Personal Injury

The Collins Law Firm Preparing to File a Case Against CTA for Train Crash Victim

November 23, 2023 | Margaret Collins

The personal injury attorneys at The Collins Law Firm are representing a passenger injured in the recent train crash in Chicago and preparing to file a case against the Chicago Transit Authority.

Chicago-CTA-1-300x244 The CTA train crash—which occurred when a Yellow Line train struck a CTA snow plow train doing scheduled training in the Howard rail yard– injured 38 people and was the largest train crash in decades. This tragic and unexpected crash sent 23 people to the hospital, including three in serious condition. Commuter train crashes like this are relatively rare, but when they do happen, they can injure or kill dozens of passengers. After a crash like the one in Chicago, the injured victims will need an experienced train accident attorney to safeguard their legal rights.

CTA, Metra, and Amtrak are the most well-known trains in the Chicago area. However, Illinois’ train system is much larger than that. Illinois has 41 railroads currently operating, with about 9,982 miles of railroad tracks. When you compare those numbers with the fact that, on average, a train accident occurs every 3 hours in the United States, you may feel a little uneasy. Most of those accidents, however, involve freight trains moving at low speeds and do not result in serious injuries. By contrast, passenger trains travel much faster and do not require any special protection–such as seatbelts– for passengers. So, when a passenger or commuter train is involved in a crash, it can result in severe, life-threatening or catastrophic injuries. Having an experienced train accident attorney from the Collins Law Firm will help to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve if you are injured in a train accident.

Illinois General Assembly Passes Bill to Hold Gun Manufacturers Accountable

June 28, 2023 | Thomas Sheridan

Gun-violence-protest-300x225 A new bill has passed the Illinois General Assembly that will help make it easier for victims of gun violence to receive justice, and to protect Illinois residents before they experience the horrifying consequences of gun violence themselves. Both the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate have passed the Bill, and Governor J.B. Pritzker only needs to add his signature for the Bill to officially become law. Pritzker has already confirmed his intention to do so.

House Bill 218, also referred to as the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, aims to open gun manufacturers to civil lawsuits from the Illinois Attorney General and citizens of Illinois for marketing their products fraudulently or deceptively. The law specifically outlaws gun advertising, manufacture, or sale that encourages illegal paramilitary activity or targets children under 18.

Illinois’ Firearm Industry Responsibility Act intends to define the limits of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PCLAA) passed by the Bush Administration in 2005, which has been wrongfully used by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and lawmaking groups as a means of sheltering gun manufactures from any legal accountability or consequence when their guns are used for criminal activity.

Top Motorcycle Safety Tips for Summer

April 26, 2023 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

motorcycle-rider-300x195 As the weather warms up, many motorcycle riders are eager to hit the road and enjoy the freedom and thrill of riding in the summer months. However, it’s important to prioritize motorcycle safety to ensure an enjoyable and accident-free riding experience. Here are some top motorcycle safety tips for summer to keep in mind before you rev up your engine and head out on your next ride.

Tune-Up Your Bike

While it is a given that you should maintain your motorcycle regularly, it is important to pay extra attention before summer arrives. If your vehicle has not been on the road for months, take it out on short rides before planning any longer trips.

Have You Been Bitten by a Dog? Here’s What You Need to Know

April 12, 2023 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

dog-bite-photo-300x216 Dogs are often referred to as man’s best friend, but sometimes these furry friends can be dangerous and bite. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States. This equates to about one in every 73 people. Our dog bite attorneys regularly represent people who have been injured in an unprovoked dog attack.

Why Do Dogs Bite?

Dogs may bite for various reasons. They may feel threatened, scared, or anxious. They may also be protecting their territory, food, or puppies. Some dogs may bite because they have not been properly socialized or trained. It’s essential to remember that every dog is capable of biting, no matter how friendly they may seem.

Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Attorneys in Illinois

March 14, 2023 | Margaret Collins

Hair-relaxer-Photo-244x300 Hair relaxers are the latest beauty products to come under fire because of their link to potentially dangerous health effects. New scientific evidence has emerged that suggests that the long-term use of hair relaxers is linked to increased rates of uterine cancer. More specifically, a groundbreaking new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shown that women who use chemical hair straightening or relaxing products regularly are at a higher risk for developing uterine cancer than those who do not use these products. This study along with an earlier NIH study linking hair relaxer use to ovarian cancer are the reason women are filing hair relaxer lawsuits.

NIH Study Links Hair Relaxers to Uterine Cancer

Uterine cancer is the 4th most common type of cancer in women, and Black women are twice as likely as white women to develop uterine cancer during their lifetime. The new study from the NIH may partly explain why. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in October of 2022, found that women who used hair straightening products in the previous 12 months were more likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer than women who had never used hair relaxers. And the risk increased with more frequent use. Women who used hair relaxers 4 times in the previous 12 months were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.

Gardasil Lawsuits Link Vaccine to Health Risks

March 2, 2023 | Thomas Sheridan

pexels-gustavo-fring-3985170-1-300x200 Gardasil, the leading vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) first introduced by Merck & Co. in 2006, has recently come under fire as a growing number of lawsuits are filed against Merck. The lawsuits name numerous medical diagnoses allegedly following vaccination with Gardasil and claim Merck fraudulent concealed the potential health risks linked to the vaccine. Specifically, the Gardasil lawsuits have been filed against Merck for issues such as failure to warn, negligence, and manufacturing defects.

Gardasil was introduced after a six-month fast-track, a process determined by FDA approval for drugs that it determines “fulfill an unmet medical need.” This is not a problem in and of itself, and there are many instances of a fast-tracked release helping many people. The development of a Covid-19 vaccine within a year of the pandemic owes itself to this process.

Gardasil Health Risks

FDA Warns of New Cancer Risk from Breast Implants

December 6, 2022 | Margaret Collins

Breast_implants_in_hand_01-300x200 The FDA recently issued a safety communication warning about a link between breast implants and certain cancers that can develop in the scar tissue around implants.

This new agency warning does not include Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma which has previously been linked to certain Allergan textured breast implants. Those textured implants were recalled after being linked to 600 illnesses and 33 deaths.

Now the FDA is warning women about squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lymphomas that are linked to all types of implants, regardless of whether they are saline or silicone filled, smooth or textured. These cancers form in the capsule, or scar tissue, around the implant. Currently, the FDA is aware of 20 cases of squamous cell cancer and 30 cases of lymphoma in the capsule around breast implants. The agency issued this statement as part of its safety communication, “While the FDA believes that occurrences of SCC or various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant may be rare, health care providers and people who have or are considering breast implants should be aware that cases have been reported to the FDA and in the literature. Currently, the incidence rate and risk factors for SCC and various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implants are unknown.”

Is Your Sportswear Toxic? Recent Testing Finds BPA in Athletic Clothing

October 27, 2022 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

training-ge36778761_1920-300x199 We’re inching closer to that time of year when everyone starts making New Year’s resolutions to hit the gym more. If you’re one of those people, you should make an additional resolution to only buy sports bras and athletic shirts that don’t contain BPA, a dangerous hormone disruptor.

Recent testing by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has discovered that 14 different brand-name companies are selling sports bras and athletic shirts that contain up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA (also known as bisphenol A). The brands affected include:

All in Motion (sports bras)

September Product Recalls

October 6, 2022 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

Baby strollers and other children’s products top the list of items recalled in September.

Recalled: Cityscape Travel Jogger Strollers

Cityscape Travel Jogger strollers (Model TJ75B12A) are being recalled because the parking brake can fail, posing fall and injury hazards to children.

Understanding Illinois’ Dog Bite Law

August 29, 2022 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

aggressive-dog-300x200 Many of us love our furry friends and would never expect a dog to hurt us. Unfortunately, however, dog attacks do happen, and the resulting injuries can be serious. So, who is liable when a dog bites someone? In many states, owners are only responsible if they have a reason to believe that their dog might hurt someone, for example, if their dog has bitten someone before. In Illinois, however, dog owners are liable if their dog hurts someone, regardless of whether the owner had any forewarning that their dog might be dangerous.

What Does Illinois Law Say About Liability in a Dog Attack?

When it comes to dog bites, Illinois is a strict liability state, which means that a dog bite victim does not need to prove that the dog owner acted negligently. Under 510 ILCS 5/16, “If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in civil damages.” A dog owner does not need to believe that their dog might be aggressive. If their dog bites someone, even if it is the first time this has happened, they are liable. This would not apply if the victim provoked the dog or was on the dog owner’s property illegally.