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Recent Blog Posts
Be Prepared: Increase in Holiday Season Accidents Means Increase in Injury Risks
According auto insurance industry statistics, American
drivers will get into an accident—or file for insurance
collision claims — every 17.9 years. This means that,
statistically speaking, all insured drivers will get into
an accident before they turn 35, and have about three to
four accidents over the course of lifetime. The good news
is that these
accidents
are not likely to be fatal, but even minor injuries
sustained in a car accident can have long-lasting effects.
Knowing what to do immediately following a car accident
can mitigate not only the effects of injury, but legal and
financial consequences as well.
Illinois state law requires that all persons involved in an accident in which injuries were sustained remain on the scene of the crash until police arrive. All drivers — if not incapacitated — involved in the accident can exchange insurance information while waiting, but if anyone is injured someone should call 911 immediately. When police arrive, be sure to get the contact information of the officer who arrived on the scene, and ask how to obtain a copy of the police report. If there are any witnesses, get their names and contact information as well — especially if a driver involved leaves the scene. There is usually a relatively tight statute of limitations as to how long you can wait to contact your insurance company to make a claim. Be sure to know your policy specifics.
Identifying Complex Issues That Arise as a Result of a Trucking Accident
Over 13 million passenger car accidents and a half a
million
trucking accidents
were reported by the last U.S. Census in 2009. Neither is
less traumatic for victims, but there are significant
differences between these two types of collisions.
People who are injured in any motor vehicle accident can expect costs that include expenses for medical care and repairs for vehicle damage. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over two million people in 2012 were injured in traffic collisions involving cars, light trucks, or SUVs and over 100,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks.
Despite this significant difference in reported numbers, accidents involving trailers or commercial trucks often lead to more serious injuries due to the size and weight of the truck and the cargo being transported. There are also added risks on the road linked to truck drivers who have exceeded their regulated drive time. They are limited in the number of hours they can drive on the road per week and are responsible for properly logging their time. The updated federal mandate states a truck driver cannot exceed 70 hours on the road per work week as a way to help with driver fatigue.
Car Insurance Liability Increases with New Year
On January 1, the minimum mandatory car insurance
liability will increase in Illinois for the first time in
25 years. The minimum liability for one person will be
raised to $25,000, meant to cover the injury or death of a
passenger sustained in a
car accident. When legislators first proposed the increase, it was
originally proposed to be double this, but there was
concern that this increase would be too high for
lower-income consumers, forcing many to drive without car
insurance. Thus the amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code
was increased only $5,000 from the previous level.
The worry that Illinois drivers would drive without car insurance is a serious one. Statistics from the Insurance Information Institute reveal that 15 percent of Illinois drivers currently drive illegally, without insurance. According to representative Laura Fine, a Democrat in the state legislature from Glenview, the $25,000 figure was a product of tough negotiation, yet critics of the bill say that $5,000 is not enough an increase to account for the inflation of medical costs. In 1989, the insurance liability minimum was increased to $20,000, which is equivalent to $37,000 today. The $5,000 increase hardly matches this cost of inflation. Not to mention that a patients’ out-of-pocket medical costs (not reimbursed by insurance in the event of a car accident) have grown nearly 22 percent in the past year.
Aim to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents in Chicago
In early January, an 18-year-old woman walking in Chicago’s Chinatown was hit by a car and sustained serious injuries, according to the Chicago Tribune. The driver of the car stayed at the scene of the accident after the crash, and the woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The Chicago Police Department’s Major Accidents Unit is investigating the incident, though no foul play seemed to be involved. Still, it is a tragic accident that highlights, again, just how often pedestrian accidents occur on the streets of Chicago.
According to Chicagoland’s Active Transportation Alliance, merely crossing the street in the Windy City could be the most dangerous activity that residents do all day. In October of last year, as a result, the Alliance launched Safe Crossings, a “pedestrian-focused campaign designed to raise awareness about intersection safety.” Lists were compiled upon the suggestions of more than 800 residents to pinpoint and make suggestions for the city’s 10 most dangerous intersections and the 10 most dangerous intersections in suburban Cook County. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Department of Transportation head Gabe Klein announced a similar initiative in May of last year to reduce the number of traffic fatalities to zero by 2022.
GM Issues New Recall for Ignition Lock Defect
General Motors (GM) has announced yet another recall due
to ignition issues. This time, the automaker is recalling
92,221 full-size trucks and SUVs because of an
ignition lock defect
that the company says can cause problems in hot weather
conditions.
Last year, GM issued recalls for almost 40 million vehicles for safety issues. Approximately 3 million vehicles were recalled because of defective ignition switches. According to the recall notice, a heavy key ring, or any other kind of “jarring” event, can cause the vehicle’s ignition to slip from position, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose power. The loss of power also causes the airbags to not deploy in a crash.
There have been 2,430 claims filed against GM because of the ignition switch defects. To date, there have been 260 wrongful death claims filed against the company, 172 claims for catastrophic injuries and 1,998 claims filed for injuries requiring hospitalization. GM has accepted liability for 42 death claims, seven catastrophic injuries and 51 less severe injuries.
RV Safety Tips
When the winter doldrums hit, it can be the best time to
take a vacation. For Americans who own RVs, winter could
be the best time to head out on the open road—while it may
seem counter-intuitive,
RV trips
can be a great winter pastime because the roads tend to be
less busy.Those who do take to the roads, need to remember
to take RV safety into consideration.
As with any type of vehicle, however, RVs have a specific list of safety precautions about which all divers should be aware. RVs, for example, tend to have larger blind spots than other vehicles, and are more likely to be hauling cargo that has a tendency to be unsecured, such as bicycles and other types of sports equipment. As with any vehicle, no one should ever drive an RV if he has been drinking. Risks are sometimes compounded with RVs, as drivers tend to be “at home” in the vehicle—one reason drunk driving is often associated with RV drivers.
Lack of Helmet Law Contributes to Motorcycle Accident Fatalities
It is no secret that
motorcycle accidents
are among the most frequent and common severe vehicle
accidents that occur on the nation’s highways. It has also
been widely publicized in recent years that the number of
serious motorcycle accidents continues to increase. This
is due in part to the fact that there are more motorcycle
drivers on the road than ever before. According to the
National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the
number of registered motorcycles in the country has
increased from about 4 million in 1997 to approximately 7
million in 2006. The number of registered riders has
steadily increased from 2002 to the present. The increase
in registered riders alone accounts for a 61 percent
increase in the number of riders involved in accidents.
The number of fatalities rose from 2,028 to 4,654 in the
same time period—a staggering increase of 129 percent.
A Look into How Quickly Collision Costs Can Skyrocket
Car accidents are responsible for a rising number of
personal injuries in Illinois. They can prove to be costly
depending on the severity of the
collision
and the number of people and injuries involved. USA Today
reported AAA statistics that showed collision costs per
individual reaching nearly $1,800. In regards to
accident-related deaths, statistics show that a single
fatality can cost up to $6 million.
These high costs are unexpected and longer lasting than an individual might initially expect. Costs that may contribute to this total are:
- Emergency services;
- Medical expenses;
- Property damage; and
- Wages lost.
Car accident victims can suffer any number of injuries that range from minor to severe, including broken bones, whiplash, head injuries, and back injuries. The traumatic experience of a car accident may also require follow-up medical care and assistance, physical therapy, and pain medication that can lead to ongoing discomfort, stress, and cost for a person and their families.
Should Drivers Be Worried about Self-Driving Cars on the Road?
Self-driving cars once seemed like an unimaginable
technology saved for science fiction, but they are
becoming a quick reality in America and may end up on
Illinois streets faster than one might think. Per a white
paper issued by KPMG, GM plans to have semi-autonomous
vehicles hitting the road by 2020 with Nissan joining them
with autonomous drive in many of their vehicles by the end
of this decade.
How will self-driving cars be successful? The foremost factor, according to KPMG, is the improvement of quality of life for the consumer. There also needs to be clear expectations of new opportunities as well as potential problems regarding mobile and on-demand services.
Consumer Reports turns to research that claims 90 percent of car accidents are due to human error. Its stance is that self-driving cars will help reduce this percentage as well as help ease traffic congestion and allow for extended driving time for aging Americans. It also mentions system advancements that already have introduced this type of vehicle technology including:
Car Accidents Cause Insurance Premium to Skyrocket
It is no secret that
car accidents
are extremely expensive, for all parties involved,
especially if someone is killed. According to AAA, the
average cost of a single motor vehicle fatality is $6
million, when accounting for property damage, lost
household production, medical costs, and highway delays.
Accidents that resulted in serious injury averaged
$126,000. In 2011, car accidents accounted for nearly $3
billion in urbanized areas alone, more than three times
the cost of traffic delays in the same time period. This
number was a vast increase from 2005, the last time that
statistics were compiled, when the average cost of a
single traffic fatality amounted to almost half that,
$3.24 million. The average cost of a car accident that
resulted in a serious injury came to significantly less as
well, $68,170.
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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