Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed new consumer protection bills into law, bringing the state of Illinois up-to-date in its protection of people against predatory lending practices and unfair debt collection practices. According to John Presta's Examiner story, Gov. Quinn has a "long history" of political effort aimed at helping Illinois consumers, which goes back to creating a consumer watchdog organization during his time as commissioner of the Cook County Board of Tax Appeals in the early 1980s. Most recently, Gov. Quinn signed both Senate Bill ...

As those who have sought the relief from debt bankruptcy provides know, Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy do not treat secured debt and unsecured debt equally. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the difference between these two types of debt. Secured versus Unsecured Debt The main difference between secured debt and unsecured debt is collateral. Secured debt is debt that is backed by collateral, like a house or a car. Examples of secured debt include mortgages and car loans. Creditors are able to repossess the home or car if individuals default on their ...

News of Kelsey Grammer's $50 million payout to his former wife Camille certainly grabbed headlines. Grammer reportedly did not have a prenuptial agreement that could have saved him a great deal of money before settling the divorce. Conversely, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise settled their divorce by following a prenuptial agreement that conditioned how much money would be paid should the couple split. These celebrity divorces (and many others like them) continue to spark the debate over whether couples should consider prenuptial agreements. At their core, prenuptial agreements ...

Making the decision to use a nursing home facility to provide care for a loved one is difficult. Even after taking the time to research and question professionals in an attempt to find the right facility, nursing home abuse or neglect can occur. Although many facilities offer quality patient care, others are found in violation of many patient care standards and receive repeated citations from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a government agency that regulates nursing homes at a national level. A recent New York Times investigation found that ...

The use of electronic on-board recording devices (EOBRs), also known as "black boxes" in commercial trucks has been a long-standing safety issue. Safety advocates believe that such devices will promote safety and deter drivers from violating hours-of-service (HOS) rules. However, the trucking industry maintains that they will simply be another way to harass drivers for benign rule violations and slow down operations in a very competitive industry. Despite the controversy, commercial trucks will now be required to carry EOBRs to record a truck's course and its ...

Megabus is a popular discount bus carrier operating in several states, including Illinois. Megabus and similar companies offer competitive fares to travelers looking to save money. But, two recent fatal Megabus accidents in Illinois raise questions about whether discount bus companies may be sacrificing safety in order to cut costs. The first crash, which occurred on August 2, left one dead and at least 42 injured. A double-decker Megabus crashed into a concrete pillar supporting an overpass on Interstate 55. The official cause of the accident is still under investigation, ...

The lengthy conflict in Afghanistan (and the years-long battle for control of Iraq before) has put many patriotic Americans -- particularly National Guard and Army Reserve troops who typically have "other" lives and are uniquely unprepared for the impact of deployment -- at risk of losing custody of their children. A group of legal experts - the Uniform Law Commission, a group of more than 300 attorneys around the country - has made recommendations regarding the handling of child custody disputes involving actively serving military men and women. The panel ...

There are a lot of people in New Jersey with dangerous jobs. However, the title of "riskiest profession" doesn't go to construction workers, heavy machine operators or even police officers. Rather, it is workers who spend a lot of time on the road -- like truck drivers and sales representatives -- who stand the greatest chance of being killed on the job. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2011, 683 "vehicle-bound workers" were killed while performing their jobs. Overall, nearly 40 percent of all fatal work injuries were transportation-related. ...

Most people know that harassment or discrimination against someone just because they are another race, religion, nationality or gender is wrong on several levels. Not only are there moral reasons to not discriminate against others, there are numerous state and federal laws in place like Title VII (prohibiting discrimination in the workplace) and Title IX (prohibiting discrimination at educational institutions) aimed at ensuring fair treatment for all. Surprisingly, one of the federal government's own organizations - the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - has been plagued ...

When you have kids, the decision to divorce brings a host of heart-wrenching concerns. Each phase of youth, from babyhood to adolescence and from teenage years to college, has its own requirements for healthy development. Steering children through these important times in life is challenging under normal circumstances, but divorcing parents know that the additional life changes divorce brings will require special parental attention and guidance. What We Know When it comes to shepherding your kids through a divorce, the experts largely agree on a few major points: - ...

If your financial position is becoming precarious, and there never seems to be enough money anymore, a bankruptcy may be the solution. For situations that are truly desperate, a Chapter 7 may allow you to discharge practically all of your debts and start fresh. If things have not grown quite that dire, a Chapter 13 may allow you to restructure much of your debt, and regain financial stability. What If You Own a Home? Homeownership and bankruptcy is a complex scenario. Because of the variability of the circumstance, your best option is to contact a bankruptcy ...

The Texas Supreme Court recently issued a landmark ruling that could affect thousands of child protection cases annually brought by the Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS). The verdict was the result of years-long legal wrangling between the DFPS and a mother who had lost custody of her children following a state-sponsored lawsuit. Background of the Case This landmark decision -- Supreme Court of Texas No. 11-0282, In the Interest of E.R., J.B., E.G., and C.L., Children -- concerns a DFPS petition to terminate the parental rights of four children. ...

A deadly train accident that occurred last year has resulted in a number of lawsuits and has left the Nevada Department of Transportation considering ways to prevent similar public transportation crashes. The accident at the center of the litigation occurred when a truck driver with a Nevada-based trucking company skidded along Hwy 95 and hit a train with 218 passengers. As a result, four people were killed, including the train's conductor, and another 101 were injured. After the deadly accident, several lawsuits were filed, naming the Nevada Department of Transportation, ...

Cancellation of Debt In the current slow economy, many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Individuals are over their heads in expenses and debt. The good news is that some financial institutions will discharge some payment obligations, thus eliminating one's duty to repay certain loans. However, the bad news is that generally, discharged debt qualifies as realized wealth, which is taxable income under federal law. Therefore, one must usually pay taxes on any relieved debt. In the year that the cancellation of debt occurs, the lender reports the released debt ...

When a court hands a child support order to a non-custodial parent, he or she may feel like the financial burden will last a lifetime. However, with a court order and the help of an experienced family law attorney, there are ways to reduce or even stop one's child support commitment when it becomes financially necessary to do so. When Child Support Usually Stops In Illinois, under normal circumstances, a parent's commitment to pay child support ends by the date stipulated in the child support order. If a parent receives an order with no end date, he or she is obligated ...

Before workers' compensation, job-related injury, disease and death often devastated individuals and families financially. Most victims in the early years of industrialization had difficulty affording attorneys and lawsuits to seek damages from their employers. Those who were able to sue were often unable to show employer liability because of laws that blocked recovery when victims contributed to their own injuries in some way or were legally found to have assumed the risk of workplace injury by taking those jobs. With roots in Europe, workers' compensation systems ...

Intensive care units are designed to house the most critically ill and injured patients. If someone is admitted to the ICU, it is likely because their life is in jeopardy. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that patients die in intensive care units every day. However, many people would be shocked to learn that approximately 40,500 ICU patients die each year, not because their conditions have progressed to the point where their lives can no longer be saved, but because their doctors failed to spot a hidden life-threatening medical condition. According to a recent ...

A new study out of Kansas State University has determined that nearly three-quarters of fatal commercial trucking accidents in that state result from truck driver errors. Virginia and national statistics do not vary widely from those in Kansas. Truck drivers may be held accountable for these errors if they injure or kill another road user. Driver Errors Cause Many Traffic Fatalities The Kansas State researchers studied commercial truck accident data between 2004 and 2008 and found that there were nearly 19,000 commercial truck crashes in Kansas during those years. ...

No one expects that they will get into a motor vehicle accident as they pull out of their garage to go to work in the morning. However, getting into an accident is usually a question of "when," not "if". The average American will be involved in a motor vehicle accident once every ten years. When the accident does occur, it is important to know how to determine who is liable for the injuries and property damage that results. What Is Liability? In a motor vehicle accident, the party that causes the crash is liable for the accident, meaning that they ...

Provost Umphrey Law Firm, LLP , is honored to have more lawyers included in The Best Lawyers in America for excellence in the fields of Plaintiff Personal Injury and Product Liability than any other firm in Southeast Texas. Walter Umphrey, Joe Fisher and James Payne are listed in the field of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. Bryan O. Blevins, Jr. is listed among Best Lawyers in the field of Product Liability-Plaintiffs and Paul "Chip" Ferguson, Jr. is listed in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs, and Product Liability ...

Nearly ten years after his client was injured when hit by a truck, Greenville personal injury lawyer Eric Philpot of Philpot Law Firm, PA, and co-counsel have finally secured approval of a damages judgment from the Supreme Court of South Carolina. In an opinion filed in July, the state's high court overturned a Court of Appeals decision from 2010 by holding that a person does not have to remain in contact with an insured vehicle when faced with imminent danger in order to qualify for uninsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Plaintiff Henry Kennedy was using a company truck ...

Canada Pharmacy Directory, the leading niche directory for the Canadian pharmacy industry is featuring SaveRxCanada.com. Since 2002, SaveRxCanada.com has been the premier Canadian pharmacy intermediary helping thousands of customers save on essential medications. Using a global network of licensed pharmacies, SaveRxCanada.com is able to bring substantial savings to those looking to save money. Having over 10 years experience in the prescription fulfillment business, SaveRxCanada offers a product catalog of over 3000 medications. With filling pharmacies located all ...

Hampton Inn Spartanburg SC Hotel - North I-85, offers nearby lodging for guests attending the 2012 Truth for a New Generation (TNG) Conference. Presented by Alex McFarland & North Greenville University, the event will take place from September 28 - 29, 2012 AT First Baptist North Spartanburg. General admission is $59 for adults, $39 for students. The conference is on Apologetics and Christian Worldview; speakers will include Josh McDowell, Dinesh D'Souza, and Eric Metaxas. Plus, there will be breakouts and keynote sessions on Worldview, Church Planting, Prayer, ...

Cream Jewelry Best wants to help you keep up with what's new in hip hop jewelry and the hip hop culture. Better yet, they want to tell you how to make the most of your hip hop jewellry budget and get the custom chains and iced out watches you really want. At its new blog, Cream Jewelry Best will help you explore the world of hip hop culture and introduce you to the latest in hip hop earrings, iced out chains, and other bling. With tips from their staff on how to make the most of your jewelry budget, you'll learn to pair different slides, or charms, with your custom chains ...

Experian, the global information services company, announced its 192business unit has been selected by the Law Society as its preferred supplier of electronic identity verification tools for anti-money laundering purposes. 192business, part of Experian since it was acquired in March 2012, provides organisations with a range of electronic identity verification tools, including personal data verification, fraud screening and document verification. These products are already used by 44 of the top 100 UK law firms to meet client due diligence obligations under the Money ...