You never know when you might be involved in a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. Panic may set in when you learn that the driver at fault for the accident does not have car insurance. Who will pay the bills related to your injuries? Unfortunately, one in eight drivers is uninsured. At Quinn Law Group, LLC, we can explore several possible options to get the compensation that you are entitled to receive.

Uninsured Motorist 

Having protection in case you get in an accident with an uninsured driver offers some peace of mind. If you are in an accident with someone who does not have insurance, having uninsured or underinsured driver coverage on your own policy helps pay the costs of treating bodily injuries you and your passengers sustain. Any auto insurance company that provides policies to the residents of Illinois is required by law to offer their customers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

After an accident, you will need to file a claim with your own insurance company. Your coverage may also help cover your lost wages. However, under the law, policyholders can decide not to carry this type of coverage.

Distractions while driving come in various forms. Perhaps a driver is overwhelmed by the complex travel details of dropping someone off at the airport or is simply admiring the holiday lights and misses a stop sign. Whatever the case may be, distracted driving is a leading cause of car accidents in the United States. In 2020, there were nearly 250,000 vehicle accidents in Illinois and nearly four percent of those crashes involved distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for even a second can make you veer into incoming traffic, causing severe personal injuries. 

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving happens anytime a driver stops paying attention to the rules of the road because they are doing something else. Here are some examples of distracted driving, which, while they are not against the law in Illinois, can certainly lead to accidents:

• Visual – Changing the radio station or checking out Christmas lights

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Currently, some two million people are living with an amputation in the United States and traffic accidents are the second leading cause of amputations. No matter how cautious you may be behind the wheel, you are still putting your life at risk every time you take to the road. Catastrophic injuries suffered in a car accident can have a significant negative impact on your life and if you or a family member has been injured in a car crash, you should consider seeking car accident injury compensation.

Do Not Wait Too Long

We understand that your recovery is first and foremost. However, you cannot let too much time pass by. If your hope is to recover compensation for the injuries and losses you suffered, it is imperative that you take legal action before it is too late. In the state of Illinois, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. 

If your injuries are the result of someone’s negligence, you deserve to be compensated for your damages. You may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical bills. These damages can include the following:

Snowfall puts us a little closer to the holiday season. The colder weather also makes it tempting to stay indoors and forget about shoveling the snow. You may opt to have packages and food dropped off at your front door so you never have to leave home. But what if the delivery folks take a tumble and fall? Falling on a patch of snow or ice can be painful and dangerous. Who is liable if they, or a guest on your property, slip and fall because you failed to remove the snow?

Natural Accumulation of Snow

Under state law, no one is required to remove snow from their private property. People are encouraged to remove the snow but it is not mandated under the law. Since you are not required to do anything with the snow that naturally accumulated on your sidewalk as the homeowner you are protected from liability. The law only makes a homeowner liable for any personal injuries if they remove snow or ice from sidewalks in a manner that would intentionally harm another person.

Unnatural Snowfall Creates Liability

To have an actionable claim against a property owner you must show that the property owner aggravated a natural condition or that the snowfall was not natural. If the property owner intentionally pours water on the sidewalk so that it freezes, the owner would be responsible for injuries. 

Department stores will soon be bustling with holiday shoppers and after-hours toasts will abound. But a fall can quickly put an end to that holiday cheer. Maybe flooring hazards are to blame or perhaps too much eggnog. If you slip and fall during the holiday season, depending on the situation, you may have a premises liability case on your hands.

Is Your Fall Due to a Property Owner’s Negligence or Your Own?

Sometimes accidents are caused by a property owner’s negligence. A fall can lead to serious injuries resulting in broken bones, concussions, and back injuries. Commercial property owners are responsible for the safety of their guests, so they need to properly maintain the facility and have warnings informing guests about any unsafe conditions.

However, a property owner is likely to try to pin the fault for a fall on a patron. In Illinois, there is a law called modified comparative negligence. If the court determines that your actions contributed to your fall, any settlement could be significantly lower than it may have been if it was not your fault. If it is determined that you are 50 percent or more at fault, you may not get any compensation at all.