According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 6,500 pedestrian fatalities in 2020, and around 55,000 people suffered injuries in pedestrian accidents. Those numbers are alarming, especially since pedestrian accident victims often suffer serious and catastrophic injuries that may require extensive medical treatment and cause them to lose income while they are recovering. In many cases, these accidents result in permanent disabilities. Victims who have been injured in these types of accidents will need to understand their options for pursuing compensation that will fully address the damages they have suffered.

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

People on foot are likely to experience severe bodily harm after being struck by a motor vehicle. The injuries that can occur may include:

• Head injuries - Many of the most common—and most serious—types of injuries suffered in pedestrian accidents involve damage to the head and brain. Head injuries can range from mild concussions to moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries. These injuries can have lifelong consequences, and it is important for a victim to get checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible after an accident, since the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury will not always appear immediately.

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There are numerous situations where people may suffer serious injuries affecting the brain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur when the head is struck suddenly and violently or when an object pierces the skull and enters the brain. Traumatic brain injuries can vary in severity, and they can have multiple types of long-lasting effects that can limit a victim's ability to work, enjoy life, maintain relationships, and complete daily functions. In the most serious cases, a TBI can result in a person's wrongful death. By understanding the effects of different types of brain injuries, victims and their family members can ensure that they receive the proper medical treatment. When these injuries were caused by someone else's negligence, victims will want to make sure that they will be able to receive financial compensation that will fully address the ways they have been and will be affected.

Understanding TBI Severity

Traumatic brain injuries may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild brain injuries, which are often referred to as concussions, may only involve a brief loss of consciousness, as well as immediate symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and brief memory loss. Moderate brain injuries will involve longer periods of unconsciousness ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, and a person may also experience serious bruising or bleeding, and signs of brain trauma may be evident on imaging tests. Severe brain injuries may result in a loss of consciousness for over 24 hours, and if a victim does not experience regular sleep and wake cycles during this time, they will be considered to be in a coma.

Moderate or severe brain injuries are especially serious, and they are likely to have long-lasting symptoms that will affect a person for multiple years, or even for the rest of their life. However, mild brain injuries can also significantly affect a victim's health and well-being, and symptoms may persist for multiple months or years. Victims of mild TBIs may experience chronic headaches and sensory issues such as being especially sensitive to bright lights and certain types of sounds. They may also experience regular dizziness, sleep disorders, and emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, irritability, or mood swings.

Patients expect to receive the best possible care from their doctors, but in some cases, they may suffer serious harm because they are not provided the proper treatment. This often occurs due to misdiagnosis, which involves a failure to properly diagnose a dangerous medical condition or an incorrect diagnosis that does not actually identify the issues affecting a person. In some cases, misdiagnosis can lead to delays in treatment, allowing the condition to worsen, or an incorrect diagnosis, which can result in expensive and unnecessary treatments. In the most serious cases, a misdiagnosis can lead to a person's wrongful death. If you or a loved one has been a victim of misdiagnosis, an experienced attorney can help determine whether you can pursue compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Diseases and Conditions That May Lead to Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnoses are alarmingly common in the United States, affecting around 12 million patients each year. More than one-fourth of cases involving misdiagnosis result in issues that threaten the lives of patients or lead to life-changing consequences such as permanent disabilities. Misdiagnoses can occur because of diagnostic errors made by technicians, failure by doctors to order follow-up tests when necessary, misinterpretation of test results, or a variety of other reasons.

Some of the conditions that most commonly result in misdiagnosis include:

If you have been injured at work, you may be experiencing significant pain and discomfort, and need to see a doctor. However, you may be unsure about how to address the costs of medical care or whether your income could be affected by the requirement to take time off while you are recovering. While workers' compensation benefits are available for injuries that occurred in the workplace, you may also be wondering if your workers' comp claim will be affected by any pre-existing conditions you have. The answer is not always simple, but in general, you should still be eligible for benefits even if you have a pre-existing condition. By understanding how the workers' compensation laws in Illinois address pre-existing conditions, you can make sure you receive the benefits you deserve.

Workers' Compensation and Pre-Existing Conditions

In Illinois, as in most states, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. This means that regardless of who was at fault for your accident or how your injury occurred, you should still be eligible for benefits, as long as your injury is work-related. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover you regardless of whether you had any pre-existing conditions.

However, there are some circumstances in which a pre-existing condition can affect your workers’ compensation claim. If you have a pre-existing condition that is similar to the symptoms of your work injury, the insurance company may deny your claim based on the argument that your symptoms are actually due to the pre-existing condition and not the work injury. For example, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome and experience numbness and tingling in your hands, and you then injure your hand at work, the insurance company may try to deny your claim based on the argument that the symptoms you are experiencing following your injury are due to the carpal tunnel syndrome rather than anything that happened to you in the workplace. In these cases, you may need to work with an attorney to demonstrate that your injuries are, in fact, work-related.

When a tractor-trailer truck rolls over, it can cause a great deal of damage, especially if the truck collides with other vehicles. If you were involved in a rollover accident with a commercial truck, then you might have significant injuries that required hospitalization and surgery. You might have difficulty returning to work or providing for your family while you recover. The good news is that you might be able to recover compensation for your losses by filing a truck accident lawsuit against the truck driver or trucking company. But before you can do that, it is important to understand what caused the accident.

Negligence Leading to Truck Rollover Accidents

There are many different factors that can contribute to a commercial truck rollover accident. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Unsecured Loads: If a truck's cargo is not properly secured, then it can shift during transport. This can throw off the balance of the truck, making it more likely to tip over, especially when a truck driver is traveling at high speeds or negotiating tight corners.

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