Articles Posted in motor vehicle accident

Back and neck injuries are among the most frequent and costly consequences of car accidents. While “back injury” can describe a wide range of problems, from muscle strains and sprains to herniated discs and catastrophic spinal cord damage, research and clinical practice repeatedly identify soft-tissue injuries to the neck and upper back region, commonly called…

Red light safety cameras are one of the most visible, and controversial, traffic-safety interventions in U.S. cities. Proponents argue they deter risky driving, reduce the most dangerous T-bone collisions, and save lives. Critics call them revenue tools, say they shift crash types (increasing rear-end collisions), and point to mixed study results. In this blog, we…

When the season’s first big snow arrives it feels magical, at least until someone slides through an intersection or a commuter’s commute becomes an emergency room trip. Research shows the very first snowfall of the season is disproportionately dangerous: while snowy days in general sometimes have fewer total fatal crashes (because fewer people drive), first-snow…

Every year, Thanksgiving brings plates piled high, crowded airports, and, for millions, long drives to see family. That increase in travel, coupled with late-night driving, alcohol use at celebrations, bad weather in some regions, and congested roads, makes Thanksgiving one of the deadliest holidays on U.S. roads. Holiday weekends concentrate risk into a few days:…

Getting into a crash is stressful under the best of circumstances, but when it happens while you’re traveling in a rental car, confusion about who pays, who to call, and what paperwork you need can make a bad day much worse. In this blog, we walk you through what typically happens after a rental car…

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…