Posted on June 07, 2023 in Car Accidents

Drunk driving continues to be a problem in Barrington and across the nation. A significant percentage of car accidents resulting in serious and fatal injuries are caused by intoxicated drivers. Illinois law allows drunk driving car accident victims to file a personal injury claim and pursue financial compensation for their damages.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a drunk driving accident, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney can help you seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

How Does a Drunk Driver Accident Injury Claim Work?

When you file a claim for an injury caused by a drunk driver, you will not have to prove that the other driver was negligent or reckless. Illinois considers a drunk driver to be negligent "per se." The police report showing that the driver was under the influence will establish negligence. However, this does not mean that the process of recovering compensation will be easy.

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 Posted on May 08, 2023 in Personal Injury

Dogs can be loving companions, but they are also animals with sharp teeth and powerful jaws. When a dog attacks somebody, it often goes for the person's face and neck. The tissues on our face are fragile and can be easily cut and torn, leading to nerve damage, loss of functioning, and disfigurement.

If you, your child, or another family member suffered facial injuries because of a dog bite, you should be aware of your legal rights in this situation. Injuries caused in a dog attack fall under the legal doctrine of strict liability in the state of Illinois. This means that the dog's owner may be liable for your injuries. The owner may be required to reimburse you for financial losses such as medical bills as well as compensate you for the non-financial suffering resulting from the attack.

Illinois Dog Bite Laws

In some states, a dog owner may be able to avoid legal responsibility for a dog attack if the owner had no reason to believe the dog was dangerous. This is sometimes referred to as a “one-bite rule” because the owner is not typically liable the first time their dog bites someone.

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 Posted on April 18, 2023 in Personal Injury

When accidents involving pedestrians occur, the results are often catastrophic. Pedestrians who are struck by vehicles may suffer broken bones, internal organ damage, traumatic brain injury, or even paralysis. These injuries often lead to long-term medical needs with a massive price tag. Pedestrian accident victims may need surgery, home healthcare, physical therapy, and years of follow-up care. If you or a loved one were hurt in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to recover financial compensation for your damages. 

Gather Evidence and Documentation

Collecting and preserving any evidence and documentation related to the accident is crucial to support your claim. This can include photographs of your injuries, witness statements, and medical records. Having this information at your disposal can help clarify the circumstances surrounding the accident and strengthen your case.

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 Posted on March 06, 2023 in Work Injuries

Some U.S. industries are inherently more dangerous than others. For example, individuals who work in the logging, commercial fishing, and construction industries are more likely to suffer work-related harm than many others, simply because their job duties often involve embracing a heightened risk of occupational accidents and injuries.

However, anyone can be hurt while they are on the job. Office workers regularly slip and fall, healthcare professionals get attacked with alarming frequency, and agricultural and factory workers often sustain crush-related harm.

Regardless of the type of accident that impacts an individual worker, it is important for them to understand that they may be entitled to one or more types of compensation as a result of their circumstances. If you have sustained occupational injuries as a result of an accident, you may have been led to believe that filing for workers’ compensation is your only option at this time. Depending on the nature of your circumstances, you may be entitled to far more compensation than the workers’ comp system alone will provide.

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 Posted on February 06, 2023 in Car Accidents

Car accidents occur in Illinois and across the world for countless reasons. Sometimes, it does not matter how careful you are behind the wheel, mistakes by other drivers can lead to a collision. If you are involved in a car accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your vehicle damage, medical expenses, and other losses. We will break down the common types of car accidents in the state of Illinois below.

Driver Error

Driver error is one of the leading causes of car accidents in Illinois. Distracted driving is a major issue, as it can easily lead to collisions. Some of the types of distracted driving are:

• Texting, talking on the phone, and checking social media

• Eating while driving

• Looking for something in the car

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 Posted on January 10, 2023 in Personal Injury

We all rely on the work of truckers, from getting food to the grocery stores to medications on pharmacy shelves. Trucks move some 70 percent of all sellable merchandise nationwide. But being on the roads does not come without risk. In 2020, about 4,840 fatal crashes involved large trucks. What makes these truck accidents so dangerous is their mere size and the cargo they carry. Sometimes that can include pallets, objects, and even dangerous chemicals that wind up on the road. If you are involved in an accident and injured due to a truck driver’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation.

When Cargo Becomes a Road Hazard

When truck drivers operate their vehicles carelessly and negligently they are dangerous to other drivers on the roads. A big part of their responsibility is to ensure that their cargo does not shift or spill out of the truck onto the roadway and pose a hazard. The cargo must be secured so it does not move around, even at high speeds. In a truck crash, a trailer door may open, and cargo can spew across the highway. Drivers on the road may not be able to react in time and stop, causing a chain-reaction crash. Loose or shifting cargo can also lead a truck to become unbalanced and difficult for the driver to control. 

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 Posted on December 08, 2022 in Car Accidents

‘Tis the season when many people will tie a Christmas tree to the roof of their cars to bring home. But what happens if your Christmas tree falls off of your car and causes serious injuries to someone? Research from AAA shows that 44 percent of Americans admit transporting a tree unsafely, and 16 percent say they have had a Christmas tree fall off of their vehicle on the way home. You have to remember that once you drive off the lot with the Christmas tree it is the driver’s responsibility to make sure it does not wind up being a hazard on the road.

Secure Cargo or Face Negligence Allegations

If the tree flies into oncoming traffic and causes an accident, anyone who is injured in the crash can file a lawsuit against you and sue for damages. Remember, if your vehicle does not have a roof rack, tying a tree to the roof of your car is probably not a good idea. Improperly fastened cargo can lead to serious legal consequences. If someone is harmed as a result of your falling Christmas tree you could be sued for negligence. 

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 Posted on November 15, 2022 in Personal Injury

Hitting the road with the air on your face is a one-of-a-kind experience for motorcycle riders. But the reality is that motorcycle injury rates increased by ten percent between 2019 and 2020. Motorcyclists are 28 times more likely than a car passenger to die in a crash and four times more likely to be injured. These motorcycle catastrophic injury accidents can leave you facing everything from amputation to traumatic brain injuries, and they can certainly be fatal. They can harm the most experienced motorcyclists because often others fail to be safe on the roads.

Common Injuries Sustained by Motorcyclists

Some motorcycle injuries can permanently impact your ability to work and care for your children. Motorcycle accident injuries can result in serious bodily harm even at low speeds, compared to injuries suffered by people driving other types of vehicles. 

The most common injury in a motorcycle accident is head trauma including traumatic brain injury. These injuries typically occur because the rider is thrown from the bike with their head hitting the pavement with severe force. That is why wearing a helmet is critical. Other types of injuries that motorcyclists can experience in a collision include the following: 

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 Posted on October 20, 2022 in Car Accidents

Distractions and driving, especially when ghosts and goblins are roaming the streets for Halloween, can be a scary combination. It can lead to more than a traffic violation. It can spark a car accident and you could end up seriously injured. If you were recently hurt or lost a loved one in a Barrington car accident or truck accident, contact a personal injury attorney for help. 

Types of Distracted Driving

Anytime you are driving and doing something else that causes you to move your hands off

the steering wheel or keep your eyes on the road, that is considered distracted driving. The following three categories of distracted driving are common: 

• Visual: Looking at your radio, GPS, something on the side of the road,

or reading a text     

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 Posted on September 14, 2022 in Car Accidents

September is one of the rainier months here in Illinois. The season is slowly starting to change from summer into fall. The intense heat waves that contribute to road rage in the summer are likely over. However, we will probably be dealing with a lot of rain. It is no surprise that car accidents are a bit more likely to happen while it is raining. When the rain first starts the roads are slick, as the bits of oil and grease from traffic have not yet washed off. As the rain is coming down hard, visibility can be impaired. Even after the storm, drivers are not done blaming their poor driving habits on the weather. If car accidents were truly unavoidable when it is raining or wet, it is not likely that people would continue to willingly get on the roads under these circumstances. If you were injured by a driver who claims that the weather was at fault, you may want an attorney to help pursue your claim.

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