According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 5,000 teens (ages 16-20) are killed in passenger vehicle crashes every year in the United States. While the monthly average of teen related deaths is a staggering 363 per month, that number rises to 422 teen driver deaths in the summer months.
In addition to speaking with our teens the importance of safe driving practices, and more importantly, is that we set good examples to the teens and drive responsibly, especially with our young children in our cars. At all times, but especially with a teen in the car, we should not be speeding, using our cell phones or doing anything else that can lead to a car accident.

Parents should know that according to a report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, teenage drivers are more likely to get into car accidents if they have passengers in their vehicles. According to this report, the likelihood of a teen driver getting into an accident doubles with one passenger and increases five-fold if there are two passengers. Armed with this information, we should strongly discourage our children from having passengers for no good reason.
The car accident lawyers of Willens Law Offices supports safe driving campaigns like National Youth Traffic Safety Month. We especially applaud the efforts of those who participate.

As has been demonstrated time and time again, many companies don’t like our civil justice system and some would love nothing more than to see it go away. Those same folks aren’t always willing to pay fair compensation to those who are harmed nor do some desire to correct their dangerous ways. Sometimes money is more important to them. Remember the car that used to explode upon light rear end impact? The car manufacturer executives decided that it would be better for their bottom line to pay out on lawsuits than to fix the problem with the car. Clearly, the company’s bottom line came before public safety. It was our civil system of justice that changed that car manufacturer’s mind.

While corporations are generally safer than they used to be, it’s not uncommon to open up a newspaper and read about car recalls, food recalls and major safety issues with prescription medications. Many of these stories contain factual allegations that the corporations knew about their unsafe products but marketed them anyways. Fortunately for the general public and unfortunately for negligent corporations, there’s our civil justice system.

Be careful when you hear criticisms about our civil justice system. While it’s not perfect, it’s pretty darn good and is constantly under attack by big money groups who have no problem putting corporate profits above individual safety. If they had it their way, the most powerful and sometimes most dangerous companies would be free to make the rules and then break them with no consequences.

Our civil justice system does a fine job in getting rid of “frivolous” cases. Our civil justice system protects us from those individuals and corporations that act negligently. While the biggest most powerful corporations, including insurance companies, will continue to attempt to take away an individual’s rights to pursue justice in a court of law, this trial lawyer will continue to fight corporate greed.

Unfortunately, more motorcycles on the road means danger of serious injuries, sometimes fatal injuries, from motorcycle accidents. I have represented many victims of motorcycle accidents over my nearly twenty years of being a personal injury lawyer. Most of these clients have sustained very serious injuries from these motorcycle accidents. Unfortunately, many of these cases, called wrongful death cases, were for the loved ones of motorcyclists who were killed in an accident.

With more motorcycles on the road, all of us other drivers need to be aware of the need to share the road and operate our vehicles safely. The failure to do so can have serious, even grave consequences to motorcyclists. While motorcycles represent approximately three percent of registered vehicles in Illinois, they are involved in nearly 14 percent of fatal vehicle accidents.

I heard of a saying once which went something like, “If you ride a motorcycle, either you have crashed or you’re going to.” In many instances, the accident is a result of the negligence of another driver. Oftentimes, the results are catastrophic.

While I don’t like to make guarantees, I will guaranty that there will be many motorcycle accidents in Illinois in the coming months. Some of them will be fatal. My hope for the Illinois warm season is that drivers who share the road with motorcycles start paying more attention to driving, rather than to all the distractions around us. While this will not eliminate motorcycle accidents, it will reduce the number of them…hopefully.

Apparently, the Chrysler Concorde came to a stop on southbound Mt. Thabor Road and entered the intersection to make a left turn onto eastbound 176 when the motorcycle, traveling west, crashed into the car. The accident is still under investigation by the Crystal Lake Police Department and the McHenry County Coroner’s office.

Motorcycle accidents result in more fatal injuries than as compared to car or truck accidents. Due to their size and limited safety features, motorcycle accidents often result in death or serious injuries. Several motorcyclists are killed each year and thousands more are left with severe and permanent injuries such as brain damage, spinal cord injury, paralysis, as well as bone fractures and painful road rash burns.

Willens Law Offices is exclusively focused on obtaining justice for personal injury and wrongful death victims, including people who have been in motorcycle accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a motorcycle accident, our Chicago personal injury attorneys have the experience and skill to help you through this difficult time and obtain just compensation for your injuries. Contact us today at 312-957-4166 for a free consultation.

Darien police Deputy Chief John Cooper stated, “It’s an unfortunate thing that happened. If they had seen the person they probably would have been able to stop. Any time you’re operating a motor vehicle you have to take the extra time to look.”

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents will kill or injure around 75,000 Americans this year. Even more unfortunate, the greatest risk of pedestrian injury or pedestrian fatality is to young children and the elderly. Children under age 15 made up approximately 40 percent of pedestrians injured by cars and trucks. Sadly, about 8 percent of pedestrian accidents involving children result in fatalities.

If you or a loved one is in a pedestrian accident, we urge you to cooperate with the police and correctly report your account of the events. In addition, it is in your best interest to consult promptly with an attorney experienced in handling pedestrian accident cases. While this may sound self-serving, the right attorney can help you obtain and preserve evidence that can prove who is at fault. A pedestrian accident lawyer can advise you on your legal options and on how to seek compensation for your injuries. If you would like a free consultation, please call Willens Law Offices at 312-957-4166.

Statistically, buses have a good safety record compared to other forms of transportation However, those involved in bus crashes are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Many kinds of buses don’t have seat belts, and oftentimes, passengers are forced to stand due to overcrowding.

Illinois law is favorable to people injured in bus accidents. Bus drivers are operating as common carriers. A common carrier owes its passengers the duty to use the highest degree of care consistent with the type of vehicle used in the practical operation of its business.

Statistics show that a majority of bus accidents are caused by careless or negligent behavior on part of the bus driver. Most of the time this is due to the bus driver’s failure to properly recognize and react to a situation to avoid an accident. Some other common bus accident causes are speeding, abrupt lane changes and veering off the road.

If a bus accident causes a passenger serious injuries or death, it is wise to get a personal injury attorney involved who has experience in handling bus accident cases. The lawyers of Willens Law Offices have a long track record of success in representing bus accident victims. The lawyers of Willens Law Offices can be contacted at 312-957-4166.

The cyclist who swerved, a 43 year old man from Harwood Heights, Illinois, suffered fatal injuries and the other motorcyclist was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with serious injuries. It does not appear that alcohol was a factor in this motorcycle crash.

There’s no doubt that driving a motorcycle is exhilarating and a lot of fun. There is also no doubt that driving a motorcycle is very dangerous. In fact, according to statistics,:

• In recent years, motorcycle fatalities have risen 52% in Illinois, while motorcycle registrations have risen 53%.
• Approximately 95% of all fatal motorcycle crashes occur in clear weather, on dry pavement.
• Motorcyclists (operators and passengers) killed in recent years accounted for more than 12% of all motor vehicle fatalities. Motorcycle registrations, however, accounted for less than 3% of all motor vehicles registered.

Willens Law Offices has a proven track record of success in handling motorcycle accident injury and wrongful death cases throughout Illinois. If you or a someone you love has been involved in a motorcycle accident, please contact us today at 312-957-4166. One of our attorneys will provide you with a free confidential consultation.

Over the years, we have learned that symptoms of TBI can range from slight, easy to overlook, to obvious, difficult to ignore, signs. TBI victims and sometimes health care professionals often fail to recognize the more subtle symptoms of a mild TBI. The fact is that TBIs may be revealed through a wide variety of physical and psychological symptoms. Sometimes it takes modern technology, in the form of medical testing or a medical device like a MRI or a CT scan, to find such an injury. However, the most important thing for the injured person and his loved ones to do is pay attention to all symptoms and act immediately to seek medical help when they indicate a possible brain injury.

Typical signs and symptoms of mild TBIs (like a concussion) may include some of the following:

• Loss of consciousness, usually for a brief period at the time of trauma
• Headaches
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Inability to concentrate
• Memory problems
• Amnesia for events occurring just before or after an injury
• Changes in mood or behavior
• Confusion
• Blurred vision, ringing in the ears or a bad taste in the mouth

It’s easier to recognize and diagnose persons who have suffered moderate to severe TBIs because many are hospitalized immediately after an injury and undergo extensive testing and sometimes surgery. Moreover, their symptoms are likely to be more obvious; they may include:

• Seizures or convulsions
• Continued vomiting or nausea
• Persistent headaches
• Combativeness and/or agitation
• Loss of coordination
• Slurring of speech
• Dilation of one or both pupils of the eye
• Profound confusion
• Weakness or numbness in arms or legs
• An inability to awaken from sleep

It is important to note that some signs of serious TBI come on gradually. For example, someone may hit his or her head against the windshield in a car accident and initially seem fine, but the signs and symptoms of a developing subdural hematoma (a collection of blood on the surface of the brain) may not become obvious for many weeks. When they do, the patient and/or his family must act immediately to get appropriate, potentially lifesaving medical care.
Children are often the most difficult to diagnose because they are often too young to communicate effectively. For this reason, parents should look for changes in a child’s normal behavior such as:

• Altered sleep patterns
• Deteriorating academic performance at school
• Loss of interest in favorite toys or activities
• Listless behavior and unusual crankiness
• Refusal to eat

Even a mild brain injury can have adverse effects on a person’s daily activities, employment, and enjoyment of life. For this reason, the sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment begins, the sooner a brain injured person can move towards recovery.

If you or a loved one has suffered a TBI as a result of someone’s carelessness or negligence, the brain injury lawyers of Willens Law Offices have the skill and experience necessary to investigate and successfully pursue your financial recovery from the negligent motorist, premises owner or other liable party. To speak to an experienced brain injury lawyer call us today at 312-957-4166 for a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation.

Unfortunately, as a personal injury lawyer, I see this type of thing far too often. However, it is important for hit and run victims to know that if they are injured, they still may be entitled to monetary compensation, even if the fleeing driver is never located. If the injured victim is covered by uninsured motorist (UM) protection, the victim may be covered.

Uninsured motorist coverage can pay for injuries to you when there is an accident and the other driver is both legally responsible for the accident and considered “uninsured.” A hit-and-run driver is considered uninsured as it relates to personal injury. Having sufficient UM motorist protection could pay your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If someone hits you or your car and is legally responsible for the damages, you won’t get any money from them if they don’t have money to give you. Especially in hard economic times, many drivers don’t have insurance. If you have UM, you can get the monetary compensation that you are entitled to even if the other driver can’t pay.

“But I wasn’t in my car when I was struck by an uninsured driver. I was on foot,” is something I often hear. It does not matter. UM will protect you as a pedestrian. UM can also protect you and your family members traveling in other cars.
The truth is, you probably can’t afford not to have UM. Maybe I should have been an insurance salesman;-)

1. Liability means we must be able to prove “to a reasonable degree of medical certainty” the doctor or other medical professional who treated a patient ”failed to use what is accepted medical care.” It means we must show that it was more likely than not that the doctors and/or other medical professionals who cared for a patient did not properly treat them medically, and in accordance with the standard of care, other physicians or other medical professionals with the same specialty would use to treat the problem. A medical expert must testify the treatment departed from reasonable medical care and explain how and why the care was inappropriate. Usually this expert, the liability expert, needs to be retained by the injured person’s medical malpractice lawyer.

2. Causation means a medical expert must be able to say that the alleged medical negligence, more likely than not, was a cause of the alleged injuries or death. As with liability, usually this expert, the causation expert, needs to be retained by the injured person’s medical malpractice lawyer. Sometimes, the same expert who testifies regarding liability can testify regarding causation as well.

3. Damages generally mean injuries. A medical expert must prove that the medical negligence caused injury. Usually in the context of a medical malpractice case, the injuries must be significant before a medical malpractice lawyer will agree to get involved. Sometimes treating doctors are able to explain what injuries and disabilities have been suffered. Sometimes an expert must be retained to explain what injuries have been suffered. Sometimes the same expert who testified regarding liability and/or causation can testify to damages as well.

Keep safe and be well!