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Recent Blog Posts
Do I Have To Prove My Employer Was Liable for My Injury to Get Workers' Comp?
Workers’ compensation is required by law to be offered by the vast majority of employers in Illinois. It’s designed to streamline the compensation process for employees and avoid time-consuming court cases for employers. Rather than needing to prove that your employer committed some kind of negligence that led to your on-the-job accident, you need to show that the injury was work-related and that you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
While it’s designed to be simpler than filing a separate lawsuit, workers’ compensation still has hoops to jump through. A Barrington, IL workers' compensation attorney can help you follow the right procedures in 2026.
How Does Illinois Workers' Compensation Work?
Workers' compensation in Illinois operates on what's called a "no-fault" system. That means you generally don't have to prove your employer was negligent or did anything wrong in order to receive benefits. You also don't have to prove the injury was someone else's fault.
Will I Be Blamed for Fault in an Accident if I Didn't Service My Car?
You just got hurt in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, and in addition to the general worries about insurance and how fault will be assigned, one thought keeps nagging at you: you haven’t gotten your car serviced in a long time. Is it possible that this will negatively impact how much compensation you could recover?
The answer is that it may, but you don’t need to jump straight to panicking. The actual decision is determined by what kind of condition your car was in generally before the accident, and whether your lack of upkeep had any actual effect on how the accident played out. A Lake County personal injury lawyer can help you understand what you can do to minimize its impact.
Can an Opposing Lawyer Use Your Car's Condition Against You After an Accident?
In Illinois, fault for personal injury cases determines whether and how much compensation someone can recover. The modified comparative fault rule under 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 allows people to recover damages even if they had some fault in an accident. This holds as long as the person wasn’t more than 50 percent at fault.
What Do I Do if I'm in a Car Accident Caused by Street Racing?
Being hit by a street racer can be both terrifying and infuriating. These crashes often happen without warning, at extreme speeds, and can cause life-altering injuries. And unlike truly accidental car wrecks, they’re 100 percent tied to someone else’s bad decisions.
If you or someone you love was hurt in an accident caused by street racing in 2026, you have options. A Cook County, IL car accident attorney can help you figure out who is responsible and what compensation you may be entitled to.
What Should I Do Immediately After a Street Racing Accident?
The steps you take right after the crash can have a big impact on your ability to recover compensation later. Consider these steps that could help protect your health and your claim:
- Call 911. Getting police on the scene is especially important in street racing cases. Officers can document that racing was involved and may catch the drivers responsible.
How Do I Recover Damages if I'm an Independent Contractor and I'm Injured at Work?
Independent contractors face unique challenges when trying to get compensation for work injuries. Unlike regular employees who can file workers' compensation claims, contractors often find themselves in legal gray areas.
You may wonder what options you have for recovering damages if you’ve been injured at your contracting job. A Barrington personal injury lawyer can help you explore all your options.
Am I Really an Independent Contractor or Actually an Employee?
The first and most important question is whether you are truly an independent contractor or if you should be classified as an employee. This makes a huge difference in your ability to recover damages.
Many companies incorrectly classify workers as independent contractors when they should legally be considered employees. According to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305), the key is the level of control the company has over your work. If the company controls when, where, and how you perform your job, you may actually be an employee even if you signed a contractor agreement.
Why You Should Seek Medical Care for Every Dog Bite
Dog bites are common enough that they sometimes seem like no big deal. Yes, you got bitten, but it wasn’t bad. Maybe there wasn’t even blood!
As reasonable as this line of thinking may seem, you should get every dog bite checked out by a medical professional. According to DogsBite.org, the rate of national dog bite-related ED visits rose 15 percent in recent years. Even if a dog bite seems small, getting medical care right away is important for your health. If the bite ends up being serious, it’s also important for your legal options.
In 2026, Illinois will continue to rank among the states with the highest number of dog bite incidents and payouts in the nation. If you have been bitten by a dog, our Cook County personal injury lawyers can help you understand your options and protect your rights.
I Was Hit By An Uninsured Driver. Can I Still Receive Compensation?
If you or a loved one are in a car accident involving an uninsured driver in 2026, you may be unsure of what to do next. How will you pay to fix your car? Are you responsible for your medical bills, even though someone else caused the crash? What if the other driver has no insurance and no money?
The good news is that Illinois law gives you options for recovering compensation even when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Your own insurance may be the best source of compensation. Illinois law requires uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage in every auto liability policy.
Your Cook County personal injury attorney with Barrington Injury Attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve.
How Does Car Insurance Work When the At-Fault Driver Is Uninsured?
Typically, the insurance company of the driver who is at fault for a car accident is responsible for paying for any damage. Car insurance is mandatory in Illinois under 625 ILCS 5/7-601, but some people choose to drive without car insurance. Others forget to renew their policy or fall behind on payments and lose coverage. The Insurance Information Institute estimates that about 15 percent of drivers don’t have insurance.
What Is an Underride Truck Accident?
Underride accidents are among the most dangerous types of truck crashes. They happen when a smaller vehicle slides under the side or back of a tractor-trailer. Because the bottom of the trailer is around the same height as a car’s windshield, the top of the smaller vehicle can be sheared off on impact. These crashes are violent, often fatal, and almost always preventable.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in an underride crash, you deserve to understand what happened and who may be responsible. A free, no-pressure consultation with a Lake County truck accident lawyer can help you understand what to do next.
How Do Underride Accidents Happen?
Most underride crashes happen at night or in low-visibility conditions when a car’s driver cannot clearly see the back or side of a truck. Some happen when a truck suddenly slows down or stops and the car behind it cannot brake in time. Others happen when a truck turns, merges, or crosses lanes without warning.
Who is Responsible for a Serious Parking Lot Injury?
Anyone who has had small children knows the drill around cars: You need to hold an adult's hand whenever you are in or nearby a parking lot. When we get older, though – especially after we start driving – getting in and out of parking spaces is such a mundane task that, for most of us most of the time, we do not give it a second thought. It is not until a serious accident happens that people suddenly realize what dangerous places parking lots can be.
If you or someone you love has been hurt or killed in a parking lot accident, you probably have questions. Is someone else responsible for the accident? What if it seems like you may share responsibility yourself, even if you are the one who was hurt? Talking to a Barrington, IL parking lot injury attorney is free and can give you a sense of your options. There is no risk in calling us at 224-900-HURT today.
Can I Sue if I Was Hit by a Car While Walking in Illinois?
Walking through a crosswalk or along a street should not be dangerous, but careless drivers put pedestrians and everyone else on the road at risk. When a car hits a person, the injuries can be severe, ranging from broken bones to traumatic brain injuries.
If you were hit by a car, you may be able to file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Speaking with a Barrington, IL personal injury lawyer can help you understand your legal options.
How Does Illinois Law Handle Pedestrian Accidents?
As of September 2025, Illinois law continues to give pedestrians strong legal protections under the Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and exercise due care to avoid hitting anyone on foot. When they fail to follow these rules, drivers can be held responsible through a personal injury claim.
How Does a Drunk Driver Change a Personal Injury Claim?
When the driver who causes a car crash is drunk, the wreck itself can be terrible and the aftermath can be just as bad. Victims may face serious injuries, long recovery times, and overwhelming medical bills. Throughout Illinois, drunk driving accidents also carry unique legal consequences that can affect how a personal injury claim is handled.
As of August 2025, Illinois law 625 ILCS 5/11-501 sets the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit at 0.08 percent for most drivers, and 0.04 percent for commercial drivers. A driver who violates these limits and causes a crash not only faces criminal charges but can also be held financially responsible in a civil personal injury lawsuit.
If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in a wreck caused by a drunk driver, call our Cook County, IL car crash attorneys now. We are here to help you get through this difficult period.
Barrington Injury Attorneys (B.I.A. Law)
224 West Main Street, #100, Barrington, IL 60010
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