A photographer died after he was hit by a motorist after taking pictures of a car belonging to Justin Bieber.

On New Year’s Day, Christopher J. Guerra, 29, was taking pictures of a Ferrari registered to Beiber involved in a traffic stop. The vehicle was on the side ofL.A.’s Sepulveda Boulevard near the Getty Center Drive exit of the 405 freeway. Beiber was not in the car at the time of the traffic stop.

Guerra was heading back to his vehicle after being told repeatedly by Police to leave the area. Around 5:50 p.m., the photographer was hit by a 2007 Toyota Highlander that was heading south.

Guerra was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. The 69-year-old driver of the Highlander is cooperating with police.

A workplace accident that takes the life of a person, whether they are a full time employee or a contract worker, is distressing to the family members left behind. If you or a loved one has lost someone in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A truck driver’s death at a Bensenville freight and distribution center has launched an investigation by federal safety officials.

Worth resident Martin Sum, 57, was performing a routine safety check before leaving on January 7^th. While performing the check, Sum became pinned between the open door of his truck and a post at Vitran Express in Bensenville.

Sum was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 8:19 p.m. According to the medical examiner, Sum died from multiple injuries after being pinned. His death has been ruled an accident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration  (OSHA) has opened an investigation regarding the accident. OSHA is charged with maintaining workplace safety and is determining if safety regulations were being followed in this incident.

Workplace accidents happen. The injuries can be vary in their severity. If you or a loved one knows someone who is recovering from an injury that occurred in the workplace, call Spiros Law at 815-922-9292 to find out your rights under Workman’s Compensation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Last week, a Chicago firefighter was injured while fighting a blaze in the Englewood neighborhood.

On December 20^th, a fire broke out at a building at 6231 S. Racine Avenue at approximately 2:00 p.m. According to officials, the fire was on the first and second floors of the structure and spread to a building adjacent to the original building.

The fire was put out by 2:40 p.m. although firefighters remained on the scene. One firefighter was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park with a knee injury. He is reported to be in serious-to-fair condition.

When a serious injury takes place at work, it can take a long time to recover. Some people may have to file for Workman’s comp to get the help that they need. If you or a loved one know someone who has been injured at the workplace and needs help with their Workman’s Compensation claim, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for legal advice. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A state trooper was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer truck on Monday morning during a normal traffic stop alongside Interstate 55 near Litchfield.

On the morning of November 26^th, motorcycle unit Illinois State trooper Kyle Deatherage had stopped a motorist in the northbound lanes of I-55 near mile marker 62. Just before 9:00 a.m. as Deatherage was speaking to the motorist, a passing truck hit the officer.  The 32-year-old trooper was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The Interstate was closed between exits 60 and 63 for several hours while accident reconstruction officers investigated the accident. The truck driver who hit Deatherage did not immediately stop after the accident. It is not known if the driver was cited or if there were any other injuries from the accident at this time.

Workplace accidents vary in the level of injuries, some cause life-long complications while others are life ending. If you or a loved one knows someone who is recovering from a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your rights under the Workman’s Compensation Act. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A lawsuit brought against a Joliet asphalt company in regards to the 2004 death of a Channahon man has been settled.

Jason Shelton, 26, was working at the Gallagher Asphalt Corp. at their Brandon Road facility on a November night just before Thanksgiving of 2004. He was monitoring the flow of sand in a bin that narrowed at the bottom.

Shelton radioed other crew members to come bang on the bin as the cold temperatures were making the material stick together. Minutes later those crew members found Shelton buried in the sand-like material. His death was determined to be suffocation.

The suit filed by Shelton’s widow, Melissa Shelton, stated that Shelton fell through the open grate of the catwalk he had been standing on and became trapped in the sand-like material in the bin as there was no way to get out per the configuration of the bin. The removable grate was an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation as well which has been a recommended safety measure since the 1950s.

Gallagher Materials Corp., the company that manufactures and sold the asphalt at the Brandon Road facility, disputed Shelton’s claims and stated that Jason had jumped into the bin to loosen the material.

In the settlement, Gallagher Materials agrees to pay Melissa Shelton most of the $3.5 Million award. Approximately $250,000 will be paid by the manufacturer of the bin and the company that did maintenance on the bin, both of whose names are confidential at this time.

Some accidents at a workplace leave a permanent hole in a family. If you or a loved one has lost someone in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A garage structure that collapsed at the Miami Dade College on Wednesday has taken the lives of three workers and left another one missing.

The five-story structure in Doral, Florida was under construction and due to open later in the fall. However, around 11:40 a.m. the top portion of the garage fell, creating damage as the rest of the structure fell in what is called a “Pancake Collapse.”

More than 100 rescuers came to the scene with ambulances and search dogs. They toiled to save four workers who were trapped inside the rubble. A total of 11 workers were treated either at the site of the collapsed garage or a local hospital. The bodies of two men who were pulled from the wreckage. A third man was still alive when rescuers took him out but he later died at a Miami hospital from his injuries. The fourth worker has not been found at this time.

The Ajax Building Corp. has promised a full internal investigation and cooperation with state and federal officials.

An accident at work can change the make-up of a family. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your rights under Workman’s Compensation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Three Coal City employees were injured after their vehicle was struck as they were cleaning up after the annual Octoberfest celebration this past weekend.

The three employees, including Streets and Alleys Supervisor Darrell L. Olsen, were cleaning after the end of the Octoberfest activities on Saturday, October 6 at South Broadway and Oak Street. About 7:26 p.m. a second vehicle crashed into the municipal vehicle, hurting 44-year-old Olson and the other two employees.

Olson was airlifted to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove with traumatic injuries to his lower extremities. The other two employees were treated at Morris Hospital and released. The driver of the second vehicle, Thomas C. Brown, was taken to Morris hospital but refused treatment. The 42-year-old man was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. He was released on bond.

Workplace accidents can happen anytime, anywhere and leave a person with severe injuries. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured on the job, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to discuss your rights under Workman’s Compensation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Jim McMahon was known as the ‘punky QB’ during his days as an NFL quarterback and was most known for leading the Bears to a Superbowl win in the 1985-86 season.

McMahon suffered four concussions during his playing days but was jostled plenty during his 14-year career. He stated that sideline coaches and trainers would ask basic questions to determine if he could go back into the game after being hit. McMahon’s contracts were loaded with incentives if he made certain goals. If he did not play to make those goals, McMahon would get a smaller paycheck, so he would go back in.

These days, McMahon is showing signs of early-stage dementia. He has to write down messages left on the phone answering machine  before deleting them so he will know who to call back. When he meets people, he asks a companion minutes later how he knows that person. It is for these reasons that he has joined other retired players in a lawsuit against the NFL regarding the large number of former players who have concussion-related dementia and/or brain trauma.

He stated in an interview with a Chicago television station that, while he appreciates everything that football has given him, if he had to do it all over again he would have played baseball instead where the health risks are not as great.

Injuries on the job can have long term consequences. If you or a loved one knows someone who is recovering after being hurt at the workplace, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 for information on workman’s compensation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The family of a 50-year-old man, who died last year after being burned on over 80% of his body, is suing the man’s former employer.

Carlos Centeno worked as a contractor at Raani Corp., which manufactures household and personal grooming products. In November of 2011, Centeno was cleaning a tank when heated citric acid exploded from the tank. The 50-year-old man was burned by the acid on over 80% of his body. He died from his injuries three weeks later.

According to the lawsuit, Raani Corp. purposely did not call 911 when Centeno was burned on over one third of his body with third degree burns. A co-worker drove Centeno to a medical clinic 30 minutes later. Eventually, Centeno was transferred to Loyola Hospital.

An investigation by OSHA after Centeno’s death lead to 14 health and safety violations, resulting in over $400,000 in fines to be paid by Raani.

Workplace accidents vary in their amount of severity. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured at the workplace, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights under the worker’s compensation laws. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into Ford Crown Victoria vehicles used by police departments across the country.

The investigation was started after the agency received numerous complaints about the vehicle in regards to the steering wheel column, which can separate and cause loss of steering control. Three complaints stated that the steering columns had separated while another ten complaints stated the upper intermediate shaft was starting to shift away from the steering column

In one instance, the operator of the vehicle noticed the problem as they were accelerating the car from a traffic light. Another complaint reported there was not any mechanical connection to the front wheels. At this time the investigation is focused only on the police versions of the Crown Victoria.

This inquiry affects approximately 195,000 cars in the model years of 2005 – 2008. The vehicle is the make and model of choice for departments, with Ford controlling about 70% of the police car market. Ford Motor company is currently cooperating with the investigation.

When a workplace vehicle does not work correctly, it puts everyone in the vicinity at risk. If you or a loved one know someone who has been injured by defective product in the workplace, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.