Illinois Brain Injury Attorneys

Illinois Accident Lawyer Supports Chicago Police Clampdown on Unsafe Bicyclists

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) June 25, 2011

Chicago police warned bicyclists to obey traffic laws in a recent sting operation at one of the city’s busiest downtown intersections, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune .

Michael P. Schostok, a Chicago personal injury attorney who represents clients hurt in motor vehicle and bicycle accidents, calls the campaign a step in the right direction.

“Whether you’re a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian, you must obey the rules of the road,” says Schostok, an equity partner in the Chicago personal injury law firm of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard. “Chicago is home to nearly 3 million people, and countless numbers of them commute every day. Hopefully, a ticket or warning will lead them to behave more responsibly.”

In just two hours, officers issued 240 warnings and one ticket to cyclists committing violations, such as running red lights and riding through pedestrian crosswalks, the Tribune reported. It’s part of a joint campaign between city police, the Department of Transportation and the City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors that encourages bicyclists to “Share the Road.”

Around 3,200 Illinois bicycle accidents occurred in 2009 -- 20 of them fatal -- according to the most recent statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation .

“Sometimes, the accidents will result in a bump or a bruise and commuters will go on their way, but other times, there are catastrophic injuries that change the course of the victims’ lives forever,” says Schostok, who also handles wrongful death lawsuits.

For example, a crash could cause traumatic brain injuries or other wounds that permanently disable or disfigure accident victims.

“What may seems like a simple act of negligence, such as riding in a crosswalk, could have devastating consequences,” explains Schostok. “In an instant, a bicycle, car or pedestrian crash has the potential to rob victims of their livelihoods and cause irreversible physical and emotional pain.”

The Chicago accident lawyer said one helpful solution is for bicyclists to know the rules of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

“The code holds that every vehicle operator – and a bicycle counts as a vehicle – must follow the same traffic laws as drivers of any car or truck,” Schostok says. “Of course, that also means that drivers must respect cyclists as equals on the road.

Brain Injury Victims May Loose Sense Of Fear

Recovering from a serious brain injury can take up to years and even after recovery, patients may not remain the same.

For example, a psychological patient known only as SM is no different. SM suffers from a rare type of brain damage to the amygdala, an almond-shaped region of the brain that according to a new study published in December, causes her to not feel fear.

For three months, researchers tried everything they could think of to scare SM. "We tried to use stimuli common in Western society," says Justin Feinstein, a graduate student and researcher from the University of Iowa who worked on the study. They showed her horror movies, walked her through haunted houses, and did other things that would frighten an average person. They also asked her about fearful or scary moments in her past like when she was caught at knifepoint and gunpoint and nearly killed during a domestic dispute. Not once did they find evidence that she was afraid, by her report or via their observations.

Researchers discovered that she wasn't afraid of anything, but rather, fascinated by scary situations in which other people may be afraid. Before her injury, she was horrified by snakes, but now, when the experimenters took her to a pet store, she was instantly attracted to the snakes and began to play with them. She even picked one snake up and began to play with its tongue. She simply said that she was overwhelmed with curiosity when asked to explain her behavior.

These findings suggest that our emotional response to danger involves both fear and fascination. When we find ourselves in potentially dangerous situations, Feinstein says, "the amygdala helps us navigate the fine boundary between approach and avoidance." If the amygdala works properly, these emotions work together to keep us out of trouble. Although, when it is damaged, our reaction can work against our survival, drawing us to the things we should be fearing. "The evolutionary value of fear is lost," deduced the researchers.

Evidenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.7 million people sustain a brain injury each year. Of those, 52,000 die and 275,000 are hospitalized. It is unknown how many people are receiving other medical care or no care at all.

Other long-term consequences of brain injuries affect thinking, sensation, language and emotions according to the CDC website.

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