Blog

In motor vehicle crashes, many people place blame on a vehicle malfunction, a defect in the road or road construction. These factors do play a role in car accidents, but in the majority of cases, the primary causes are speeding or driving aggressively. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety, there were 274,291 crashes in 2012. Twenty-two percent of these were injury crashes, and there were 956 fatalities.

In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that more than 10,000 deaths in the United States were directly related to alcohol, and nearly 350,000 injuries. In Illinois alone, there were 321 fatalities caused by drunk driving, and 41 of those deaths were caused by motorists whose blood alcohol content was above .01, but under .08, which is the legal limit.

According to the latest statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding caused 31 percent of all traffic related fatalities in 2010. Speed is considered a factor in the crash if the driver received a speed-related traffic ticket, or if a police officer noted that driving too fast in adverse road conditions or driving over the speed limit contributed to the accident. Research has shown that placing cameras in areas that have consistent speed-related issues prohibits speeding and improves safety.

Illinois law requires every employer to offer workers’ compensation in the event of a worksite injury or illness. Unfortunately, some employers neglect to carry workers’ compensation insurance and are not willing to self-insure. According to the Illinois Department of Labor, more than 1,100 injured workers in the state faced this difficult situation in 2012, despite recent crackdowns by the Illinois Attorney General. If your employer does not have sufficient coverage to provide compensation for your injuries, you have options for redress.

When Illinois employees are injured on the job, they have the right to full compensation for hours of work lost and the cost of medical treatment. According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, more than 40,000 workers’ compensation claims were filed in the state in 2012. Unfortunately, many claims are delayed or rejected because of common errors. Learning about these errors can increase the likelihood of a successful claim.