In the immediate aftermath of an auto collision, one of the first questions asked is bound to be: who was at fault? The answer to this question is highly important to those involved. This information is necessary to determine which party’s insurance company should cover damages and losses, and which party may be entitled to compensation due to an at-fault party’s negligence. And in some cases, an at-fault driver may even be subject to criminal charges. All of these critical legal decisions depend on accurately determining fault after an accident.

Whether you’re a resident, new to the city, or just passing through Chicago, one thing you should expect when you’re driving in the city is traffic. It’s incredibly frustrating to sit in and hard to avoid, but you want to do your best. That way, you can be less stressed getting to your destination and stay away from as many other drivers as possible.

Roadside emergencies are stressful—you don’t know what’s wrong with your car, why it’s broken down, if you’re safe, or who to contact. There are likely a million things running through your mind in the moment you have to stop on the side of the road or highway, and you could be wondering what you’re supposed to do.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injury in the United States. The most severe nerve damage after a car accident includes paralysis or loss of motor function—conditions that affect a person’s ability to perform normal, everyday functions. In milder cases, nerve damage can result in discomfort, pain, and temporary impairment. While vehicle crashes are a factor in a high percentage of catastrophic nerve injuries, auto collisions are also a leading cause of less-severe neurological conditions like pinched nerves.  

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it can be a nightmare to find out that the responsible driver has minimal insurance limits or no insurance at all. Fortunately, if you have uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, you can avoid this nightmare depending on the extent of UM or UIM coverage you carry on your own insurance policy.

In Chicago, high-speed police chases that cause injuries are more common than in most other cities in the United States. Oftentimes, those who are injured in police pursuits aren’t even the violators that the police are pursuing. They’re often innocent bystanders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists. In Chicago alone, there have been over 200 deaths caused by high-speed police chases since 1979, and over half of those killed were non-violators, according to research done by USA Today.

There are plenty of hazards that appear on the road while you are driving. Whether it’s an animal crossing accident, a flat tire, or your car breaking down, at some point you might have to pull over onto the shoulder, turn your four-ways on, and wait for help.

While you’re stopped on the side of the road in a situation like this, another motorist could cause an even worse situation if they drive too closely to you, are distracted, or if they’re impaired. This isn’t a unique and dangerous situation for regular motorists. When emergency vehicles or police officers are on the shoulder trying to do their jobs, they are also in danger.

While it’s common for most drivers to think that slowing down and moving over for cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles that are stopped on the shoulder is simply a courteous thing to do, you might be surprised to know that by law, you are actually required to do this in the state of Illinois.

As the owner of a vehicle, you know the importance of auto insurance. In the event your vehicle is damaged or you sustain injuries in an accident, your coverage or the at-fault driver’s coverage often determines whether you receive adequate compensation to recover physically, emotionally, and financially. But what happens if the at-fault-driver’s policy limits are exceeded and there isn’t enough coverage? In some cases, this could result in further legal action or debt; however, it doesn’t have to. Umbrella policies (and uninsured/underinsured umbrella policies) can provide a safety net in coverage. Let’s take a look at the benefits of an umbrella auto policy in Illinois.

After an accident, you might expect the other party’s insurance company to work with you to make sure things go as smoothly as possible and pay you the full compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages you sustained as a result of someone else’s negligence. Unfortunately, that does not often happen.

In general, insurance companies don’t want to settle you claim easily or provide you with the full amount you may be entitled to. Before they will compensate you for your injuries, they will ask that you get them hard proof of your medical bills, proof of wage-loss and proof of permanence of your injuries. There are instances where an insurer may feel they can lower the amount of compensation they will offer you because you are not represented. 

In other instances, they will see that there could be significant exposure and try to get you to settle your claim short of what the true outcome should be when you are not represented. They may also try to frustrate you in the hope that you will either drop the case or accept the lower amount they’re offering. No matter which tactic you are experiencing, you may benefit by having an accident lawyer to represent you.

There were over 300,000 car accidents in Illinois last year and less than 1,000 were fatal, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). But how many of those crashes were caused by winter weather? IDOT reported that nearly 80% of fatal crashes occur on dry roadways, meaning that winter weather only accounts for less than 20% of fatal car accidents.

This winter, at least one person has already been killed in a car accident caused by snow.

In mid-November, a driver lost control and crossed into the oncoming lane because it was snowing, and the road was covered with snow. Unfortunately, the driver hit and killed the driver of another car, as a local CBS station reported. This terrible incident shows that you need to practice extreme caution when driving in inclement weather because accidents can easily become deadly.