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Types of Car Accident Injuries
It is impossible to get through life without getting injured at some point. An injury may be mild and solved with a band-aid, but on the other hand, a serious injury can put a person out of work for a significant amount of time. Due to the size and force of automobiles, a car accident could put a victim in this situation. The good news is, when a person is significantly injured by someone else, they have been eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Personal injury has a wide umbrella of circumstances behind it. A patient who is injured by their doctor may be eligible, or a consumer who got hurt because of a faulty product. The key, in any case, is proving negligence. This is when an individual or company is liable because of their actions. Regarding car accidents, a person who was drinking under the influence, speeding, or otherwise driving recklessly, may be considered negligent in the event of a crash.
What Rights Family Members Have After a Wrongful Death
It is possible to lose many family members during the span of a person’s life. Whether of old age, disease, or an accident, it is never easy to lose someone you love. Some losses can be expected and prepared for, but what happens when a family member dies unexpectedly due to someone else’s negligence? A wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by the victim's family if they believe someone can be held accountable for their death. It is similar to a personal injury lawsuit, except the next of kin files for compensation instead of the person injured.
The compensation sought in a wrongful death case is for medical bills of the deceased, funeral expenses, loss of wages, and loss of emotional support caused by the unexpected death of a family member. A family may be losing their main financial support which can put them at risk to debt and other unfortunate circumstances.
The spouse of the deceased or the next of kin has the immediate right to collect damages. An adopted child is considered a next of kin as a natural-born child would. If the deceased does not have a spouse or children, the person who supported medical treatment may be eligible for some compensation. A personal representative must be assigned to the deceased’s estate to move forward with a wrongful death claim. The personal representative may be entitled to some compensation if the deceased has no spouse or next of kin. Otherwise, the damages will be awarded to the immediate family for their care.
Tips for Driving Safely Around Trucks
Truck accidents are serious and often fatal to drivers in passenger cars. In 2017, over 4,000 victims died as a result of truck accidents. Although truck drivers can face fatalities, other people on the road are much more likely to have fatal accidents. There are several reasons why a truck accident may happen that is the sole responsibility of the truck driver or company. We cannot control the driving of others, but taking precautions around trucks can save your life.
Truck drivers and their vehicles go through long stretches of work. If a vehicle is poorly maintained, it can cause an accident that is completely out of the driver’s control. There are work limits for truck drivers to help eliminate fatigue on the road. However, there are often pressures from companies to fulfill a shipment within required times. These are cases where the truck driver or company would be negligent, and if an accident happened, the fault would be on them. These tips will help prevent accidents altogether and may eliminate your responsibility.
Top Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
While walking to work or going for a run, a person traveling by foot in close proximity to the road is considered a pedestrian. Most destinations require some walking, even if a person drives, so It is almost impossible to avoid being a pedestrian at one time or another. Unfortunately, this health and environmentally conscious form of transportation still has the potential for an accident, and like car and truck accidents, there are common causes.
The United States Department of Transportation reported in 2017 that there were 5,977 pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. Every 88 minutes it is estimated that a pedestrian dies as the result of getting hit by a motor vehicle. According to the same data, a pedestrian accident is most likely to happen in an urban area outside of an intersection at night. The highest percentages of accidents happen after the sun goes down, time depending on the season.
Filing a Claim Against Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists
We get insurance for a variety of reasons. It is a financial investment toward risk management. People will insure valuables, their health, or even other people for worst-case scenario situations. Not every insurance situation will cover 100% of damages, but they will lessen the financial burden after an illness, death, or stolen item. In Illinois, automobile insurance is required by law. When a car accident happens, it is the party that caused the accident’s responsibility to provide compensation for damaged property, medical bills, or pain and suffering. An insured driver will have assistance with this, but what happens when crashes involve uninsured or underinsured motorists?
What Are the Minimum Insurance Requirements?
There are minimum requirements for all auto drivers in the state of Illinois. All drivers are required to be insured at a minimum of the following:
What is the Workers’ Compensation Process in Illinois
When it comes to work accidents, they are treated (differently) than an injury that occurred at another private property. If a person slips in a grocery store and breaks their leg, they may be able to sue the store for negligence. When an employee is injured, instead of filing a personal injury lawsuit against their employer, workers’ compensation kicks in instead. Whether a workplace accident is caused by an employee or employer, the employee is eligible for benefits and unable to sue the employer. They may, however, sue any third-parties associated with the injury occurrence.
What Benefits Does Workers’ Compensation Provide?
Workers’ compensation is meant to help employees if they are injured on the job and cannot return to work, and/or require medical treatment. Any eligible employee has the right to file for workers’ compensation benefits, but they will not be granted for injuries that a basic first aid kit can cover. Depending on how long the employee needs to restrain from work, and their working abilities after an accident, they will be provided with a replacement wage. For any medical treatment required to heal the injury or illness caused by work, it will be at no cost to the employee.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help After a Car Accident
After getting into a car accident, there are many things a person must do to get their life back to normal. An insurance claim must be filed, their car may be out of service, and time may be required to heal from injuries. Even a car accident with minimal damage and no injuries requires significant efforts, so what happens after a serious car accident where negligent activity makes you a victim?
Has Negligence Increased?
According to the United States Department of Transportation, car accident fatalities overall rose in Illinois last year. In fact, they have been gradually rising over time. Relaxed seat belt regulations and increased speed limits may be partially to blame, but variant degrees of negligence is the most probable cause for a rise in car accidents. Distracted driving has always existed, but technological advancements have created new distractions. Touching a cell-phone while driving in Illinois is illegal, and these distracted drivers can cost someone their life.
How Does Winter Weather Contribute to Pedestrian Accidents?
It is no secret that poor weather conditions contribute to car and truck accidents, but snowy conditions also affect pedestrian accidents. Illinois is famous for hard winters, so after the snow falls, everyone on the road and sidewalks should be more mindful. Pedestrian accidents continue to rise, and during the winter, conditions become more dangerous.
How Many Pedestrian Accidents Happen Year-Round?
Everyone is a pedestrian at some point, even if a car is their main form of transportation. A pedestrian is anyone outside of a vehicle that moves near traffic. In 2018, 6,283 people died in pedestrian accidents, which is the highest amount since 1990. The year prior it was estimated that a person died every 88 seconds as a result of traffic accidents.
In normal clear weather, pedestrians fall victim to distracted, drunk, or reckless drivers. With lowered vision and slippery streets, driver mistakes become that much more dangerous for pedestrians. A distracted driver will have less time to react to seeing a pedestrian in the street if the visibility is low. If they do see the pedestrian, they will also have a lower chance of stopping in time. A car can easily slip forward on slush or ice, even if the driver slams on the breaks. Drivers sometimes tend to operate their car as they normally would in safe conditions. Speeding and other reckless actions are even more dangerous in the snow. When conditions are poor, drivers should slow down and have their complete focus on the road.
How Medical Malpractice Can Change a Child’s Life
Malpractice can cause pain for any patient, but when a victim is a child, a young person suffers because of the negligence of a medical professional. Children can be harder to diagnose than adults, but they deserve the same level of care of time. Infants are especially challenging because they cannot tell you how they feel. An innocent child should not get sick or die because a doctor did not do their job.
What Qualifies as Medical Malpractice
Some mistakes happen in medicine, but not all qualify as malpractice. Medical malpractice is when a standard of care is diverted from by any medical professional or institution. There is no exact definition for a medical standard of care, but across different fields, it is compared to how a reasonable professional would act in similar circumstances. For example, if a patient was misdiagnosed and not harmed by the treatment or lack of correct treatment, they likely would not have a case for malpractice.
How Can CDL Violations Cause a Truck Accident in Illinois?
The trucking industry is an integral part of the United States economy. Trucks across the country transport essential products that consumers need, such as food, clothing, medicine, building materials, electronics, and more. In Illinois, a commercial driver's license (CDL) is required to operate these types of vehicles. This specialized license is obtained through education and training necessary for handling such a large vehicle. Drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) must follow certain regulations governing their driving, which are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). If a trucker does not adhere to proper procedures or protocol, these CDL violations can cause accidents with serious to life-threatening injuries.
What Constitutes a Violation?
Advancements in technology, such as computers, global positioning systems (GPS), satellites, and wireless/BlueTooth communication have been major contributions to the trucking industry. These improvements have significantly enhanced productivity, saving time for drivers and money for trucking companies, since cargo can often be delivered sooner rather than later. Despite the latest technological gadgets to make driving easier, motorists are still obligated to follow the rules of the road as well as any additional guidelines they might have, such as for CDL drivers. A few of the typical actions that can lead to a traffic violation that may endanger others on the road include:
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9631 W. 153rd St., Suite 32, Orland Park, IL 60462
708-966-2408
