Articles Posted in motor vehicle accident

Passengers injured in car accidents have legal rights that are distinct from the driver’s. Because passengers didn’t control the vehicle or the driving choices, their claims often focus on the driver(s), vehicle owners, employers, and sometimes third parties like manufacturers or municipalities. In this blog, we discuss the most common types of passenger claims, who…

Autumn in Illinois is beautiful. Cooler air, colorful leaves, pumpkin spice everywhere, but fall also brings a shifting mix of weather and roadway hazards that meaningfully change risk of a serious car accident. For drivers in Illinois and across the U.S., the combination of less daylight, wet leaves, fall fog, more deer on the move,…

Blunt force trauma refers to injuries caused by a non-penetrating force, a collision, a blow, or compression, that transfers energy to the body without an object piercing the skin. In the context of car accidents, blunt force trauma is the most common mechanism of injury: occupants are thrown against dashboards, airbags, steering wheels, door panels,…

Smartphones and social media keep us connected, but that connection comes at a deadly cost when people use their phones behind the wheel. What used to be a quick glance at a notification can become a life-changing car accident in a matter of seconds. In this blog, we explain how social media use while driving…

When you’re involved in a car accident, an available video recording from a city traffic camera, a red-light/speed camera, a police dashcam or body-worn camera, or a business’s security camera can be the single most important piece of evidence. The bad news: most systems overwrite recordings automatically and retention windows are often short. The good…

Halloween is one of the most fun nights of the year, costumes, candy, and neighborhood togetherness. But it’s also one of the most dangerous nights for pedestrians, especially children. The combination of increased foot traffic, low light, costumes that reduce visibility, and impaired or distracted drivers creates a higher-than-normal risk of serious injury or death.…

Keeping a safe distance between vehicles is one of the simplest, and most effective, ways to avoid a car accident. Yet rear-end collisions remain one of the most common crash types on American roads. In this blog, we explain how to judge a safe following distance, why following too closely (tailgating) produces crashes, provide practical…

Headlight glare, whether from oncoming vehicles, mis-aimed lights, or reflections, is widely perceived by drivers as a serious hazard. When a driver is briefly “blinded,” visibility drops, reaction times lengthen, and crash risk may rise. But how significant is the problem and does it really lead to car accidents? In this blog, we provide breakdown…

After a serious car accident, you expect the insurance company to help you recover, not to stand in your way. Unfortunately, many injury victims discover that insurers often minimize, delay or outright deny legitimate claims. When adjusters downplay your injuries, it can feel like being hurt all over again, this time by a system that’s…

Each October the nation focuses on one of the most important public-health conversations for families: how to keep newly licensed drivers safe on our roads. National Teen Driver Safety Week is an annual awareness week designed to give parents, schools, community groups, and teens tools that reduce the chance of a crash during the risky…