Springfield Illinois Personal Injury Blog

Perhaps you have seen drivers using their phones as traffic inches by an accident scene. Drivers may be using their cellphones to call home and let their family know they will be late for dinner, or may be texting to let others know to avoid the area of the wreck. Unless drivers are calling to report an Illinois car accident to emergency personnel, however, using a cellphone near the scene of a crash may soon be banned.

In legislation that passed the Illinois House earlier this month, drivers would be barred from using their phones in a 500 foot radius of any emergency scene where warning lights are flashing. An exception allows drivers to call to report an emergency. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Smithtown).

You may not think of a supermarket as an obviously dangerous place to work. According to a recent Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC) ruling, however, under the right circumstances such a facility may be found to expose employees to a higher risk of injury than members of the general public. Therefore, those employees may be eligible for Illinois workers' compensation benefits.

The case the Commission recently ruled on dealt with a cashier working at a produce market. The woman was injured when an out of control delivery vehicle drove through the market's window wall. Several customers at the store also sustained injuries in the crash.

If you have been driving in Illinois recently, you may have begun seeing yellow dots on cars in the lower corner of rear windshields. These yellow decals are part of a statewide initiative to provide important medical information about vehicle occupants to first responders.

In the event of Illinois motor vehicle accident, the yellow dots alert first responders that vital medical information about a vehicle's drivers or passengers is located in the vehicle's glove compartment. The medical card in the glove compartment gives the participant's name and provides a photo identifying them. The card also lists their emergency contact, physician, and medical information including allergies, current medications and health conditions, and recent surgeries.

As winter gears up, driving becomes more treacherous. To ease the transition into the icy season, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois State Police have launched a safe-driving campaign called "Ice and Snow - Take It Slow."

Illinois car accidents can cause severe injuries, in addition to financial difficulties that may arise from the accident. The "Ice and Snow - Take It Slow" campaign offers tips that could help keep you and your family safe in Illinois' frigid winter conditions.