To operate a motor vehicle safely, one must think clearly, reason responsibility, and maintain muscle coordination. Alcohol consumption weakens all of these functions. Any injury caused by a car accident can be devastating and the injuries caused by a drunk driving accident are often preventable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly half of the vehicle fatalities in Illinois involve alcohol. Unfortunately, drunk driving is even more prominent during the summer months.

Illinois Drunk Driving Accidents

Across the nation, summer accounts for the highest level of drunk driving-related fatalities. This increase in deadly accidents makes it imperative to understand the dangers of drunk driving. Because alcohol can weaken the driver’s attention and control of the vehicle, the resulting injuries tend to be much worse. Impaired drivers may swerve, speed or even drive the wrong way on a highway, potentially leading to a head-on collision.

As drunk driving accidents remain prevalent, law enforcement has taken steps to discourage this behavior. One combative strategy includes sobriety checkpoints, allowing officers to check drivers for impairment at highly visible locations. 

There are many reasons why a person may receive a traffic ticket for violating the laws that apply to drivers of motor vehicles. Drivers who disobey the law threaten the safety of themselves, their passengers, and others who use the roads, including people in other vehicles, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. When car accidents occur because of traffic violations, a driver who broke the law will usually be at fault for the collision, and they may be held liable for the injuries suffered by victims.

Dangerous Traffic Violations That May Cause Collisions

Drivers commonly commit the following types of violations, and when doing so, they put themselves and others at risk:

• Speeding - Speed limits are meant to ensure that drivers travel at speeds that are safe based on the activity on a certain road. Residential neighborhoods usually have lower speed limits, and speed limits are set appropriately on roads where drivers frequently slow down to make turns or stop at intersections. When drivers exceed the speed limit, they may be unable to slow down in time to avoid colliding with a vehicle that is making a turn or with bicyclists or pedestrians who have entered the road. On roads with higher speed limits, drivers who speed may lose control of their vehicle and collide with other vehicles or obstacles to the side of the road. In addition to violations for driving above the speed limit, drivers may be cited with violations such as Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident or Driving Too Fast for Conditions.

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Large commercial trucks such as delivery trucks, tanker trucks, and 18-wheelers can cause severe damage during a car accident. Over 4,000 people lost their lives in truck accidents in 2019 and thousands more were injured. If you have been hurt in a trucking accident, it may be possible to sue the trucking company or other liable parties for damages. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Liability for a Large Truck Accident

Truck accidents are often especially complicated because of the number of factors that may contribute to the accident. The truck driver may have made critical errors behind the wheel that caused or worsened the accident. The trucking company may have failed to properly maintain and inspect the truck for issues that could reduce the driver’s ability to drive safely. Product designers or manufacturers may even share liability for the crash if the truck components or equipment was flawed. Determining which parties are liable for a truck collision is an essential element of a successful truck accident lawsuit.

What You Have to Prove to Win a Truck Accident Lawsuit

To recover compensation for damages caused in a truck accident, you and your attorney will need to show that:

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Illinois State Police Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation have partnered with local law enforcement agencies across the state in an effort to curb cell phone use behind the wheel. While most people are aware that texting and driving is illegal, few realize just how severe an issue distracted driving has become. According to a recent study, distracted driving is a factor in over a million auto collisions each year. Using a cell phone while driving increases the chances of a crash by an astounding 400 percent.

Cell Phone Use While Driving is Dangerous and Unlawful

Although many drivers think nothing of reading or sending a message while driving, this practice leads to thousands of injury-causing and deadly car accidents every year. Some drivers justify cell phone use behind the wheel because they are only looking down at their cell phone for a few seconds at a time. However, a driver traveling at 55 mph who looks down for as few as five seconds travels over 400 feet without looking at the road. If a vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist appears in the driver’s path, he or she may not have enough time to avoid a collision.

Illinois has outlawed the use of hand-held phones and other portable electronic devices while driving. This includes texting and driving as well as video chatting, reading messages, using online maps, checking social media, or watching videos while driving. Hands-free cell phone use is permitted for drivers over the age of 18, however, drivers are encouraged to pull over if they need to make a call. A violation of Illinois’s texting and driving law that results in a serious injury is a Class A misdemeanor offense. Cell phone use while driving that causes another person’s death is a Class 4 felony.

When we think about car crash injury claims, most people picture broken bones and other physical injuries. However, not every injury that a car accident victim suffers is physical in nature. The emotional, mental, and psychological effects of a serious car accident can be profound. Many car accident victims are left with psychological symptoms that interfere with their ability to work and complete everyday responsibilities like maintaining their home or caring for children. If you have suffered psychological or mental health problems because of a car accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.  

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Conditions

Anyone who has been involved in a serious auto collision can tell you how terrifying the ordeal can be. The psychological effects of a car crash are often especially severe if the victim feared for his or her life or witnessed other victims’ deaths. Car crashes are the leading causes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD after a car crash is often characterized by: