Many of us have become so accustomed to driving that we forget to consider just how dangerous driving really is. Unfortunately, for various reasons, including distracted driving, speeding, and more, car accidents, ranging in severity, often occur on roadways across America. Depending on the circumstances of your crash, you may have incurred some minor bruising up to severe, life-altering injuries. As a result, you are likely interested in pursuing compensation relating to medical costs and damage to your vehicle.

For this blog, we will review common mistakes people make in the aftermath of a car accident, errors that, if you make them, can potentially jeopardize your pursuit of compensation. If you have been involved or injured in a car accident, do not hesitate to contact an attorney who will ensure your rights remain protected throughout the process and that the compensation you may be entitled to can be pursued to the fullest extent possible.

Mistakes People Make After Car Accidents

The moments after a car accident can be highly stressful, confusing, and even frightening. However, always remember that making mistakes in these initial moments, the moments following, and the days and weeks after the accident will make it more challenging to receive the compensation you may be entitled to. These mistakes include the following:

If you ask someone who drives a motorcycle what they like most about the hobby, their face will likely light up as they talk to you about how relaxing and enjoyable the experience is. But unfortunately, while it may be an enjoyable hobby, it is undoubtedly dangerous and not without substantial risk to the rider. As a result, motorcycle accidents are all too common and can result in severe injuries and even wrongful death.

Something that makes motorcycle riding especially dangerous is that it really does not matter how skilled the rider is. In most situations, the greatest threat to someone on a motorcycle is the other motorists on the road. If you or someone you love has been injured or even killed while riding their motorcycle, contacting a highly knowledgeable attorney is a wise decision so that compensation may be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.

Injuries on Motorcycles

A beautiful day riding a motorcycle can turn tragic in the blink of an eye. When you think about cars and how much bigger they are compared to motorcycles, it is easy to understand how they do not have much chance when up against a car or truck. According to J.D. Power, motorcycle accidents carry a nearly 80 percent death rate. And even though motorcycles comprise a mere 3 percent of all registered vehicles, they still account for 5 percent of highway-related deaths.

CChristmas is right around the corner, and before we know it, family and friends will be coming over to celebrate the holiday. Unfortunately, while it may be the most wonderful time of the year for some, for others, the holidays can be when suffering personal injuries are all too common. Whether it be getting in a car accident while in a shopping center, getting injured while using a defective Christmas gift, or slipping and falling on ice at a Christmas tree farm or in the store, injuries can happen when we least expect them.

In any event, if you believe you experienced an injury due to the carelessness of another, do not hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who will inform you of your rights and fight to get you compensation for the injuries that you may be entitled to.

Common Christmas Injuries

According to Consumer Reports, emergency room visits tend to peak between Christmas and New Year. With the exchanging of gifts, many people may be dismayed upon opening their gift that, for whatever reason, their gift is defective or simply poorly designed. While a defective or poorly designed gift may sound harmless, such gifts often cause injury. If the gift requires batteries to run, faulty connections and loose wires can also lead to suffering painful electric shocks.

Few things are more emotionally devastating than losing a loved one. While losing a loved one is always tragic, the situation becomes even more tragic when that person dies because of someone else’s negligence. In the aftermath of a loved one dying, so much must be figured out. While this is a time of mourning, it must also be a time of action if you have reason to believe your loved one died a wrongful death.

If your loved one died a wrongful death, it could be easy to feel alone and isolated. Your loved one is gone, and nothing will bring them back. However, it is essential to know that you are not alone in this time of unbearable sadness. If your loved one died wrongfully, contact a wrongful death attorney who will protect your rights and fight for the most favorable outcome possible in your case.

What is a Wrongful Death, and What Situations Do They Occur In?

Simply put, a wrongful death is a death that would not have happened had it not been for the unlawful act of someone else. Various behaviors may lead to a wrongful death, such as intentionally trying to cause harm or disregarding someone else’s safety. There are many different situations where a wrongful death may occur. These include the following:

Glenview police recently announced that they had arrested and were charging a 55-year-old woman with reckless homicide, speeding more than 35 mph over the speed limit, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving too fast for conditions, and following too closely nearly eight months after a March 19 six-vehicle accident that left one man dead. The woman was driving her vehicle southbound on Milwaukee Avenue too fast on wet pavement when her vehicle struck the car of the 73-year-old man, who was killed, and triggered the six-vehicle crash.

For people who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents, criminal charges against negligent parties are welcome news but in the end, they may not do much to help people suffering after crashes. A prosecutor handling a criminal case is more concerned with getting convictions than any kind of restitution for people affected by the crash, so civil personal injury cases are usually the best hope most people have.

Differences Between Civil and Criminal Cases Involving Personal Injury

When a car accident occurs, criminal charges are not often in order. Many people who are responsible for crashes simply exchange information with the driver they hit and go about their day without having to face arrest or traffic tickets.

People in the greater Glenview area do not need much reminding about how dangerous truck accidents can be since it was only earlier this year that a woman originally reported to have suffered serious injuries in a truck accident was pronounced dead by the Cook County medical examiner's office. In that case, a box truck heading south on East River Road made a left turn in front of a car driven by the woman, and struck her passenger vehicle heading northbound, causing it to sustain major damage. 

People need to appreciate the tremendous risks they are facing any time they are dealing with large commercial trucks on various roads throughout Cook County. Even when truck crashes seem relatively simple to explain, liability in these cases can be complex and every party will try to transfer blame to one another to minimize their own losses.

Why Truck Accidents Are Complicated Cases

Unlike your traditional car accident claim which usually involves only two drivers, a truck accident case is immediately complicated by one party being the truck driver, another party being a truck owner, another party being a loading company, and possibly several other parties sharing liability issues. The primary reason any truck accident victim will want to retain legal counsel as soon as possible is simply to have an independent investigation performed into their crash that can figure out exactly which parties are accountable.

Buses are a common mode of transportation, and they are particularly common in Illinois where thousands of people every day rely on charter buses, public transportation buses, and school buses. Unfortunately, there are far too many bus accidents on the roads and in the streets of America.

Our legal professionals are aware of the difficulties bus accident victims face, particularly those harmed in rail or bus incidents that involve fast travel. If you or someone you know has been involved in a bus accident, you need guidance and experience from a trusted bus accident attorney dedicated to ensuring you get the best outcome in your case. 

Reasons for Bus Accidents

Buses provide a particularly serious threat to both passengers and other road users due to their massive size. Bus accidents are frequently brought on by:

The path to a complete physical recovery might be challenging for anybody hurt in a motorcycle accident. Medical costs and other damages can mount in the interim - costs that, if someone else's conduct led to your disaster, you should not be required to cover. At Gruzmark Law, Ltd., we have a proven track record of victory in injury claims resulting from motorcycle accidents in Northern Illinois, and we are aware of what it takes to achieve success. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Case After I Was Involved in a Motorcycle Accident?

The typical statute of limitations in Illinois is two years from the date of the motorcycle accident. The Illinois Statute of Limitations governs this time frame. The statute of limitations is not absolute, as is the case with many laws. 

A case's deadline could be extended if:

Severe burns from car accidents are some of the most devastating injuries that a person can suffer. Not only do they cause excruciating pain, but they also often lead to disfigurement and disability. Burn victims often need significant medical intervention, including surgery and rehabilitative care. Many deal with debilitating psychological problems after a disfiguring burn injury - especially if the burn is in a highly visible area like the face. 

Car crash victims who suffer burn injuries may be entitled to financial compensation for their medical needs, lost income, and other damages. If you or a loved one has been burned in a car accident, contact a qualified personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.

Liability Parties in a Burn Injury Case 

Serious car accidents can often lead to fires and explosions - especially if one of the vehicles was carrying flammable materials. Chemical burns may result from corrosive gasses and liquids spilled by a commercial truck in a collision. Airbags are often the cause of chemical burns to the face and neck. 

When young children are learning to walk, they fall down constantly. Usually, these falls result in little more than a bump or bruise. Unfortunately, as we age, our bodies become less resilient and the dangers of falling increase substantially. Elderly people who fall may suffer from hip fractures and other broken bones, concussions, spine injuries, or other severe injuries. Fall-related injuries often have a profound impact on an elderly person's life, both physically and psychologically. The CDC reports that many people who fall become afraid of falling again, which prompts them to become less active and avoid enjoyable activities. This reduces strength and balance and increases the chances of falling again. If you have an elderly loved one who has been injured in a fall, you may be able to take legal action against the party responsible for his or her fall injuries.

Liability for Fall Accidents

In order to successfully bring a personal injury lawsuit against another party, you will need to prove that they were negligent in some way. For example, if your loved one was injured in a fall at a grocery store, you may be able to prove that the store was negligent in failing to clean up a spill in a timely manner or failing to put up a "wet floor" sign. If your loved one was injured in a fall at a nursing home, you may be able to prove that the nursing home was negligent in failing to properly monitor your loved one or provide him or her with the necessary assistance.

Liability often comes down to the foreseeability of an accident.  If a reasonable person in the defendant's position should have known that there was a danger of someone falling and being injured, then the defendant may be held liable.

Last month, the governor of Illinois signed the Family Bereavement Leave Act. This new law amends the Child Bereavement Leave Act (CBLA) and expands the scope of unpaid bereavement leave that is available to Illinois workers. This new law will go into effect on January 1, 2023.

The previous law only covered the loss of a child or stepchild. Under the new law, however, a two-week, unpaid bereavement leave extends to employees who have experienced a stillbirth, pregnancy loss, and a number of other types of losses.

Unintentional Acts

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 1 and 24 is unintentional injuries. One in five child deaths is a result of unintentional injury.

Rear-end crashes are one of the most common car accidents that occur. Although many of these types of crashes are considered “minor,” the reality is that the injuries that victims suffer in these accidents can result in long-term or even permanent medical issues.

Common Causes of Rear-End Crashes

In the majority of rear-end accidents, the incidents were preventable and would not have occurred if the driver in the rear had not engaged in some kind of negligent or reckless driving behavior. The most common acts include:

• Distracted driving, including texting or talking on the phone, setting the GPS, fiddling with the radio, talking to a passenger, or eating and drinking

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Given how much time we spend in our vehicles, it is not surprising that many people will add personalized touches to them. We add bumper stickers, seat covers, and even sentimental items on the dashboard. Many drivers will also hang mementos and other items from their rearview mirrors, like air fresheners, stuffed animals, and graduation tassels. What many drivers do not realize is that these items can actually obstruct their view, resulting in a serious car accident.

What Does Illinois Law Say?

Having items hanging from a rearview mirror can block the driver’s visibility, which can end up causing a crash. This is one reason why it is illegal under Illinois law to have objects in places that could block the driver’s view. According to the statute:

“No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield, rear window, side wings or side windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver which materially obstructs the driver's view.”

The United States has struggled with a drug epidemic for decades. According to national statistics, almost 500,000 people died from opioid overdoses – both prescription and illicit – between 1999 to 2019. Millions of people continue to struggle with an addiction that not only impacts their personal lives but their professional lives, as well. One industry where this has been a significant problem is the trucking industry. Many truck drivers are operating their vehicles under the influence of drugs, putting everyone on the roads with them in danger.

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the government agency that regulates the trucking industry. In an effort to combat the number of drivers who are using drugs and/or alcohol, the FMSCA created the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a secure online database that provides information about drug and alcohol violations for all commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learners permit (CLP) holders. The clearinghouse is accessible for truck industry employers, state departments of motor vehicles, and law enforcement agencies.

One of the critical pieces of information the database provides is data on failed drug and alcohol tests. This is one way that trucking companies can find out if a potential new employee has failed testing in the past. Since January 2020, there have been more than four million inquiries to the database.

Dogs can be sweet and kind. However, dogs are still animals capable of inflicting serious injuries. Studies show that dog-related injuries are occurring more and more frequently and currently account for over a third of homeowner insurance claims. Illinois is ranked second in the nation for dog bite injury claims.

If your or a family member were bitten by a dog or otherwise sustained injuries because of a dog, you may be able to file an injury claim and recover damages. You could be compensated for medical costs, pain and suffering, and more.

Liability for Dog Injuries

A dog’s owner may be legally responsible for any injuries caused by his or her dog. In Illinois, the owners are liable for dog-related injuries if:

Semi-trucks and other large commercial trucks allow goods to be shipped from one end of the country to the other and are vital to modern commerce. However, when large commercial trucks are involved in a crash, the results can be catastrophic. Large commercial truck accidents often result in severe injuries including brain and spine injuries, amputations, burns, broken bones, and internal organ damage. Truck accident victims that survive their injuries often require considerable medical care including ongoing rehabilitative treatment. The financial losses associated with a commercial truck crash can be massive, but truck accident victims and their families may be able to recover compensation through a personal injury claim.   

Legal Responsibility for Truck Accident Injuries

Countless factors can cause a large commercial truck crash. Sometimes, inadequate vehicle maintenance causes problems with the truck’s brakes, steering, or hydraulics which cause or contribute to a serious crash. Other times, the root cause of a truck accident is truck driver negligence. Truck drivers who are too fatigued to drive safely or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol can make deadly mistakes behind the wheel. Texting and driving and other forms of distracted driving are also major risk factors.

Improper loading and securement of truck freight can also lead to terrible accidents. When truck cargo is not packed on or in the truck securely, it can shift around and cause the truck to become unbalanced and hard to manage. Cargo may even fall off of the truck and onto the road. Motorists may collide with the fallen cargo or cause accidents trying to avoid colliding with the cargo.

According to national statistics, more than 150 people die from brain-trauma-related injuries each day. One year-long study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that about 1.5 million people suffer a brain injury each year.

The medical definition of a traumatic brain injury is any injury to the head which disrupts or interferes with the victim’s normal brain function. Many of these types of injuries are sustained in accidents that were caused by another party’s negligence or recklessness. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in an accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for losses the injury has caused.

For many victims, a brain injury results in permanent life changes. Many suffer from memory loss, chronic headaches, and permanent brain damages. Although a brain injury can occur in any type of accident, the following are the most common.

Many families are forced to make the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home because they have reached the point where they can no longer live on their own and require round-the-clock care and assistance. Nursing home staff are responsible for helping residents with their personal hygiene tasks, such as showering and dressing, as well as making sure they take their medication, eat right, and participate in socializing. The law requires that these duties are carried out with both compassion and care.

But not all nursing home staff obey these laws, and when they fail to comply, the results can result in serious injury or even death for a resident. A nursing home resident who is not physically or mentally able to care for their own needs could forget to eat, take their medication, wander off the facility, or fall because no one is supervising them. It is critical for all families to be aware of any signs that could indicate their loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Warning Signs of Neglect or Abuse

There are many ways that nursing home neglect can occur. Residents can be denied food and liquids, denied use of the bathroom facilities, or denied help to take care of their personal hygiene needs. The facility itself can be cluttered, unclean, or there could be environmental hazards, such as medical waste not properly disposed of that could be dangerous for residents.

When an accident victim has suffered an injury, they may not realize that they have been injured. This is because there are many types of injuries that do not present symptoms right away. These injuries can take days, or even weeks, before symptoms began to appear and the victim realizes something is wrong. These delayed symptom injuries can occur in vehicle crashes, slip and fall incidents, or any other type of accidents.

Dealing with Delayed Symptoms

Delayed symptoms are one reason why personal injury attorneys recommend that victims do not settle with their claims with insurance companies right away. It is also why insurance companies do try to get victims to settle quickly. Once you have accepted a settlement, your accident claim is closed, even if it turns out you have suffered a serious injury.

Since there is always a risk in any kind of accidents that injury symptoms may be delayed, it is always recommended that victims get checked out by a medical professional following any kind of incident, even if they do not believe they have been hurt.

The month of April has been designated as National Youth Sports Safety Month. One of the best ways for children to stay healthy and make new friends is participate in school-related or recreational sports. Although it can be fun for a child to be part of a team and learn about engaging in healthy competition with others, it is important for parents to be aware of the injury risks associated with these activities. It is also important for parents to realize that just as they are responsible for keeping their children safe, so too are the school officials, coaches, and recreational staff who are also involved in these activities.

Sports-Related Injury Awareness

It is estimated that more than 2.5 million children are treated in emergency rooms each year for sports-related injuries in the United States. There are a number of activities that children engage in that can result in serious injuries. Some of the more common include:

• Baseball

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