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Recent Blog Posts
Illegal Immigrants Can Face Severe Punishments for DUI
Drunk driving continues to be a serious offense that is
costly not only to the perpetrator, but to potential
victims, highway patrol, and the state DOT. In 2012, the
most recent year for which data was available, there were
a staggering 37,126 DUI arrests in Illinois, according to the 2014 Illinois DUI Fact Book.
More than 90 percent of all people arrested for DUI lost their driving privilege. Length and context of punishment, however, is determined by the severity of the incident. The vast majority (86 percent) of all people arrested for DUI were first-time offenders and also male. Women only made up 23 percent of those arrested.
Truck Driver Fatigue: When Truckers Drive Unsafe Distances
It is no secret that truckers travel extremely long
distances, often without rest. Trucking companies make
profits when products are moved quickly, and it is not
unheard of for drivers to be behind the wheel for days at
a time, and without a break.
However, a recent popular news story has raised concern for truck driver fatigue and company responsibility regarding policies that encourage drivers to power through unsafe limits. According to KY3.com, the issue of truckers crossing their safety limits when behind the wheel is a national problem. And instead of being encouraged and rewarded for delivery of goods in an unsafe manner, truck drivers should be encouraged to take breaks without fear of job loss.
Drunk Driving and Seat Belt Use: What the Statistics Say
Drunk driving is dangerous no matter how you cut it, but
oftentimes
getting behind the wheel when drinking
can cause a driver to take risks that would normally not
be taken when sober. Not only does alcohol tend to cause a
person to more easily lose control in situations he
otherwise would not, a person is less likely to take
safety precautions—such as wearing a seat belt—if he has
been drinking.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, “drivers involved in fatal crashes who have been drinking use safety belts at a substantially lower rate than sober drivers.” In fact, only 12.3 percent of fatally injured drunk drivers were using a seatbelt at the time of crash and death. Nearly 37 percent of sober drivers killed in a car accident were wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident.
Rate of Motorcycle Accidents Continues to Increase
Motorcycle safety has become more prevalent in the past
two decades. In fact, the rate of riders wearing helmets
continues to increase. However, in recent years, the
number of motorcycle deaths has actually reached an
all-time high in the U.S., according to the Center for
Disease Control (CDC) data.
In 2008, deaths resulting from a motor vehicle crash involving a car or small truck reached an all-time low. But between 1999 and 2008, the number of deaths involving people on motorcycles more than doubled. And between 2001 and 2008 alone, more than 1.2 million people were brought to a U.S. emergency room with motorcycle-related injuries, and more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed. Motorcyclists in their twenties had the highest rate of injury, as drivers aged 20 to 24 were the most likely to experience a severe crash. Most non-fatal injuries were to a leg or foot (30 percent), closely followed by injuries to the head or neck (22 percent).
Avoiding a Rear-End Collision
Drunk driving accidents, as well as those involving a
gravely injured person in a dramatic way, are some of the
most widely publicized types of crashes. However, the most
common types of crashes in the U.S. are often benign.
According to a recent report from the National Highway
Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), a rear-end
collision is one of the most common types of accidents,
and accounts for approximately 28 percent of all motor vehicle accidents
annually.
While many result in severe injuries or fatalities, the NHTSA reports that the vast majority of rear-end collisions are those in which the lead vehicle was not moving fast, and thus resulted in less injury than may otherwise have been caused.
Traumatic Brain Injuries from Motor Vehicle Accidents
Serious motor vehicle accidents
can cause severe injury or death, regardless whether or
not the person was wearing a seatbelt, had been drinking,
or was distractedly driving. One of the most common
injuries that can occur in a severe car crash is a
traumatic brain injury, which, according to Center for
Disease Control (CDC), is “a major cause of death and
disability in the United States, contributing to about 30
percent of all injury deaths.”
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by a blunt force strike to the head, or by the penetration of a foreign object into the skull. The CDC notes that not all blunt force trauma to the head results in a traumatic brain injury, though traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe. Temporary amnesia, for example, is a mild traumatic brain injury, while extended loss of consciousness, brain function, or long-term memory loss are examples of severe traumatic brain injury.
Safety Seat Requirements for Children in Illinois
Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of death for
adults and teenagers in the U.S., but according to AAA,
they are the number-one leading cause of death for
children. That means more children die in
car accidents
every year than die in other types of accidents, from
disease, or doctor error.
AAA reports that putting a child in a safety seat can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 75 percent. A child seat can reduce the risk of death for a child in a motor vehicle accident by nearly 30 percent compared to kids who were wearing seat belts alone at the time of crash. For children four to eight years old, booster seats that make the seatbelt easier and more effective for a small body can reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries by 45 percent.
Bike Helmet Use in Chicago
The percentage of people who use a bicycle as a primary
form of transportation has increased in recent years –
especially in major cities like Chicago where cyclist
safety initiatives and bike lane building have taken root
as one of the most powerful issues for local politicians.
The number of people killed in bicycle accidents, however, has stayed relatively the same.
Any decline in fatalities could be construed as a result of an increasing driver awareness of cyclists and riders on the roads. It could also be the result of legislative initiatives such as bicycle traffic lights and aforementioned bike lanes.
Yet the oldest safety measure in the book may actually be on the decline. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, “the most serious injuries among a majority of those killed are to the head, illustrating the importance of wearing a helmet for all cyclists, regardless of age or riding location."
Chicago Car Accidents and Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury is one of the most traumatizing
injuries that a person can sustain. Depending on the
severity of the injury, a person can be paralyzed or
suffer damage to the brain or nervous system after
surviving such trauma. The most common cause of spinal
cord injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic, are motor
vehicle accidents. Car accidents
account for more than 40 percent of this type of injury
every year. Other leading causes include falls, acts of
violence, sports injuries, and disease.
The reason that a spinal cord injury is so traumatizing is because the nerves or tracts in the spinal cord “carry signals from the brain to control muscle movement,” states the Mayo Clinic. Injury occurs when a sudden blow or impact to the spine jostles one or more vertebrae in the spinal cord. While the initial impact does the greatest amount of damage in a spinal cord injury, “additional damage usually occurs over days or weeks because of bleeding, swelling, inflammation, and fluid accumulation in and around your spinal cord,” reports the Mayo Clinic.
Chicago Forward, Two Years Later
The number of bicycle accidents
per bicycle rider in Chicago has remained relatively the
same in the past decade. Regardless, Chicago, like several
other major cities in the country, has introduced several
new initiatives to increase cycling safety. Gabe Klein,
Chicago Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner,
said in a press release that making the streets of Chicago
safer for bikers will benefit all residents whether or not
they ride a bike. The DOT issues a Bike Crash Report every
year that analyzes crashes and where the city can improve
safety measures.
Despite these measures, cyclist safety still remains a serious concern in Chicago. According to the 2014 Bike Crash Report, between 2005 and 2010, there were almost 9,000 crashes in which a cyclist was injured, with 32 fatalities. “Perhaps the most important point to be made,” states the report, “is that with proper street design and behavior amongst road users, the overwhelming majority of bicycle crashes are preventable.”
Contact a Lake County Vehicle Accident Attorney Who is Ready to Help You
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our office. Call 847-662-3303 to set up a free initial consultation at one of our four convenient locations. There is no risk because we only collect fees if you collect compensation. With offices in Libertyville, Waukegan, Richmond, and Chicago, we represent clients in Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, and McHenry County.
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