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What Lake County Parents Should Know About School Bus Injuries
Not all school bus-related injuries are the result of a crash. While motor vehicle accidents involving a school bus are not as rare as one might hope, children are actually in more danger when they are getting on or off the bus. Additionally, a school bus does not need to be in an accident for a child to get hurt while riding on it. As you probably know, most school buses lack seatbelts, creating additional risks for children. If your child was injured while taking the bus to or from school, we may be able to help you recover the compensation your child needs and deserves. The first step will be to identify the liable party - it may or may not be the school district or bus driver.
School Bus Dangers Other Than Crashes
Children are not only at risk when the school bus gets into an accident. They can be injured in other ways associated with being a bus rider. Common ways that children are injured while taking the school bus include:
How Modern Vehicle Design Increases Distraction
Distracted driving has always been a problem. Even long before cell phones, drivers found ways to pay attention to things other than the road. Before they were texting, drivers were flipping through magazines, chatting with their passengers, or singing along to the radio. When car phones came along, drivers started splitting their attention between their phone conversations and their driving. Cell phones only made the problem worse. A shocking amount of drivers admit to doing anything from watching TikTok videos to texting while in control of a moving vehicle. Now, car manufacturers are increasingly adding distractions like integrated touch screen controls. These modern innovations may be increasing distraction rather than reducing it.
The Risks of Integrated “Infotainment” Systems in Modern Vehicles
Car manufacturers claim that adding voice controls, integrated GPS systems, and screens visible to the driver are meant to reduce the likelihood of a distracted driving accident, but it appears that they are doing the opposite. As a recent LA Times headline proclaimed, “We are killing people” by increasing drivers’ cognitive loads.
Am I Covered if I Get Hit by a Car While Walking?
Car versus pedestrian accidents can be incredibly devastating. People who are on foot have no shielding when a negligent motorist crashes into them. Even if a pedestrian sees a car about to veer off the road and strike them, they can almost never move quickly enough to avoid being seriously harmed. A driver who hits a pedestrian is almost always going to be considered negligent. Exceptions to this rule are rare. Especially in downtown areas like Chicago, walking is often the most convenient way to get around. Drivers should be very well aware that people are walking around and take reasonable precautions to avoid hitting one. If you were hit by a car while walking, you can likely recover compensation with an attorney’s help.
How Can I Recover Compensation for a Pedestrian Accident?
In most cases, the responsible driver’s insurance company will compensate you. The process is similar to what it would be had you been driving when you were hit. Your best bet is to have an attorney help you with the claims process. It can be a bit complicated, and the driver’s insurance company has more interest in making a profit than making sure that you get the compensation you need.
Recovering Compensation After a Hit-and-Run
When you have just been hit by a careless driver, you expect them to at least stop and exchange insurance information. When they instead take off and vanish, it can be very frustrating. You are stuck on the side of the road, injured, and the responsible party just keeps driving as if nothing happened. Hit-and-run accidents are very common, particularly in cities like Chicago. There are a number of reasons that drivers may flee the scene after causing a crash, ranging from not wanting to get a DUI to having an active arrest warrant. The good news is that you may have more options for recovering compensation than you think. An attorney with experience in hit-and-run accident cases can likely help you recover compensation, with or without catching the responsible driver.
Locating the Hit-and-Run Driver Who Fled
Even twenty years ago, hit-and-runs were much more difficult to solve. Cameras were less ubiquitous. Now, they are nearly everywhere. Some techniques your attorney might use in an effort to find the driver who injured you include:
Were You Harmed by a Defective Prescription Medication?
When a doctor prescribes a medication, it is because she thinks that its potential benefits outweigh the risks associated with that medication. Prescription medications must be approved by the Federal Drug Administration, which should have conducted extensive studies to ensure that the drug is safe. However, both doctors and the FDA sometimes fail to consider the long-term effects of a medication. A drug may carry risks that were not discovered during the FDA’s shorter-term studies. Or, doctors may fail to consider how medication could impact an existing health issue. Either way, there is a chance that a new illness you or your deceased family member developed was caused by prescription medication. If this is the case, you may be entitled to recover compensation for damage caused by a defective drug.
How do I Know if My Illness or My Relative’s Death Was Caused by a Defective Drug?
Sadly, many people who have been harmed by a defective drug never uncover the cause. Some even continue taking the drug that is causing harm without realizing that their prescription is making them sick or damaging their mental health. If you develop a new health issue after starting a new prescription medication, it is worth looking into whether the two could be linked.
Was the Truck Driver Who Hit You Asleep at the Wheel?
One of the leading causes of truck accidents is driver fatigue. A tired driver can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver. When a person becomes sleep-deprived and exhausted, they become prone to making mistakes that they would not normally make. Fatigued drivers may miss important road signs, forget to check their blind spots, or even drive more aggressively than usual due to irritability. Unfortunately, there is no roadside tiredness test. A drunk driver may not be able to walk a straight line, but a tired driver may be wide awake right after the crash. Of course, drug or alcohol use can contribute to a driver’s tiredness as well. If you suspect that driver fatigue was a factor in your truck accident, your attorney can try to seek out evidence of the driver’s tiredness.
What Evidence Can Be Used to Show Driver Fatigue?
While it can be very difficult to tell whether a truck driver was overly tired before a crash, certain types of evidence can be used to suggest that driver fatigue was a factor. Helpful evidence may include:
Staying Safe After a Car Accident
Just because your vehicle has come to a stop after a car crash does not mean that the danger has passed. There is still a risk of what is called a “secondary” car accident. After you have been in a car crash, your vehicle is probably stopped in a rather unconventional place and you may not be able to move it. This can put you at risk of being hit again, either while still in your car or while on foot. There can also be danger associated with the other driver, especially if road rage was a factor in your accident. Knowing how to keep yourself safe in the aftermath of a car accident can stop a bad day from turning into a horrible one. After you have gotten to safety, your next step should be to contact an attorney for help recovering compensation.
Tips for Preventing Further Harm After a Traffic Accident
Keep in mind that not all tips will apply to all situations. Some steps that may help keep you safe from further injury after a car accident include:
When Careless Drivers Pass the Blame
Drivers who have just caused an accident are often quick to blame anyone or anything but themselves. One common scapegoat is the weather. Another is the road itself. A negligent driver may even attempt to claim that the accident was all your fault when it was clearly on them. If the negligent driver who caused your car accident is trying to put the blame on anyone but themselves, you may worry about how it will affect your case. In most cases, it will not. Drivers are expected to adjust their driving to match the conditions of the road they are on. If it is you that they are trying to pass the blame to, you may have a bit more of a challenge, but a prompt investigation can help reveal the truth. Our attorneys will strive to help you make sure the right party is held accountable.
Road Conditions Negligent Drivers May Blame for an Accident
When road conditions are adverse, drivers should adjust the manner in which they drive to reduce the odds of a crash. If you hear the other driver blaming one of these conditions, they are highly unlikely to escape liability for doing so:
Top 4 Causes of Car Crashes in Chicago Intersections
A large percentage of car accidents happen at intersections. At an intersection, drivers are required to take turns using a common driving space to cross the intersection. There is plenty of opportunity for mishaps when multiple vehicles going in all different directions must share space. T-bone accidents and rear-end collisions are both very common around intersections. Some intersections are naturally more dangerous than others. Every city has at least one dreaded “malfunction junction,” and Chicago is certainly no exception. Dangerous intersections like those involving more than two intersecting roads, or multiple lanes controlled by a stop sign can become confusing and increase the odds of a crash. However, nothing plays a bigger role in intersection accidents than negligent drivers. If you were injured in a car accident, we may be able to help you recover compensation.
Dram Shop Laws and Drunk Driver Liability
You probably already know that drunk drivers can be held liable for the harm they cause after an accident. Pursuing compensation from the drunk driver’s insurance company or the drunk driver personally is always an option after a DUI crash. However, you may have another option. Illinois has what are called “dram shop laws.” “Dram shop” is an outdated term for any establishment that serves alcohol on the premises, like bars and clubs. Under dram shop laws, you may be able to pursue compensation from the establishment that served the drunk driver who hit you. These laws are on the books both to hold drinking establishments responsible for overserving people who then go on to injure others due to their intoxication, and also to provide the victims of drunk drivers with an additional source of potential compensation. An attorney can help you understand how dram shop laws may impact your case.
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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