Traffic Collision

December 30, 2016

WILL SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS BE SAFER, SOONER?

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

WILL SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS BE SAFER, SOONER?

With all the talk about self-driving cars lately, it is surprising not to hear more about self-driving tractor-trailers. Given that trucking collisions cause massive harm across Illinois Expressways every day, most people would welcome self-driving trucks if we knew that they would make our highways safer or at least decrease the number of accidents. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the number of traffic crash fatalities has surpassed each of the totals for the past 5 years. In fact, Illinois has eclipsed 1,000 traffic deaths even before the start of the final two weeks of the year. Of these fatalities, 247 have taken place in Cook County while each Winnebago, St. Clair, Will, Kane, DuPage, and Lake Counties suffered nearly 40 deaths in crashes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb0Kzb3haK8

April 16, 2014

Staged accidents – how to determine if you’re a victim

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

Auto accidents are all too common across the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2012 Quick Facts publication, the most recent year in which data was reported, there were 33,561 people killed and more than two million people injured in motor vehicle collisions. Despite the dangers and potentially serious consequences, there are people who are purposely causing auto accidents. Staged accidents, as these types of wrecks are commonly known, are an increasing popular scam being used throughout the country. Scammers draw unknowing drivers into collisions and then file insurance claims for large payouts.

Common staged scenarios

Staged accidents are created to appear as though they were, like most motor vehicle accidents, unintentional. There are a number of common staged scenarios, however, that scam artists use to take advantage of unsuspecting motorists. These include:

April 15, 2014

New technology in the works for preventing drunk driving accidents

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

Drunk driving is an ongoing issue in many states throughout the U.S. Due to the slowed reflexes, impaired judgment and other effects that alcohol intoxication can cause, there are a significant number of motor vehicle accidents involving drunk drivers. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, 20 people are injured and one person is killed each hour in alcohol-related collisions.

In an effort to reduce the number of accidents related to alcohol impairment, a number of new technologies are being researched, developed and tested. The goal of these technologies is to prevent a person, who is intoxicated, from getting behind the wheel and driving by reliably and accurately measuring blood alcohol content, while not interfering with a driver that is sober. The types of technology being developed include:

Advanced breath tests

April 12, 2014

Third-party lawsuits for worker injuries in Illinois

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

Every year, many Illinois workers incur injuries that allow them to receive compensation under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. An employee is able to acquire benefits under this legislation regardless of whether the accident was the fault of the employee or the employer. However, in some cases, the fault lies not within either of these parties but with another entity or person. When this happens, the injured employee can file a third-party lawsuit against this person or entity.

Examples of third-party lawsuits

There are several different situations in which an employee could suffer injuries that would justify filing a third-party lawsuit. Some of these include: