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Can I Receive Compensation for a Slip and Fall Accident?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that 841 people 65 years of age and older died because of falls during the most recent reporting year and more than 100,000 people had to be treated for injuries suffered because of falls. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also reported that nearly 20 percent of fatal occupational injuries were the results of falls, slips, or trips.
Slip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries, including brain and spine injuries. Any person who does sustain a severe injury in a slip and fall accident will want to be sure they retain legal counsel because insurance companies are rarely willing to pay victims appropriate compensation without a fight.
How Slip and Fall Cases Work
When a person suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident, they should immediately report their fall to whoever is in charge of the property they fell on, such a manager at a store. Victims should also be quick to seek medical attention so they can be sure their injuries are properly treated and they have a medical record created as soon as possible. An individual harmed in a slip and fall accident can also strengthen their case by immediately taking pictures of whatever caused the fall before a property owner has the chance to correct the condition and the evidence disappears.
Dealing with a Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reports that there were 3,129 pedestrian accidents in 2020 which included 160 fatal accidents and 2,879 injuries. Crash data for 2023 indicates there have already been 34 pedestrian fatalities thus far this year.
The bottom line remains that pedestrians are constantly placed at risk in towns and cities throughout the state. Unfortunately, negligent drivers in these cases sometimes flee the scene of the accident to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. If you or a loved one were hurt in a hit-and-run accident, read on to learn about your legal options.
Options for Hit-and-Run Victims
In most pedestrian accident cases, the victim will be able to file a claim against the negligent driver. In a hit-and-run accident case, however, there can be concerns about whether an offender will be apprehended and what a hit-and-run victim can do if they are not located.
How to Establish Liability and Pursue Compensation for a DUI Accident
Driving while impaired due to the use of drugs or alcohol increases the likelihood of a car accident by 36 times. Even with the sobering statistics that demonstrate the dangers of drunk driving, people continue to risk their lives and the lives of others by driving while they are intoxicated. In Illinois, more than 20,000 people are arrested for drunk driving each year. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, a skilled attorney can help you establish liability and take steps to get the compensation you deserve.
BAC and Negligence
Drunk driving is associated with negligent behavior that could have been avoided. Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered reckless behavior, because willingly got behind the wheel of a vehicle when they knew they were too intoxicated to drive safely. The legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) in Illinois is .08 percent, and driving with a BAC above this limit can result in serious legal ramifications, including jail time, fines, and the suspension of a person's driver's license.
Who Can I Sue If Was Injured in a Truck Accident?
If you have been injured in a truck accident in the Chicago area, the medical bills may be piling up, you have lost your stable income, and are trying to recover from severe injuries. According to federal estimates, some 107,000 truck accidents resulted in life-altering injuries in 2020. Truck accidents are among the most dangerous vehicle accidents. Semi-trucks are simply heavier and more difficult to handle than your average car. So who is liable for the injuries that you suffered?
Potentially Liable Parties in a Truck Accident
In many cases, truck accidents are caused by a negligent driver due to various factors including driver fatigue, drunk driving, improperly secured loads, and defective truck parts. These are some of the potential parties you may be able to sue following a truck accident depending on the cause of the accident:
- Truck Driver – If the driver was speeding, driving drunk, or being negligent in any way and caused the accident, you could sue the driver for your losses.
Who Is Liable in a Rear-End Pileup Accident?
Whether you are running errands or driving around enjoying the sights, if you are rear-ended, it may feel like getting the wind knocked out of you because you do not see it coming. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of car accident in the United States, occurring in about 29 percent of all crashes. We see it all too often on Illinois freeways such as I-294 or I-90 when drivers do not slow down in time and, in some cases, these crashes lead to a pileup accident. If you are in the middle of one, you may be left wondering: Who is liable for the damage if you hit the car in front of you?
Rear-End Crash and Liability
A variety of things cause rear-end collisions every year, including people following too closely, distracted driving, and speeding. In Illinois, drivers are supposed to keep enough distance between their car and the car in front of them to avoid a crash. Therefore, in most rear-end car crashes, the rear driver is liable. In cases in which the front driver cuts off the rear driver or slams on the brakes without warning, the rear driver may not be liable.
What if I Am Injured in a Crash and the Other Driver Has No Insurance?
You never know when you might be involved in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. Panic may set in when you learn that the driver at fault for the accident does not have car insurance. Who will pay the bills related to your injuries? Unfortunately, one in eight drivers is uninsured. At Quinn Law Group, LLC, we can explore several possible options to get the compensation that you are entitled to receive.
Uninsured Motorist
Having protection in case you get in an accident with an uninsured driver offers some peace of mind. If you are in an accident with someone who does not have insurance, having uninsured or underinsured driver coverage on your own policy helps pay the costs of treating bodily injuries you and your passengers sustain. Any auto insurance company that provides policies to the residents of Illinois is required by law to offer their customers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Personal Injuries Caused by Distracted Driving
Distractions while driving come in various forms. Perhaps a driver is overwhelmed by the complex travel details of dropping someone off at the airport or is simply admiring the holiday lights and misses a stop sign. Whatever the case may be, distracted driving is a leading cause of car accidents in the United States. In 2020, there were nearly 250,000 vehicle accidents in Illinois and nearly four percent of those crashes involved distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for even a second can make you veer into incoming traffic, causing severe personal injuries.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving happens anytime a driver stops paying attention to the rules of the road because they are doing something else. Here are some examples of distracted driving, which, while they are not against the law in Illinois, can certainly lead to accidents:
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Visual – Changing the radio station or checking out Christmas lights
I Need Compensation for My Devastating Car Accident Injury
Currently, some two million people are living with an amputation in the United States and traffic accidents are the second leading cause of amputations. No matter how cautious you may be behind the wheel, you are still putting your life at risk every time you take to the road. Catastrophic injuries suffered in a car accident can have a significant negative impact on your life and if you or a family member has been injured in a car crash, you should consider seeking car accident injury compensation.
Do Not Wait Too Long
We understand that your recovery is first and foremost. However, you cannot let too much time pass by. If your hope is to recover compensation for the injuries and losses you suffered, it is imperative that you take legal action before it is too late. In the state of Illinois, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.
Am I at Fault if You Slip and Fall on My Snowy Sidewalk?
Snowfall puts us a little closer to the holiday season. The colder weather also makes it tempting to stay indoors and forget about shoveling the snow. You may opt to have packages and food dropped off at your front door so you never have to leave home. But what if the delivery folks take a tumble and fall? Falling on a patch of snow or ice can be painful and dangerous. Who is liable if they, or a guest on your property, slip and fall because you failed to remove the snow?
Natural Accumulation of Snow
Under state law, no one is required to remove snow from their private property. People are encouraged to remove the snow but it is not mandated under the law. Since you are not required to do anything with the snow that naturally accumulated on your sidewalk as the homeowner you are protected from liability. The law only makes a homeowner liable for any personal injuries if they remove snow or ice from sidewalks in a manner that would intentionally harm another person.
Who Is Liable for My Fall During the Holiday Season?
Department stores will soon be bustling with holiday shoppers and after-hours toasts will abound. But a fall can quickly put an end to that holiday cheer. Maybe flooring hazards are to blame or perhaps too much eggnog. If you slip and fall during the holiday season, depending on the situation, you may have a premises liability case on your hands.
Is Your Fall Due to a Property Owner’s Negligence or Your Own?
Sometimes accidents are caused by a property owner’s negligence. A fall can lead to serious injuries resulting in broken bones, concussions, and back injuries. Commercial property owners are responsible for the safety of their guests, so they need to properly maintain the facility and have warnings informing guests about any unsafe conditions.
However, a property owner is likely to try to pin the fault for a fall on a patron. In Illinois, there is a law called modified comparative negligence. If the court determines that your actions contributed to your fall, any settlement could be significantly lower than it may have been if it was not your fault. If it is determined that you are 50 percent or more at fault, you may not get any compensation at all.
Quinn Law Group, LLC
847-232-7180
350 S. Northwest Highway, Suite 300, Park Ridge, IL 60068
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