Posted on September 05,2024 in Car Accidents

You probably know that you may be entitled to compensation if you are injured in a car accident caused by someone else. Many of these collisions only involve two vehicles, making it easier to determine why and how they occurred. When the fault for causing your injuries is apparent, you know who should pay your damages.

What if you are involved in a chain-reaction motor vehicle pileup? Where do you even begin when filing your accident claim? Multiple-vehicle crashes have many potential complications, but a knowledgeable lawyer from Kanoski Bresney can help you navigate them successfully.

Determining Liability in Chain-Reaction Crashes

Pileups involving several vehicles are actually the result of a series of individual crashes. One car may be hit multiple times by different vehicles. The more vehicles that are involved, the more complicated determining liability becomes. Sometimes, an accident reconstruction is necessary to show the order in which each collision happened.

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 Posted on August 30,2024 in Nursing Home Abuse

When our aging loved ones can no longer care for themselves, many families choose nursing home facilities to provide that care. Often portrayed as places that address all patient needs, the unfortunate fact is that many nursing homes fail to deliver the required standards of care.

Many patients are unable to inform their families about abuse or neglect, while others may be scared to say anything. What are some of the most common harmful incidents at nursing homes? What signs should you look for? What should you do if you suspect neglect or abuse? The compassionate attorneys from Kanoski Bresney can help you hold these facilities accountable.

What Are Common Injuries at Nursing Homes?

Unexplained or suspicious nursing home injuries are potential red flags that may indicate neglect or intentional abuse. Common injuries and accidents include:

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 Posted on August 21,2024 in Personal Injury

When you are injured because of someone else’s intentional act or negligence, you probably know that you may qualify to receive a settlement through a personal injury claim. One of the first questions you likely have is how much your settlement will be. The answer: It depends.

Various factors influence the amount of compensation you may obtain. If you do not know how eligible damages are calculated, you might accept a low settlement offer that does not fully cover your expenses and related losses. Your attorney from Kanoski Bresney can help you get the highest possible amount.

What Damages May Be Available in Your IL Personal Injury Claim?

In personal injury cases, damages are sums of money you may receive as reimbursement or compensation. These damages are categorized, with differing criteria for each category.

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 Posted on August 12,2024 in Car Accidents

Did you know that driving with a crack in your windshield that obstructs your vision is illegal in Illinois? Not only does it break the law, but it can also affect your liability if you are involved in a car accident. Other vehicle maintenance issues may also affect your case. If you have been involved in an accident and your car’s windshield was already cracked, a skilled personal injury lawyer from Kanoski Bresney can help.

What Kinds of Car Issues Can Affect Your Claim?

Every driver is legally obligated to use reasonable care to avoid causing an accident and harming others. When drivers fail to provide this duty of care, and that failure leads to an injury accident, they are considered negligent.

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 Posted on August 05,2024 in Personal Injury

Springfield, IL and its surrounding area are home to thousands of businesses, multiple higher-education institutions, various government-owned properties, and commercial and residential rental spaces. The parties responsible for all these places must keep them safe for customers, visitors, residents, and other invited guests.

While things like repairing broken handrails and ensuring adequate lighting meet these requirements, proper security is also needed. If negligent security contributes to the commission of a crime that injures you, you may qualify to file a premises liability claim. Holding the negligent party accountable can be challenging unless you have experienced legal representation. When you work with a personal injury attorney from Kanoski Bresney, we will fight to see that you get the most possible compensation for your injuries and other related losses.

What Is Negligent Security?

Under the Illinois Premises Liability Act, property owners and occupiers, such as businesses that rent or lease the property, are required to use reasonable care to protect the safety of others who are legally on their premises. If the responsible party does not meet their obligations and an injury occurs, the injured person may be able to obtain compensation.

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 Posted on July 30,2024 in Car Accidents

If you file a claim with an insurance company after a car accident, you may not realize that your goal and the insurance company’s goal are in direct opposition. Your goal is to collect as much compensation for damages as possible, while the company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible. Insurers have become very skilled at finding any reason to reduce your payout or not to pay you at all. They have developed clever tactics to do this, which this article will discuss.

Hiring an Illinois car accident lawyer is the best way to make sure you walk away with the most compensation possible. Once you retain legal representation, the insurance company is forced to negotiate with your attorney.

Here are three tactics commonly used by insurance companies to reduce your compensation after a car accident.

Private Investigators

Insurance companies sometimes hire private investigators to follow personal injury victims and conduct surveillance on their activities. The aim is to find out if the victim’s claims are true. The process works as follows:

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 Posted on July 22,2024 in Workers' Compensation

Employees who suffer injuries on the job are sometimes entitled to workers’ compensation. This can include reimbursement for medical expenses and/or lost wages from being on medical leave. According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, an employee can seek compensation for injuries "arising out of and in the course of employment." 

A question often asked is: does that include work-related travel? If I am injured on the way to or from work, am I eligible for workers’ compensation? This is addressed by the going and coming rule, which this article will discuss. If you believe you have suffered a work-related injury, consult an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney to find out if you qualify to bring a claim.

What Is the Going and Coming Rule?

The going and coming rule is a law that says an employee is generally not eligible for workers’ compensation if he or she is injured on the way to or from work. This is because most of the time the commute is not considered part of the employment, which is why many employees are not paid for travel time. Another legal angle to consider is that your employer is not gaining any benefit from you traveling to and from work. Your work itself benefits your employer but your driving to the office does not.

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 Posted on July 12,2024 in Personal Injury

If you slip and fall in a store, you may be able to bring a personal injury claim against the owner. If you are hit by a public bus, you may be able to demand compensation from the local government. If you are injured by a drunk driver, you may be able to bring a claim against the establishment that served the alcohol. But what can you do if you are injured at a backyard barbecue? Can you sue a private individual for an injury you suffered while at his or her residence?

Personal injuries sustained at a backyard barbecue are similar to injuries sustained elsewhere: your ability to bring a claim depends on whether another party was negligent. It also depends on the type of injury. Contact an Illinois personal injury attorney about your specific injury to find out if you can claim compensation for damages.

What Is Negligence?

When someone is negligent, it means he or she did not take the basic care to avoid causing injuries as a reasonable person would have taken in the same situation. 

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 Posted on July 03,2024 in Personal Injury

When people hear the words "personal injury," they usually think about a wound or broken limb. When they think about damages resulting from the injury, they often imagine lost wages, medical bills, car repairs, or other types of economic damages.

However, little attention is given to the non-economic impacts of some personal injuries. Depending on the incident, the victim, and the circumstances, a person can suffer emotional and psychological trauma from an injury. With so much focus on recovering financial expenses, however, emotional trauma is often overlooked.

Illinois law recognizes this, which is why personal injury victims can sometimes sue for damages like emotional distress and pain and suffering. Even though these are not financial losses, a victim can be compensated for them. Emotional distress is not easy to prove, however, so make sure to hire an Illinois emotional distress lawyer to argue your case.

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 Posted on June 27,2024 in Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are typically much more dangerous than car accidents. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from 2022, motorcyclists were four times more likely to be injured in a crash than car passengers. They were also 22 times more likely to die. Even though motorcycles are a small minority of vehicles on the road, they accounted for 15 percent of all traffic deaths in 2022 with 6,218 fatalities.

The main reason why motorcyclists experience more injuries and deaths in collisions is that they are less protected. Drivers and passengers in cars have airbags and seatbelts and are surrounded by a metal frame. Motorcyclists, on the other hand, have only protective gear to shield them in an accident. Failing to wear that gear is dangerous and can affect your ability to claim compensation for injuries in a crash.

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