Cell Phones and Car Wrecks

For many Americans today, the idea of not talking on their cell phone while driving seems unimaginable. The development of car speaker-phones and wireless headsets in particular has made coordinating family plans and conducting major business from behind the wheel the norm. Even those motorists who still use a handset seem to have mastered a new method of driving at high speeds with one hand, or employing the classic phone-against-the-shoulder technique.

Although such behavior may be becoming more and more socially acceptable, especially with the sinister “texting-while-driving” problem beginning to overshadow oral conversation in terms of perceived danger, the threat to public safety that researches and lawmakers alike have associated with cell phone use remains. In fact, a recent study concluded that a 20-year-old talking on a cell phone slowed his or her driving reaction times to those of a person fifty years his or her senior.

The important thing to remember in light of new technologies is that even if you can find a phone number, call, and hold a conversation all without taking your eyes off the road, your attention is nevertheless divided. There is a limit to how much information a human mind can process at once, and when your conversation becomes more important than paying attention to your surroundings, you are posing a major risk to your own life and that of those around you.

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States around the nation continue to enact statutes that affect the legality of cell phone-related driving practices. If you or someone you care about has been injured in an automobile collision and you believe a driver’s cell phone negligence was in some way responsible, you deserve to see justice done. Contact the Chicago auto accident attorneys at the law offices of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. today by calling 312-466-8200 to find out more.

Scissors are one of the most common and useful of household items, with a wide array of applications. For mom and dad, they can be used to trim hair, cut out coupons, and even slice up a pizza. When it comes to kids, the arts-and-crafts activities of younger schoolchildren almost always call for a solid pair of scissors to get the job done.

However, as routine as scissor use may be, we tend to overlook just how dangerous these objects really are. Most scissors are essentially two sharp, shearing blades attached at one end with a pair of handles to control them. When being carried point-upward, this makes non-safety scissors about as safe as a pair of knives.

Thousands of scissor-related injuries are reported at hospitals around the nation annually, many of them involving children. Safety scissors, which feature plastic lining around the blades and tips, were introduced some years ago as a way of protecting against such accidents. However, even these cutting tools are not totally free of risk, as most still contain a metal blade that can easily cut through flesh if a child is not careful.

Given how many scissors the average American will use in his or her life, responsible use is an essential habit to instill. The timeless advice of never running with scissors is a good place to start, but they must also be carried properly: blades closed, pointing downward, and gripped by the entire hand. For children up to seven or eight years of age, only scissors with plastic blades should be provided.

Finally, always keep scissors, like other kitchen utensils, as far out of a child’s reach as possible, and ensure proper adult supervision.

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For more information on what to do if you or someone you love has been affected by a scissor-related injury in which you think another party may be at fault, contact the experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. today at 312-466-8200.

Back and neck injuries are incredibly common in our society today, despite the fact that they are not frequently discussed. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 80% of those between the age of 30 and 50 will experience a back injury at some point.

One of the easiest ways in which a person can hurt his or her back is through lifting actions. Picking up heavy objects repeatedly or in the wrong way can do serious damage to any number of muscles and tendons. Even those who work out this area are not immune. In fact, cumulative trauma - waking up one day with a serious pain for no specific reason - is a constant threat for those who habitually lift even light loads.

Some Tips for Proper Lifting Technique

The vast majority of back-related injuries in the U.S. involve actions done on-the-job. To help prevent such incidents, try following these points when lifting at work:

     Always bend at the knees, not the waist. Keep your back as straight as possible at all times.
     Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and have a firm grip. Also, lifting on slippery surfaces is a surefire recipe for disaster.
     Tighten your core and leg muscles so that they (and not your back) are taking most of the load.
     Give your burden a test-lift. Never overstrain yourself trying to lift more than is comfortable.
     Move slowly and steadily, keeping your head and neck straight and in alignment with your straightened back.

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If you or someone you know has been injured in a lifting-related accident, and you believe an employer or other party might be in some way liable, talk to the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. today by calling 312-466-8200.

The past several years have seen a growing number of disturbing cases in which individuals have come forward, some after decades of silence, to report instances of sexual abuse by priests and other clerical figures. With accusations steadily on the rise since a single high-profile case in the U.S. in 2002, it is now estimated that between two and four percent of all Catholic priests serving since 1950 have been implicated in such scandals.

The vast majority of these cases involve abuse when the victim was a child, since those in clerical roles exercise a certain amount of authority as supposed role models and spiritual guides for this age group. Common offenses included removing or touching children beneath clothes, although thousands of allegations claim even more heinous action.

Greatly complicating matters, the Catholic Church and other religious institutions have been accused of trying to cover up these abuses or failing to report them. It has been reported that oftentimes, if officials caught wind of unacceptable behavior, those responsible were simply reassigned to a different parish rather than being removed altogether. Obviously this practice only increases the possibility for the abuser to hurt more innocent people.

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Reporting abuse of this nature, especially so many years later, can take an unimaginable amount of courage. As children, we look to religious and social leaders as figureheads of morality and what is right. When this impressionability and trust is broken, it can feel almost impossible to process the subsequent emotions of shame, hurt, and confusion.

However, as the flood of recent cases has shown, the painful memories of clerical abuse do not simply disappear with time. As difficult as it may be, they must be dealt with, and an effective way of dealing with them is to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.

If you or someone you love has been abused, you owe it to yourself or to that person to make your voice heard. Contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. today to find out what you can do to right this injustice.

Taking on a huge corporation as an individual can be daunting. Even if you firmly believe that the company is in the wrong and should be held accountable for product defects or other forms of negligence, it is understandably easy to feel outnumbered and outgunned. After all, most major businesses feature extensive, high-powered legal teams whose sole purpose it is to defend their client by whatever means possible.

This is where the idea of a class action lawsuit comes into play. A class action is a large-scale civil proceeding in which several plaintiffs collectively pursue action against a defendant for a specific issue. Common examples include employees suing employers for illegal salary practices or patients suffering undocumented side effects from a new drug. Settled either in court via trial or through mediation between the parties’ legal representatives, class actions tend to have deeper monetary and social consequences for the company in question due to their collective weight.

Usually, the members of a class action will sign a document that waives their rights to sue the company as individuals. In the event that the action is successful, each of the plaintiffs will usually receive the same amount, although this is not always the case. Monetary awards can be either compensatory, meaning they cover the cost of direct damages such as medical bills, or punitive, which aim to punish the company for blatant disregard for human health.

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To find out more about class actions and similar proceedings, contact the experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman and Bonebrake today at 312-466-8200.