Posts by Jim Coogan

VISION ZERO INITIATIVE–MIXED RESULTS In 2+ Years, Road Fatalities Fall, But Danger Remains It has been more than 2 years since the City of Chicago adopted a plan to make roads safer. The “Vision Zero” plan aimed to reduce traffic casualties by promoting better sight lines, safe zones, and protection for cyclists. As the Chicago […]

Ben Joravsky Show Podcast (11/2/19) Jim Coogan Discusses Impeachment & The Law Below is a link to a recent Bonus Edition of “The Ben Joravsky Show,” where Jim Coogan returns to the show answer Ben’s usual question: “How Is This Legal?” In this episode, Ben and Jim examine some of the legal arguments being put […]

US House Passed the FAIR Act–Restricts Arbitration Law could Restrict Arbitration Clauses in Employment and Consumer Contracts This column has previously brought attention to the scourge of private arbitration contracts and how they restrict access to justice and unfairly tilt the playing field in favor of large companies and against individuals. An “Arbitration Clause” is […]

A GREATER HARM RECENT STUDIES CONFIRM THAT PATIENTS INJURED FROM MEDICAL ERRORS SUFFER MORE THAN PHYSICALLY In the United States, medical errors are estimated to be the third-leading cause of death. Indeed, a study in the Journal of Patient Safety published in 2013 criticized outdated estimates, and put the number at approximately 440,000 annual deaths […]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which handles workplace safety issues, is one of the smallest federal agencies. Even with its state partners, OSHA only has one inspector for every 59,000 workers. As a result, workplace injuries are fairly common.

Be Careful Where You Park In a surprising decision from Illinois’ First Appellate District, the Court dismissed the case of a person who injured themselves stepping into a 5-foot pothole. The basis for the ruling? The location of where she parked her car. Her lawsuit was against the City of Chicago for negligent maintenance of […]

A Powerful Statement of Justice Following a two-week trial in Cook County, Illinois in May, 2019, the jury returned a verdict for $3,000,000. The Plaintiff in the case was an adult woman (with two young boys of her own) who lost her mother in July, 2014. Sarah Crayton was a 61-year-old woman who originated from […]

Federal CMS Releases “Special Focus Facility” Candidates The Federal Government provides oversight for Nursing Homes in the United States. Part of this is because federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid provide funding for nursing facilities. In their role overseeing complaints about persistent care problems, the Government compiles statistics and investigates facilities. This had previously led […]

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 3,166 Americans died in crashed caused by distracted driving in 2017. It is easy to say that those three-thousand one-hundred and sixty-six people simply did not have to die. Thousands more did not need to be injured as a result of distracted driving. It impacts anyone and […]

It can be frustrating to wait on your insurance company in the event of a claim. In this post, we’ll cover why your insurance may be taking longer than expected and some things you can do if your insurance company is stalling. If you are trying to settle with an insurance company that continuously delays […]

In 2003, 3M became the sole supplier of earplugs for the U.S. Military. It continued to supply all branches with earplugs until 2012. According to reports, the company partnered with the U.S. to protect the nation’s troops despite knowing that its earplugs were defective. Now, men and women who served and deployed during those nine […]

Lane splitting refers to the process of a motorcycle riding between two lanes of stopped traffic. In this case, we use “riding” loosely, as more often than not, motorcyclists who perform this maneuver are flying between lanes. Lane splitting is downright dangerous. For this reason, it is illegal in Illinois.