The Illinois Personal Injury Weblog of Schaeffer & Lamere P.C.

Radar-Activated Cameras in Work Zones

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Cameras will focus on work zone speeders," by Paul Hampel--

Along with bills, magazines and junk ads, people who speed through Illinois work zones may soon find another missive in the mail: a traffic ticket.

Starting in March, Illinois State Police troopers will begin deploying vans with radar-activated cameras in highway work zones that capture images of drivers' faces and license plates.

--Posted by Alton Illinois accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Alton Illinois accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Mardi Gras in St. Louis: No Big Deal

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Soulard Mardi Gras isn't blown away by 'Katrina effect,'"by Diane Toroian Keaggy--

Downtown properties are booked solid for Mardi Gras Saturday as they have been for the past few years. But properties that stood to gain the most from a bigger Mardi Gras - hotels in nearby suburbs and the Metro East area - report no significant sales bump.

Though business is up 10 to 15 percent at Drury Inns, executive Eric Strand can't say Mardi Gras deserves the credit.

"We're not sure if that is from Mardi Gras or random noise coming from something else," said Strand.

--Posted by Alton Illinois auto accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Alton Illinois auto accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Injecting Meat to Make It Look Safe

From Yahoo! News: "Meat Injections May Be Fooling Consumers"--

Fresh meat, poultry and fish can put a big dent in a household budget. Now, it may be even more difficult to choose the freshest food in the supermarket.

How do you know the meat you buy is fresh? Now the meat industry is quietly adding something to beef, pork and tuna to make it look fresher -- indefinitely. Carbon monoxide is being added, using a process banned in Europe.

"It tends to deceive the consumer into thinking they're buying something fresh when they are not," said Donna Rosenbaum, with Safe Tables Our Priority.

--Posted by Belleville Illinois personal injury attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the Belleville Illinois personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Update on Missouri's Concealed Gun Law

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Concealed gun law has little impact," by Heather Ratcliffe--

Some expected less violence. Some expected more.

But two years after the Legislature provided permission for qualified Missourians to carry concealed firearms, neither side of the controversial measure seems to have a license to say, "I told you so."

Police say crime has not dropped since residents began to legally arm themselves. Neither does the number of unjustified or accidental shootings appear to be up. Few officials can even recall anyone with a permit firing a gun, deliberately or inadvertently.

--Posted by Illinois personal injury lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Bethalto Illinois personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

No New Guardrails on I-44

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:  "No guardrails planned on I-44 near crash site," by Robbi Courtaway--

The rock outcropping is being removed, but no guardrail will be added to the section of westbound Interstate 44 where Kirkwood High School student Edward Harley Strother died in a car crash Jan. 2.

Those are among the conclusions of a recent safety review conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to determine if additional engineering improvements could make the highway safer in the vicinity of the Holmes Avenue overpass.

--Posted by Illinois accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Brighton Illinois accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Justice in East-Side Robberies

From the Alton Telegraph: "Bank robber sentenced to 57 months in prison," by Steve Whitworth--

A Bethalto man has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for robbing three banks, two of them in Alton, in late 2004.

Steven P. Waltemate, 44, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, where he pleaded guilty Oct. 18 to all three bank robberies.

Waltemate was sentenced to 57 months in prison.

--Posted by Alton Illinois auto accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Illinois auto accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Illinois Smoking Ban?

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Restaurateurs fear loss of business from a Illinois smoking ban," by Philip Ewing--

The talk in Springfield last week was about a statewide smoking ban, which would replace Illinois' six-week-old law that lets local governments outlaw smoking on their own. A House committee voted Tuesday to approve a statewide ban, but it hasn't yet been taken up by the full chamber.

Whether the proposal moves forward or not, restaurateurs aren't keen on the idea.

--Posted by Illinois auto accident lawyer T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois auto accident law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Will New Highway 40 Attract Trucks?

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "New Highway 40 could attract more trucks," by Shane Graber--

The idea of a new, smooth-sailing, wide open Highway 40 gives the St. Louis commuter that warm-type feeling, the kind that the 9-to-5er who gets to work seven minutes early on Monday can really appreciate.

But before you get ready to hop on the Easytime Expressway, wait. There might be a catch. Compact car owner, meet Mack. And Peterbilt. And a few of their closest friends.

--Posted by Illinois personal injury attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville personal injury law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Should IL Supreme Court Races Be Publicly Funded?

From the Belleville News-Democrat via the Associated Press: "Supreme Court races should be publicly funded, bipartisan group says," by Ann Sanner--

Illinois Supreme Court races should be publicly funded to keep the court system independent of special-interest money, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said Wednesday.

Under their plan, which is part of a larger ethics package, the cost of court races would be covered by an income tax checkoff system and a new $1 fee on court appearances.

--Posted by Illinois Vioxx attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the Edwardsville Illinois Vioxx law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.

Wild Card in Vioxx Trial

From Forbes via the Associated Press: "Journal Article a Wild Card in Vioxx Trial," by Janet McConnaughey--

A top medical journal's criticism of a study cited in Vioxx lawsuits is expected to play a part in the retrial of the first federal Vioxx lawsuit - but it's not clear if it will be a legal hand grenade or a nuclear warhead.

The disclosure that some negative data was omitted from the study could make manufacturer Merck & Co. look as if it's hiding something, legal experts say. That is what attorneys for Evelyn Irvin Plunkett, whose husband died after taking the drug for a month, say they can prove in the trial starting Monday.

--Posted by Illinois Vioxx attorney T. Evan Schaeffer of the East Alton Illinois Vioxx law firm of Schaeffer & Lamere, P.C.