Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Have you ever wondered what happens to your car before you drive it off the lot? Well if you haven’t that’s fine, because I’m here to tell you. Before they can be approved for distribution to consumers, the vehicles that you and I drive each day have to go through and extensive screening process to ensure that they are safe to operate. Our accident lawyers want to give you a brief look at this process, as well as the multitude of factors that add up to a safe vehicle.

Whenever you get from point A to point B without a hitch, the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) is the institution you should thank. This federal research facility is run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and conducts research and vehicle tests with the goal of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing health care and other economic costs. Research and testing can cover anything from crash avoidance and crash worthiness, to biomechanics, and is a crucial component of improving vehicle performance and consumer crash avoidance. This body is both proactive and reactive, as it also investigates potential safety defects in vehicles that have already been distributed.

The VRTC is comprised of three main divisions:
1. The Pedestrian and Applied Biomechanics Division
This division includes biomechanics, occupant protection, and research using crash dummies for development and evaluation.
2. The Vehicle Stability and Control Division
This division covers things like vehicle handling, brake systems, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and driver behavior. They conduct vehicle dynamics simulations, and do research that is very important for large mass trucking accidents.
3. The Defects Analysis and Crashworthiness Division
The final division is primarily concerned with how well a driver would be protected by a car in the event of an accident. This means testing vehicle structural integrity, occupant protection, and conducting crash tests, and includes reactive automotive defect investigation. (NHTSA)

From the earlier 1980’s all the way up to about 2007, the number of people killed in auto accidents routinely eclipsed 40,0000 people. However, the hard work of the men and woman at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have done great things for driver safety, and we have seen the number of deaths dip as low as 30,000 in 2011. The count of vehicle related fatalities continue to wane in 2013, and an early estimate speculated that last years numbers could be down in the 20,000 range. (Department of Transportation)

As lawyers with over 150 years of combined experience handling Chicago car accident cases, we have the tools to make sure you are treated fairly and receive the compensation you deserve. Catastrophic injury is something no one should have to face alone, and we are here to ensure you don’t have to.

The United States government is in the midst of some pretty extensive budget cuts, and for over 300 million Americans, this is something that is hitting close to home. College tuition is rising at rates never before seen, and student loans along with it. No matter which rung of the social ladder you affiliate yourself with, the sequester is something that you are going to have to account for, so why rack up unnecessary costs?

Last year, alcohol-related car accidents cost the United States an estimated $37 billion. To put that into perspective, money like that could buy the Chicago Cubs 30 times over, and still have $7 billion left over to bribe the other teams to go easy on them. Additionally, drivers that chose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated caused more than 10,000 traffic fatalities in our country, one person every 51 minutes. The bottom line is that drunk driving is a significant cost to our national economy, and constitutes an even greater cost when you consider how many lives are cut short.

Going back to yesterdays post, it is important to note that drunk driving is not just a problem for the drivers of cars and trucks; 43% of all motorcyclists killed in traffic collisions had a blood alcohol concentration beyond the legal limit. Our lawyers have had the misfortune of seeing our clients suffer as the result of serious motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents caused by an alcohol-impaired driver. We all want to remind you that no matter who you are, what you drive, or where you are going, it is important to be responsible, and watch out for your friends. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

In one of our recent cases, the actions of a truck driver operating his vehicle while under the influence took the life of a beloved mother and wife. Our lawyers worked with the family and were successful in reaching a $6.5 million settlement. The money that our lawyers recover during our cases doesn’t pad the pockets of our clients, it provides crucially important financial support when accident victims and their families are at their most vulnerable. Additionally, these settlements hold people and companies liable for their reckless and negligent actions, and send a clear message that it won’t be accepted.

When you are out having a good time, know your limit, and speak up if you see your friend getting ready to drive home after they have had too much to drink. Remember that paying for a $20 cab ride now could save you thousands of dollars in fines and court fees down the road, and it will ensure that you and those around you are able to stay safe.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation have been working tirelessly for decades to promote driver safety in the United States, and because of their efforts, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents have all seen historic declines in fatalities and injuries. However, in the midst of this wave of successful safety campaigns, motorcycle deaths have increased 13 of the past 14 years, and remain one of the biggest safety concerns for future projects. With May being Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, it is about time that we publish an article on the topic.

Whether they are on a Harley or a sport bike, motorcyclists are often stereotyped as reckless. In reality, the stereotyping of motorcyclists as reckless individuals is seldom true, and most of the risk associated with motorbikes doesn’t come from the operators or riders, but from other people on the road. Our lawyers want to remind drivers to keep an eye out for motorcyclists. A motorcycle is much smaller than most of the vehicles that it shares the road with, and it is easy to see how bikers can get lost in blind spots, or missed entirely when the sun sets. In a recent press release, the U.S. Transportation Secretary emphasized the importance of mutual caution, stating: “Motorists and motorcyclists have a common responsibility to safely share the road together…increasing safe riding and cooperation among all road users is essential to reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our nation’s highways.” (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Department of Transportation)

Aside from a helmet (when worn), a motorcyclist has little to no protection against the trauma of a vehicle collision. As lawyers who regularly work with victims of Chicago motorcycle accidents, we know that the results of a vehicle sideswiping a biker can be catastrophic. Head, neck, and spinal cord injuries are all very common in motorcycle accidents. In some cases these injuries can take many months to recover from, but in some cases victims will never fully recover.

Over two-thirds of the three million traffic injuries in the United States are permanent, and motorcyclists are no exception. The prospect of continual medical bills and the inability to work can be pretty intimidating, and every time our attorneys are able to recover a settlement or verdict for our clients, we hope to ease their burden. If you or someone you know has been killed or injured by the reckless or negligent actions of another driver, you do not have to accept being relegated to a hospital bed; we can help you take action to hold wrongdoers responsible while spreading public awareness surrounding the increase in motorcycle accident injuries and deaths.

Have you ever felt anxious driving next to a large semi truck or tractor-trailer? If you have you aren’t alone; the sheer mass of these enormous vehicles is enough to make the prospect of an accident a nightmare scenario. Truck accidents account for approximately one in every eight motor vehicle fatalities in the United States, and with annual revenues from the trucking industry ($610 billion last year) expected to nearly double by 2015, the number of fatalities could be on the rise.

A truck accident happens whenever a large (10,000 lbs. or more) trailer hits another vehicle or a pedestrian. There are about 500,000 of these accidents every year in the United States, and roughly 5,000 of them will result in one or more fatalities. It is important to know that when it comes to trucking accidents a staggering 98% of the victims are individuals in the smaller passenger vehicles involved, and that 68% occur in rural regions in contrast to other types of vehicle accidents. (Legal-Info)

Due partially to the increased use of tractor-trailers and semi trucks for cross-country shipping, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be conducting a workshop on May 13th and 14th to discuss issues related to fuel economy, vehicle mass reduction, and the effects of vehicle mass and size on vehicle safety. The workshop is being held at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C., and will be available to watch live online through an NHTSA affiliated website.

NHTSA researchers are optimistic about the benefits of these kinds of workshops, saying, “We want to bring together experts in the field to discuss questions that the NHTSA must grapple with when we establish the CAFE standards for model years 2022-2025 – like how much mass reduction will be feasible for different vehicles… and whether there will be safety effects as a result of that mass reduction.” These researchers will be working in coalition with other government officials, auto manufacturers, and supplier representatives to present some of the latest findings related to traffic safety, and are asking the public for both feedback and recommendations regarding present and future projects. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

According to the most recent statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation, nearly 10,000 tractor-trailer accidents occur annually in our state. Although our firm is headquartered in Chicago, our lawyers pride themselves on representing clients from all over Illinois, and providing them with the legal guidance they need to get the compensation they deserve. Recently, our firm recovered a $4.7 million settlement for the family of a young woman who was killed by an intoxicated semi truck driver. Her son and husband were seriously injured in the accident. This money was essential in allowing the family to make final arrangements and pay the family’s medical bills that resulted from the accident.

Whether your injury was the result of a truck driver being sleep deprived, intoxicated, having an overloaded, unsafe truck, or was the product of any other factor, our lawyers will provide you with the experience you need.

Sometimes you can do all the right things and still end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Practicing safe driving techniques everyday certainly decreases your likelihood of being in a car accident, but it is impossible to always account for the thousands of people that you share the road with every day. On average, there are more than 6 million motor vehicle accidents every year in the United States, and the total number of cars out there is steadily increasing. As a result, nearly every American old enough to drive has seen or been a part of at least one of these accidents in their lifetime.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of these collisions is that a majority of them are avoidable. Distracted, reckless, and aggressive driving are some of the most commonly cited causes of car accidents, claiming a new victim roughly every 12 minutes. Yesterday, police officers in pursuit of suspects in an early morning home invasion struck and killed a south side woman as she drove to work. (NHTSA)

According to reports, the chase started when officers were informed that the three suspects had committed a home invasion in the 7800 block of South Ellis Avenue, and had used a firearm. The pursuit began in the Grand Crossing neighborhood and ended shortly afterwards in Chicago’s South Shore, when the officer’s police SUV collided with a 2006 Pontiac. The victim, a 56-year-old woman, was pronounced dead shortly after, and the two officers were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A third car also received front-end damage, but the occupant was not seriously injured. Officials say that the SUV had its sirens and lights operating but could not determine whether the vehicle ran a red light during the chase, or how fast the vehicle was traveling when the collision happened.

As is the case with all police car chases, the department will review the incident to ensure that the officers followed proper procedures in pursuing the suspects. A spokesman noted that law enforcement officials must weigh the seriousness of each offense against the dangers of the subsequent chase, saying, “Officers are not allowed to chase suspects wanted for minor traffic offenses. But the suspects in Wednesday’s case committee a serious crime with a gun.” Shortly after the accident, another set of officers caught one of the three suspects a few blocks away, finding items taken during the home invasion in the vehicle. (Chicago Tribune)

As this case illustrates, it only takes one group of people choosing to break the law to drastically alter a community’s ability to drive safely. Our lawyers believe that if you drive safely and take all available precautions, you should not be left paying the bills or dealing with the tragic consequences that result from someone else’s negligence. If you or someone you know has had their life altered by a serious injury caused by someone else’s actions on the road, we are here to help.

If you are walking down the street today and you happen to see a teenager around, take a good look at their face. Chances are, it will only take you a few seconds to evaluate whether they are A: using all available restraint to keep from doing cartwheels up and down the street, or B: crying inside because they haven’t finished their final exams yet. In short, it is almost the summer for many of our sons and daughters enrolled in high school or college, and before long there will be many more young drivers on the road throughout the day.

Car accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths in the United States, and this particular demographics’ lack of experience makes them especially vulnerable to risk taking and distracted driving accidents. Last year, teenagers’ accounted for nearly 3,000 car accident fatalities, and roughly 282,000 drivers under the age of 20 were treated in various emergency rooms. Speaking more generally, this enhanced risk isn’t unique to teens alone.

Young drivers between 15 and 24 years of age make up only 14% of our nation’s population, but account for $19 billion, or 30%, of total motor vehicle injury costs among males, and $7 billion (28%) among females. One of the most hazardous tendencies is that of teenagers and young adults overestimating their driving ability, or simply being unable to properly evaluate the consequences of their actions due to lack of experience behind the wheel. This makes these individuals more likely to speed, make sudden maneuvers, and be distracted by other people within their car than any other sample population. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

Our firm shares more than 150 years of legal and medical experience between our 17 attorneys, and we have seen of the devastating affects of hundreds of serious car accident injuries since our firm was founded in 1992. We know that the excessive speeds and distractions that characterize teenage driving accidents can leave victims with debilitating and life changing injuries, making people feel like they have no where to turn. Our lawyers believe that every time someone gets behind the wheel of a car, they accept responsibility for the safety of themselves and everyone around them, and their actions should reflect this.

We are in the business of ensuring that if someone is killed or injured by the negligent or reckless actions of another party, they will never be left on the hook for the extensive medical bills and insurance costs that follow. In a recent case, our lawyers recovered a $6.5 million settlement for the family of a 32-year-old woman killed after her vehicle was rear-ended by a semi-truck. Although we know that no amount of money could ever fill the void left by a lost family member, this money is essential to allowing victims and families to make final arrangements, and pay their medical for future medical bills and insurance.

We hope you are never put in a position in which a reckless driver has injured yourself or someone you know, but if that day ever comes, know that you always have someone to turn to.

Whether you are living, working, or playing, Chicago is a wonderful place to be, especially during this time of year. Despite all its positive features, our lawyers understand that most people don’t want to spend all of their time in the city. Living among so many other people in a landscape of concrete can get a little old, and sometimes it’s just nice to get away. For more than 30 million Americans, an RV is the perfect way to hit the open road and leave the city behind them, but unfortunately some of those trips may have to be put on hold. (PRVCA)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is always recalling one thing or investigating another, and this is all done in an effort to make sure you and I are safe when we get behind the wheel. A few days ago, the agency announced that Winnebago Industries, Inc. would recall nearly 2,000 of their RV units due to potentially dangerous vehicle design defects.

The recall will affect various motorhome models produced between 2012 and 2014, including the Minnie Winnie, Aspect, Sightseer, Adventurer, Journey, Itasca Spirit, Cambria, Sunova, Suncruiser, and Meridian, which may be missing range enclosures. When a range enclosure is not present it can extinguish gas range flames due to the airflow around the vehicle. However, even when the gas range flame is not active, propane will continue to flow into the compartment, and if ignited, could suddenly combust in a fiery explosion. Winnebago has notified owners and dealers of their models that they will be installing a range enclosure in each vehicle that needs it starting at the end of May, free of change. (safercar.gov)

In this situation, Winnebago serves as an example of what should be done to keep drivers safe in the midst of dangerous design and manufacturing errors. They promptly notified the NHTSA of their intention for a recall, and may have saved many of their customers from serious injury in doing so. However, when a company does not act responsibly while designing, producing, or distributing their products, the injuries that result from their carelessness may give victims a cause of action against the negligent party, and entitle them to compensation.

In a case with similar circumstances, but a lack of company action, our lawyers were able to recover a $3 million settlement from a car manufacturer that inadequately designed the fuel delivery system within one of their car models. This resulted in a fuel-fed fire that killed the vehicles occupants following a collision. This money provided the families of the victims to make final arrangements and pay necessary expenses, and ensured that the auto manufacturer was held accountable for their lack of reasonable caution.

If you or a family member has been injured because of the negligent or reckless action of another person or organization, our lawyers will make sure you are not alone in your recovery.

Well, it looks like the nice weather is here to stay, so our lawyers thought it would be best to keep the ball rolling with more information on your favorite summer activities. In our last post we talked about the negative effects associated with pedestrian car accidents, but bicycle accidents are an equally important subject to touch on as the temperature starts to rise.

Roughly 20 million bicycles are sold each year in the United States, and Chicago is an especially bike crazed city. While bikes are a low impact, fun way to get and stay healthy, they are not always easy to for other drivers to see, especially when riding in blind spots or quickly crossing a street. In 2011, 677 bicyclists lost their lives in motor vehicle-bicycle traffic accidents, and another 50,000 were seriously injured. In a time of technological innovation, increased regulation, and cutting edge safety measures, bicycling is one of the few areas where we have seen a rise in total fatalities over the past few years. (League of American Bicyclists)

About 70% of these accidents occur in urban areas, and new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims that if you are in you are a male in your mid forties or early fifties, you are especially at risk of being killed by a vehicle. Younger bicyclists, such as the 16-20 year-old demographic are the most likely group to be hit by a vehicle, but more times than not they are able to escape with only injuries. What many people don’t know is that while a significant amount of vehicle-bicycle accidents require a trip to the emergency room, these visits are not tallied when determining annual totals, so the 50,000 injuries listed above represent the most severe cases among the more than 500,000 people visiting hospitals because of accidents every year. (NHTSA)

Similar to a pedestrian, bicycles offer little to protect their operator from the vehicles around them, and this significantly increases the potential for internal injuries. Since the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act in 1991, the federal government has been allotting more and more money for the development of cycling and walking facilities in the United States, but until all bicyclists are free from sharing pavement with vehicles, it is always important to practice the utmost caution. If you ride bikes remember to wear fluorescent and brightly colored clothing and a helmet whenever you are out riding, and think about using retro-reflective tape or a mounted light after dark. If you are a driver, little things like making sure to look out for cyclists and check your blind spots before opening doors when parked on the sides of streets can mean the difference between a good afternoon cardio exercise and a trip to the ER. These are just some of the more basic measures in preventing bicycle injuries and deaths, but they are also some of the most important.

If you or a loved one has been killed or injured due to the careless actions of another person on the road, feel free to give us a call to see how we can work for you.

The temperature in Chicago is expected to rise above 80 degrees for the first time in what feels like ages today, and many urban dwellers are hoping and praying that this spring weather is here to stay. Chicago is a wonderful place to be during the summer. Whether you choose to spend your summer days along Lake Michigan, shopping on the Magnificent Mile, at Navy Pier, exploring Millennium Park, or just strolling down the sidewalks among the multitudinous outdoor restaurants, walking anywhere in Chicago is an experience in and of itself. However, our lawyers want to remind you that as the temperature rises for the spring, so too do the number of pedestrian car accidents.

Whether you are in the suburbs, the country, or in the middle of the Loop, the unfortunate reality of the matter is that many drivers do not actively look out for pedestrians when getting from point A to point B. This sort of negligent and reckless driving results in more than 4,000 deaths per year, and adds on another 70,000 injuries. To put that into perspective, that is one crash related pedestrian death every two hours, and an injury every 8 minutes. (Center for Disease Control)

Today, authorities from the southeast suburb of Summit are investigating the details of an accident that left a 47-year-old man dead on Monday morning. According to reports from the medical examiner’s office, the man was unloading material from a parked vehicle when a car hit struck him. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene just before 6 a.m.

Although most statistics show that our country is getting gradually safer when it comes to pedestrian accidents, those positive statistical trends don’t mean anything if a reckless driver has seriously injured you or someone that you love. At Levin & Perconti our lawyers understand that these statistics are not just collections of numbers, they represent real people. Each case is unique, and we know that many of our clients have been injured so badly that they are relegated to a hospital bed, and are forced to take on the burden of more and more medical bills with no way of earning income or returning to work to make a living.

With more than two million permanent injuries caused by car accidents each year, we have provided a helping hand to families in need for more than twenty years, and we are committed to ensuring that no one has to pay for the careless mistakes of someone else. In recent years we have taken on public transit, insurance companies, and even the City of Chicago to make sure that our clients would be able to live with their injuries and feel capable and confident that they can move forward with their life. In the latter case, our attorney’s reached a $10 million settlement for a 5-year-old boy who was ran over by a Chicago Fire Department truck, and this money allowed him and his family to pay for the extensive surgeries and pending medical care associated with his accident.

If you or someone you know has been hurt or injured by someone else’s negligence, feel free to give us a call, and find out how we can help you.

Shortly after our lawyers published the latest blog entry on the subject of distracted driving on Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a new set of manufacturer guidelines that they believe will reduce in-car distractions and hopefully reduce the incidence of personal injury or wrongful death as the result of distracted driving accidents.

The U.S. Transportation Secretary released the new guidelines to encourage auto manufacturers to limit the potential risk of distraction when designing electronic devices for their vehicles. “Combined with good laws, good enforcement, and good education, these guidelines can save lives,” said the Secretary, “these guidelines recognize that today’s drivers appreciate technology, while providing automakers with a way to balance the innovation consumers want with the safety we all need.”

Issued by the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the guidelines recommend specific criteria for designing the electronic devices that are installed in vehicles going forward, and include proposed limits for the amount of time drivers must take their eyes off the road, or their hands off the wheel. The DOT also recommends that in the future several electronic operations should be disabled within vehicles unless the vehicle is stopped or in park, including all video entertainment, media browsing, and manual text entry systems to name a few. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; U.S. Department of Transportation)

Our attorneys known that roughly 400,000 people were injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers last year alone. In response to this growing social and economic toll, the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been spearheading their Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving plan in the United States for the past three years, and are hoping these guidelines will lend further momentum to their cause. (Distraction.gov)

More and more adolescents and young adults now have cell phones and social media electronics, and their lack of experience behind the wheel makes them especially vulnerable to the deleterious effects of taking their eyes of the road. Although distracted driving is a problem for the entire population, it is important to emphasize safe driving skills to children early on, and educate them of the responsibilities that come with operating a vehicle in order to make our future safer than our present.

Our lawyers have recovered more than $520 million for our clients since our office opened 21 years ago, including a number of settlements for car accident victims. Even if you are a safe driver, others may not follow the rules of the road. When people are injured as a result of the reckless actions of others, our attorneys may be able to provide help for you and your family when you need it most.

There are 6 million car accidents in the United States each year, caused by a multitude of factors. On average, these accidents will injure about three million people annually, and two million of them will never fully recover. While the exact cause of many of these accidents can not always be available for analysis, one thing is clear, a staggering number of them were avoidable. Reckless behavior like driving under the influence and speeding make up huge portions of this data, and that goes to show you that your choice to drive safely everyday really can lower your risk for personal injury and will also help protect the lives of others on the road. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

This weekend, the Illinois State Police intend to do their part in reducing traffic accidents by conducting a Roadside Safety Check in Springfield and throughout Sangamon Country. In an Illinois Department of Transportation sponsored even starting on Friday and running through Sunday, officers will be watching intently for drivers who might be operating their vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended license, or who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Illinois State Police has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to impaired driving, and these Roadside Safety Checks are designed to keep others safe by taking dangerous offenders off the road before they have the chance to hurt someone. (WAND-17 News)

While drunk driving and speeding are issues of paramount importance for law enforcement officials, our law firm reminds readers that we must also look for ways to reduce distractions among drivers. With the rapidity of development and innovation in the technological sector, a driver has to both process and tune out more distractions behind the wheel than ever before. Driving a vehicle requires full attention on the part of the driver, and anything that diverts one’s awareness away from the road can be potentially hazardous. Whether it’s using a cell phone, eating food, applying your makeup, or the presence of multiple passengers, all distractions significantly increase the likelihood of becoming a statistic.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers represent clients who are injured or killed as a result of another driver’s reckless or negligent actions.. We know the deleterious effects that these crashes can have on a victim and his or her family, and this is why we work hard to fight for the compensation that these victims deserve. Recently our attorneys recovered an $820,000 settlement for one of our clients that had been so badly injured in an auto accident that he had to undergo multiple reconstructive surgeries just to return his life to relative normality.

Each lawyer at our firm cares about of the emotional and financial well-being of our clients, and our team is committed to making sure victims of negligence will never be held financially responsible for the reckless or negligent actions of others.

An automobile is a dangerous place to be. Every 12 minutes or so, one person dies because of a car accident in the United States. That means that in any given year the 6 million car accidents on our roadways will claim more than 40,000 lives. With more and more cars being added to the road each year, the auto industry isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, but they aren’t the only industry ramping up their efforts to serve our nations citizens.

For the last 35 years, the Human Injury Research and Applied Biomechanics Divisions of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Vehicle Safety Research has been conducting studies aimed at advancing scientific knowledge in biomechanics in order to “enhance motor vehicle occupant safety through regulatory and non-regulatory efforts, and support the NHTSA’s mission to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes.”

The NHTSA recently announced the development of one such research program to assist in the development and subsequent evaluation of new vehicle occupant safety systems. The THOR Advanced Crash Test Dummy Program has developed some of the most technologically cutting edge crash test models to date, incorporating significantly improved biofidelity measures and expanded injury assessment capabilities for all areas of the body.

To simplify the trauma that a typical car accident does to a person’s body, we must think in terms of collisions and momentum. Most people characterize a car accident as one impact, however when a driver collides with another vehicle, three separate collisions occur. The first collision involves the vehicles momentum being abruptly stopped by another object, while the second occurs when the passengers in the vehicle collide with the interior of the car. The third and most damaging collision happens when a passenger or pedestrian’s internal organs collide with their body. These are the types of collisions that research programs like THOR are aimed at preventing, and these are the collisions that injure three million Americans each year, two-thirds of them permanently. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

Our lawyers possess over 130 years of legal and medical experience. We have an intimate knowledge of the steps that need to be taken in incidents of spinal cord damage, severely broken bones, or traumatic brain injury. In one such case, our attorneys recovered $2.07 million in compensation for a woman who suffered multiple leg injuries in an auto collision. This money allowed our client to pay for her medical costs, and was a crucial factor in facilitating her rehabilitation.

Permanent traumatic injuries can be extremely difficult to live with on one’s own. Many victims of these accidents require frequent attention and assistance, as well as routine medical visits. This kind of care can cost millions of dollars over a lifetime, and that is why it is crucial for anyone who has been critically injured by a reckless or negligent driver to have someone to fight for the compensation that they deserve. If you or a loved one would like to inquire about a possible case, please call us for a free consultation.