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Alarming Statistics About Distracted Driving

Posted on in Motor Vehicle Accidents

IL accident lawyerDistracted driving is responsible for on average, over 3,000 fatalities each year nationwide. These are some of the most preventable traffic deaths - all drivers must do to avoid these serious car accidents is to pay attention to the road. One of the most important duties drivers have is to remain aware of what is going on around them. Drivers who are simply not watching the road can find themselves causing a major wreck very, very quickly. Cell phones are one of the most common distractions. Countless public awareness campaigns regarding cell phone use while driving have likely had some effect, but distracted driving remains a serious problem. If you were injured by a distracted driver, an attorney may be able to help you recover compensation.

What You Should Know About Distracted Driving in Illinois

Everyone knows better than to send a text or check their emails while they are driving. Cell phones often come with a built-in “driving mode.” Navigation systems like Waze often have safeguards built in to prevent drivers from changing the settings while their vehicle is in motion. However, people continue to focus their attention on devices rather than the traffic around them. Some alarming statistics about distracted driving include:

  • Distance - When a driver going 55 miles per hour takes their eyes off the road for just five seconds to check a text message, they will drive the entire length of a football field completely blind. In that distance, they could encounter anything from a motorcycle they did not previously see to traffic that is suddenly stopping.
  • Mass injuries - In 2019 alone, a shocking 424,000 individuals were injured by distracted drivers in addition to the over 3,000 who lost their lives. Distracted driving endangers the public in a major way.
  • Not just drivers - One in five individuals who are injured or killed by a distracted driver is a pedestrian, a bicycle rider, or someone else who is not inside another vehicle. Distracted drivers may spot other vehicles in their peripheral vision, but miss seeing a person on foot.

While cell phones are the main culprit in distracted driving accidents, they are not the only thing that can take a driver’s attention off the road. Anything from the radio to a rowdy passenger can cause a substantial enough distraction to result in a serious crash.

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5 Things to Expect During Illinois Probate

Posted on in Estate Planning

IL estate lawyerProbate is not a quick and easy legal proceeding. It can take time, money, and a lot of patience to get through. It can also take significant legal skills if there are difficulties at any point in the process. When you are grieving the loss of a loved one, probate may be the absolute last thing you want to deal with. The added stress of trying to handle a complex legal procedure alone can be overwhelming. There are parts of probate that may be frustrating or confusing. There are a lot of parties who need to be notified, and there is a strong possibility that at least one dispute or claim will need to be settled. In some cases, probate can take upwards of a year. You should be ready for some type of challenge to arise. Working with a probate lawyer can help alleviate the burden of probating your loved one's estate.

The Realities of Going Through Probate in Illinois

Especially if this is your first experience with a probate court, you might be feeling very overwhelmed. The process is not as simple as submitting a will and distributing estate property. If your loved one did not leave a will and you are facing intestate probate, the process may be even more complex. A few things you should expect during probate include:

  • Waiting - Patience is key during probate. There is a lot of waiting around involved. You will need to wait while potentially interested parties are notified and given a chance to file contests. You will need to wait for court dates. There may be long periods where it seems like nothing is happening.
  • Big responsibilities - If you are the estate administrator, then you are taking on an enormous commitment. The duties of a personal representative are numerous. You are expected to handle everything from finding and notifying the decedent’s creditors to taking an inventory and valuation of all estate property. This is no easy task.
  • Dealing with creditors - Part of settling an estate during probate is addressing creditor claims. Any parties the decedent owed money to will have a chance to make a claim. It can be immensely frustrating to deal with creditors taking money out of your loved one’s estate, but this is part of the process.
  • Notifying everyone - One of the most potentially challenging parts of probate is figuring out who you need to notify. Anyone with a potential interest in the estate should be notified, including the decedent's family members.
  • Feuding - Even if no one files a formal contest, family feuds are common during probate proceedings.

Probate is a lot to take on by yourself. It is much better to be represented by an attorney who can address problems that may arise.

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4 Ways a Car Accident Can Change Your Life

Posted on in Motor Vehicle Accidents

b2ap3_thumbnail_accident_20220513-024711_1.jpIL accident lawyerMost of the time, getting hurt in a car accident is a temporary problem. While being injured b a negligent driver can be deeply upsetting and physically painful, odds are, your life will eventually go back to normal. However, in the most severe cases, a car accident can be permanently life-altering. Not all injuries can be fully healed. Some people may find themselves needing help with tasks they used to be able to perform independently. Others will have to change career paths or miss out on achieving other goals they had. The one saving grace in this type of situation is that you can be compensated for the full amount of harm that was done to you. When you have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, you will want an experienced lawyer to handle your case. Simply adding up all the costs associated with your accident can be a daunting task.

When Can Injuries From a Car Accident Have a Permanent Impact?

Determining what type of impact a car accident is likely to have on your life going forward can be a very evidence-intensive process best handled by a trained attorney. A lot depends on what your day-to-day life looked like before the accident as opposed to after the accident. Your life could change in ways like:

  • Career path - No matter what type of profession you are in, a car accident could force you to make a change. While a wrist injury may not be a big deal for say, a teacher, it might be life-altering for a surgeon or painter. Brain injuries can cause symptoms like changes in cognitive function that can make keeping any job difficult or impossible.
  • Psychological problems - Serious accidents can be traumatic. You could experience mental and emotional symptoms that affect your ability to function in everyday life. Some people find that they are too afraid to start driving again or become very easily startled.
  • Needing help - People who have been seriously injured may lose their ability to function independently at home. Some require assistance with basic tasks like meal prep, cleaning, and even personal hygiene. Needing to enlist a home health agency to come out and provide care and help is not uncommon. While some people are eventually able to relearn these tasks, others are not.
  • Pain - Chronic pain is one of the most feared and most difficult to treat health issues that can stem from car crash injuries. Especially if you suffered a spinal cord or neck injury, the pain that follows may be something you will have to live with for the rest of your life.

When a negligent driver changes your life, do not try to take matters into your own hands. There is too much at stake for you to try to handle the situation alone. It is best to let an experienced and aggressive attorney pursue compensation on your behalf.

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What Costs Could I be Compensated for After a Car Accident?

Posted on in Motor Vehicle Accidents

IL accident lawyerWhen an injury from a car accident disrupts your life, the costs can add up quickly. It is not just the obvious out-of-pocket expenses like the medical bills from the day of the accident and the cost of your vehicle. Often, the true cost of a car crash cannot be accurately calculated until weeks or even months later. Some car accident victims ultimately have to change career paths, require ongoing medical treatment, or otherwise suffer hidden economic losses. This is one of the reasons that accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company too quickly and without consulting an attorney can lead to you losing out on funds you were entitled to. Before you consider accepting any type of settlement, always speak with an experienced attorney who can give you a better understanding of the costs you could be compensated for.

What Financial Losses Could I Receive Compensation for if I Was Hurt in a Car Crash?

Adding up the true cost of a car accident can be difficult. There are quite a few things to consider during this process, including any future losses. After a car accident, you could be compensated for:

  • Current medical costs - Any medical care you already received related to the accident should be paid for by the other driver’s insurance company.
  • Future medical costs - In many cases, car accident injuries take more than one or two visits to the doctor’s office to treat. You may need physical therapy for months afterward. You may require visits from a home health aid while you are recovering. It could turn out that conservative treatments like physical therapy do not work at all and you will ultimately require surgery. It is important that your settlement or award at trial reflects the likelihood of any needs for ongoing care.
  • Lost wages - Whether you stayed home from work for three days or three months, you likely lost income as a direct result of your accident. You can likely be compensated for any potential earnings you have missed out on because of your injuries.
  • Lost future wages - In extreme cases, you may never be able to return to the job you had. You could be forced to change career paths if you can no longer physically perform your old job duties. Or, you could have become unable to work period. This loss in future income can be calculated and included in your settlement. This amount can be quite substantial.

This is far from a complete list of all the expenses, both financial and non-economic, that you could be compensated for after a car accident. An attorney can help you determine what you may be entitled to.

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What is Incapacity Planning and Why is it Important?

Posted on in Estate Planning

IL estate attorneyThe fact is that most people who live to a certain age are likely to experience age-related mental incapacity. Alzheimer's, dementia, and the natural effects of aging can lead you to become confused, disoriented, and unable to make important decisions or manage your own affairs. Someone else will have to step in and start making medical and personal decisions, as well as managing your finances. If no incapacity planning has been done, the most likely solution is court-ordered guardianship. Guardianship proceedings are public and can be very upsetting to the ward, who has little or no say over who the guardian will be. Incapacity planning allows you to make certain decisions ahead of time or appoint others to do so for you without any court involvement, so do not neglect this important part of estate planning.

What Legal Documents Are Part of Incapacity Planning?

When you start working on your incapacity plan, there are several documents your lawyer may use. These documents and their purposes include:

  • Living will - A living will allows you to directly make a few decisions about your end-of-life care. It does not take effect until you are incapacitated and terminally ill. You can make choices like whether you would want life-prolonging care in this situation or simply comfort care.
  • Health care power of attorney - If you are incapacitated, someone else will have to make medical decisions for you and access your medical records to inform those decisions. With a health care power of attorney, you can choose who that person will be. This gives you an opportunity to talk with that person and make sure they understand your wishes and are prepared to carry them out. It takes effect when you are deemed incapacitated.
  • Financial powers of attorney - These documents allow you to choose someone you would want to manage your financial affairs when you are no longer able to. This person will need to do things like making sure your bills are getting paid and managing your Social Security benefits. It takes effect either when you become incapacitated, or at any other time you choose.

You can be specific about what your agent can and cannot do on your behalf. You can add clauses saying that your agent must consent to pain control measures, but may not consent to treatment for incurable cancer. Or, you could use a clause in your financial power of attorney that prohibits your agent from selling the family home.

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