We are happy to announce that we're celebrating 30 years! →

REQUEST FREE CONSULTATION
Published on:

By

When a person is injured, and another party is to blame for his or her injury, the injured party can file a lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries. Whether the defendant is liable or not depends on if he or she took reasonable care under the circumstances. If they did not, the defendant was negligent and may have to pay compensation to the injured party.

Unlike on television, where trials often appear to happen just days after an accident occurs or a crime is committed, real trials are preceded by a somewhat lengthy period of what is known in legal terms as “discovery.” Generally speaking, discovery is a process by which the plaintiff and defendant exchange information about a case prior to a trial.

During the discovery phase of a personal injury case, the plaintiff and defendant are entitled to ask the other party written questions about the accident. These questions are called interrogatories.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

E-cigarettes, or vapor cigarettes, have become an incredibly popular alternative to traditional tobacco products, with over 250 different companies currently selling the devices. Many tout the electronic apparatuses as a better alternative to using traditional tobacco products because they produce less odor, cost less than traditional tobacco products, and are less dangerous when it comes to creating fire hazards.

Despite these alleged benefits, some researchers have dug into whether the new alternative provides fewer health risks than using traditional tobacco products. Last month, Harvard University researchers produced results from a study in which they examined a few different types of flavored electronic cigarette products. The study involved testing over 50 varieties of flavored products and liquids marketed by the most common brands. The tests looked for a variety of chemicals, including diacetyl, acetoin, and two varieties of pentanedione.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

2015 was not a good year for the police. The news was rife with allegations of excessive force, and in many cases included videos that backed the claims up. It seemed that no city or state was spared: Baltimore, Cleveland, Ferguson, New York, Texas, Chicago. The list goes on.

In response to what they saw, citizens took to the streets, demanding accountability and a change in police tactics. There were calls for resignations. The Department of Justice jumped in to investigate. Some officers were put on leave or suspended, while others were cleared of wrongdoing.

Many police departments promised change. They vowed to look inward. Some even sent officers abroad to study police tactics in foreign countries that have been successful at limiting excessive force. The verdict at home is still out.

In some cases, civil lawsuits were filed against the officers and police departments accused of excessive force. For families who lost a loved one, like a young son, lawsuits like these are often their only vindication, especially if criminal charges are not brought or a jury acquits the police of criminal conduct.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Food safety has become a major issue and subject of public concern recently, with widespread foodborne illness outbreaks hitting the headlines on a regular basis. In its final warning letter of 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has issued a warning to Edo Sushi Express, a seafood processing company, claiming that it found “serious violations” of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (“HACCP”) standards applicable to seafood.

HACCP is a system designed to ensure food safety is addressed throughout the food production chain. It requires the analysis and control of certain physical, chemical, and biological hazards associated with turning raw materials into final products intended for human consumption. When it comes to seafood, pathogens and parasites present particular risks.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

On most weekday mornings, yellow school buses carrying kids from kindergarten to high school flood the streets of Illinois. At the same time, drivers rushing to work are looking for ways to shorten their commute and make it to the office on time. This combination can be a recipe for disaster, especially in winter weather and icy road conditions.

Of course, all drivers know that the flashing red lights on a school bus mean “stop.” But many drivers think they are smarter than the lights and can squeeze past a bus in time to avoid any sort of accident. Equally egregious is the fact that buses are poorly equipped to keep children safe. Lax federal regulations allow bus companies to bypass upgrades that can prevent injuries and even save lives.

In Illinois, all drivers must take reasonable care when driving a motor vehicle. This means they have to drive at safe speeds, avoid known distractions like texting behind the wheel, and not drive while intoxicated, which includes the side effects of prescription medications. If a driver fails to take any of these precautions, they may be held liable for their negligence by anyone injured as a result.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

En casi todas las mañanas entre semana, los autobuses escolares amarillos que transportan niños desde preescolar hasta la escuela secundaria inundan las calles de Illinois. Al mismo tiempo, los conductores que corren al trabajo están buscando formas de acortar su viaje y llegar a la oficina a tiempo. Esta combinación puede ser una receta para el desastre, especialmente en tiempo de invierno y hielo en las carreteras.

Por supuesto, todos los conductores saben que las luces rojas intermitentes en un autobús escolar significa “parar”. Pero muchos conductores piensan que son más inteligentes que las luces y se pueden rebasar a un autobús para evitar cualquier tipo de accidente. Igualmente notorio es el hecho de que los autobuses están mal equipados para proteger a los niños. Regulaciones federales leves permiten a las empresas de autobuses que eviten reformas que pueden prevenir lesiones e incluso salvar vidas.

En Illinois, todos los conductores deben tener un cuidado razonable cuando se conduce un vehículo de motor. Esto significa que tienen que conducir a velocidades seguras, evitar distracciones conocidas como textiar y manejar, y no conducir en estado de ebriedad, que incluye los efectos secundarios de los medicamentos recetados. Si un conductor no toma ninguna de estas precauciones, pueden ser declarados responsables de su negligencia por cualquier persona lesionada como resultado. Continue reading →

Published on:

By

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to consider a piece of legislation that is designed to reform the existing federal class action litigation standards by requiring that class actions divide proposed classes into class members who have been injured and class members who have not been injured. The two groups would be maintained in separate class action lawsuits. Called the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015 (H.R. 1927), the text of the proposed bill states:

“No federal court shall certify any proposed class unless the party seeking to maintain a class action affirmatively demonstrates through admissible evidentiary proof that each proposed class member suffered an injury of the same type and extent as the injury of the named class representative or representatives.”

The bill defines the term “injury” as the damages alleged in the lawsuit. If the legislation is enacted, class action plaintiffs will need to demonstrate that the class members have experienced a similar type and scope of damages as the representative of the lawsuit. Also, when certifying a class action, federal judges will need to include an analysis and description of whether the plaintiff has satisfied this requirement and whether each class member shares a similar type of injury.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

For some vacationers, a Caribbean cruise is the epitome of relaxation. They envision sunsets on the deck, drinks by the pool, unlimited food, and duty-free shopping. For others, it is Disney on the high seas, with Snow White, Cinderella, or Aladdin leading daily activities to keep the kids occupied and amused.

Every once in a while, however, Disney turns into disaster, and would-be vacationers end up nursing serious wounds in a local hospital, far from the paradise they hoped to discover. In some cases, vacationers even die due to the errors of their entrusted carriers, and loved ones who pictured their family members sunning themselves on a distant beach are forced to unexpectedly begin the mourning process.

These are, of course, dreaded vacation scenarios. Not many cruise ship passengers expect disaster when their beautiful luxury liner departs for sunnier skies and warmer waters. But when tragedy does occur, the law can provide relief to injured passengers and grieving family members.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

Medical devices are among the most commonly litigated items in product liability lawsuits. To recover damages in a defective medical device lawsuit, the plaintiff must show that the device in question is unreasonably dangerous or that the device the plaintiff received suffers from a manufacturing defect that renders it unreasonably dangerous.

In one of its first actions for the new year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued two orders increasing the regulation of transvaginal surgical mesh products used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The first order reclassifies transvaginal mesh used in POP procedures as a Class III device. Class II devices are those that generally involve moderate risks, while Class III devices are high-risk devices.

Continue reading →

Published on:

By

In a recent decision, the United States Supreme Court decided that a railway owned and operated by the government of Austria cannot be sued in the United States for an accident that occurred at one of the railway’s stations in Austria. The plaintiff in the case, a resident of California, sued the state-owned railway for injuries she suffered after falling onto the tracks while boarding a train at the railway’s Innsbruck, Austria station. When she fell, the train ran over her legs, requiring that both legs be amputated above the knee.

Under federal law, foreign governments cannot be sued for damages in U.S. courts except under limited circumstances. This protection is known as sovereign immunity, and it was codified by Congress in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act includes several limited exceptions, one of which permits a lawsuit against a foreign government when an injury is based upon commercial activity conducted in the United States. In her lawsuit, the injured American alleged that this exception applied in her case — and thus that her suit for damages should proceed — because her injuries were based upon the purchase of a train pass that occurred in the United States.

Continue reading →

Contact Information
180 N Stetson Ave 35th Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
T 312.462.1700F 312.756.0045E info@molllawgroup.com
We represent people nationwide including, but not limited to, those in the following localities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Bernardino-Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa–St. Petersburg, and Washington, D.C.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2025, Moll Law Group
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design