Car crashes can be serious no matter where they happen. However, major highways like I-294 and I-90 can be particularly dangerous. Drivers are often either operating at high speeds or are in very condensed bumper-to-bumper traffic. It is particularly important for drivers to be cautious on the interstate because of the increased risk associated with a collision. Unfortunately, too many drivers let their guard down when they are on the highway. There are no stoplights or intersections to deal with, and there generally should not be any cyclists or pedestrians to account for. It is all too easy for drivers to relax when they should be exercising a high level of care. If you are injured in a car accident on a major highway, an attorney may be able to help you recover compensation.

What Risk Factors Are Associated With Highway Collisions?

Whether traffic is at a standstill or moving fast, car crashes on the interstate can do major damage. Most of these accidents are completely preventable. Here are a few common causes of serious accidents on the highway:

• Complacency - Now that most workers have returned to their offices or job sites, I-294 and I-90 are once again filled with commuters. Drivers who take this route daily may begin to experience a sort of mental auto-pilot. Drivers in this state may fail to notice obstacles that were not there yesterday, like abrupt lane merges to accommodate a pre-existing crash or road work.
• Road rage - Road rage incidents have been on the rise nationwide recently. One possible explanation relates to the sharp decrease in traffic during the height of the pandemic - people may have grown accustomed to having the roads almost to themselves, leading to increased frustration with traffic.
• Chain reaction - If the driver four cars behind you rear-ends the car in front of him, there is a solid chance that you are also going to get rear-ended, and possibly pushed into the car ahead of you. All it takes to cause a large pile-up is one careless driver making one mistake.
• Speeding - You have probably been told to stay out of the left lane unless you are passing. Some drivers, however, see the left lane as the designated speeding lane. These speeding drivers can easily lose control of their vehicles around turns and are prone to rear-ending vehicles who enter the left lane at a lawful speed.

Even if you are doing everything right and driving defensively, highway traffic may make it impossible to avoid careless or reckless drivers.

Slipping and falling has the potential to cause serious injuries. While these accidents can be humorous if the person gets up completely unharmed, a slip and fall can also be extremely serious. Older adults, in particular, are vulnerable to suffering broken bones or internal damage when they fall hard on their back. Head injuries are a common risk, as the back of the head is less able to withstand impacts than the front. If you have suffered harm as a result of a slip and fall accident, you may be able to recover damages from the responsible party, whether that is a retail store, a restaurant, or even an individual whose home you fell in. An attorney can offer you further guidance about who could be liable for your injuries and what you claim might be worth.

What Illinois Rules About Slip and Falls Should I Be Aware of?

If you were injured after you slipped and fell, there are a few legal rules that can affect your claim. These rules include:

• Statute of limitations - In Illinois, you have two years to file a lawsuit against the party who was responsible for your injuries. After two years, you can no longer decide to file a claim. This may seem like a long time, but it does go quickly, especially when you are coping with a major injury. Also, the sooner you contact a lawyer and file a claim, the easier it will be to find witnesses, security camera footage, and other evidence that can help your case.
• Comparative negligence - In many cases, the person who slipped and fell is at least slightly at fault for their accident. Slip and falls often happen while a person is distracted, such as by looking at their phone while walking or wearing clearly inappropriate footwear for weather conditions. You can still recover damages if this is the case, but your award could be reduced based on your share of the fault.
• Reasonable knowledge - The owner or operator of the premises where you got hurt must have either known about the slipping hazard and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent an accident, or the situation should demonstrate that they reasonably should have known about the hazard. For example, if a spill in a restaurant happened seconds before you slipped and no employees saw, your claim may not succeed. However, if the staff knew about the spill and did not clean it up promptly, or if it had been there long enough that they should have noticed, your claim is likely to succeed.

Slip and fall claims can be more legally intricate than they appear, and are best handled by a skilled attorney.

Residents in nursing homes typically require constant, around-the-clock care. They frequently have significant medical needs, they may be confused or disoriented, and they can do very little to care for themselves. There are state laws in place that require a certain number of caregivers to be present in a nursing home depending on how many elders reside there and the level of care they need. When these legal standards are violated, residents may not receive the care they need to stay safe and in the best health possible. This can be a form of medical malpractice.

If you believe that your vulnerable loved one is being neglected in an understaffed nursing home, you may want to reach out to an attorney who can investigate further. Your loved one - or in severe cases, their survivors - may be entitled to compensation.

What Are the Risks of Understaffing in Nursing Homes?

When nursing homes do not have adequate staffing, there may not be enough caregivers to safely monitor and care for the vulnerable residents. Some types of injuries and harms are very likely to occur when there are not enough caregivers present. Predictable harms include:

Some “bar fights” would be better classified as “bar assaults and batteries.” The term “bar fight” makes it sound as if two or more adults mutually decided to engage in physical combat when that is frequently not the case at all. Often, only one party wants to fight and initiates an attack, leaving the other party no choice but to defend themself. These bar attacks can result in serious injuries to the person who did not want to become involved in a fight.

If you were attacked in a bar and suffered injuries, you may have multiple options for recovering damages. It is important to get the appropriate medical care and then speak to an attorney as soon as you can. Witnesses will need to be interviewed while their memory is fresh, and any relevant footage from security cameras needs to be preserved promptly.

How Can I Recover Damages After a Bar Fight I Did Not Start?

There are two (or more) parties who could be liable to you. First, there is the person or people who initiated the attack. In some cases, the bar itself could be liable. An attorney can help you decide who to file a claim against. You may be able to file claims against multiple parties depending on the situation.

Rideshare drivers are normally not professional drivers. On most rideshare platforms, drivers are independent contractors with few or no qualifications but a valid driver’s license. While those with poor driving records should be rejected by companies like Uber and Lyft, this is by no means a guarantee that your rideshare driver practices safe driving habits. From the back seat, you may not have a clear view of what your driver is doing. Often, the passengers are not able to spot a rideshare driver’s unsafe driving habits until it is too late and an accident has already happened. If you are injured in a rideshare accident, there are a few steps you can take to help preserve your personal injury claim.

What Should I Do After a Rideshare Accident?

You may know what to do if you get into an accident while you are driving, but your course of action should look a little different if you get into a crash while in a rideshare. You can start by taking these steps:

• Medical care - As with any auto accident, seeking medical attention is important. Adrenaline can run high after a car crash, and because it acts as a natural pain reliever, you may not notice an injury right away. It is a good idea to let a medical professional assess you.
• Driver information - Make sure you have your driver’s name, then jot down a physical description. Careless rideshare drivers will occasionally attempt to escape liability by claiming that someone else was driving using their account.
• Witnesses - If anyone else witnessed your rideshare accident, take down their contact information and ask them to write down what they saw.
• Police report - A police report is particularly important when a rideshare is involved. However, be mindful of what you say. Be careful not to say anything that suggests your own actions played a role. Even in a rideshare, it is possible that the driver’s insurance company will try to limit or bar your recovery by putting blame on you.
• Report to the company - Make sure you report that you were in an accident to the rideshare platform. You can probably do this in your app.
• Insurance - Do not speak on the phone with the driver’s or rideshare platform’s insurance company until you have an attorney. Insurance companies frequently try to take advantage of unrepresented parties by offering lowball settlements that may not even cover your costs after everything is added up.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do is immediately contact an attorney for further advice and direction.