Articles Posted in negligence

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…

Bus crashes can cause catastrophic injuries and deaths. When a crash involves a commercial bus, such as a motorcoach, commuter bus, or other passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle, federal safety rules called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) govern how the company and driver must operate. Understanding those regulations, common violations, and how regulators collect…

When a truck driver pulls away from a loading dock, the safety of everyone on the road depends not only on that driver’s skill and truck maintenance, but on the decisions and incentives set by the carrier who employs them. Economic pressure from employers, like tight delivery schedules, pay-by-the-mile schemes, punitive on-time performance metrics, and…

Being bitten by a dog is frightening, painful, and, all too quickly, expensive. When the swelling goes down and the medical bills arrive, one of the first questions many victims and dog owners ask is: should the bite be reported to homeowners insurance? The short answer: yes, but there are steps to take so that…

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…

Poor lighting conditions significantly increase the risk of trip and fall accidents, especially in areas where hazards such as uneven flooring, stairs, or obstacles may be present. In Illinois, property owners have a legal responsibility to maintain safe conditions for visitors, tenants, or employees, and lighting plays a crucial role in that safety. Inadequate lighting,…

When someone is injured in a car crash, slip and fall, workplace incident, or other personal injury event, it is very common for medical records to mention a “sprain” or a “strain.” Although many people use these terms interchangeably, medically and legally, they are two very different injuries. Each involves different tissues, different mechanisms of…

Truck accidents are uniquely dangerous for occupants of passenger vehicles and for anyone working on or walking near our roads. In Illinois each year, hundreds of crashes involve large commercial vehicles, and the consequences can be catastrophic: fatalities, lifelong injuries, lost income, and massive medical bills. In this blog, we discuss the five most common…

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,…

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in older adults and in nursing homes they’re one of the leading infection problems staff and families encounter. What many people don’t realize is how quickly a simple UTI can become life-threatening sepsis in frail residents, and how missed signs or delays in treatment dramatically increase risk. In this…