Here in Illinois, there are approximately 12,720,000 residents (2018) with 4,477,763 registered automobiles, or one automobile for every 2.8 residents, including children! That means there are a lot of cars being driven by a lot of people, every hour of every day. The State of Illinois requires that to lawfully operate a motor vehicle, you must have auto liability insurance. “Liability insurance” refers to insurance to protect you in case you cause injury or property damage to another person. Although there are various coverages and amounts of coverage available, many people choose to purchase insurance policies with smaller amounts of coverage in order to pay lower premiums. Some people even still drive without any coverage, in violation of the law. In Illinois, the law requires that drivers maintain liability coverage of at least $25,000.00 per person/$50,000.00 per occurrence. This can be most easily understood as follows: an insured driver with $25,000/$50,000.00 […]

Teen driving continues to be the number one cause of death of teens. Are graduated licenses and distracted driving laws cutting down on teen accidents and deaths? The latest detailed data is from 2014. Teens accounted for 7% of deaths caused by car accidents, and 9% of all serious injuries. Any injury that prevents the victim from performing their day to day activities are considered serious injuries. These include things like severe cuts, concussions, internal injuries, and broken bones. Deaths There were 67 teen fatalities caused by car accidents in the state of Illinois in 2014. Nearly half, 30, were driving at the time of the accident. 29 were occupants of vehicles, and seven of the deaths were pedestrians. Over half of the teens killed as passengers were riding with another teen, and teens contribute to about 17% of all passenger car accident fatalities. Injuries 622 teen drivers were injured in car crashes […]

It’s a bright, sunny day, but there’s one drawback: it’s very cold. The road looks normal, perhaps just a bit wet or shiny in places. But that’s not the case. The deceivingly wet-looking road surface is actually hiding something far more sinister. It is known as black ice. Ordinarily, when a roadway looks slick, it’s a pretty safe bet that it is just that. With black ice, this is one of Winter’s worst hazards. This ice is transparent, making it difficult to gauge if the road is slippery until the vehicle moves over it. Black ice FAQs Black ice develops when warm air comes into contact with a frozen roadway whose air temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or less at its surface. The cold surface causes any precipitation to freeze, thereby creating the ice. It also occurs when snow refreezes, rain freezes in the atmosphere, or if sleet falls onto the road’s surface. When […]

Motor vehicle manufacturers are required by law to design and manufacture vehicles that meet minimum safety standards as a protection for consumers. Vehicles have hundreds of parts, however, and even with stricter safety regulations, extensive testing and advances in technology, defects and design flaws still occur. In fact, according to the Washington Post, one in five cars produced in 2014 had some type of defect. That number is higher than any other year. Unfortunately, some of these issues can cause serious, and even deadly accidents. When automobiles or automobile parts are discovered to be defective, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues recalls of the vehicles in question. According to the NHTSA, vehicle recalls play a significant role in keeping America’s roadways safe. It is essential for consumers to pay close attention to any recalls that might apply to their vehicles and have them repaired as soon as possible […]

When two or more vehicles are involved in an accident in Illinois, each driver must notify his or her insurance company to begin the process of filing a claim, determining fault and securing coverage for any damage or personal injury. An injured passenger is in a unique position, though, and their legal rights and options aren’t always clear. The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that statewide traffic-related fatalities haven’t exceeded 1,000 since 2008. However, more than 61,000 accidents caused injuries last year, and 22,000 passengers were among the injured. These passengers may receive insurance compensation in a few different ways. Securing Insurance Coverage If a passenger is related to a driver who shared fault, they will be covered as an “insured person”. If a passenger is unrelated to the driver, they may be covered as an “uninsured person” or file a claim through their own insurance carrier’s medical payment or […]

When people think of distracted driving, they generally think of texting or talking on a cellphone while driving. However, there are many distractive tasks Illinois drivers can engage in while behind the wheel. These activities can be organized into three main types of distractions: manual, visual and cognitive. Manual and visual distractions involve drivers who remove their hands from the steering wheel and take their eyes off of the road. Cognitive distractions, on the other hand, divert a driver’s mental focus from the road, which many Cook County car accident lawyers know can be deadly. A closer look at distracted driving Distracted driving killed approximately 3,328 people in 2012 and injured an additional 421,000 people, according to Distraction.gov. In an attempt to decrease the distracted driving fatality and injury rate, many states, including Illinois, have enacted laws banning drivers from texting or talking on a cellphone. Many people choose to […]