Illinois Drivers: Make Sure Your Backseat Riders Buckle Up in 2012

In an earlier post, we outlined a number of new Illinois laws that recently went into effect with the start of 2012. One of those laws requires that everyone in a vehicle buckle up, including backseat riders. Previously, backseat riders over 18 were exempt from the requirement to use a seatbelt, but effective January 1, […]

Bicyclists on the road with vehicles

U.S. Car Accident Map and Chicago Bicycle Accident Map

According to the Guardian UK Datablog, there were 369,269 deaths on U.S. roadways between 2001 and 2009. The accidents that caused these deaths involved cars, trucks, cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. It’s such a large figure that it’s difficult to wrap your mind around it. Although these tragic losses are nearly incomprehensible, the Datablog offers an […]

The importance of strong expert testimony in a products liability case

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently considered whether a plaintiff in a products liability case had met his burden on a summary judgment motion in Bielskis v. Louisville Ladder Inc., 2011 WL 5829771. In this case, the plaintiff, an acoustical ceiling carpenter, was injured while working at a construction site […]

Chicago to install speeding cameras

Last week, we discussed the safety issues presented when municipalities outsource the maintenance of red light cameras and in the past, we’ve discussed the continuing debate about the efficacy of red light cameras. Now, in Chicago, there are concerns regarding the new proposal to install speed cameras at Chicago intersections located near schools and city […]