Articles Posted in Firm News

Firm News | April 6, 2012

There are more drivers aged 70 and older on the roads now than ever before. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, that population will expand, as will the information and misinformation regarding older drivers and serious car accidents. With no set guidelines about how to deal with age and the right to drive, it is important for people understand the real impact of older people on the roads before placing unnecessary restrictions on the licenses of elderly Americans.

Elderly drivers are significantly safer drivers than teens. The crash rate does not begin to go up for older drivers until past their 70th birthday, and does not begin to go up quickly until they turn 80. Older drivers are far less likely to speed or be guilty of drinking and driving. That said, there is no question that at some point, age begins to erode the skills necessary for safe driving.

Firm News | April 4, 2012

When Indiana passed a law aimed at aggressive driving, it became the first state to do so since 2005. It joined 10 other states in attempting to reduce fatal car accidents by punishing aggressive drivers. The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released a report highlighting the dangers of speeding and aggressive driving. Roughly one out of every three deadly traffic accidents is caused by speeding. More than 10,000 people were killed in 2010 as a result of speeding. It is hoped that the report will help spur greater efforts to stop dangerous driving practices that have become commonplace.

Aggressive driving is easy to spot, but not necessarily easy to define. The Indiana law focuses on behaviors such as tailgating, unsafe stopping, failing to yield and speeding. If a driver commits three of the nine elements used to define aggressive driving during one driving session, that driver can be charged with aggressive driving.

Firm News | December 16, 2011

The President made a proclamation naming this December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. The goal is to reduce the unacceptable number of car and truck accidents involving distracted driving, alcohol, and drug use. The proclamation is just one of the tools being used by the current administration to reduce drugged driving by ten percent over the next five years.

The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has also targeted impaired driving this holiday season. Both campaigns are timed to curb impaired driving during the time of year when it is most likely to occur. The holidays are a time of celebration, but they are also a time when too many drivers make poor decisions about driving under the influence. Every year, fatal car accidents change the way some families view the holidays.

Firm News | April 29, 2011

Effective this past Monday, Illinois is now tracking deadly “dooring” accidents occurring across the state. “Dooring” accidents, or getting “doored,” are terms that cyclists coined for bicycle accidents occurring when a parked motorist carelessly opens their car door into the bike lane, making contact with the cyclist or the bicycle itself. Such accidents are common in crowded, bike-heavy metros such as Chicago.

It’s encouraging to see Illinois officials take a serious interest in these bicycle-v-car-door accidents. In these collisions, the best-case scenario is when the cyclist flies to the ground and suffers scrapes and bruises. However, the “dooring” action often causes a much bigger problem: the cyclist being launched out of the bike lane and into traffic. This will often cause serious trauma and crush injuries, leading to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and internal organ injuries.

Firm News | January 31, 2011

A recently published letter in the Chicago Sun-Times described the terrifying experience of a local commuter. The Chicago-Area driver recently had her car’s muffler inspected after the exhaust system started getting noisy. Since the repair estimates were substantial, the motorist decided to leave the shop with an estimate and think about it.

The next day, the woman was driving to work on I-90 when her car’s hood suddenly flew up, smashing her windshield and blinding her vision! The driver coolly – but not calmly – got her car across three lanes of traffic and avoided a highway accident by pulling safely onto the shoulder. An Illinois State Police Trooper showed up and asked her if she had recently had the car in the shop. Unsurprised by her response, he wrote up a police report for her.

Firm News | November 23, 2010

As you spend time with friends and family this Thanksgiving, you should take special care during your travels. While many believe that New Years’ Eve, St. Patrick’s Day or the Super Bowl present the greatest threat from drunk drivers, it is typically “Turkey Day” that takes the infamous spot each year.

Thanksgiving is the largest travel day in the U.S., resulting in an unusually high amount of drivers on the road. This heavy traffic is coupled with the busiest days of the year for bars and nightclubs, providing a deadly mix ripe for drunk-driving accidents.

Firm News | September 28, 2010

A string of recent truck crashes have plagued the Chicago area. A dump-truck crash in Bartlett caused injuries to eight people. An Elk Grove Village man driving the dump truck rear-ended two vehicles in front of him. He then crossed into oncoming traffic, striking a pickup truck and causing it to careen into another vehicle. Fortunately, the five-vehicle crash didn’t claim any lives. The police charged the dump-truck driver for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

A three-vehicle collision caused by a big rig on I-90 somehow avoided fatal consequences. The accident occurred near Gary when the truck driver believed he saw a deer on the interstate and over-corrected his semi. The 18-wheeler crashed through the median before blocking off the entire expressway – bringing morning commuters to a halt. The drivers of the two other vehicles struck by the semi went to the hospital but had no life-threatening injuries. The police stated that the deer was actually a paper bag.

Firm News | August 13, 2010

A great deal of media attention has been focused on the dangers of texting and driving among teenage drivers, but according to a recently released study of highway fatalities, this is not the single biggest threat. Instead, the biggest identifiable danger for teenage drivers is nighttime driving.

According to the study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, nighttime driving is more likely to result in death for teenagers than drinking, speeding or failing to wear a seatbelt. Researchers attribute this increased danger to fatigue and inexperience, both of which are aggravated by driving after dark.

Firm News | July 30, 2010

Toyota’s vehicle safety problems have become something like an automotive soap opera, with the manufacturing giant issuing record recalls, paying the largest fine ever, seeing its market share drop and becoming the target in over 200 lawsuits.

Toyota’s ongoing problems have focused a national spotlight on traffic safety concerns, with Congress, federal regulatory agencies, consumer advocates and a troubled public all weighing in.

Firm News | April 7, 2010

At Seidman Margulis & Fairman, LLP in Chicago, Illinois, we are committed to providing the representation and information people need to get maximum compensation following a personal injury. Every day, state legislatures and judges make hundreds of decisions that impact the way workers’ compensation and personal injury cases are prepared and presented for court. These are complex and ever changing issues that our professionals follow diligently to provide exceptional advocacy.

Whether you are an existing client or seeking general workers’ compensation and personal injury information this Blog page is intended to serve as a forum for discussing case law and relevant Illinois court decisions. Periodically, we will update information and Blog topics, so please return often to see our most current post and comments.