If you own a motorcycle, you know how fun and exhilarating riding one can be. Unfortunately, riding a motorcycle can also be very dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to be fatally injured in a traffic crash than the occupants of a passenger vehicle. This is due to the inherent vulnerability of motorcycles. Passenger vehicles are made of metal which surrounds the driver and occupants on all sides; motorcyclists are simply just on top of a smaller and much lighter vehicle. Even when motorcycle accidents are not fatal, motorcycles often suffer harsh injuries that can affect you for the rest of your life in some cases.

Motorcycle Accident Injuries

The type of injuries that result from a motorcycle accident depends on a few different factors. Obviously, the nature and type of accident will play a role in determining the severity of the injuries. Also, what the motorcyclist was wearing at the time of the accident can also affect the severity of the injuries. Typically, a person who is wearing proper motorcycling gear such as a helmet, long pants, and a jacket usually suffer less than those who do not wear protective gear. Here are a few of the most common motorcycle accident injuries:

• Road Rash: Perhaps the most common injury, road rash is seen in both minor and major motorcycle accidents. Road rash refers to the skin abrasions on the body where the skin has been scraped off when it comes in contact with the road. Road rash can come in degrees, with third-degree road rash being the most severe.
• Burns: When parts of the body come into contact with hot motorcycle parts, it can result in burns. Some burns can be more serious than others and can lead to serious scarring or disfiguration.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Soft tissue injuries can include sprains and strains to the muscles, tendons and/or ligaments in the body. Also included in this category, whiplash can be a result of motorcycle accidents.
• Bone Fractures: Bone fractures can be rather common in a motorcycle accident. These breaks or fractures occur when the body part comes into contact with the motorcycle, the ground or another hard object.
• Head Trauma: Perhaps one of the more serious types of injuries, head injuries are often the cause of death for many motorcyclists. Head injuries often involve an injury to the brain such as concussions or other traumatic brain injuries.

Our Park Ridge, IL Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help

Motorcycle accidents can be very serious and often involve some sort of injury, if not death. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you need help from a skilled Des Plaines, IL motorcycle accident injury lawyer. At the Quinn Law Group, LLC, we understand how important it is that you are fairly compensated for your injuries. Our skilled attorney has years of experience helping clients hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions and gain the compensation they deserve. Call our office today at 847-232-7180 to schedule a free consultation.

If you have ever traveled along any of the thousands of miles of highway in the United States, you have almost certainly shared the road with a semi-truck or big rig at some point. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were more than 1.5 million for-hire and private trucking companies in the country with more than 36 million trucks being used for business purposes. Truck accidents are unfortunately not uncommon; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported nearly 5,000 fatal truck crashes and around 116,000 crashes causing injury in 2017. While truck drivers are almost always responsible for a portion of the blame in accidents, trucking companies can also be held responsible in some cases. Here are a few ways trucking companies might be responsible for truck accidents:

Not Maintaining or Servicing the Truck

Commercial motor vehicles (CMV’s) are large and have a lot of different parts than other vehicles. The primary purpose of a CMV is business, meaning these vehicles travel thousands of miles every month and require much more service and maintenance than other vehicles. Federal trucking regulations state that every motor carrier is required to perform routine maintenance and inspection of their CMV’s to ensure all parts are in working order. If a CMV gets into an accident and it is found that the truck was partially to blame, the trucking company can be held liable for the accident.

Hiring Drivers Who Lack Qualifications/Experience

Because of the enormous size and weight of CMV’s, truck drivers are held to a higher standard of training and experience before they are permitted to operate a CMV. All drivers employed to drive CMV’s are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) with the proper endorsements to be legally permitted to drive. It is the job of the trucking company to ensure their drivers have the proper training, experience, licensing and endorsements to drive a CMV. If they are lacking in any of those areas, the trucking company may be liable for the accident.

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.

Each year, thousands of people die in fatal car accidents in the United States. According to data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 37,000 people were killed in traffic accidents and nearly 3 million more people were injured in 2017. Being in a car accident is a frightening and traumatizing experience. Those who are lucky enough to walk away from a car accident can suffer serious, life-altering injuries that can affect their quality of life. These injuries do not always show up right away; it can day takes, weeks or even months for a car accident injury to fully manifest itself. If you have been in a car accident, you should keep an eye out for these common delayed symptoms:

• Headaches: It is not uncommon for a person to develop persistent headaches days after the crash took place. While it is common for headaches to be a delayed symptom of a concussion or whiplash, it can also be a sign of a more serious problem, such as a blood clot in the brain or a critical injury to the neck or brain.
• Neck pain or stiffness: One of the most common injuries that occur because of car accidents is whiplash. The classic symptom of whiplash is pain or stiffness in the neck. Sometimes, this can take hours or even days to show up and can last for months or even years after the accident.
• Numbness: Feeling numbness in any part of your body can be a scary experience. Numbness in the arms and hands is another symptom of whiplash that can be delayed. If this occurs, it is a good indication that you experienced a severe whiplash injury and could even indicate damage to the spinal column.
• Back pain: There are a lot of components that are located in the back. The spinal column contains the spinal cord and has soft discs in between the vertebrae. There are also quite a few muscles, ligaments and soft tissues located in the back that allow for movement. Any of these things can become damaged in a car accident, resulting in pain.

Changes in personality or physical processes: Another very common injury that can arise from a car accident is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The most common TBI is a concussion, but any type of brain injury is possible from a car accident. Problems with vision and hearing, difficulty remembering things or focusing or changes in mood or personality can all point to a TBI.

Injured in a Car Accident? Contact a Park Ridge, IL Car Accident Injury Lawyer Today

Car accident injuries can range from being minor scratches or bruising to serious injuries like concussions and major lacerations. If you have been hurt in a car accident, it is imperative that you go to a hospital, even if you have a minor injury or you “feel fine.” If you do not go to a hospital and develop symptoms later, it may be harder to recover compensation. At the Quinn Law Group, LLC, we understand that injuries sustained from a car accident can last for years or even a lifetime. That is why our skilled Glenview, IL car accident injury attorneys will fight to make sure you get the compensation that you deserve. Call our office today at 847-232-7180 to schedule a free consultation.

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.