DePaolo & Zadeikis Blog Posts

If you were hit by a car outside a crosswalk in Illinois, liability depends on the facts of the accident, not automatically on where you crossed. State law does not prevent injured pedestrians from recovering compensation simply because they jaywalked. Drivers still owe a duty of care to avoid collisions and sometimes fall short of this duty because of behaviors such as speeding, driving distracted, or driving under the influence. Illinois comparative fault rules determine whether and how much compensation you, as a pedestrian, can recover.

In bicycle accidents caused by blocked lanes, the party responsible for blocking the lane is often liable for damages. Therefore, in accidents resulting from vehicles in bike lanes, the driver of the vehicle obstructing the bike lane is typically held liable for the resulting bicycle crash. However, depending on the circumstances of the accident, other parties could share liability for the accident, including the cyclist involved. Understanding how bike lane accident liability works is crucial for cyclists looking to pursue compensation for their injuries.

When cars don’t give cyclists enough space when overtaking, they can cause accidents that could lead to severe injuries or fatalities for the cyclists. Passing too closely could lead to the cyclist being hit directly, losing control, or swerving. Most states have laws requiring drivers to maintain a safe distance when overtaking cyclists, and failure to do so could lead to legal liability if an accident occurs.

Bicycles have narrower tires, fewer shock-absorption features, less stability, and lack the protective metal casing that vehicles have. These factors make bicycles more vulnerable to potholes and poor road maintenance, causing serious accidents and injuries in Chicago, such as head trauma, dental injuries, road rash, fractures, and spinal injuries. Understanding the factors behind why poorly maintained roads cause bicycle accidents and the liability issues in such situations can help you protect yourself and seek justice if you’re involved in a crash.

Liability for bicycle dooring accidents in Chicago typically falls on the person who opened the car door. Dooring accidents occur when an occupant of a vehicle suddenly opens a door into a cyclist’s path, causing the cyclist to collide with the door or avoid it by swerving into traffic, risking being struck by a moving car or truck. These accidents can cause severe injuries and even death.

Your primary options for seeking compensation after being involved in an accident with an uninsured driver are filing an uninsured motorist claim with your insurer and pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against the uninsured driver if he or she was at fault. When you’re involved in an accident in Chicago, knowing that the at-fault driver’s insurance should pay for your damages may give you some peace of mind. Finding out the driver lacks insurance makes things incredibly stressful and overwhelming in an already challenging situation. Accidents caused by uninsured drivers can pose significant legal and financial challenges for all the parties involved. Below, you’ll learn more about what to do if you’re harmed in a crash caused by an uninsured driver in Illinois.

What if the rideshare driver doesn’t have insurance? You can seek reimbursement for your damages in Chicago by filing an […]

If you were injured in a car accident in Chicago and you think you’re partly to blame, you may wonder, “What if I was partially at fault for my accident? Can I still receive compensation?” You can still file a personal injury claim to pursue compensation for your damages, thanks to the modified comparative negligence law applied in Illinois. The law allows you to receive compensation as long as you were less than 50% at fault for the crash.

“Why is my car accident settlement taking so long?” is a valid question many accident victims ask when medical bills, lost income, and other accident-related expenses are piling up, yet the settlement process seems to be moving at a slow pace. Factors like the length of your medical treatment and recovery, the insurance company’s tactics, and determining fault can significantly impact the timeline of your car accident settlement.

It’s difficult to determine the average truck accident settlement in Illinois because truck accident cases vary significantly. There are many factors that impact the settlement amounts that truck accident victims can recover, such as the severity of the injuries, the Illinois modified comparative negligence rule, a victim’s pain and suffering, and the insurance policy limits involved.