Belleville Illinois Legal Blog

In order to construct the homes, businesses, and other structures that Illinois residents see throughout their communities, construction workers must erect supports that allow them to reach higher to finish their building projects. These supports are often called scaffolds or scaffolding, and scaffolds can be made out of wood and other building materials. Generally, scaffolds are temporary structures that workers may use to reach further or higher than they would otherwise be able to from the ground.

Through this definition a reader may be able to surmise some of the ways that scaffolds cause injuries to workers. One way that workers can be hurt by scaffolds is when those scaffolds collapse while the workers are on them. A collapsing scaffold may cause a worker serious injuries or death due to their trauma. Any workers who are under or near a collapsing scaffold may also suffer harm if they are in the path of the falling structure.

Imagine you were catastrophically injured in a car accident due to no fault of your own. Maybe you were the passenger in the vehicle of a drunk driver. Maybe you were a driver struck by a recklessly driving and distracted motorist. Whatever the reasons that caused your injuries and damages, if they weren't your fault, it's important to determine who's to blame and start preparing your case for damages.

To ensure that you put your best foot forward in court, there are some vital steps you'll want to take immediately after the collision. Hopefully, you're well enough to carry out these steps yourself, but if you're not, enlist a family member or personal injury attorney for support. Here's what you'll want to do:

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws throughout the country. When an Illinois resident experiences discrimination on the job or during the process of applying for a job, they may file a complaint with the EEOC to investigate the matter. The EEOC is charged with enforcing many laws, including but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

Individuals who have experienced discrimination at work generally must file their complaints with the EEOC in a timely manner. They cannot wait months or even years to bring their claims, as most matters must be filed within 180 days of when the discriminatory act occurred. If a person was subjected to ongoing harassment and discrimination while on the job, their timeline may be somewhat different.

Losing a job or getting laid off can be devastating news for an Illinois resident who has a family to support. Finding a new job is not easy for anyone, and for many, losing a job can also mean losing benefits and dipping into savings that were not intended to be spent. Changes in the economy can lead to layoffs and terminations that workers cannot control, but certain terminations do not fall under these generally accepted forms of firings.

Any termination that is based on discrimination is generally not acceptable under the law. Certain personal characteristics and qualities, such as the religion a person chooses to practice, their gender, or their ethnicity cannot be the basis of their release from employment. When employers fire their employees because of these and other classifications, the employers have likely committed the tort of wrongful termination.