Illinois Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Partner Shawn Collins Earns Lifetime Achievement Award from America’s Top 100 Attorneys

April 30, 2018 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

The Collins Law Firm would like to congratulate founder and partner, Shawn Collins, for being nominated for a Lifetime Achievement honor as one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys for Illinois. Less than one-half percent of attorneys in the United States will receive this prestigious award. Shawn will join an elite list of nationally recognized lawyers from around the country, which includes many current and former presidents of major bar associations and attorney groups, and some of the best lawyers in Illinois. Only 100 attorneys in a state can hold the lifetime achievement award, and they are selected through a rigorous process.

Candidates for membership as one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys are initially nominated by elite peers or identified through third-party research. Nominees must then pass through a multi-phase screening process that includes more third party research and complex analysis that includes an attorney’s lifetime legal achievements, professional experience, case results and verdicts, peer reputation, client satisfaction, other honors and community impact, before being selected.

Shawn is honored to be included among the elite lawyers who have accepted a lifetime Achievement honor as one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys. As Shawn says: “My selection as a Top 100 Attorney is a great honor, of course, but one that must be shared with my wife and daughters, law partners, associates, and staff, as nothing I have accomplished as a lawyer would have been possible without their support and professionalism.”

How to Hire the Right Lawyer for Your Case

April 25, 2018 | Shawn Collins

Choosing a lawyer when you or your business have been injured by another individual or company can feel like driving a car in a new city without GPS. You don’t know where to turn or what to look for. It can feel almost impossible, especially if you don’t know any lawyers. Many people ask friends or business acquaintances for recommendations, which can be a good start. Others turn to the internet to begin a confusing and daunting search. Either way, the consequences of choosing the wrong lawyer can be catastrophic. So, what do you need to know? What qualifications are you looking for? How do you know who to trust? How do you know the lawyers are good at their job? Here are some important things you need to consider when looking for the right lawyer to represent you.

Does the lawyer have experience? To be precise, this question should be worded: Does the lawyer have the right kind of experience? Look on the law firm website. Do they list your type of problem on their practice area page? What areas of the law are emphasized? Do they have a page that covers the issues involved with your kind of case? Do the lawyers’ profiles talk about working on your kind of case? This is important. The law is very complicated and it isn’t possible for a single lawyer to be able to handle every type of case well. Most lawyers concentrate in specific areas of the law. If a lawyer does mainly banking, for example, then she may not be the right choice for a personal injury case, and vice versa. If you have an environmental case, you will need an environmental lawyer. If you have a business litigation problem, choose a business litigation lawyer, and so on. In addition, check out whether the lawyer is a defense lawyer or a plaintiffs’ lawyer. And finally, ask the lawyer directly if he or she has experience handling your kind of case.

What kind of qualifications does the lawyer have? Start with his or her education. Research the law school he or she attended. Is it well regarded? Does the lawyer have other relevant education? An accounting degree, for example, can be very useful if you have a case with lots of business financials involved. Has the lawyer taught law school; written books, articles, or blogs on a certain area of the law; or created videos on specific legal topics? All of these things help to prove that a lawyer is qualified to handle your case.

How to Select a Nursing Home for Your Loved One

April 17, 2018 | John Risvold

As the population in the United States continues to age, it is estimated that there will be 19 million Americans over the age of 85 by the year 2050. Currently 1 in 8 Americans reside in a long-term care facility or nursing home. This doesn’t even factor in the number of people who need short-term stays in nursing homes for rehabilitation or following medical procedures or injuries.

The choice of a nursing home is an important one. In 2002 the New York Times reported that Federal studies showed that nearly 90% of nursing homes were understaffed and lacked the capabilities to handle the number of patients in their facilities. Since this 2002 study, many facilities still remain vastly understaffed.

Additionally, sadly, nursing home abuse and neglect is more common than one might think. From unwitnessed falls, dehydration, and malnutrition, to pressure ulcers, nursing homes without adequate and well-trained staff can cause serious injuries or even death for residents.

Synthetic Marijuana Responsible for Killing Three, Sickening Many More in Illinois

April 12, 2018 | Shawn Collins

It’s been mere months since an Aurora shop owner, a distributor and an Iowa manufacturer were sentenced to jail for furnishing the synthetic marijuana which killed a young man, but “fake” marijuana is back in the news again, this time responsible for killing three people and sickening more than 107 others in Illinois.

We represented the family of the young man from Aurora in a lawsuit against the people responsible. As a result of his case and others, the governor and Illinois legislature passed an amendment to the state’s Controlled Substance Act last spring, aimed at stopping the sale of synthetic marijuana. So, how are synthetic cannabinoids still out there? According to the Chicago Tribune, unethical and greedy manufacturers of the drug simply change the formula to skirt new laws. This time around, the new formula includes a chemical called brodifacoum, which is commonly used as rat poison. The poison prevents the blood from clotting, which makes this version of synthetic marijuana even more dangerous than past formulas.

People who ingest synthetic marijuana can start bleeding from multiple sites on the body including the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. The rat poison is stronger than the blood-thinning drug warfarin and stays in the body for a long time. Hospitals have been treating people with symptoms ranging from bleeding gums and noses to internal bleeding and blood in their urine and stools. These patients require long-term vitamin K treatment to recover.

Critical Things To Do After a Car Crash

April 11, 2018 | Ed Manzke

Car crashes happen thousands of times a year and can have devastating impacts on families throughout Illinois. In fact, the past few years have been some of the deadliest years for drivers in American history. If you get in an accident, there are a few things you need to do to ensure that you are making the best of a bad situation and protecting yourself. I deal with these issues in my practice every day. Here are some helpful tips in the event that you are in an accident.

Be Prepared

Make sure your insurance information, photo identification, and a copy of the registration to your vehicle are easily accessible. I also suggest that my clients have a photograph of their license, insurance information, and registration on their smartphones.

Kratom Supplements Which Contain Opioids are Recalled by the FDA after Salmonella Outbreak

April 9, 2018 | Margaret Collins

It sometimes seems these days as if taking an herbal supplement is akin to gambling…you never know what you are going to get.

Just last week, the FDA issued its first mandatory recall of kratom products after Triangle Pharmaceuticals refused to comply with a March 30^thagency request for a voluntary recall. That earlier action came after 87 people in 35 states became sick with salmonella after ingesting kratom supplements. Of those 87 people, 27 were sick enough to require hospitalization. Multiple companies that market kratom products conducted recalls, but Triangle Pharmaceuticals, despite having samples of their kratom products test positive for salmonella, refused to cooperate, forcing the FDA to issue the mandatory recall.

The recalled products include supplements such as Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Emerald Green, Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ivory White, and Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ruby Red.

EPA’s Scott Pruitt: Just Another Creature in the Swamp

April 3, 2018 | Shawn Collins

We keep hearing about big spender, Scott Pruitt, taking first-class flights around the globe on the taxpayer’s dime. In fact, Politico reported in February that Pruitt spent over $90,000 last June on first-class flights instead of coach, as required by federal regulation because angry individuals were confronting him in airports and occasionally yelling profanities at him.

It appears, however, that when it comes to spending his own money, he is a bit cheaper.

Last week, ABC News revealed that EPA Chief Pruitt had been renting a Capitol Hill condo partly owned by lobbyist Vicki Hart, whose husband, J. Steven Hart, is president of Williams and Jensen, a firm who lobbies the EPA on behalf of polluters. The terms of the unconventional lease with the lobbyist allowed Pruitt to pay only for nights when he used the condo, at a rate of $50 a night. Apparently, Pruitt’s daughter and wife also stayed at the condo with Pruitt at times. Documents further show that Pruitt paid only $6100 to use the condo over about 6 months, which works out to approximately $1020 for about 20 nights use per month. With weekday rates at 3 star Capitol Hill hotels starting in the mid $200’s, or 2 bedroom apartment rentals running $3000 a month and up, this below-market deal would appear to be an in-kind gift to the EPA administrator from a lobbyist…who lobbies the EPA.

Your Smart Watch is Distracting You Behind the Wheel

March 20, 2018 | John Risvold

Over the last 10 years, cell phones have gone from large handheld phones we could use to make calls, to mini computers containing our mobile offices that we run our entire lives and businesses from. They are now essential tools in our everyday lives, but they are also incredibly dangerous when used while driving.

While everyone under the sun has acknowledged the dangers of distracted driving because of our smartphones, we have over-looked another – more distracting – device that is making driving more dangerous.

A study by the U.K. Transport Research Laboratory found that smartwatches are far more distracting than smartphones. According to the Huffington Post, the research found it takes 2.52 seconds for someone to react in the event of an emergency after looking at their smartwatch, compared to 1.85 seconds if they were using a smartphone.

Want to Pollute in Illinois? Go Ahead, Governor Rauner Won’t Stop You

March 20, 2018 | Shawn Collins

Apparently unconcerned that Illinois is one of the top 10 states for industrial air and water pollution in the country, Governor Rauner’s administration is failing to police and penalize industrial polluters. Put more bluntly, Rauner and his EPA are giving polluters a pass.

The Illinois EPA, unlike the US EPA, cannot penalize polluters on its own. It can investigate and negotiate informally with companies, but if a deal cannot be reached, it has to refer the matter to the Illinois attorney general, who can file a civil or criminal complaint. This is the Illinois EPA’s most powerful enforcement tool.

Unfortunately, this is where Rauner’s administration is failing the state. The Illinois EPA has cut back sharply on referring cases to the state’s attorney general. According to a Chicago Tribune analysis of enforcement data, Rauner’s EPA has averaged only 80 referrals a year to the attorney general, compared to 189 for Blagojevich and 144 for Quinn during similar time periods. The result is that, since Rauner became governor in 2015, Illinois has sought only $6.1 million in penalties from polluters-about one-third the amount demanded during the first three years under his two predecessors. (And the amounts sought were paltry, even under previous governors.)

Illinois’ Group Home Failings Put the Disabled in Danger

March 12, 2018 | Ed Manzke

Among all the issues plaguing the state of Illinois, one very important issue has not gotten much press coverage until recently.

In February, the Chicago Tribune published an expose on Illinois’ troubled group homes for disabled adults and their failure to reduce abuse and neglect rates. In fact, the Tribune’s research found that, despite promises of reform, allegations of abuse and neglect reached a new high in 2017 of more than 3600 cases, according to Illinois’ Auditor General. Think about that: 3600 vulnerable, disabled adults suffering from abuse or neglect in group homes that we, the taxpayers, are paying for. It is unconscionable.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, which oversees the state’s group homes, does not dispute the findings of the Auditor General but says new reforms are planned which will address some of the issues. “For the first time, group homes will be ranked in a web-based scorecard, which includes inspection results and links to online copies of investigative findings involving abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.”1 The state has also hired more investigators and plans to implement a system where families of group home residents automatically receive a copy of state investigations. We hope that, this time, they follow through on these proposed reforms, but why has it taken so long?