Lawyers who expertly lead and win AED injury cases

AED Lawsuits Chicago, Illinois

AED Lawsuits Chicago. If your loved one experienced a sudden medical emergency in a public place, you would hope and expect that someone would step in and administer any possible life-saving intervention. If you or a family member went into cardiac arrest in a public place or place of business in Chicago where an AED was not available, functioning or used correctly, you may have an AED liability claim. Speak to our Chicago injury lawyers today to find out if you have a claim to an AED lawsuit and what we can do to help you get the full recovery you deserve. Call (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form immediately to speak to an AED liability lawyer today.

Burger Law is a leading personal injury law firm based in Chicago. Our team of attorneys and paralegals have been working together to obtain maximum settlements for the injured and vulnerable in Chicago and throughout Illinois for a quarter of a century. In that time we have helped hundreds of families and individuals in Chicago and Illinois recover more than $170 million for the damages they have suffered and have held hundreds of careless and irresponsible actors accountable for the harm they have caused.



Burger Law: Your Chicago AED Lawsuit Lawyers

Have you or someone you love suffered a heart-related emergency in a public place, without access to a working AED? Has a member of your family lost their life? You may be eligible to make an injury or wrongful death claim, and you may have to file an AED lawsuit in order to collect full compensation for your losses and to be made whole again. Call (314) 500-HURT now to discuss your unique situation and potential Illinois AED lawsuit options. Once you hire an AED lawsuit lawyer from Burger Law, we immediately get to work and fight ruthlessly to hold the right people accountable and secure the recovery you deserve.

Why choose the Chicago injury attorneys of Burger Law to represent you in your AED lawsuit? Our attorneys have dedicated their entire lives to standing up to bullies and protecting the vulnerable. We take the cases that other lawyers will not and fight for you as if you were our family. With well over 500 reviews between our locations from Google alone, we are the best and most reviewed personal injury law firm in the Chicago area. We are proud to be a part of so many amazing people's lives all over Illinois and Missouri. Hear from our clients about their experiences directly by checking out our recent testimonials now.

AED Lawsuits in Chicago, Illinois

Hundreds of thousands of people suffer sudden cardiac arrest every year in the Chicago area, the state of Illinois, and all over the country. Sometimes cardiac arrest sufferers are already in the hospital and have near-instantaneous access to emergency medical intervention. However, many others -- over 350 thousand every year -- are not so fortunate. If you or a loved one experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, it will be critical that the location you are in has an AED that can be easily found and has been kept properly maintained.

AEDs, when used in a timely manner and by someone who has been trained on how to respond, can be incredibly effective in treating heart-related emergencies like cardiac arrest. The fact is that the AED is a life-saving device. It is critical that any gathering place or venue where large numbers of people visit have AEDs on-site and easily accessible. Without them, property owners and managers can be held liable for injuries and deaths that visitors experience which could have been prevented or mitigated with the timely use of an AED.

Some businesses and public places may possess an AED, but for one reason or another, they were not used or able to work. If the owner or manager of a business failed to store the kit in an easy and accessible place, did not inform their employees on where to find it or how to use it or did not keep the device properly maintained, they can be held liable in Illinois civil court.

These cases are complicated, and you need an AED liability lawyer you trust and can depend on to use their legal expertise and litigation skills to help you recover completely. You have one opportunity to be made whole again under Illinois civil law. You deserve nothing but the best and fiercest legal representation in your Illinois AED lawsuit. For the utmost diligence, dedication and tenacity from your AED liability lawyer, hire Burger Law's leading Chicago injury lawyers immediately. Begin at (314) 500-HURT or by filling out this form.

Facts and Statistics on Cardiac Arrest and AED

The dangers of heart-related conditions and the effects of AED use are widely known in the medical community. On the other hand, there is a disproportionate lack of awareness among the public in Chicago and Illinois regarding the critical seconds and minutes after cardiac arrest and the policies surrounding AED use.

The following information was collected and presented by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and the CDC.

  • Every year in the U.S., more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, also known as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or OHCA.
  • An average of 209,000 people are treated for cardiac arrest in hospitals in the United States every year.
  • Less than 5 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive AED use before first responders arrive on the scene.
  • For every minute that passes without defibrillation, chances of survival drop by 7 to 10 percent.
  • Outside of the hospital setting, only 10 percent of cardiac arrest victims survive.
  • Prompt AED use can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.
  • When defibrillation is applied within the first minute, 9 out of 10 cardiac arrest victims survive
  • Approximately 50 percent of patients who survive cardiac arrest develop psychological conditions like anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and depression, and permanent damage to the brain and nervous system are common.

AED Liability and AED Laws in Illinois

Illinois law defines the requirements of an AED program under 410 ILCS 4/, known as the Automated External Defibrillator Act. Pursuant to this statute, a person or business that enters in an AED program must meet the following requirements:

  • Registration: When acquiring an AED, the owner must register the device with the EMS local to the area where the device will be kept. The emergency medical system authority will oversee use of the AED and enforce training and maintenance requirements.
  • CPR and AED Training: The owner of an AED must ensure that those they anticipate may have to use the device receive CPR and AED training from a nationally-recognized authority like the American Red Cross.
  • Device Maintenance: The AED owner must have the device tested and maintained according to the manufacturer's guidelines, as overseen by the local EMS with whom the device is registered.
  • Emergency Response: If a person uses the AED, that person must activate the EMS as soon as possible and report their use of the AED.

Like most U.S. states, Illinois has in effect a "Good Samaritan" policy. Under 410 ILCS 4/30, people are protected from liability when helping someone in a medical emergency. If an individual acts in good faith to administer an AED during an emergency, they cannot be held liable in AED lawsuits if any civil damages are incurred as a result of that emergency care. It is only if they demonstrate "willful or wanton misconduct" that persons protected by this statute can be liable in Illinois civil court.

The following people and groups are protected under Illinois' AED "Good Samaritan" statute:

  • Physicians who authorize the purchase of an AED
  • Individuals and agencies that provide training in the use of an AED
  • Any person, government body, sheriff's office, municipal police department, or school district that owns or manages the premises where an AED is located
  • A person who uses the AED in an emergency

Illinois's statute on AED liability is meant to encourage the possession and use of AEDs when doing so could save lives. The law protects those who intervene in medical emergencies from the threat of civil prosecution. People and organizations who act in good faith cannot be held liable in an AED lawsuit for any resulting damages related to the use of an AED.

Do I Have an AED Lawsuit in Chicago, Illinois?

If you experienced cardiac arrest while in public and did not have access to an AED, you may have an Illinois AED lawsuit for your injuries and other damages. If a family member or someone you love was similarly injured or lost their life due to the absence of an AED, you may be able to recover damages for their wrongful death or personal injury in an AED liability claim or lawsuit.

Though the state of Illinois has made some positive changes with respect to civil laws and policies on AED liability and making AEDs accessible and available, it is still not the case that all businesses or public places are legally mandated to carry an AED. What businesses are required to do, though, is protect visitors from known dangers.

AED lawsuits are known to be very fact-specific claims. If you or your family member were injured or your loved one lost their life in a sudden cardiac arrest event, you may have a claim to an AED lawsuit.
AED lawsuits in Illinois typically arise in the following situations.

  1. Premises owners had no AED on their property in violation of statutory law or the duty of care owed to guest.
  2. An AED was present, but employees on site were prevented from using them by managers or not informed about their location, how to use them, or Good Samaritan Laws.
  3. AEDs failed to function as intended due to product defects or improper / negligent maintenance.

Speak to an AED liability lawyer in Chicago today to learn whether you may have an AED lawsuit. Our attorneys are deeply familiar with Illinois law and how to hold the negligent accountable. In cases where there are no clear violations of statutes, we may be able to argue liability based on common law duties, negligence, and premises liability.

Ultimately, just like in any other personal injury or wrongful death case, you must consult an experienced AED Lawsuits lawyer in the Chicago area. A skilled attorney who is knowledgeable in Illinois AED lawsuits will review the circumstances and facts of your case and help you understand them in the context of Illinois AED liability laws. Consult Chicago leaders in AED lawsuits now at (314) 500-HURT.

Where AED Injuries Occur: Do I Have an AED Lawsuit in Chicago?

Premises owners have legal obligations to protect against foreseeable risks of harm, and the number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year may make it a foreseeable risk. In certain locations and settings, the increased risk and rate of cardiac arrest make it even more critical that those locations keep and maintain AEDs, such as places where people participate in athletic activities, where older adults tend to gather or large and isolated premises that emergency medical responders cannot immediately or easily access.

Fortunately, Illinois state law does explicitly specify and enforce the possession, use and maintenance of AEDs in certain types of settings and properties. State law requires the following:

  • Fitness centers - indoor and outdoor physical fitness facilities must have an AED on site and at least one staff member trained to use the AED present during certain activities
  • Dentist offices - dentist offices that administer anesthesia or sedation must have an AED on site
  • Horse racing facilities - horse racing facilities must have a minimum of two AEDs on the premises, located in specific parts of the facility
  • Police departments - sheriff's offices and police departments must have an AED on site
  • Facilities where anesthesia or sedation is administered - any place where sedatives or anesthetics are administered must have an AED on the premises
  • Schools - Illinois state secondary schools must teach CPR/AED training

In addition, federal law requires that AEDs are kept and properly maintained in federal buildings and Illinois law requires that all emergency vehicles have a working AED. The FDA regulates the products themselves to ensure that they work properly and do not present risk of harm when they are used as intended. If you or someone you love were injured or killed because an AED was not available or working correctly, you may be able to recover damages by making an AED lawsuit with a savvy AED injury lawyer in Chicago.

Call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT if you or a family member experienced sudden cardiac arrest without a working AED or were harmed by an improperly used or maintained AED in one of the following settings:

  • Courthouses
  • Airports
  • Airplanes
  • Post offices
  • Schools
  • Concert venues
  • Shopping malls
  • Sports Arenas
  • Gyms and health clubs
  • Senior centers/Nursing homes
  • Golf courses
  • Dining establishments
  • Theme parks
  • Zoos and aquariums
  • Museums
  • Dental and medical offices

Injuries Leading to AED Lawsuits

The seconds and minutes immediately after a sudden cardiac event are crucial to the patient's survival. Even if a bystander calls 911 right away, it is often several minutes—an estimated average of four to ten minutes according to the National Institutes of Health—before paramedics are able to arrive on the scene and begin treatment. These are precious minutes when serious and irreversible damage can take place if the proper preventative intervention is not administered in time. The automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a trusted tool in the treatment of cardiovascular arrest.

Injuries associated with lack of access to an AED include:

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Stroke
  • Brain damage
  • Permanent sensory damage
  • Permanent neurological damage
  • Coma
  • Death

Individuals who experience cardiac arrest are twice as likely to survive when an AED is available on site for use before emergency responders arrive. Without access to an AED, those who suffer a sudden cardiac arrest are very likely to die or sustain serious permanent damage. Failure to keep an AED on the premises is a gross disservice to patrons and visitors of any public venue in Chicago or in Illinois and those properties that fail to carry AEDs or neglect to ensure their proper use and accessibility must be held liable. Our AED liability lawyers will take on your family's case and get you the recovery you deserve. Speak to an AED liability lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT.

Win Your AED Lawsuit in Chicago, Illinois | Burger Law

There is nothing that can change the past or turn back time to get you or your loved one the appropriate, life-saving care of an AED in the moments after cardiac arrest. However, when you or your loved one was injured or killed by lack of access to a working AED in public or an AED that wasn't used or working correctly, you have hope. The experienced and skilled injury lawyers of Burger Law in Chicago fight for justice for you in your AED lawsuit.

Our AED injury lawyers do not rest until you receive a complete financial recovery for your AED injuries and damages. Speak to an accomplished Chicago AED lawsuit lawyer with Burger Law today. Find out if you have an AED lawsuit and how we can help you recover and move forward. Call us at (314) 500-HURT or fill out this form now.

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