Do you know the 3 main benefits workers are entitled to under IL law?

If your injury happened while you were on the job and was related to a job task you were performing, you are entitled to three main benefits:

1. Payment of all medical bills related to the injury,

2. Payment for time off work at 2/3 of your average weekly wage, and;

3. Payment for the permanent damage the injury has caused you - which equates to a percentage loss of use of the body part you injured - or - if you cannot return to your job - 2/3 of your permanent wage loss for life.

Knowing the percentage loss of use a person is entitled to for a settlement can be a tricky thing. Most often an insurance company will offer much less than what an injury might be worth. Most often, injuries are determined by past decisions, which are posted in an index for attorneys to review call the "Q-Dex". Not every case is clear, but attorneys with years of experience typically will know what percentages a worker will be entitled to for a particular injury within a small range.

If you have questions or would like to discuss any of these benefits in more detail, feel free to contact us at 630-759-7000 or e-mail a question to www.info@qmmlaw.com.

QMM and partner, Robert Quinn - receive "Best of Bolingbrook" awards

On February 26, 2010, the firm was honored to win two distinguished awards from the Bolingbrook Community and the Area Chamber of Commerce. Nominated in the Professional Services category, the firm received the Best of Bolingbrook Business award after having previously been nominated for the same award for the past five years. We are both honored and gratified to receive this award in such a vibrant and growing community, especially considering the other top professional businesses which were also up for this award. The firm would like to thank the nominating committee and the residents of Bolingbrook for providing us their trust and confidence to serve over the past thirty years.

In addition to the firm being honored, partner Robert Quinn, received the prestigious Business Leadership award. For over thirty years, Mr. Quinn has devoted his time and talents to the citizens of Bolingbrook as a attorney and community activist. He has served on the Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce as President and is currently the chair for the election committee for candidate for Circuit Court Judge, Wayne Kwiat, Sr.

To see how QMM can work for you, feel free to contact us at: info@qmmlaw.com or call 630-759-7000. We offer a free 1/2 hour consultation on most matters.

Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Tort Reform Statute

The Illinois Supreme Court struck a blow to tort reformers across the country, when it recently found Illinois' reform statute, enacted in 2005, was invalid in its entirety. In a 5-1 decision, the court found that core provisions of the law--including a $500,000 non-economic damages cap in products liability, medical negligence, and wrongful death cases, was unconstitutional. The high court held the statute improperly encroached on the judiciary's powers and violated the state constitutional proscription against "special legislation" by arbitrarily discriminating against injured plaintiffs. (Best v. Taylor Machine Works, No. 81890 (111. Dec. 18, 1997).)

Supporters of tort reform see this as a huge blow to rising medical malpractice fees and patients getting the best medical care in the State of Illinois. Conversely, organizations such as the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association view the ruling as a protection to injured victims.

QMM concentrates in representing injured persons. If you or someone you know has been injured in a motor vehicle collision, on the job, or in any other way, feel free to contact us to learn how we can help. 630-759-7000

Real Estate Update - $8,000 Tax Credit Extended

As you may have heard, the first-time home buyers credit of $8,000.00 has been extended recently by the Federal government, which is welcome news to the real estate community. The extension is good through June 2010 and the hope is this extension will allow further progress on the housing market for the last quarter of 2009 through the typically heavy spring/summer housing market in 2010. We welcome this as an opportunity for continued economic growth.

QMM concentrates in residential and commercial real estate transactions. If you or anyone you know might be a first-time home buyer, this would be an ideal time for them to purchase while taking advantage of this historic credit. We are happy to assist in all closings and welcome all questions/referrals.

In addition, the new legislation allows other categories of persons to obtain credits of up to $6,500 even if they are not first-time home buyers, but rather, are persons who have owned and occupied their homes for five years out of the past eight. Again, another welcome incentive for persons that might otherwise not have been able to move out of their existing homes due to the falling price of their home.

For more information, feel free to contact one of our attorneys at 630-759-7000 or via e-mail at: info@qmmlaw.com.

Do You Have Enough Auto Insurance Coverage?

Having represented persons involved in motor vehicle collisions for many years, this is a question I wish more clients would have address before being the victim of an injury resulting from the negligence of another driver. Whenever I give presentations with respect to personal injury, this is also the number one recommendation I have for people - GET MORE INSURANCE AND PROTECT YOURSELF!!

Per Illinois law, persons operating a motor vehicle need only have a minimum of $20,000.00 in liability coverage. (For complete list of state insurance requirements - see www.insure.com). This means, that if one is the victim of an injury due to the negligence of another driver and you incur medical bills over $20,000, it is unlikely that you will recover anything more than $20,000.

What is the problem you might ask? Well, in today's world, medical treatment costs have risen to all time highs. A person can incur medical bills totaling over $20,000 very quickly, considering the large costs of Hospital care, tests such as x-rays and MRI's, and physical therapy. If a person sustains and injury requiring hospitalization or surgery, it is likely that his/her bills will go over $20,000. Legally, the person responsible for an accident (the Defendant) can be personally liable for any medical charges or pain and suffering as a result of their negligence over and above $20,000; however, in today's society, most people don't have large sums of extra money laying around and thus, it's difficult to recover anything further from them personally.

What should you do to protect yourself? You can obtain coverage on your own, called underinsured coverage. This would pay for anything over and above what is paid by the Defendant (over $20,000 for example, or an additional $80,000 if you had a $100,000 underinsured policy. I would recommend a policy of AT LEAST $100,000 to ensure you can recover both the medical loss and pain and suffering caused by another negligent driver. I have been told by many insurance agents that the difference in an underinsured policy of $20,000 versus $100,000, is many times only $5 to $10 extra dollars per month. Considering statistics show motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 3-33 since 2002, why take the risk of having little to no insurance to properly compensate you for a loss? If you seek the proper coverage BEFORE your accident, you won't have to wonder why you can only recover such a small amount if your the victim of an injury caused by the negligence of a driver with low insurance coverage.

Will County Approves Memorials for Crash Victims

The Will County Board recently became the first county in Illinois to approve a roadside memorial program allowing families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers to apply for signage that will be placed at the site of the accident. A 36 x 24 inch blue sign with white letters will read, "Please Don't Drink and Drive," and an optional plaque can be placed below the sign with the name of the victim and the date of the crash. The bill is intended to raise public awareness of impaired driving by emphasizing its dangers and the loss of human life through roadway signs. Those interested may contact the highway department at 815-727-8476 for more information.

As a Bolingbrook Law Firm representing hundreds of will county residents in personal injury matters, Quinn, Meadowcroft & Marker is aware of the dramatic impact an injury or loss of life by a negligent driver can cause one's family. We applaud the legislation - The Roadside Memorial Act of Jan. 1, 2008 - and will continue to fight for the rights of those suffering injuries as a result of the negligence of other drivers.

If you or someone you know has suffered injuries as the result of a auto collision, please contact QMM for a free consultation. We can be reached via our website at http://www.qmmlaw.com/, via e-mail at info@qmmlaw.com, or by calling 630-759-7000.

Work Injury - Tip of the Week

Be sure to notify your employer immediately any time you have any injury. Many employees are afraid to notify their employers when they are injured at work. Sometimes this is due to feeling one's injury is "nothing big" or "will go away". Other times, employees are afraid to tell their employers about their injuries for fear of being fired. Notifying one's employer of a work injury is required under the Illinois Workers Compensation Act. Specifically, employees must notify their employers of work injuries within 45 days.

We recommend employees notify their employers immediately even though you have 45 days to do so. This is because the more time that elapses between your injury and your notice to your employer, the more likely they will red flag your case.

Additionally, be sure to ask your employer to complete an accident report in writing. Most employers should have this form on hand and if they do not, their insurance company can forward one to them. We recommend employees notify their employers of EVERY part of their body they feel pain, even if minimal.

For more information on work injury claims, do not hesitate to contact our firm at 630-759-7000 or e-mail one of our attorneys at info@qmmlaw.com.