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Are Ghost Guns Legal to Own?
Ghost guns have become a subject of much discussion after it was discovered that the gun used to shoot the CEO of United Healthcare had no serial number and may have been made with a 3D printer. It is likely that a lot of gun crime in the Chicago area involves "ghost guns" that were not produced or sold through legitimate channels. In Illinois, it is illegal to own a ghost gun that has no serial number and was not purchased lawfully. It is also illegal to create these guns at home. Illinois has fairly strict firearms laws that require all gun owners to have a Firearm Owners Identification card. If you are facing firearms charges for owning or creating a ghost gun, you need an experienced Will County, IL gun crime attorney to help you.
What Is a Ghost Gun?
A ghost gun is a firearm without a serial number. Most ghost guns are produced at home, often through the use of 3D printing technology. Ghost guns can also be built from a kit, the idea being that a bag of firearm parts can be sold in situations where a fully assembled and ready-to-shoot gun could not. Most people who produce ghost guns in their homes are trying to circumvent Illinois’ firearms regulations.
Pranks That Are Actually Criminal Offenses in Illinois
Playing a lighthearted prank on a friend, neighbor, or coworker can be a nice way to make a normal day a little more fun. The internet is full of prank videos. Even major TV networks feature TV shows based on pranking unsuspecting victims. As long as everyone - including the person being pranked - is laughing in the end, you are probably not going to face criminal charges. However, it is important to exercise great care when playing pranks that could be upsetting to the victim. If property is damaged, someone is hurt or made ill, or the prank could be construed as harassment, there is a chance you may be violating a criminal statute. If you are facing criminal charges after a prank has gone wrong, you need an experienced Joliet, IL criminal defense lawyer to help you.
Pranks That May Be Considered Criminal Assault
When planning a prank, it is important to know that if you touch the victim or cause the victim to be touched in a way that is harmful or offensive or cause the victim to believe that he or she is going to be touched in this manner, you could be charged with criminal assault. Examples of pranks that might be considered criminal assaults or batteries include:
What to Expect at an Informal Driver's License Reinstatement Hearing
When you are trying to have your driver’s license reinstated after a DUI revocation, you may be asked to attend either a formal or informal hearing. If you have had multiple DUIs or injured someone during your first DUI, you will probably have to go through a formal hearing. However, if you have only had one uncomplicated DUI, you might qualify for an informal hearing. If you qualify for an informal hearing, you will only need to go to a Secretary of State Driver Services office where hearing officers are located. You do not need an appointment, but you do need to be well-prepared. An experienced Joliet, IL driver’s license reinstatement attorney should always help you prepare for an informal hearing.
What Happens at an Informal Driver’s License Reinstatement Hearing?
What exactly will happen and what types of questions you need to be ready to answer depends on the specific facts and circumstances of your case and whether you are asking for full reinstatement or a restricted permit. These hearings can be quick and straightforward in simple cases or more complex if your case has an unusual or complicated fact pattern.
Worker's Compensation for Repetitive Stress Injuries
Repetitive stress injuries can happen to any worker with any job. Even white-collar workers with desk jobs can sustain this type of injury. A repetitive stress injury is a type of bodily harm that comes about when someone is making repetitive bodily movements, like bending and lifting or even typing on a computer. These injuries do not happen abruptly - they come on slowly, over time. You might first notice that a body part is sore, but you can still use it. Then, problems like pain, stiffness, or reduced movement build up, and it gets to a point where you cannot just ignore the injury and keep working. If this has happened to you, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation so that you can get the medical treatment and time off you need. A dedicated Will County, IL workers’ compensation attorney can help you pursue all the compensation you deserve.
The Most Common Work Injuries Among Healthcare Workers
Being a healthcare worker, like a nurse or CNA, can be dangerous. Healthcare workers are much more likely to be injured on the job than most people. Nursing is a physically demanding profession, especially for those who work in elder care or bedside nursing. Nurses and nurses’ aids often bear the brunt of the physical labor that needs to be done, like helping patients ambulate or change positions in bed. Healthcare workers who are injured on the job may be eligible for workers’ compensation. If you are a healthcare professional who got hurt at work, you should immediately contact an experienced Joliet, IL workers’ compensation attorney.
Back Injuries and Patient Care
Back injuries are one of the most common types of bodily harm healthcare workers sustain while working. Hospital staff may not have the equipment needed to safely move bariatric patients, forcing them to attempt to manually help these patients change positions or stand up. Some patients are instructed to walk only with a two-person assist, but the hospital may not have enough staff to allow two people to assist one patient. Nurses and CNAs are commonly injured when a patient they are assisting starts to fall and the healthcare worker intervenes.
Compensation for Road Rage Injuries
Dealing with a driver with road rage can be terrifying and also dangerous. Road rage incidents tend to increase during times of civil unrest or universal stress, such as during the height of the pandemic and around election day. When people, in general, are short on patience in their daily lives, they tend to be less patient on the roads as well. This can lead to a lot of car accidents. With the election approaching, a lot of people are also displaying political bumper stickers on their vehicles. While this is a vital form of free speech, it can also lead to increased aggression on the roads between opposing sides. If you are injured by an aggressive driver, you need an experienced Will County, IL personal injury lawyer to help you maximize your compensation.
Common Signs of Road Rage
While some drivers with road rage make themselves known quite clearly by rolling down their windows and shouting or making obscene gestures, others are harder to spot. It can be challenging to determine whether a driver is acting out of negligence or road rage. Some signs that you have been targeted by an aggressive driver include:
I Failed a Breathalyzer. Can I Prove It Was Inaccurate?
It can be stressful getting pulled over, taking a breathalyzer test, and failing it. Most people start panicking that they will be charged with a DUI and face all the serious consequences that come with a conviction.
However, breathalyzers are not always accurate and there are many reasons why a failed test does not necessarily mean you will be convicted. If you failed a breathalyzer and are worried about what this means, speak with a knowledgeable Joliet, IL DUI lawyer to understand your options.
How do Breathalyzers Work?
A breathalyzer is a testing mechanism that you blow into. The device measures how much alcohol is in your breath, and displays a number to reflect the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). If you are pulled over and your BAC level as reported from a breathalyzer test is anything from 0.08% and up, you can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI).
Are Traveling Airline Employees Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?
When an employee gets injured at work, he or she is generally entitled to workers’ compensation. These benefits help an employee cover the costs of medical expenses and loss of income due to recovering from a work-related injury.
However, there is some confusion regarding people whose jobs involve travel and who get injured outside their usual work environment. For example, what happens when airline employees, including pilots and flight attendants, get injured at work? Since Illinois is a major travel hub, many people throughout the state work in the travel industry and need to travel for their jobs. A skilled Joliet, IL workers’ compensation attorney can offer personalized guidance when employees suffer work injuries.
Questions of Liability in a Garbage Truck Accident
Garbage collectors provide an important service to the communities they serve. Without them, neighborhoods could have obstructed roads, hygiene risks, and other challenges. However, garbage trucks can also pose a risk to other cars on the road, and they are involved in many accidents that have caused significant injury or death.
Since garbage trucks are often owned by a private company or a municipality, there can be questions about liability for damages. If you were injured in a collision with a garbage truck, contact a skilled Will County, IL personal injury attorney to understand your options.
Common Causes of Garbage Truck Accidents
Garbage trucks are built to be able to transport everything they collect – heavy, sturdy, and bulky. They can be seen driving through residential areas as well as on main roads, and they are not very well-suited for either. Some of the more common causes of garbage truck accidents include:
What Happens When You Resist Arrest in Illinois?
People naturally try to avoid harmful situations. We are hard-wired to engage in a "fight or flight" response, and it is reasonable to expect someone to do whatever they can to prevent something negative from happening to them. When it comes to being arrested, this instinct can be problematic. In Illinois, resisting arrest is treated as a serious charge with severe consequences. There are various directions you could pursue to defend yourself against these charges. The best step you can take is to find a reliable Will County, IL criminal defense lawyer to advise you on how to proceed.
Resisting Arrest Charges Explained
If you knowingly resist or obstruct a police officer who is trying to arrest you, you could be accused of resisting arrest. That can include fleeing, physically fighting with them, or providing false information. This is generally charged as a Class A misdemeanor, which can be punished with fines up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail. If anyone else, including the police officer or a bystander, gets injured in the process, it can be charged as a felony, with harsher penalties.
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