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By: Driver Defense Team DUI & Traffic Lawyers

Latest from Driver Defense Team - Page 2

A DUI charge is always serious, but when a child is in the vehicle, the situation becomes even more severe. Illinois treats a DUI with a minor in the car as a heightened offense because of the risk to the child’s safety.
What could have been a misdemeanor DUI can quickly escalate into an aggravated DUI, even for a first-time offender. 
Cases of drunk driving with a minor may also involve child endangerment, which can add separate criminal charges on top of the DUI itself.
At Driver Defense Team, we have defended many aggravated DUI cases, including those…
Continue Reading What Are the Penalties for DUI with a Minor in the Vehicle?

Uber and Lyft have become essential to Chicago’s transportation network — but with convenience comes risk. As rideshare use increases, so do the number of rideshare accidents involving Uber and Lyft drivers across the city. 
If you’re involved in a rideshare accident in Chicago, it can be challenging to understand who will cover your injuries or damages. Rideshare crashes often involve multiple parties, such as the driver, the company, and sometimes other motorists, which makes determining liability and insurance coverage complex.
In this guide, we explain who pays after a rideshare accident, how rideshare insurance in Chicago works, and what…
Continue Reading Rideshare Accident in Chicago: Who Pays When an Uber or Lyft Driver Hits You?

It’s a question everyone wants to know when they’ve been hurt in a crash in Illinois: “How much could I get?” The unhelpful answer is that it depends. However, when considering their losses, most accident victims focus only on their immediate medical bills and property damage. They add up the cost of the emergency room visit, a few doctor’s appointments, and the repair estimate for their vehicle, and assume that’s the extent of their damages. However, those aren’t the only damages you’re entitled to when you’re hurt by someone else’s negligence.
We explain the damages you might be entitled to…
Continue Reading What Damages Can You Recover After an Illinois Car Accident?

If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in Illinois, you might have heard the term “wet reckless.” If not, and you hire our Chicagoland DUI lawyers to defend you, we might explain it as a potential alternative outcome, especially if the State’s evidence against you is strong and likely to result in a conviction.
But what is wet reckless? How does it differ from a DUI, and is a wet reckless conviction better than having a DUI on your record?
Understanding DUI in Illinois
A DUI can be charged at several levels, and each carries different penalties.
Continue Reading Wet Reckless Versus DUI in Illinois: What’s the Difference?

After a car accident in Illinois, most people focus on recovering from their injuries and trying to get back to normal (or, at least, as normal as possible) as quickly as they can. And rightly so. However, what most people don’t realize is that the decisions they make during this time can significantly impact their ability to obtain fair compensation when their accident wasn’t their fault.
As the law firm for Illinois drivers, we’ve helped many individuals get the compensation they’re entitled to after being injured in auto accidents caused by someone else’s negligent behavior (from speeding to drunk…
Continue Reading Common Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Car Accident Case

Getting pulled over for suspicion of DUI is serious enough. But what if you’re caught driving under the influence without a license?
There are many reasons this might be the case. Your license might have expired, your license might be suspended or revoked, or you might never have gotten your license to begin with.
Illinois takes a hard stance against drivers who get behind the wheel while intoxicated and have a driver’s license. For those without a license, the penalties can be much worse.
Our Chicago DUI attorneys have helped thousands of clients facing DUI charges, including those without valid…
Continue Reading Can You Get a DUI If You Don’t Have a Driver’s License?

Getting pulled over by the police is stressful, even when you haven’t done anything wrong. It only gets worse when the questions begin. Police officers may go for one of two approaches: the intimidating bad-cop routine, or the friendly, disarming approach to get you on side. We’ve seen it time after time over our many years of reviewing bodyworn camera footage for our DUI defense clients and providing legal analysis of viral traffic stops over on our YouTube channel.
But whatever the case, these decisions by law enforcement are strategic. If an officer suspects you of driving under the…
Continue Reading Common Trick Questions Cops Ask During an Illinois Traffic Stop

We’re proud to announce that Driver Defense Team has earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for the third year in a row.
In 2025, our Illinois law firm was ranked in:

  • Position 2,445 out of 5,000
  • Position 106 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
  • Position 56 in Legal
  • Position 111 in Illinois.

For our clients, this recognition might not mean much. But it’s a perfect demonstration of our consistency and reliability. We’re not going anywhere. In fact, we’re booming.
And that’s what you need from a lawyer when you’re hurt in a car crash or facing a DUI…
Continue Reading Three Years Running: Driver Defense Team Makes the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Businesses

Updated August 2025
In Illinois, a first DUI (driving under the influence) offense is usually a Class A misdemeanor. While unlikely, a conviction carries a maximum penalty of jail time and a hefty fine. 
But there’s a more serious type of DUI charge that carries far more severe consequences: a felony DUI.
A felony DUI is often reserved for repeat offenders, but a first-time DUI can be a felony charge in certain circumstances.
Our Chicagoland DUI attorneys explain when a DUI is considered a felony in Illinois and your options when you’ve been charged with this offense.
What Is a

…
Continue Reading When Is Driving Under the Influence Considered a Felony?

Driver Defense Team has built a 120+ year reputation as Chicago’s best trial attorneys. Now, we’ve grown so that we can do even more for Illinois drivers.
Our law firm began with one clear focus: helping people fight traffic tickets and DUI charges. We carved our reputation on doing exactly that and being the best at it. And we still are.
But we know that Illinois drivers face all kinds of legal issues on the road — things like getting their driver’s license back or claiming compensation after a car accident injury. We’ve always helped Illinois drivers with these…
Continue Reading The Same Industry-Leading Service, But Bigger: We’re the Law Firm for Drivers

Updated July 2025
Getting arrested by police for DUI can be a scary experience. You might believe that if you’re charged, the State must have enough evidence to prove your guilt. But prosecutors must prove you were driving under the influence beyond a reasonable doubt.
The one thing we advise against is pleading guilty to a DUI. The potential penalties of jail time and fines aside, a DUI conviction stays with you. Fortunately, “beyond a reasonable doubt” — the burden the State must prove — is the highest burden in our legal system, and there are many ways to challenge

…
Continue Reading How to Beat a DUI in Illinois: 54 Defense Strategies That Work

Getting charged with driving under the influence (DUI) can turn your life upside down in more ways than one. First, you have the initial arrest and a statutory summary suspension. If you don’t act fast, you could be stuck without your driver’s license for at least six months, and potentially more if it’s not your first offense.
Then, you have the stress of the criminal case, with the potential penalties of fines and even jail time. A conviction will also mean your license is revoked. If it’s your first DUI, you can apply for a license reinstatement after one…
Continue Reading Will a DUI Affect Your Car Insurance in Illinois?

Updated May 2025
Driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) is a huge responsibility, requiring highly specialized knowledge, experience, skill, and physical ability. As a result, Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders are held to a higher standard than those operating a standard vehicle.
Being convicted of certain offenses can trigger a CDL disqualification, which is essentially a suspension of your CDL privileges. Getting two convictions for serious traffic violations within three years will generally trigger a 60-day disqualification. Subsequent violations lead to an extended disqualification period, and in specific scenarios, you might receive a permanent CDL disqualification.
Here, Illinois’ top driving …
Continue Reading What Are the Grounds for a Disqualification for CDL?

If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in Illinois, you’re probably wondering if you should hire an attorney. The short answer? Absolutely. The law doesn’t require you to have legal representation, but if you turn up to court without it, the judge will likely tell you to come back with a lawyer.
And that’s for good reason — a DUI is not like a parking ticket. It’s a serious charge that can have major consequences. It’s never something you should handle on your own.
Below, we explain what’s at stake when you’re facing DUI charges and highlight…
Continue Reading Why You Should Get an Attorney for a DUI in Illinois

If you’ve been charged with drunk driving in Illinois, you’ll notice your ticket says “DUI” — driving under the influence. But you might also have heard of “DWI”, or driving while intoxicated.
What’s the difference between DUI and DWI in Illinois? Is there any difference? That’s what the traffic attorneys at Driver Defense Team explain in this blog.
The Key Differences between DUI and DWI
When you know what each abbreviation stands for, you’d be forgiven for thinking that DUI and DWI are exactly the same. If you’re driving while intoxicated (DWI), then, surely, that’s the same as driving under…
Continue Reading DUI vs. DWI Cases in Illinois: What’s the Difference?