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BY THE NUMBERS 14 MILLION GRILLS Americans took home 14 million new grills in 2013 alone. June and July are peak grilling months, but 60 percent of owners report grilling year-round. Source: Grilling Facts and Figures, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association 25% WOMEN Despite the traditional view that men rule the family grill, a national survey found that 25 percent of women handle the outdoor grilling duties, up from 20 percent last year. Source: More Women Taking the…

Know How to Use, Clean, and Store Your Grill Properly  Kids under five suffer 25 percent of all grill burns. Create a 3-foot “no kid” zone around your grill. Residential fires in America caused 14,700 injuries, 2,470 deaths and $12.4 billion in damages in 2012. While statistically smaller by comparison, grill fires tallied 140 injuries, 10 deaths and $96 million in property damage annually from 2007 to 2011, according to reports from the National Fire Protection…

June 30, 2014 Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, has been appointed by the President of the American Bar Association (ABA) to Chair a newly-created task force that will deal with policies, strategies and tactics for the recruitment and retention of new members. James R. Silkenat, ABA President from New York, appointed Clifford as Chair of the Task Force to Examine Association Policies Impacting Recruitment and Retention of Law Students and Young…

Clifford Law Offices partner and attorney Keith A. Hebeisen answered a number of questions regarding tort reform. He explained how those most affected by tort reform are people who have been injured by someone who is negligent and limited (or prevented) from having full compensation. “The overall objective of tort reform is to make it harder or impossible for people in companies to be held accountable when they negligently injure other people,” shared Hebeisen. The…

Clifford Law Offices partner and attorney, Shannon M. McNulty gave legal advice on a variety of questions regarding breaches in data in a recent interview. She advised that if you have been notified that your account has been breached, you should check all of your payment and bank accounts. You should also contact your bank and ask them to re-issue credit or debit cards so the card numbers can be disassociated with your active account….

Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices and monthly columnist for the Chicago Lawyer magazine, wrote his July, 2012 column entitled, “Offering the Personal Touch.” In the article, Clifford gives his opinion on how lawyers throughout the country should interact with their clients in a time when the expectations and needs of individual clients are evolving. Clifford explains that money damages, no matter what amount, are never enough to put a client in…

June 19, 2014 For the third time in six months, Bradley Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices, has obtained a verdict for a victim of medical malpractice as of late Wednesday (June 18, 2014). Following a two-week trial before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Budzinski, Cosgrove obtained a $4 million verdict on behalf of a 51-year-old man from Addison. The jury deliberated for 11 hours over the course of two days before finding that…

Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices and monthly columnist for the Chicago Lawyer magazine, wrote his August, 2012 column entitled, “When An Offer Is Not An Offer.” In the article, Clifford discusses the need to recognize legitimate settlement offers by defense counsel. Clifford points out that insurance carriers have a duty to act in good faith when a claim is covered by an insurance policy. Clifford concludes that the “duty to settle,”…

Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices and monthly columnist for the Chicago Lawyer magazine, wrote his December, 2013 column entitled, “Laws Evolve on Phones and Driving”. In the article, Clifford discusses a new Illinois law that took effect on January 1, 2013 making it mandatory that cellphone use by drivers must be “hands free,” leaving Illinois as the 12th state to enact such legislation. Clifford also talks about a case in New…