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The shoulders of this country have had to withstand yet another deadly tragedy. Last night people learned of an explosion that rocked the area near Waco, Texas. A blast so strong that people thought it was an earthquake. We come to learn that a massive fertilizer plant explosion has left several people killed and dozens injured as rescue workers sift through the burning rubble to find survivors. Fox News has listed emergency information for those…

Question: What should I do if I become involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle truck? Shannon: I think the first thing you need to do as in any accident is to stay calm and determine if you need medical help or if anyone else involved in the accident requires medical attention. In that instance, you want to call 911. Once you determine if there is any medical needs, you want to allow the…

Question: What is a commercial vehicle? Shannon: It’s essentially any vehicle that engaged in commerce that’s an easy way to remember it. When we speak of commerce, we think of the transportation of goods or live stock, the transportation of people. Question: Are there any special rules or regulations that govern commercial vehicles? Shannon: Actually the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations (FMCSR) as well as the state’s regulations will govern the operation of commercial vehicles….

It was six years ago that the Chicago Tribune did an investigation of hazards from magnetic toys for children that helped touch off the government stiffening standards on the small pieces that can be swallowed by the unaware. At the time, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) held a public hearing in Chicago on consumer safety. One of the clients of Clifford Law Offices, a mother from the far northern suburbs, Sharon…

April 7, 2013 Clifford Law Offices, with a consortium of law firms, filed a lawsuit Friday (April 5, 2013) in federal district court on behalf of seven Illinois local governments to collect unpaid hotel taxes from a number of online travel agencies. Among the towns suing the online companies are the cities of Warrenville, Oakbrook Terrace and Rockford and the villages of Bedford Park, Oak Lawn, Orland Hills and Willowbrook. Together they have filed a…

It is with great sadness that I heard about the death of Rob Komosa, a young man who died at the age of 30. After 13 years, apparently even the breathing machines could no longer help his lungs handle the work. He was one of my clients years ago, one of those people who makes an impact on you without even trying. I remember one of the first meetings with Rob was when he was…

Clifford’s Notes, Chicago Lawyer April 1, 2013 By Robert A. Clifford I recently returned from an American Bar Association meeting in Texas where one of the Continuing Legal Education programs offered was titled, “The Juice Isn’t Worth the Squeeze: The Impact of Tort Reform on Plaintiffs’ Lawyers and Access to Civil Justice.” A panel of nearly a half-dozen lawyers and judges from Texas headed by Stephen Daniels, research professor for the American Bar Foundation in…

Carrageenan is being studied by researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago and University of Chicago to determine if it has ill effects on some people’s gastrointestinal systems, the Chicago Tribune reported in a recent article (“Food Additive Stirs Calls for Scrutiny,” March 18, 2013). UIC physician and professor Joanne Tobacman has been looking at the health effects of this food additive for years and in 2008 she petitioned the Food and Drug Administration…

March 26, 2013 Kevin P. Durkin, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been invited to speak at the American Bar Association Section of Litigation Annual Conference to be held in Chicago April 24-26. Durkin will speak on a panel with Dan Webb of Winston & Strawn on Improper Conduct and Statements in Opening and Closing Arguments. Experienced panelists will discuss what to do when opposing counsel makes inflammatory or improper statements at trial. The program…