Posted on October 31, 2022 in Personal Injury

Experts generally agree that distracted driving is one of the most common causes of car crashes in Illinois and across the rest of the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that over 3,000 people are killed every year because of distracted driving. Tragically, many of those deaths were people who were driving or otherwise acting safely but were struck by a distracted driver and killed.

Even when distracted driving accidents do not cause fatalities, they can still cause serious injuries. If you or a family member have been hurt in a car crash because another driver was eating, talking on the phone, texting, or doing some other activity that took their attention away from the road, you may be able to pursue compensation for your injuries.

Common Accidents That Result From Distracted Driving

Many people think they can multitask safely while they drive. After all, a quick text response may seem to only take a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, the statistics say otherwise - and, in fact, when a car is traveling at high speeds, the few seconds it takes to send a text may mean a car ends up several hundred feet further than it was when the texting began.

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 Posted on October 18, 2022 in Immigration

People who come to the United States may not have done so because they are looking for love, but they very often find it. When someone is in the United States legally, whether on a tourist visa, student visa, or work visa, they may find someone they want to spend their life with and decide to get married. When this happens, the visa holder and their spouse will need to go through an Adjustment of Status process to get the foreign spouse a Green Card.

Because getting married is one of the easier paths to getting a Green Card (and therefore citizenship), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is very sensitive to the potential for fraud in these cases. It is important, therefore, to have an immigration attorney who can help you carefully prepare your application and get ready for the notoriously difficult Marriage Green Card interview.

Preparing for a Marriage Green Card Interview

The interview itself is the last step in the initial Green Card application process. Before you schedule the interview, you will need to fill out a significant amount of paperwork, including proof that your relationship and marriage are legitimate. Such proof can include:

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 Posted on October 18, 2022 in Family Law

The financial stresses of getting divorced are usually centered around property division, child support, and alimony. One other important part of divorce that should not be overlooked is health insurance coverage and what happens to a spouse who is covered by their partner’s insurance after the divorce is finalized.

Health insurance is vital, especially as the cost of medical care continues to rise. If you are considering divorce, you need to prepare yourself for the future by understanding your options regarding health insurance and whether you need to take steps now to find alternative coverage.

Spousal Health Insurance After Divorce

Insurance companies and employers allow couples to remain on each other’s insurance policies, even after divorce, because of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). This allows you to buy the same insurance coverage through the same company that insured you while you were married. Your spouse will still have to be insured at the time of the divorce, and they must notify their employer after the divorce is finalized so the insurance company can send you the information you need to manage your coverage. It is essential to manage insurance matters in a timely and detail-oriented manner because small mistakes can leave you without coverage.

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 Posted on October 11, 2022 in Personal Injury

Although the vast majority of births are safe and do not involve serious complications, sometimes complex conditions present themselves and urgent treatment is required. In addition to being aware of a mother’s health risks, doctors and nursing staff must be properly trained on how to respond to difficult birth conditions so infants can get the best standard of care during delivery.

Unfortunately, this standard of care is not always met. Certain conditions can cause a critical bundle of nerves called the “brachial plexus” to become damaged, leading to other serious conditions like cereal palsy. If this happens to your child, it is important to speak with an Illinois birth injury attorney who can determine whether you may be able to seek compensation for your child’s injuries and suffering.

Brachial Plexus Injuries and Their Consequences

The nerves that constitute the brachial plexus originate in the spinal cord and travel down both sides of a child’s neck and shoulders. Brachial plexus nerves are responsible for helping the brain communicate with the arms and hands, allowing them to move and feel sensations like heat, pressure, and pain. Serious damage to the brachial plexus can cause:

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 Posted on October 04, 2022 in Immigration

Although first-generation immigrants in the United States are consistently shown to commit crimes at lower rates than those who were born in American, immigrants face disproportionate risks from being convicted of a crime - up to, and including, deportation. Even immigrants with green cards can be deported for violating certain laws.

Not all criminal convictions trigger deportation proceedings, and it is important to know which crimes could get you deported. If you are not a U.S. citizen and you have been accused of a crime, or even if you are just being investigated for a crime, it is important to retain aggressive legal immigration and criminal defense representation from an experienced Illinois attorney.

Crimes of Moral Turpitude

“Turpitude” is a somewhat old-fashioned word that means “evil” or “wickedness.” American courts have defined crimes of moral turpitude as those which involve fraud, larceny, and the intent to harm people or things. For example, theft - taking someone else’s property with the intent to permanently deprive that person of it - is usually a crime of moral turpitude. So are assault, domestic violence, and many other crimes involving lying, cheating, or violence. However, some crimes of this nature are considered petty enough not to be classified as a crime of moral turpitude, such as shoplifting goods valued under a certain amount of money.

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 Posted on October 04, 2022 in Family Law

You may have been surprised when your spouse served you with divorce papers, but now it is time to take action. Regardless of how you feel about divorce - whether you want it or not - the way you respond to the initial divorce papers will have a major impact on how the rest of the process goes for you. Here are some steps to take if you need to respond to divorce papers in Illinois.

Take a Moment to Think it Through

It can be tempting to react right away to bad news by getting angry, calling your spouse, or responding to the divorce papers with hostile demands. Even if you think your spouse has been totally unreasonable, take a moment to think through the situation before you do anything else. Do not contact your spouse. Do not post about the situation on social media. Do not talk to your kids about it. It is essential to keep a level head and act from a place of rationality.

Find Out When You Need to Respond

The divorce papers will have a date on which you need to respond to the initial filing. This is usually 30 days from your receipt of the papers. You may choose not to respond, but that will not stop the divorce from going through; instead, without a response from you, your spouse will likely be granted the things they are asking for.

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 Posted on September 29, 2022 in Personal Injury

Every year, hundreds of people die and many thousands more are injured in boating accidents. Although one of the best parts of living in Illinois is the easy access to Lake Michigan, summer boating accidents are common and frequently underreported. One major reason for not reporting a boating accident - even one involving serious injuries - is that everyone on a boat is frequently under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A group of friends may not want to put one another at risk of facing legal repercussions for irresponsible behavior and so agree to keep quiet about an accident that caused someone serious injury.

For the injured party, unfortunately, this usually means they are left dealing with the consequences of a boating accident on their own. This can mean expensive medical bills, missing time at work, ongoing physical therapy, and emotional trauma from the accident. These expenses may mount up to the point where the victim needs help and is no longer willing to stay silent. If this sounds familiar to you, know that you do not have to go through this alone. You may have legal options.

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 Posted on September 24, 2022 in Family Law

When a couple decides to create a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, they usually have questions about what, exactly, the agreement can include. Can they set limits on alimony? What about child support? Can parents agree to split custody of the kids 50/50 now, while they get along well and are not in a heated divorce?

Enforceability is perhaps the most important part of a prenuptial agreement because if a contract is not enforceable, it is a waste of time and money, and a couple ends up fighting over the issues they hoped to protect themselves and each other from. To make sure your prenuptial agreement is enforceable, read this blog about what a prenuptial agreement can address, and then contact an Illinois premarital agreement attorney who can help you create your own.

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 Posted on September 21, 2022 in Immigration

Students coming to study in the United States are often excited at the prospect of many years of hard work and preparation finally coming to fruition. If you are attending an Illinois university this fall, you may have many questions about what your student visa allows you to do now that you are here. If you have not yet applied to an Illinois university, you likely have questions about student visas and perhaps even what your options may be once your studies are through. Whatever your situation may be, you can get help from an Illinois immigration attorney who knows the law and can answer your questions.

F-1 and M-1 Student Visas

An F-1 student visa allows a student to come to the U.S. and attend an accredited college or training program and work towards a degree or certificate. An M-1 student visa is similar to an F-1 student visa, except that it allows students to attend non-academic programs, such as vocational training in mechanics, cosmetology, or a similar non-academic field.

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 Posted on September 09, 2022 in Personal Injury

Research suggests that almost half of everyone who turns 65 after the year 1990 will live in a nursing home at some point before their death. Unfortunately, the research on the prevalence of nursing home abuse and neglect also suggests that these are very common, especially for older adults who have limitations on cognitive and physical functioning (such as Alzheimer’s disease or mobility issues).

If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home, it is especially important to be on the lookout for the following signs of abuse if he or she is highly dependent on staff for their daily needs. If you notice any of these apply to your loved one, contact an Illinois personal injury attorney right away.

Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

Abuse comes in many forms, and it is important to be aware of the types of abuse that commonly occur in nursing homes. These include:

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