If you have been recently involved in a car accident, slip and fall (premises liability), or other type of personal injury, it is important to take these necessary steps to ensure you can get the most out of your settlement. Sharks At Law can ensure you maximize your settlement amount by following these steps: 1. Have a settlement amount in mind. By putting together your demand letter, you have figured out a range of what you believe your settlement is worth. Before doing anything else, decide what is the minimum…Read More
Even though there are mandatory automobile insurance requirements in Illinois, many drivers are uninsured or underinsured for the damages and injuries caused in an accident. Most people think that you cannot recover damages if an uninsured motorist hits you. However, when an accident occurs, you may have a claim for underinsured motorist benefits. The thing to remember is this: always call a lawyer to review your options. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you when you are hit by an uninsured driver. Generally, the policy will pay damages to the policyholder for…Read More
We were pleased to see our principal attorney written up in the newest issue of the Chicago Lawyer magazine. The article, out this week, was written by Roy Strom, gives an excellent overview of the CBA’s efforts to enhance the future of the profession. Our favorite quote? “A law degree is like radioactive material. It has a half-life when its not being used.”Read More
Traffic laws must be obeyed to protect everyone using sidewalks, streets, and highways. It is necessary to follow the orders of a police officer, firefighter, highway authority official or uniformed adult school crossing guard performing his or her official duties. The driving public needs to be aware of and avoid hazardous driving behaviors in order to decrease traffic injuries and fatalities. New traffic laws in Illinois became effective on January 1, 2014—it is important to be aware of these changes. Cellphone Use Unless using a hands-free device or Blue Tooth technology,…Read More
Chicago is a large metropolitan city with high motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. In fact, walking and biking are the preferred modes of transportation for Chicagoans. There are many advantages to bicycling such as improving your health, saving time and money, and helping the environment. Most of all, biking is fun as many destinations are accessible through Chicago’s bikeway network. However, bicyclists are highly susceptible to accidents since they share the road with motorists. Over 500,000 Americans are treated in emergency departments and more than 700 Americans die each…Read More
In recent years the buzz of autonomous cars has gotten louder and louder and with technology continually rising this buzz or idea is now a reality for many companies. An autonomous car, or self-driving car is a robotic vehicle that uses sensory detection, computer vision and GPS to navigate from one destination to the next with little to no human manipulation. The National Highway Traffic Administration has created a classification system that categorizes how autonomous a car is depending on how much manipulation is needed by a human. Level 0: The…Read More
Social media has changed the way that we interact and communicate with each other, as well as impacted the kind of personal information that is available to the public. Seventy-two percent of internet users are active on social media, Facebook has more than 1.15 billion users, Twitter has more than 550 million users, and about two billion videos are viewed daily on YouTube. As our reliance on social media increases, lawyers and investigators continue to use social media networks to inform their personal injury cases. In personal injury cases, various…Read More
This past snow storm, recorded as the fifth largest snowfall in Chicago’s history took the lives of over 12 people in shoveling accidents. A Cook County medical examiner concluded that the deaths of 12 men and 1 woman were related to the strain of shoveling snow. Of the 12 men, 3 collapsed in the snow and had a heart attack. Shoveling snow is a task people typically don’t enjoy for a number of undesirable reasons. Most of the time we look at the task as something we don’t want to…Read More
Most motorists drive defensively, take driver education courses, and use caution when on the road, however car accidents still occur. An auto collision can be an emotionally exhausting and stressful situation, so knowing what to do in advance can help you handle the unexpected. The best way to avoid problems after an accident is to be prepared. Keep a pen, piece of paper, camera, and a copy of your insurance card easily accessible at all times. Drivers are responsible for knowing what to do following an accident, so it is…Read More
1. Get Info – After a crash, you are almost guaranteed to be in some level of shock. Your brain will have a hard time processing what just happened to you. You will feel surprised, scared, and possibly injured. Nonetheless, it is important to get all the information surrounding the accident. If possible, make sure you find out: a. The name, address and phone number of the other drivers and passengers in the accident; b. The police department that responded to your accident and the Traffic Crash Report number; c.…Read More
