but especially a truck accident, as there may be different parties responsible and different reasons for the accident. A police report will have a record of all the details of the accident, such as weather and road conditions. Make sure that the name and insurance information for the truck driver is in the report, or that you have obtained it separately. Make sure you have an accurate report to support your case.

Be careful what you say… the less, the better. Do not offer apologies, admission of guilt, or any other statements to people at the scene. Talk to the police and limit yourself to that.

If you can, collect as much evidence as you can from the scene. This includes, but is not limited to, photos of the damage and the roadway, along with names and contact information for any witnesses. If there is other information you want to remember about the circumstances, make a note of that as well.

Seek Medical Help at the Scene

You may not know the extent of your injuries right away. Most people go into shock after an accident. With a truck accident, it’s likely that you have injuries, and you should protect your health and get checked out right away.

Don’t Wait to Contact a Lawyer

As we mentioned before, truck accidents are complicated. Don’t rely on the insurance companies to look out for you. Get a personal injury lawyer that specializes in truck accidents in your locality to help you with the process. You need to focus on recovering from the accident and let someone with experience handle all the ins and outs of claiming damages related to the truck accident. Truck accident attorneys offer free consultations, and they get paid after your settlement. So, you can’t afford NOT to have one.

You can bet that the truck driver and trucking company that owns the truck will be using one and that they will be active from the start, so don’t put yourself at a disadvantage.

Keep Your Records in Order

Keep everything related to the accident in one place, to make it easier for your attorney to work your case for you. You want to keep records of lost wages, medical bills, transportation to medical appointments, and any property damage. Also, keep any photographic evidence you have with these other documents so that you are organized and don’t have to go looking for things later.

Use these tips and help yourself and your truck accident attorney to a smoother process as you move towards receiving your settlement for the accident.