Posted on September 27, 2018 in Personal Injury

People are injured in slip and fall accidents on a daily basis, and depending upon the height of the fall, the type of surface, and the victim’s ability to react, these accidents can easily lead to serious injury. Slip and falls can happen anywhere, including at a store, a neighbor’s home, or a public sidewalk. All property owners, including the government, have a duty to keep their premises in a safe condition, and failure to do so can lead to legal liability if a person is injured as a result.

In Illinois, winter will be here soon enough, and everyone knows the dangers presented by the accumulation of snow and ice. A New Lenox man sued Lowe’s earlier this year after he fell on an uneven surface covered in water, ice, and snow. Given the fact that everyone faces this type of risk when they venture out of their homes, it is important to understand how the law addresses legal responsibility if a fall and injury do occur. In addition, people should understand how liability for the accumulation of snow and ice is handled under Illinois law.

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 Posted on September 25, 2018 in Immigration

A Notice To Appear (NTA) is a formal notice to someone that they are being placed in deportation proceedings. While receiving one normally can be quite intimidating, a recent, quietly enacted change in guidance regarding how NTAs are used can make them even more alarming, even to immigrants with documentation who entered the United States legally.

NTAs Sent Immediately

Under previous administrations, if a person was lawfully present in the United States on a valid visa, such as a student visa (F1) or foreign worker’s visa (H1B), and they wound up going out of status while in the process of renewing their visa or making plans to depart, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) would generally not bother to issue an NTA, even though technically these people were unlawfully present in the U.S. Unless evidence of fraudulent or otherwise criminal activity existed, most of those seeking to reapply were simply treated as though the grant of a new visa would occur.

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 Posted on September 25, 2018 in Family Law

Most people do not get married with the intention of getting divorce. In fact, most couples tie the knot and hope that they will enjoy many happy years together. Unfortunately, marital issues arise and are sometimes so severe that a divorce is in the future. Here is a list of five telltale signs your marriage may lead to divorce:

You Feel Put Down By Your Partner

In a healthy marriage, partners support one another and truly appreciate one another’s strengths. However, when a marriage is going downhill, one partner may constantly feel criticized and put down by their partner. Criticism is one of the major causes of divorce.

Your Partner Makes You Feel Lonely

Feelings of loneliness are dangerous in a marriage. They can lead to less affection or intimacy. If your partner makes you feel lonely, you may turn to a relative, friend, or co-worker to discuss your feelings as they seem to have more sympathy than your spouse.

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 Posted on September 20, 2018 in Personal Injury

The thought of being in any type of motor vehicle accident is scary for most people, because the consequences can be tragic. There is no way to completely mitigate the risks of traveling in a vehicle, since the actions of other drivers, as well as basic human error, are impossible to predict. However, trucking accidents present different and more concerning issues because of the damage commercial vehicles can easily cause to passenger vehicles.

If you see one roadside crash involving a semi-truck, the extent of the danger involved is immediately apparent. The likelihood of sustaining catastrophic or fatal injuries is much greater in these types of collisions, due to the sheer size and weight of these vehicles. In a recent example of the very real danger commercial trucks pose on the roads, a tanker truck carrying propane gas exploded outside of Bologna, Italy after rear-ending another vehicle. One person was killed and almost 70 were injured in the blast. The dangerous materials that commercial trucks transport on a regular basis is just one factor that differentiates truck accidents from regular car accidents.

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 Posted on September 18, 2018 in Immigration

With the events occurring at the U.S. border in recent months, a near tidal wave of misinformation has been going around regarding asylum and refugee status, and many people are misinformed about the immigration laws and procedures surrounding this hot-button issue. For both U.S. citizens and incoming immigrants, it is absolutely crucial to understand what asylum actually is and what it is not. Failure to do so can jeopardize your or a loved one’s immigration claim and render them inadmissible or even deportable. The stakes are too high to buy into misinformation.

Myth: No One at the Southern Border of the U.S. Should Get Asylum, Because They Crossed Into the Country Illegally.

False - The United States is a signatory to the Geneva Convention, having signed it and ratified it into law in 1955. Article 31 of that convention states explicitly that those seeking asylum should not be penalized on account of illegal entry if they have come from a country where their life or freedom is threatened. Some might argue that many are coming from Mexico, rather than from their home countries, but the Article is open to interpretation. Besides, Mexico is decidedly unsafe for many undocumented people as well.

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 Posted on September 18, 2018 in Family Law

Last year, Illinois adopted the income shares model to calculate child support. With this model, the way child is calculated in Illinois has significantly changed. If you are going through a divorce and wondering how the income share model will impact the amount of money you may receive or be required to pay, keep reading.

The Benefits of the Income Shares Model

The income shares model is used in the majority of states and can effectively address the needs of each child while taking the financial well-being of each parent into account. In the past, Illinois only considered the income of the parent who was responsible for paying child support. Now, each child is provided with the same amount of support they would receive if their parents were still married.

Details of the Income Shares Model

There are several details of the income shares model that are essential to understand. In the event a parent is paying court-ordered child support in a case that is completely separate and unrelated, the amount being paid will be subtracted from their gross income.

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 Posted on September 13, 2018 in Personal Injury

Driving is something millions of Americans do every day, and most trips are uneventful. Unfortunately, some outings do not end well, and car accidents can leave drivers and passengers injured, not to mention causing substantial property damage. Consulting with a personal injury attorney is always advisable in this situation, whether you are planning to pursue a lawsuit against the other driver or file a claim with your own insurance company.

Illinois, like other states, requires all drivers to have car insurance to cover situations where they are at fault in a collision. However, like other legal requirements, not everyone follows the rules, and statistics indicate that over 13 percent of Illinois drivers are uninsured, which amounts to more than 1.1 million registered drivers in the State. To put this in perspective, an eight-car accident occurred on I-294 recently, and according to the numbers mentioned above, chances are quite high that at least one of these drivers was uninsured.

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 Posted on September 11, 2018 in Immigration

On August 29, 2018, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a trailer manufacturing company just north of Dallas, TX, detaining approximately 160 people, all of whom ICE characterizes as undocumented workers. The company was raided after tips came to ICE that undocumented people had been hired and that the company would simply “pay the fine and go on” if adverse consequences came their way. This does not, however, take into account the pain experienced by those caught in the raid. If you or a loved one has been detained by ICE after a workplace raid, rightly or wrongly, you do have rights, and they must be respected even while in detention.

Workplace Raids Are Up Under the Current Administration

While the Trump administration may argue that workplace raids cut down on the number of undocumented workers in the United States, many people do not see the psychological cost that these raids exact. Studies have shown that psychological stress can be transmitted from parent to child, with heightened rates of depression and anxiety documented as those children age. Between the psychological and practical costs, it can be easy to feel as if there is no hope if you or a loved one has been detained in a workplace raid.

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 Posted on September 11, 2018 in Family Law

A girl’s relationship with her father is important. Unfortunately, divorce may hinder a father-daughter relationship and make it difficult for a father to stay connected with his daughter. The good news is that there are certain ways divorced dads can facilitate a healthy relationship with their daughters and improve their daughters’ self-esteem. Here’s how:

Encourage Her to Express Her Feelings

Divorced fathers should encourage their daughters to be open, honest, and not be afraid to express their feelings. When fathers create a safe environment for daughters to express their feelings, daughters can lead happier, more positive lives.

Praise Her Appropriately

Rather than saying things like “you look pretty and thinner” divorced fathers should praise their daughters by pointing out their strengths and talents. They can say things like “you are wise for going on a walk every day” or “nice job cooking a healthy meal.”

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 Posted on September 07, 2018 in Personal Injury

Dogs have been considered man’s closest companion for thousands of years. Given the explosion of pet-related services and businesses in the last 10 years, the connection between a dog and its owner is stronger than ever. Most encounters with dogs are pleasant with no real risk of injury; however, dog bites do happen and are often related to uneducated or inattentive owners, or a dog that has not been properly socialized or trained.

Dog bites can inflict significant and permanent damage and should never be taken lightly. According to a report issued by State Farm for 2017, Illinois came in second in the country in terms of the number of dog bite claims filed with this insurer, with 318 for $12.6 million. This is just one insurance company that offers coverage for pet-related incidents. Thus, even more bites and injuries occurred throughout the State that are not reflected in these numbers.

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