Given the constant stress of our daily routines- juggling jobs, families, workout routines, social lives, and so on - bath time has slowly evolved to the point of something sacred in modern culture.

For many, this brief repose offers the only regular chance of relaxation, escape, and privacy, however fleeting it might be. Whether it’s your way of freshening up in the morning, or comes as a way of winding down in the evening, a hot shower can do wonders for body and soul.

A slip-and-fall accident in the bathroom, therefore, is probably one of the rudest interruptions we may experience, not to mention one of the most potentially dangerous. The prevalence of these incidents is sadly understandable, since most bathrooms feature slick surfaces and may not come with adequate floor mats.

However, while most homeowners would be responsible for any injuries incurred at their place of residence, one of the last places where we expect to run into this kind of trouble is at a hotel. Most travelers would see the bathroom of wherever they are staying as one of the last threats to personal safety in a new place, but poor upkeep by managerial staff in this department has led to many accidents.

Consider, for example, the case of the woman whose motel shower curtain was too short, leading water to collect on the floor while she was out of the bathroom waiting for the temperature to heat up. She sustained several bruises after stepping back inside and slipping and falling on the now-slick surface, and incurred later medical expenses due to back problems.

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For more information on the legal steps to take if you or someone you love has been injured in a shower slip-and-fall accident and you believe another person’s negligence was at fault, contact the experienced Chicago slip-and-fall accident attorneys at the law offices of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., today by calling 312-466-8200.

Bash, get-together, gala, rendezvous, hangout, soiree, celebration, shindig - the terms are endless, but the point is the same. Parties of all sizes and occasions are cornerstones of human social life on every level, from close-knit groups of high school friends to coworkers, colleagues, and fellow churchgoers.  

Danger from People

Parties should, in theory, be positive events. They exist in order to bring people closer to one another under the premise of simply having a good time. Unfortunately, rare indeed is the party that goes according to plan. Especially true of gatherings fueled by alcohol or other drugs, people’s behaviors often seem to morph in collective situations, often leading to unpleasant or even dangerous consequences.

In one tragic example, a man whose coworker jokingly lit his grass skirt costume on fire at a company fire died as a result of this “innocent” practical joke. The offender was convicted of manslaughter and reckless endangerment and sentenced to several years in prison.

Dangerous Places

While this case might represent the more extreme end of the spectrum, the line between harmless fun and real threats is easily crossed. Moreover, there are the sheer situational dangers involved when many people are packed into the same tight space.

The threat of fire hazard become of huge importance in small clubs or other venues. Structural integrity is also a issue, with one dramatic and disastrous example being the collapse of a third-story floor at an Israeli wedding reception.

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For more information on what to do if you or someone you know has been injured at a party and you think another person’s negligence or reckless actions may have been at fault, contact the experienced Chicago person injury attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., today by calling 312-466-8200.

Whether you're an expectant parent or just expecting company of the toddler type, safety gates are a worthwhile purchase. These devices which can either be of the hard-mount variety, known as “screw-in gates,” or use springs to press outward and wedge between a doorframe or other passageway - “pressure gates.”

While both types of safety gates have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of convenience, reliability, and economy, the underlying intent is always the same: to keep kids from putting themselves in danger. A safety gate of the hard-mount variety at the top of a staircase is thus an absolute necessity.

When selecting a gate, absolutely no compromises should be made, nor shortcuts taken. Experts in child safety insist, for example, that gates designed to keep pets out of the room are unacceptable substitutes. However, accidents may still occur even when we make every possible attempt to secure against them.

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A child’s fall from the top of a staircase can be devastating, especially if the above is true. The companies that make safety gates for children assume a certain degree of responsibility for the integrity of their products.

If you or someone you love has been affected by an infant or toddler’s fall and you believe that poor design or assembly on the part of a safety gate might have been at fault, you deserve to see justice done. Contact the experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedmand & Bonebrake, P.C., today by calling 312-466-8200.

Whether it’s to fill up for the ride home or to grab a snack and take a stretch break during a road trip, a stop at the gas station is such a routine part of everyday life that we often fail to even pay attention to our surroundings. The fact that this setting has become such a normal, unacknowledged part of modern existence means that we are apt to overlook hidden dangers that result in thousands of injuries and even fatalities every year.

As commonplace as they seem to us, gas stations are nevertheless full of potentially hazardous conditions. Oil spills on the ground can cause serious injuries to unsuspected customers who slip or skid and suffer a fall. This was the case with one man who was already disabled and riding on a scooter when he hit a slick patch of surface coming around a corner. He was forced to undergo multiple surgeries on his ankle, and was left even further immobilized.

Poor gas station upkeep is not limited to grounds liability. Faulty pump equipment, for instance, may cause a hazardous spill if the nozzle comes loose. Other customers may also be behind gas station injuries. In one dramatic example, a man was barely able to rescue two children from a burning car before it exploded after a speeding motorist plowed into the pump station from the other side.

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If you or someone you love has been affected by an accident at a gas station and you believe someone else’s negligence was at fault, contact the experienced team of Chicago personal injury attorneys at the law offices of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., today by calling 312-466-8200.

We go to the gym or hop on our treadmill at home with the hope of getting into healthy physical shape. The opposite result - when the equipment we are using ends up causing us more bodily harm than good - is therefore a fairly rude surprise, but not an infrequent one.

Exercise equipment of all sizes, shapes and forms is involved in thousands of accidents every day, some of them serious. From a barbell falling on a weightlifter’s chest to a safety map slipping out from underfoot, the number of ways in which we can be hurt by improper techniques and malfunctioning equipment are virtually endless.

At the Gym

Membership at a gym implies a certain amount of liability on the part of customer and establishment alike. While most fitness centers will require you to sign some paperwork concerning their responsibility for your safety, gross negligence - knowing about a possible problem and failing to address it - is never excusable on the part of the ownership and management.

Apart from poor equipment and grounds maintenance, some cases have come forward in which a personal trainer’s advice and coaching had a role in serious injury to the customer.

At Home

Home exercise equipment generally comes with plenty of instruction on how to properly use and maintain the machine, and consumers take a definite risk in working out at home without others around to help in the event of an accident. However, poor product assembly and design flaws can contribute to health equipment accidents as well.

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If you or someone you love has been injured in a gym equipment accident and you think another party’s negligence may have been involved, contact the experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., today by calling 312-466-8200.