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Justia Lawyer Rating for David M. Barish

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According to Amazon, the introduction of robots and other AI devices was supposed to make things easier and safer for the human workers in the mega-corporation’s warehouses. In fact, Amazon still asserts that exact same thing. The statistics, though, don’t seem to mesh with that conclusion, as they point to much higher injury rates at warehouses with robots as opposed to those without robots. What we can definitely deduce from these statistics is that, at these warehouses with robots, injuries are occurring at a very high reported rate that greatly exceeds the industry average. If you’ve been hurt in a workplace accident – at your Amazon warehouse job or elsewhere – be sure to reach out without delay to an experienced Chicago workplace injury attorney to discuss your case and find out your legal options.

Back in 2019, Amazon’s CEO of consumer business told PBS that robots “make the job safer.” The Center of Investigative Journalism did an in-depth analysis of the accidents reported at Amazon’s warehouses across the country and it found that those accident reports told a much different story.

The Center, on its RevealNews.com website, revealed that Amazon’s accident reports showed that, at Amazon warehouses that ship small- to medium-sized packages, “the rate of serious injuries from 2016 to 2019 was more than 50% higher at warehouses with robots than ones without. Even when faced with those numbers, Amazon continued to stress that robots made “jobs safer and more efficient.”

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While the calendar says that winter lasts for about 13 weeks, here in Chicago, we often experience wintry weather for much more than just those three months. Given the size and weight of a commercial truck (especially a fully loaded one), big rigs can inflict massive harm on the snowy and icy roads around Chicago and throughout Illinois. If you’ve been hurt in an accident involving a commercial truck, whether or not wintry road conditions were a factor, then you may be entitled to sue the trucker, the trucking company, and perhaps others to recover compensation for all the harm you’ve suffered. To find out about the legal avenues available to you, waste no time in contacting an experienced Chicago truck accident attorney.

There are lots of ways that you can potentially get the proof you need to win your case against a commercial truck driver and/or trucking company. One possible source of evidence can be the truck’s “black box” data recorder. The black box (a/k/a the electronic control module or electronic data recorder), can provide you with essential information about the truck’s speed, whether or not the trucker braked, whether or not the truck’s cruise control was on, or whether or not the truck suddenly sped up or slowed down right before the crash.

Another common source of proof is expert evidence. These witnesses, such as accident reconstruction experts and expert engineers, can provide very helpful testimony describing how the accident happened and why. However, as a recent truck accident case from federal court demonstrates, just because you don’t have expert evidence, that alone doesn’t mean you can’t win your injury case.

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VitasMPhoto-300x300We are pleased to welcome Vitas J. Mockaitis to Katz Friedman!

Katz Friedman is pleased to announce Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association President Vitas J. Mockaitis has joined our firm.

Vitas is an experienced and respected trial attorney, whom for over 32 years has been fighting for the rights of injured workers. We wish him continued success as part of our Katz Friedman team.

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Did you know that signing up for a free and secure my Social Security account provides personalized tools for everyone, whether you receive benefits or not? You can use your account to request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, or manage the benefits you already receive? Since Social Security closures began in March 2020, the Social Security Administration has taken steps to provide a majority of information online?

I don’t receive benefits, why should I create an account?

Even if you are still actively working there are many essential services that can be handled online. You can request a replacement Social Security card; Get personalized retirement benefit estimates; Get estimates for spouse’s benefits; Get proof that you do not receive benefits; Check your application status and more!

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We are pleased to announce that Katz Friedman has been named to the 2022 list of Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report. The Best Law Firms list, which began in 2010 is one of the best known and widely respected peer reviews of the legal field. There is a very stringent evaluation process to be included on this list and law firms are evaluated on their skill, ethics, responsiveness, civility in addition to their results. Clients are also polled on whether they would refer others to the firm in the future. From its conception, this list was created to give an unbiased opinion and help those seeking legal representation to find the right lawyer.

Over the years, Katz Freidman and its attorneys have received countless awards at the local, state and national level for their legal work as experienced Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, Labor, Employment and Social Security Disability lawyers. Since the firm opened its doors almost 7 decades ago, the lawyers at Katz Friedman have been fighting for full and fair compensation for our injured clients and have established a reputation in Chicago and Illinois as the most knowledgeable and ethical attorneys among our peers.

If you or someone you know have been injured and are in need of representation do not hesitate to contact our office. For a free consultation, call 800-444-1525 or visit www.katzfriedman.com and use the “Contact Us” form on our homepage.

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As an American Airlines International flight attendant, you travel a great deal and may encounter unexpected, even dangerous situations, not only on the plane, but while on layovers or in hotel restaurants. If you’re injured in the scope of employment, you’re entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim for benefits. However, if a third party contributes to or causes your work injury, you may be able to also file a civil lawsuit against the third party to recover damages. You need to be aware that American Airlines or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier may have the right to recover expenses related to payment of workers’ compensation when a third party was at fault. This is called a subrogation interest. Subrogation of American Airlines international flight attendant claims can be extremely complicated. If your work-related injuries may have been caused by someone other than your employer, you should consult the experienced Chicago workers compensation lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca. As an AV-rated law firm, we’ve fought for fair compensation for more than 60 years.

Subrogation of American Airlines International Flight Attendant Claims

Workers’ compensation is an exclusive remedy. Through this system, lawmakers intended you to be able to recover benefits without needing to establish an employer’s liability as you would in court. In exchange, you cannot sue your employer for work-related injuries and your benefits may be less than what you’d recover if liability were established in a lawsuit. However, if a third party is responsible for your work injuries in Chicago, you may be able to pursue damages in a lawsuit against that person or entity.

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Workplace accidents that result in scarring or disfigurement are devastating, painful and emotionally difficult. Firefighters are particularly at risk of scarring and disfigurement on the job. As a firefighter, you may experience a permanent change in your appearance as a result of a fire. Firefighters in the City of Chicago are usually not covered for work-related injuries because the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act doesn’t cover firefighters who work in cities with populations of 500,000 or more. However, there is an exception for Chicago firefighters who suffer serious and permanent disfigurement due to burns. Evaluation of benefits for scarring and disfigurement requires assessing the extent of the disfigurement and whether a bodily function was impaired. If you are concerned about scarring for firefighters, you should discuss your claim with our experienced Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers.

Scarring for Firefighters

Firefighting is a dangerous job. Scarring or disfigurement may be the result of:

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