With around 27,000 annual arrests for driving under the influence in Illinois, drunk driving is harshly enforced and prosecuted. Still, the court system recognizes that even citizens with flawless driving records make mistakes and that stripping an individual of their driver’s license can make life extremely difficult, especially when it affects a person’s ability to get to work every day.

Some DUI offenders are eligible to keep their driving privileges with the installation and use of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device (BAIID) in their vehicle. Around 10,000 Illinoisans currently utilize this system in order to complete necessary daily tasks.

What Is a BAIID?

A BAIID only allows a vehicle to start after the driver passes a breathalyzer test. The driver must also pass periodic tests while the vehicle is in use. A camera also captures an image of the driver as they take the breath test. All results are sent to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, which performs audits of the information and revokes BAIID use if there is evidence of DUI or tampering with the device.

Accidents happen, and if you have been injured or fallen ill at work, you may be wondering how you are going to pay all your medical bills. If you are unable to work due to your injury or work-related illness, this can compound your issues, and you are probably worried about the bills that are piling up. Fortunately, you may qualify to receive workers' compensation, but in order to receive these benefits, you must follow the proper procedures. 

What Qualifies As a Work-Related Injury or Illness

According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, workers’ compensation covers a wide range of issues affecting employees. An injury due to an accident at work is an obvious one, but some people may not realize that they may also be able to receive workers’ comp for gradual injuries, such as those caused by repetitive motions when performing job duties, a heart attack brought on by mental or physical stress at work, or worsening of a pre-existing condition due to work conditions. 

Steps to Take Advantage of Workers’ Compensation

In order to qualify for workers’ compensation, you will need to see a doctor or go to a hospital, as needed, in order to assess the situation and show that it is work-related. If it is, your employer must, by law, cover the costs of your appointments and procedures. So that you can get that coverage, you will need to inform your employer of your condition within 45 days of it happening. Your employer must report any accidents that keep you from work for multiple days.

A car accident is an overwhelming experience for most people. Many accident victims find that it is difficult to maintain rational thought following the crash, or even for days and weeks later. However, taking immediate action can make a difference between winning and losing a personal injury case. That is, the decisions you make can mean the difference between being compensated for your medical costs and being required to pay for them on your own. If your injuries are so severe that you are unable to complete any of the suggested tasks, your attorney can rush to the scene to gather any evidence available.

Why Photos and Videos Are So Important

Today, everyone has the potential to be a photographer due to the availability of camera technology on our smartphones. When it comes to a car accident, the camera may be the last feature you think of on your phone. However, after you contact the authorities and seek any necessary medical attention, use the camera and video function on your phone to capture photographic evidence of the scene. This compelling evidence can be used to demonstrate how the accident happened, who was at fault, any damages incurred, road conditions, and more. Most importantly, photographs can provide details of any injuries sustained and any negligence on the part of the other driver.

Capturing Helpful Evidence

As a general rule of thumb, it is better to have too many pictures than not to have enough, but it is essential to have the right images to build substantial evidence to support your case. Take as many pictures as you can, because you never know what evidence you may capture without realizing it. You should try to capture information about anything related to the accident, including photos from multiple angles. Suggested subjects include:

The most important person to speak to after you have been injured in a personal injury accident is your doctor.  For many reasons, seeking and obtaining the appropriate medical treatment should be of paramount importance after you have been injured.  However, if your injuries have been caused by another person, that person’s insurance company is going to seek to take your (usually recorded) statement as soon as possible.  This initial communication can determine how much of your health or other expenses the company will cover.  You should think twice before speaking to the adjuster immediately after your accident.

The goal of an insurance adjuster is to get you to admit complete or partial fault or downplay your injuries so that the company can save money. That is why the insurance company may contact you immediately after a vehicle accident or other injury. This is commonly when you are least prepared to talk to them.  There are several reasons why you should not conduct a recorded interview with an insurance adjuster without consulting your personal injury attorney:  First, if an insurance adjuster calls you the day of (or the day after) your accident, you may honestly answer that you do not feel injured.  Unfortunately, it is common not to notice some of your injuries until a couple of days after the incident. Once the adjuster has your statement on record, the insurance company can use it against you when determining your claim.  Furthermore, even when you know you have been hurt after an accident, you will not know the full extent of your injuries until after seeing a medical professional. You should not speculate about your injuries–your statement may contradict your official diagnosis, creating confusion.  You may also find yourself mentally or emotionally vulnerable in the hours and days after an accident. You have suffered through a traumatic experience that may prevent you from thinking clearly. You do not want to be held accountable for statements you made when you were upset or exhausted.

The most time-consuming part of personal injury litigation falls under the broad category of “discovery.” Once a lawsuit has been filed and preliminary motions are addressed, the attorneys must begin the process of literally discovering how strong or weak each party’s case is. In order to do that, your attorney has to do a considerable amount of factual research.

The first step of this phase is to issue written discovery. Written discovery consists of four primary types of documents: (1) written interrogatories; (2) requests for production of documents; (3) requests for admission of facts; and (4) third party subpoenas. These documents are requested and generated with the purpose of finding out any and all relevant information, and in particular, any evidence that may support the other party’s position by presentation at trial. The duration of the written discovery phase can range from months to more than a year, depending on the complexity of the litigation and the willingness of the opposing sides to cooperate with one another. Although the length of this process may be extremely frustrating to litigants, thorough discovery is an important step to assembling a winning case, or to help the parties reach a reasonable settlement.