Posted on August 31,2020 in Car Accident

Since cell phones became a part of our daily lives, distracted driving car accidents have skyrocketed. The numerous alerts, phone calls, and social media posts that we can scroll through and respond to have led many drivers to prioritize their notifications over their safety on the road. Many drivers may be willing to place themselves at risk to quickly respond to a text or answer a call, but they often forget that momentarily looking away from the road places other motorists at risk of injuries as well. For this reason, Illinois law enforcement has stiffened the penalties tied to distracted driving and one county has set up a special program to tackle this offense.

What Is Considered Distracted Driving?

There are three areas in which one can get distracted while driving: visual, manual, and cognitive. When you take your eyes off the road to grab something in your purse or send a quick text response, you are visually distracted. Manual distractions include anything that takes one or more hands off the steering wheel to perform an action, such as picking up a cup of coffee or your cell phone. Cognitive distractions occur when you are not paying attention to the road or what is going on around you. This may cause you to disregard the speed limit or fail to notice a car stopped right in front of you. Illinois stiffened its distracted driving penalties in 2019 by banning the use of handheld devices and labeling the penalty as a moving violation. These moving violations go on your record and just three in one year can lead to your driver’s license being suspended. This Illinois law prohibits the following:

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 Posted on August 28,2020 in Workers' Compensation

If you have been injured while at work, you understand just how devastating it can be. You have likely built up significant medical costs, lost income because of your time spent away from work, and may not even be able to return to work due to the severity of your injuries. Depending on what state you work in, your workers’ compensation regulations will differ. In Illinois, there is a specific filing process and time limit in which this filing must be completed. Once this time limit is reached, you may be unable to make a workers’ compensation claim. However, with the help of a reputable attorney, you may be able to make a claim even after the time constraints have passed.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Process

If you have been injured at work, you must report the injury within 48 hours of its occurrence. This will allow the employer to investigate the incident and avoid any further accidents occurring due to the negligent conditions. Reporting the accident in a timely manner will also ensure that your injuries are properly recorded in their most serious severity, not weeks after it occurs and the injuries have begun to heal. You should then receive a medical exam regarding your injuries, even if they are not outwardly apparent. You may have sustained internal injuries depending on your accident. This medical visit will serve as documentation of your injuries from a medical professional. You will have three years to make an official workers’ compensation claim, though it is suggested that you do so as soon as possible. Your workers’ compensation claim can help cover any medical bills, lost time at work, and potentially ongoing expenses in regards to your medical treatment. 

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 Posted on August 24,2020 in Personal Injury Attorney

As is the case with any sense of freedom, no one wants to restrict their experience. Riding a motorcycle is the most open, free way to traverse Illinois roads. You can feel the wind hitting your body, see everything around you, and experience the feeling of speed without additional barriers standing in your way. However, this sense of exhilaration comes with a cost. Motorcycle riders are at the highest risk of sustaining injuries in an accident. With little standing between their bodies and the asphalt, many motorcyclists ride until they get into an accident that scares them from continuing on with their hobby. Studies show that the most common body parts that are harmed include head and neck injuries.

Helmet Safety

Illinois is one of the few states that allows motorcyclists to decide if they would like to wear a helmet while riding. While the option to wear a helmet provides motorcycle riders with the freedom to choose their level of protection, it leaves many riders with traumatic brain injuries or long-lasting neck issues. Studies have shown that wearing a helmet significantly reduces the chances of sustaining head and neck injuries, though many riders still decide against wearing them. 

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 Posted on August 11,2020 in Car Accident

In Illinois, you have likely seen the phrase “Click It or Ticket” posted above major highways or on the side of busy roads, warning about the potential legal consequences for failure to wear a seat belt. Because of the devices’ proven safety benefits, the state of Illinois requires all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times. This includes those riding in cars that are equipped with airbags. This law became effective in July 1985 to address the low number of drivers and passengers wearing seat belts while riding in cars. Since the installation of this legislation, seat belt usage has skyrocketed, increasing from 15.9 percent in 1985 to 93 percent usage rates in 2016. Despite the vast majority of drivers and passengers following Illinois’ seat belt requirements, there are some who continue to refuse to use the additional safety measures. Those who decide against wearing a seat belt and get involved in a car accident can face more severe injuries than those wearing seat belts, but surprisingly, Illinois does not recognize this decision as a form of negligence.

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 Posted on August 07,2020 in Personal Injury Attorney

Dogs are one of the most common family pets in the United States, with over 70 million dogs spread throughout the country. Despite the stereotype that dogs are “man’s best friend,” dog bites account for 90 percent of all animal bites. Some breeds have been labeled as family-friendly while others are known to be especially aggressive. While these categories have some weight to them, the truth is that any dog can snap at any time. Dog bites may sound fairly minor, but with over 4.5 million dog bites occurring in this country each year, over 27,000 victims require reconstructive surgery as a result of the bite’s damage. No matter your age or experience with dogs, it is imperative that you know how to prevent dog bite attacks, especially as a parent. Since you can encounter dogs in any environment, these tips can save you and your kids lots of pain, time, and money.

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 Posted on August 04,2020 in Medical Malpractice

Modern times have led to a reduction in mom-and-pop pharmacies and an increase in commercial pharmacies that dominate this business. While some may argue that retail pharmacies have resulted in a more systemized approach to the dispensation of prescriptions, it may have also opened the door to less individual attention being paid to consumers. While everyone makes mistakes in their job, a medical professional or pharmacists’ errors can lead to deadly results. An investigation run by the New York Times presented a pharmacist’s acknowledgment of these unfortunate errors, attributing the issue to a shortage of staff. One anonymous pharmacist from South Carolina admitted to making 10 to 12 errors that year -- and these were only the errors that were caught. While patients have little control over the prescriptions that they are given, there are a few ways that they can mitigate their risk of taking incorrect medication.

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 Posted on July 31,2020 in Personal Injury

With I-90 and I-290 passing through northwestern Cook County, Illinois motorists share the road with a large number of semi-trucks and are at risk of falling victim to the accidents they often cause. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reports over 10,000 accidents involving large trucks each year, with a troubling 5.2 percent increase in fatalities caused by semi-truck accidents from 2017 to 2018. If you have been injured in a truck accident, you may be facing not only severe injuries and costly medical expenses, but also the challenge of identifying all liable parties in order to seek compensation.

Possible Parties at Fault in a Truck Accident

Any accident caused by the negligence of another party can result in compensation for injury victims, but depending on the nature and causes of a truck accident, a number of parties may share in the liability. Some of the most frequently at-fault parties include:

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 Posted on July 29,2020 in Personal Injury

Illinois’ Secretary of State reported that as of 2020, there are 300,000 registered motorcyclists currently on the roadways, and this number is expected to rise each year. Chances are, you or someone you know has been impacted firsthand by a motorcycle accident or has heard of at least one incident of fatality due to a collision. With the ongoing increase of motorcyclists out and about and the significant number of accidents that take place each year -- over 2,000 injuries reported in 2018 -- it pays to take a look at some of the major reasons motorcyclists face such danger on Illinois roadways.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Crashes

There are countless reasons motorcyclists fall victim to collision and injury, including the reckless or negligent actions of vehicle or truck drivers. Some of the most common causes of crashes include:

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 Posted on July 23,2020 in Personal Injury

Whether you are a casual, recreational bicyclist or bike riding is your primary mode of transportation and a way of life for you, the warm, sunny summer season provides a prime opportunity for you to be outdoors on your bicycle. However, as you hit the trails or roadways this summer in Illinois, it is crucial to protect yourself from potential bike accident injuries by keeping some key safety tips in mind any time you venture out.

Essential Safety Tips to Keep in Mind

In 2018, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a 6 percent increase in cyclist deaths, with nearly 900 bike rider fatalities on record, and here in the state of Illinois, bike riders, among other types of pedal cyclists, contributed to the nearly 3,000 riders who were injured in the year 2017. This data serves as an important reminder that a proactive approach to our safety is a must. Here are three essential tips to keep in mind when riding your bike in the summer season:

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 Posted on July 17,2020 in Pedestrian Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), research shows an unfortunate uptick in the number of pedestrian accident deaths on America’s roadways in recent years. In the year 2018, our nation saw the highest rate of such fatalities since 1990 -- a 3.4 percent jump since 2017, which averaged out to one pedestrian death every 84 minutes. While this data highlights extreme cases, even minor injuries incurred by pedestrians due to negligent drivers can be costly, painful, and life-altering, depending on the nature of the injury.

Which Issues Pose the Biggest Threats?

Considering trends in increasing incidents of pedestrian injury, it is worth taking a look at the conditions and factors that are most often responsible for these accidents. Compiled data from the NHTSA reveals that all of the following factors make a significant difference in a pedestrian’s safety when he or she is en route to a destination:

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