Posted on February 05, 2022 in Personal Injury

While our natural gas lines are something most of us would prefer never to think about, they tend to turn up problems at the most inconvenient times. Winters in Chicago are notoriously cold and gray, and a malfunctioning gas line may result in a lack of heat or hot water when you need it most. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that natural gas and petroleum systems are also among the largest man-made contributors of methane in the country.

The worst consequences of leaky or improperly functioning gas lines, however, are not simply inconvenient, uncomfortable, or bad for the environment. Leaking gas lines can present a significant hazard to your health and may even trigger life-threatening gas explosions. Ideally, landlords and property owners are responsive and address gas leaks immediately, but when they do not, serious personal injuries can occur.

How Common Are Gas Line Leaks?

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 Posted on January 27, 2022 in Personal Injury

Winter weather in the Midwest is notorious for being particularly brutal. Snow, ice, and weeks of sub-zero temperatures and no sunshine can work together to create particularly hazardous situations. Come springtime, cracks and holes in damaged sidewalks are common, as is damage to residential buildings like apartment complexes that are frequently made out of bricks and other materials susceptible to erosion. If you are a tenant living in a building with hazardous conditions, you may want to know whether your landlord is responsible for preventing damage from a tenant who might slip, trip, or fall on unsafe premises.

Common Injuries From Slips, Trips, and Falls

Many different conditions may be present on residential premises that present a hazard to the well-being of residents and visitors. For example, if a sidewalk is uneven or has a pothole, a pedestrian could trip and fall. Or perhaps weather damage caused a portion of the side of the building to crumble and fall, leading to hazardous objects in the walkway. Whatever the cause of a slip, trip, or fall, injuries can be numerous and severe. Such injuries may include:

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 Posted on January 20, 2022 in Immigration

There are a variety of issues that can affect the immigration process. Some of the most serious of these issues involve criminal convictions. U.S. immigration laws state that convictions for “crimes involving moral turpitude” may cause a person to be inadmissible to the United States, or these crimes may be grounds for deportation. By understanding what types of crimes fall into this category and how convictions may play a role in the immigration process, immigrants and their family members can determine the best way to proceed as they work to resolve any issues that affect their ability to enter or remain in the U.S.

What Are Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude?

The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that a person is inadmissible to the United States if they have been convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude (also known as CIMTs). While the INA does not list any specific crimes that fall into this category, these crimes may include any offenses that could be considered to be depraved or shocking by the general public. Courts have found that a number of different types of crimes may apply, including:

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 Posted on January 20, 2022 in Family Law

Divorce orders are complex and legally binding documents. Divorced individuals in Illinois may not necessarily like the contents of their divorce order, but without seeking a modification in court, the order must be followed nonetheless. Many parts of the divorce order have an impact on a divorcee’s everyday life, especially if she shares children with her ex. It is important to understand that violating any part of a divorce order carries legal consequences.

What Happens if I Have Been Charged with Contempt of Court?

Charges for contempt of court usually follow a petition by one former spouse against the other for enforcing a part of the divorce order that a spouse has allegedly broken. Not paying child support or spousal maintenance, violating the terms of a parenting agreement, or failing to make payments on court-ordered division of debt could all lead a person to file such a petition.

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 Posted on January 12, 2022 in Immigration

For immigrants who are seeking entry to the United States or those who currently live in the U.S. and wish to obtain an adjustment of status and become lawful permanent residents, there are certain issues that may affect this process. U.S. immigration laws include multiple “grounds for inadmissibility” that may affect an immigrant’s legal status or prevent them from entering or remaining in the United States. However, there are some cases where immigrants may be able to obtain waivers of inadmissibility. By understanding when these waivers may be available and the procedures to follow when applying for a waiver, immigrants and their family members can make sure they are taking the correct steps to overcome any issues that may affect the immigration process.

Waivers for Different Grounds of Inadmissibility

While immigration laws may prevent a person from being legally admitted to the United States in certain situations, there are some cases where exceptions may apply. Waivers may be available in situations where a person is inadmissible due to issues such as:

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 Posted on January 07, 2022 in Personal Injury

Skull fractures are serious injuries for any age, but they are particularly dangerous for infants. It is unclear exactly how common infant skull fractures are because they are not always easy to recognize, but some believe that they may be much more common than the available data suggest.

Infant skull fractures can occur in many ways during childbirth. Although some skull fractures can occur spontaneously during delivery, most of these injuries happen because of excessive force, improper fetal monitoring, or another kind of medical malpractice. If you are worried that your healthcare provider caused your infant to suffer a birth injury because of improper care, an experienced birth injuries attorney may be able to help.

Common Causes of Infant Skull Fractures During Labor and Delivery

Skull fractures are uncommon in uncomplicated labors, but medical personnel should be alert and ready to respond to signs that an infant is at risk of injuries. The most common causes of infant skull fractures include:

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 Posted on January 06, 2022 in Family Law

When parents of children under 18 years old get divorced, child support payments are almost always involved. Under Illinois law, both parents are responsible for providing their children with reliable financial support and, using both parents’ incomes, Illinois has a formula to help determine roughly what child support payments will be.

However, many parents in Illinois have income levels that far exceed the parameters laid out by the Income Shares formula. When this happens, it can be much harder to predict child support payments. If you or your spouse is a high earner, here are three things to know about child support in Illinois.

The Court Must Approve Any Child Support Agreements

In a perfect world, divorcing parents would agree on everything and the divorce process would be smooth and uncontested. In the real world, this is rarely the case - especially when large amounts of money are at stake. Sometimes parents can agree on a child support payment amount. However, if they do so, they must get the child support arrangement approved by the court. Under Illinois law, a parent may not forfeit his or her right to child support from the other parent. Child support payments are for the child’s benefit. The court will want to ensure that the payment amount will reasonably meet the child’s financial needs.

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 Posted on December 27, 2021 in Immigration

Originally published: December 9, 2014 -- Updated: December 27, 2021

UPDATE: If you are planning to get married to a person who is a citizen of a foreign country, you should be sure to understand the steps that you will need to follow to ensure that your partner will be able to reside in the United States legally. By applying for a fiancé visa, you can bring your future spouse to live with you, and after you get married, your partner will be able to maintain permanent residence in the U.S.

A U.S. citizen can apply for a K-1 fiancé(e) visa for an intended spouse who is living in another country. The citizen will file a Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) (Form I-129F) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This type of nonimmigrant visa will allow the fiancé(e) to enter the United States. After receiving a visa and coming to the U.S., the foreign fiancé(e) must get married to the U.S. citizen within 90 days. If they do not get married within this time frame, the foreign fiancé(e) will be required to leave the United States. After getting married, the foreign spouse can apply for adjustment of status, and they will receive a conditional Green Card that will be valid for two years. Before their Green Card expires, they will need to apply to remove the conditions on permanent residence, after which they will receive a permanent Green Card.

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 Posted on December 17, 2021 in Personal Injury

People who have loved ones in Illinois nursing homes frequently suspect that something is amiss with the standard of care the nursing home provides, but suspicions and accusations are usually not enough to make a nursing home take action. Yet residents have a legal right to receive an appropriate standard of care; if a facility is not clean, safe, and residents are not given the right assistance with their daily life, what can you do? Worse yet, if you fear your loved one is being abused or neglected, how can you take immediate action to keep them safe?

When residents are emotionally abused, seriously injured, or killed because a nursing home neglects or abuses residents, you may want to file a lawsuit against the nursing home. To do so, however, you will need to have evidence to support your claims. Here, we will examine common kinds of evidence that can be used to show a nursing home acted wrongly against your loved one.

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 Posted on December 14, 2021 in Personal Injury

Trucking companies have a responsibility to ensure their vehicles do not pose a safety threat to others. Unfortunately, we have all seen pieces of truck tires littering the road. Those unlucky enough to be next to a truck when a tire blows out face a high risk of losing control of their vehicle, and shredded tires flying across the highway can hit vehicles and cause serious damage. Although it is not entirely possible to mitigate the risk of trucking accidents due to blown-out tires, preventing most blowout accidents is possible with standard safety measures. When truck companies follow poor trucking maintenance protocol, victims of tire blowout accidents may be able to pursue justice.

Are Trucking Companies Responsible For Blown-Out Tires?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires trucking companies to maintain their vehicles. Large commercial vehicles like dump trucks, tow trucks, and 18-wheel tractor-trailers can pose serious hazards to others if poor maintenance leads to trucking regulation violations. Trucking companies and their employees must ensure the following conditions are true of their tires before trucks are allowed on the road:

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