One of the most common types of car crashes in the United States is rear-end collisions. Rear-end collisions may not seem very dangerous, but they can cause extensive damage to your vehicle and injuries ranging from whiplash to broken bones and even death in some situations. In most cases, it is fairly easy to determine who is at fault in a rear-end collision. In other cases, assigning responsibility for the accident is not so easy. If you are in any type of car accident, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Determining Fault

Securing legal representation is crucial after a rear-end collision. It can get very expensive very quickly for needed repairs on your vehicle and medical bills and/or lost wages from your injuries. You and your attorney will discuss what happened during the accident and determine if the other person is liable for the damages you have sustained. Basically, there are three different options when it comes to assigning fault in a rear-end collision:

Rear driver is at fault: In a majority of rear-end collisions, the driver in the back is the responsible party. Many times, rear-end collisions occur because the rear driver is not paying attention to the road. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of rear-end collisions.

Filing and winning a personal injury case is no easy feat. There are many legal steps you must go through, paperwork that must be filled out, meetings with your attorney, doctor’s visits, court appearances; the list goes on. After all the time and effort you put into succeeding in a personal injury lawsuit, the last thing you would want to do is to ruin it by somehow decreasing your credibility or having your case thrown out completely, yet it is not uncommon for this to happen. Even just a simple slip of the tongue can affect the outcome of your personal injury case. If you are pursuing compensation for an injury, make sure you do not make these common mistakes.

Not Following Doctor’s Orders or Attending Appointments

Right after you are injured, you should get emergency medical attention if necessary, but you should at least visit a doctor to begin a record of medical treatment. Your doctor will give you a plan of action for your recovery and it is important that you follow his or her instructions. Your medical records will be used in your case and ignoring the doctor’s orders or skipping appointments can make it seem like you may not be as injured as you say you are.

Posting About Your Case on Social Media

In today’s day and age, social media is a big part of many people’s daily lives. It can only feel natural to share your experiences on your Facebook or Twitter feed, but this can actually be detrimental to your case. If you reveal the wrong details to the wrong people, your case can be greatly impacted. For example, if you claim that you have been unable to work during your recovery, yet you or someone else has posted photos of you spending time outside of the house, your credibility may be decreased.

Accidents are called accidents for a reason -- they happen unexpectedly. When it comes to accidents that occur on private property in Illinois, accidents can range from slipping on ice and snow in the winter to drowning in a swimming pool. Premises liability is the idea that property owners are responsible for accidents that occur on their property. The Illinois Premises Liability Act contains information about responsibility and negligence when it comes to maintaining property and allows those who are injured on another’s property to pursue compensation.

Owner Responsibilities

The Premises Liability Act states that property owners have a duty to those who are on their property to take “reasonable care under the circumstances regarding the state of the premises or acts done or omitted on them.” This means that property owners are required to ensure their property is physically safe for others to be on. It also means that property owners are responsible for overseeing the acts of others while they are on their property.

Elements of a Successful Premises Liability Case

If you have been hurt while on another’s property, you may have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. There are certain elements that must be present in order to have a successful outcome of a premises liability case. To win a premises liability case, you must prove that:

Dogs are one of the most popular animals that people keep as pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, an estimated 44 percent of American households have a dog. While dogs are clearly man’s best friend, they can also be pretty dangerous. It is estimated that nearly 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, with 800,000 of those people needing to seek medical attention for their bite wounds. Of those 800,000, around half of them are children. Dog bites can often be unprovoked, but dog owners are responsible for their dog’s behavior. In Illinois, if you are bitten by a dog, you may have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit.

Dog Bite Prevention Tips

There are a multitude of reasons why dogs sometimes bite people. Most of the time, when a dog bites someone, they are doing so because they feel threatened. This is the basis for most dog bite prevention tips. Here are a few tips for how you can prevent a dog bite:

• Avoid Certain Situations: In some situations, dogs are more likely to bite people. These situations can include if a dog is sleeping, eating, sick, injured, with her puppies, playing with a toy or barking or growling at you.
• Learn Canine Body Language: Knowing what to look for in a dog’s body language can help keep you and your children safe. Cowering, ears back, teeth bared and tail between the legs can mean that the dog is stressed, frightened or threatened.
• Use Proper Etiquette: Never pet a dog or let your child pet a dog without first asking its owner. The owner may warn you not to because they know their dog is not too friendly. If you are allowed to pet the dog, make sure the dog sees you and smells you before you reach out.

What to Do if You Are Bitten

If you are bitten by a dog, be sure to apply first aid right away at home. Try to keep the bite area elevated, cover it with a clean towel and put light pressure on it to stop any bleeding. Wash the wound with soap and warm water, apply a layer of antibiotic ointment and place a sterile bandage on the wound. If you cannot get your wound to stop bleeding, the wound is very deep or your wound is red or has discharge, you should see a doctor immediately.

Halloween is a wickedly magical time of year for children to enjoy - but it is also a dangerous time of year. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are more than twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. Trick-or-treating is a Halloween tradition that is enjoyed by children of all ages, but with an increase of pedestrians on the road and a decrease in daylight, it can make for deadly circumstances resulting in slip-and-fall accidents or car accidents. Fortunately, there are ways you can keep your children safe during this spooky season. Here are four tips to have a safe Halloween.

Choose a Safe Costume

Halloween is all about the costumes, whether your child is a sweet and sparkly fairy or a dark and mysterious witch. Help your children stay safe by choosing light-colored costumes when possible. Also, make sure the costume fits your child to help prevent any trips or falls from baggy fabric and make sure masks fit correctly so their vision is not obstructed.