Posted on August 18, 2022 in Car Accidents

You are driving along in a lawful manner when suddenly, you get hit by a driver who was most likely doing something unlawful, like looking at their phone. After checking whether anyone needs an ambulance, one of the first things you do is ask the at-fault driver for their insurance information. Instead of reaching into their wallet, the responsible driver stares at you like a deer in headlights. You are hit with a horrible realization - they do not have an insurance company to pay for your damages. It may be an even worse feeling if your injuries are severe and you find out about their lack of insurance in the hospital, from the police. You are likely wondering how on earth you are going to recover compensation after a crash with an uninsured motorist. Our attorneys can help you identify any other party who could be liable or seek compensation in another way. 

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 Posted on July 14, 2022 in Premises Liability

Getting attacked by a dog can be terrifying. A dog may seem perfectly calm or even happy one moment, only to turn into a snarling beast the next. Children are some of the most common victims of dog bites, in part because they may lack the skills needed to safely interact with a strange dog. Dog bites can be particularly harmful to young kids who may even be smaller than the animal. However, even adults should take a dog bite that breaks skin seriously and seek medical attention.

Even if the bite does not look too bad, it may require careful cleaning or preventative antibiotics. If you were not trespassing and did not provoke the dog, you can most likely recover compensation for any medical costs and more. 

4 Reasons to See a Doctor After a Dog Bite

Attempting to treat a dog bite at home has the potential to end badly. Boites can create deep puncture wounds, doing more damage than you can see right away. Seeking medical care for every dog bite is a good idea for these reasons:

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 Posted on June 22, 2022 in Car Accidents

Many, if not most, insurance companies have one goal and only one goal - and it is not to make sure that people their clients injure get fair settlements. In fact, the goal of a car insurance company after one of its drivers causes a crash is generally to get away with paying the lowest possible settlement. Settlements offered by insurance companies to unrepresented crash victims are often far too low to cover the costs and financial losses associated with a car crash.

Taking a settlement without speaking to an attorney could mean leaving thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on the table. It is not likely that an insurance company will tell you that you can recover things like future care expenses and lost wages. They may even dishonestly tell you that they do not pay for certain costs that you could be legally entitled to recover. It is important to work with an attorney who understands your rights and will fight to protect them after a car accident injury. 

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 Posted on May 20, 2022 in Car Accidents

We all know what speed limits are - whether one chooses to obey them is another matter. However, it is possible to be simultaneously obeying the posted speed limit and driving too fast. The posted speed limit applies when road conditions are normal. Drivers must also take things like the weather, the traffic, and any damage to the road itself into consideration when determining the appropriate speed. Even if the driver who caused your car accident was following the speed limit, they could still be found to have been driving at a negligent speed if they failed to take other conditions into account. If your accident was caused by a driver who was going too fast but not speeding, you will want to speak to an attorney as soon as possible to begin building your case. 

What is Speeding?

Legally, speeding means driving faster than the posted speed limit. It can be rather cut and dry. If the speed limit is 35 miles per hour and the driver was going 41, they were speeding. If they were going 36 miles per hour, they were speeding. As a practical matter, most law enforcement agencies tend to ticket drivers who exceed the speed limit by at least five miles per hour, but even one mile per hour over the limit is technically speeding.  

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 Posted on April 12, 2022 in Car Accidents

It is just straightforward common sense that a person is more fragile than a vehicle. While being inside a car certainly offers some protection, it is entirely possible for a car to be relatively unharmed while the people inside are hurt. People who have been injured in what appears at first glance to be a minor accident sometimes make the mistake of not taking their own injuries seriously. They may know that they feel pain somewhere, but they brush it off as probably nothing. This can be a mistake.

Underestimating your own injuries can lead to you losing out on the compensation you were entitled to. If you are in pain at all after a car accident, or even just feel that something is not right, it is a good idea to let a medical professional make that call. The next step is to call a car accident attorney for further help pursuing compensation. 

3 Reasons to Avoid Underestimating Your Injuries After a Fender-Bender

It may be tempting to simply exchange insurance information and then go about your day, ignoring what you might perceive as minor soreness or pain. Quite a few people look at the damage to their car to determine how serious the accident was when they should be looking at the damage to themselves. Reasons you should avoid this pitfall include: 

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 Posted on March 17, 2022 in Personal Injury

It should come as no surprise that a lot of pedestrian accidents happen in busy downtown areas. In places like downtown Chicago, there are about as many people walking around the streets as there are people driving. Parking downtown can be difficult to find - not to mention expensive. While we have fairly good public transit, it can take a long time to get where you are going and you may still have to walk. It is no wonder that a lot of people prefer to just walk when possible. During our harsh winters, there are not as many pedestrians out and about. Now that spring is coming and bringing more pleasant weather, we can expect to see more people walking around downtown. Sadly, we are also likely to see an increase in pedestrian accidents. 

If you are involved in a pedestrian accident, it is important to get in contact with an attorney as soon as possible. Quick action can increase the odds of recovering compensation.

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 Posted on February 15, 2022 in Personal Injury

After a serious car crash or other major accident, you may be left unable to work. This inability to perform your job duties could be temporary or permanent. In other cases, you may still be able to work in some capacity but can no longer earn as much as you used to. If any of these situations apply to you, you may be able to recover your lost wages as part of your compensation in a personal injury claim. If another person or group negligently injured you and took you away from your job, that party may be liable for your missing income. 

If an accident or injury rendered you unable to work, even in the short term, you will want to speak with a qualified attorney as soon as you can. A skilled lawyer can help fight for you to receive the full amount of compensation you deserve. 

How Are Lost Wages Calculated? 

In general, there are three types of lost wages that can be recovered in a personal injury suit. They are: 

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 Posted on January 07, 2022 in Car Accidents

The moments right after a car accident can be confusing and frightening. Many people need several minutes to process what has just happened before they are able to begin reacting. When a secondary car crash happens just after the first, the situation can become even more complicated and difficult to manage. This type of situation may seem unlikely, or that it would require an extraordinary stroke of bad luck, but this is not the case at all. Secondary car accidents are probably more common than you might think, and are often a direct result of the first accident. If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle collision involving multiple vehicles, it is best to speak to an attorney as soon as you are able.  

How Do Secondary Car Accidents Happen?

Secondary car accidents most commonly happen when another driver strikes an already crashed vehicle that remained in or near the roadway, although anyone outside a vehicle may also be at particular risk. Common reasons these secondary wrecks take place include: 

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 Posted on December 14, 2021 in Car Accidents

Getting into a car accident can be doubly frightening if you are a passenger. You have no control over either vehicle, and no opportunity to avoid or mitigate the crash. When you are hurt as a passenger, you may be unsure about what your legal options are. The good news is that you can recover compensation from the driver who caused your injuries. However, the process may look slightly different, and you will probably want an attorney to guide you through your claim. 

Who Can I Recover Compensation From for My Passenger Injuries?

Who you can seek compensation from depends on who caused your injuries. If the driver of the car you were riding in caused the accident, then your claim is against him (or his insurance company). However, if a third party caused the wreck, then that driver is liable to you regardless of whether you were driving or riding in the not-at-fault vehicle. In this case, you and the driver of the car you were in may be able to work together on your claims in some ways. The body of evidence you will need is going to overlap significantly.

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 Posted on November 18, 2021 in Car Accidents

After a car crash, your instinct may be to focus on the people who were directly involved in the crash. This makes sense - certainly, the first thing you need to do is to check whether anyone is hurt and call an ambulance if it is needed. It is also important to speak with the other driver to exchange information. However, the people who could become most important in your car accident claim may not be in either crashed vehicle. Third-party witnesses can be extremely important, especially in the event that your case goes to trial. If you have been hurt in a car accident, you should contact an experienced attorney who can help you with collecting evidence. 

Why Are Uninvolved Witnesses so Important in Car Accident Claims?

Physical evidence alone does not always show who was at fault in a car accident. If two vehicles collided in an intersection and both drivers claim it was their turn at the stop sign, the case may turn into a “he-said, she-said” dispute. However, if someone who was not involved in the crash saw what happened, courts and insurance companies may be inclined to take their word for it. 

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