Illinois and Missouri Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Dealing with downed power lines after a car crash

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

It happens 3,000 times per year: a vehicle slams into an electric power pole somewhere in Illinois. In some cases, the driver of a car will lose control of the vehicle and crash into a power pole. In other cases, the pole is hit as part of a motor vehicle accident involving two or more vehicles.

A power company spokesperson recently said that after a person crashes into a power pole, their first impulse is to get out of the vehicle. The spokesperson said that first impulse should be ignored. He said that it’s safer to stay in the vehicle and wait for first responders and power company workers to arrive and give you the okay to exit your car safely.

Beware fake bicycle helmets: They could lead to injury

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Bicycle Accidents on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

You’ve probably heard of people selling fake designer watches and fake luxury purses on street corners, or on remote corners of the internet. However, there is a new type of counterfeit that could cause much worse damage than simply wasting your money. Counterfeit bicycle helmets have entered the online market, and they could cause serious injury to you or the cyclists in your life.

Why are counterfeit helmets dangerous?

The dangers of road construction work

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Friday, September 14, 2018.

While often much-maligned in everyday conversation, road construction plays a major role in keeping our state’s roads safe and in good operation. So, those who work in road construction provide society with a very important service. One would hope such workers would have as safe of a work environment as possible when doing this.

Unfortunately, construction workers can face significant safety hazards when doing road work. These can lead to accidents that have major, and sometimes deadly, consequences. This can be seen in a recent report by the Center for Construction Research and Training.

Driven to distraction

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.

When you’re driving around the Edwardsville area, it’s not unusual at all to spot drivers talking on their phones or looking at their phones rather than keeping their attention focused on the traffic and streets. Unfortunately, the inattention to vehicles and traffic signals often winds up causing motor vehicle accidents and injuries.

A recent survey of American drivers uncovered an interesting fact about which age group uses their phones the most while driving. While you might reasonably expect that the youngest drivers are the ones most likely to phone-gaze, you would be wrong. Millennials (born from the early 1980s to late 1990s) are actually worse than the younger members of Generation Z (born in the late ‘90s and onward).

How likely can you recover hit-and-run damages?

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. on Monday, September 3, 2018.

When a negligent driver hits your vehicle in Illinois, that is bad enough. If (s)he then flees the scene, that is even worse. It places you in the immediate unfair position of having to identify him or her if at all possible. Unfortunately, statistics show that if neither you nor law enforcement officers identify the hit-and-run driver within a few hours after the accident, his or her identity may forever remain a mystery. Consequently, you must begin your identification attempts as quickly as possible.

If you are driving when the hit-and-run occurs, try to remain clear-headed enough to look at and memorize the fleeing vehicle’s license plate number. Pull over as soon as you can safely do so and write the number down before you forget it. In the likely event that you have no paper and pen with you, text the number to one of your friends or family members. If you happen to remember anything about the fleeing vehicle, such as its make, model, color, unusual bumper stickers, etc., include this information in the text.

Drunk driving an increased risk with upcoming holiday

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Friday, August 17, 2018.

Summer is coming to an end as Labor Day weekend fast approaches. With the increased number of activities to enjoy over the holiday weekend comes the added risk of impaired driving and dangerous Illinois roadways.

More than 10,000 people die every year in the United States because drivers choose to get behind the wheel drunk. July, August and September tend to bring the drunk driving deaths each year, in part because of holidays like the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

Illinois making changes to its texting-while-driving laws

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

Texting while driving is against the law in Illinois. However, many drivers in the state continue to engage in this dangerous driving behavior. Distracted driving, including texting-while-driving, is a significant cause of auto crashes here in Illinois and in the rest of the United States.

Recently, Illinois’ governor signed a new law which will strengthen the penalties for texting while driving in the state.

Fender bender? Are red-light cameras to blame?

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, August 6, 2018.

In 2015, The Illinois house limited the number of cities that can have red-light cameras installed. While many cities no longer have them, Edwardsville is considered a “home-rule” community, meaning they can keep using red-light cameras to regulate traffic violations.

A recent study shows that red-light cameras may not do any good in stopping traffic violations, and possibly even lead to more accidents overall. More cars will slam on their brakes rather than risking a ticket for running a red light. The excessive force at which the stop causes many rear-end collisions.

What happens if a car crashes into your house?

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, July 27, 2018.

Imagine. It’s the middle of the night, and you’re sleeping in your bed. Suddenly there’s a loud crash, like a bomb or some other kind of explosion. You rush downstairs, only to find a car where your living room couch used to be. Instead of a wall, there’s just a gaping hole leading to your front yard.

While it’s an unlikely scenario, these kinds of accidents do happen. If you find yourself in this unthinkable position, what should you do?

How to do your part to stop distracted driving

On behalf of Johnston Law of Johnston Law Offices, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

Sometimes it might seem like you have a million things going on all at once. Between work, family and friends there is constant activity all around you. With the rise of technology, all of this activity is immediately accessible, too.

While this time of accessibility and connectivity is good, it also presents potential dangers. Distracted driving is a large problem in today’s society and this is largely due to the digital age. Though you may be tempted to multitask while you drive, this can be extremely dangerous.