As a motorcyclist, you know that when a largely unprotected motorcyclist is hit by a 3,000-pound vehicle, he or she will be left with severe injuries more often than not. Motorcyclists also continue to be overrepresented in fatal motorcycle accidents. In 2023, 15 percent of all traffic fatalities were motorcyclists – the highest number of motorcyclists killed in traffic collisions since 1975.
Since motorcycles make up only about 3 percent of the total number of registered vehicles, the risks are clear. When a motorcyclist is hit by a driver who then flees the scene of the accident, recovering damages…
Continue Reading Collecting Damages for a Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Accident

Some states may deny a workers’ compensation claim if the injured employee had a pre-existing condition or prior injury. The state of Illinois does not automatically disqualify a workers’ compensation claim if you have a pre-existing condition, but you may find that condition becoming the focus of your claim.
Illinois state law employs the concept of aggravation of an injury when evaluating a workers’ compensation claim for those with pre-existing conditions. If a work-related accident aggravated your pre-existing condition, you are eligible for WC benefits.  You should expect to be strongly questioned about the work-related activity and whether it was…
Continue Reading Could My Workers’ Comp Claim Be Affected by a Prior Injury?

Last summer, a Greyhound bus crashed on I-70 in Highland, IL, killing three passengers and injuring more than a dozen others. The crash happened when the bus collided with three semi-trucks parked on the shoulder of an exit ramp near the Silver Lake rest area. In interviews done with passengers following the crash, one passenger claimed the bus driver repeatedly “drove in the middle of the road between the two lanes” and “kept hitting rumble strips on the shoulder side.”
Another passenger claimed the bus driver seemed to make no attempt to correct the bus’s course before it hit the…
Continue Reading Who Is Liable for a Bus Accident in Illinois?

Truck accidents are unique for a couple of reasons. First, a fully loaded truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, while the average passenger car weighs somewhere around 3,000 pounds. This significant disparity in size usually results in those in the passenger vehicle sustaining serious or catastrophic injuries or dying from the collision.
In some cases, the truck driver may be at fault, whether because he or she was engaging in distracted driving behavior, driving recklessly or carelessly, driving while impaired, or driving while overly fatigued. The second reason truck accidents are unique is that there is often more…
Continue Reading Are Trucking Companies Liable for a Truck Accident?

When you place your elderly loved one in a long-term care facility, you are placing trust in the staff, expecting them to respect and properly care for all residents. Proper care includes administering medications in a safe, responsible manner. Unfortunately, medication errors are all too common – and are often overlooked as a form of nursing home abuse and neglect.
When medications are not dispensed as ordered by a physician, severe adverse health complications and even death can result. If you believe your loved one’s health issues or death are the result of negligent dispensation of medications, speaking…
Continue Reading Negligent Medication Dispensation Causes Harm in Nursing Homes

There were 3,275 motorcycle accidents in the state of Illinois in 2021. Of those, 168 motorcyclists died from the accident, and 2,381 suffered severe, even catastrophic injuries. Motorcyclists have little to no protection when hit by a 3,000-pound – or heavier – vehicle. Illinois is one of only three states with no motorcycle helmet laws, although the state does require protective eyewear.
The survival rate for a motorcyclist often depends on the severity of the crash, whether the motorcyclist wears protective gear, and his or her experience level. Motorcycle accidents are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries and traumatic…
Continue Reading How Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Address Jury Bias

About three babies are born with birth injuries every hour across the United States, or about seven babies in every 1,000 deliveries. Many families are left wondering whether a mistake made by a medical provider caused or contributed to their baby’s birth injury. If medical negligence caused a birth injury, a medical malpractice claim can help the family get the medical assistance the child needs now and in the future.
Birth injuries tend to be more common in males than females because males are often larger. About 80 percent of all birth injuries are considered moderate to severe, and birth…
Continue Reading How an Apgar Score Can Affect Your Medical Malpractice Claim

Workers who are injured on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, this is a no-fault wage replacement system that pays lost wages and medical benefits regardless of how the accident occurred. Workers’ compensation protects employers from lawsuits in most cases unless the injury results from willful or deliberate safety violations on the part of the employer—but this is rare.  
Most workers in the state are covered under workers’ compensation, including those hired in Illinois but injured while working in another state when the employer’s primary place of business is in…
Continue Reading The Independent Medical Examination Role in Workers’ Comp Cases

There are at least 150,000 automobile crashes each year due to icy roads. It takes about 10 times longer to stop completely on an icy road than on a dry road. Since about 70 percent of U.S. residents live in places that have icy conditions during the winter months, ice on the roads – especially black ice – can be a major contributor to car collisions. If you have been involved in an auto accident caused by another driver’s negligence, contacting an experienced Plainfield, IL personal injury lawyer can be beneficial.
What Is Black Ice and When/Where Does It…
Continue Reading Dangers of Black Ice: How Black Ice Forms and How to Stay Safe

Illinois worker’s compensation pays benefits for injuries caused either partially or wholly in the workplace. Aggravation of a pre-existing condition, injuries caused by repetitive motions in the workplace, or any other type of injury in the workplace qualify under workers’ compensation for benefits.
Benefits for workers’ compensation claims are paid regardless of who was at fault for the accident. In return, workers give up the right to sue their employers when they collect workers’ compensation benefits. There are many different types of benefits under workers’ compensation, including:

• Partial wage replacement
• Temporary and permanent disability
• Medical cost coverage for any medical

…
Continue Reading Temporary Disability Benefits Under IL Workers’ Comp Law

At least 70 percent of the nation’s roads are located in regions that receive more than five inches of snowfall each year.  When the pavement is snowy or icy, vehicles are less easy to maneuver, speeds are slower, and the risk of a collision increases. Reduced visibility is another factor in collisions on snow and ice. Almost one-fourth of all weather-related vehicle collisions occur on snowy, slushy, or icy roadways, killing 1,300 people a year and injuring another 116,800 on average.
When winter arrives and the roads get icy, not only is it exceptionally easy to slide and hit another…
Continue Reading Determining Liability in Multi-Vehicle Winter Car Crashes

Having uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is always important, but it may be even more important during the winter months when auto accidents are more likely to occur. More than 70 percent of the nation’s roadways are located in regions that receive more than five inches of snow each year. When snow falls and ice freezes on the roads, friction and vehicle maneuverability increase the risk of automobile accidents.
Visibility is also reduced during heavy snow and sleet, making accidents more likely. Each year, about a quarter of all weather-related vehicle collisions occur when snow and ice are on the roads. More…
Continue Reading The Importance of Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Winter

Nobody plans to be injured in a car accident, but thousands of them happen in Illinois every year. Injuries can range from mild to fatal, affecting the victims and their families. Understanding the top causes of these collisions may help you avoid them.
Most of these causes are negligent human error, which could qualify you for compensation. If you are injured in a motor vehicle collision, an experienced lawyer from Flaherty Law, LLC can help.
How Many Car Accidents Happen Due to Human Error?
According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver errors cause 94 percent…
Continue Reading What Are the Top Causes of Illinois Car Accidents?