No driver wants to hit an innocent animal while they are driving, yet accidents involving a car and an animal happen all the time. If you’re in an accident with an animal, can you hold someone liable for the damage to your car? Can the animal’s owner, if there is one, hold you liable for…
Halloween night often has busy streets that are packed with motorists and trick-or-treaters alike. With so many people on the roads, it is important that you prioritize safety first and foremost if you are heading out on Halloween. Before you drive anywhere, check out this quick list of Halloween driving safety tips. Stay sober: Drunk…
What Is a Seizure? A seizure is a medical condition caused by neurological damage or deficiencies. When an electrical impulse in the brain is unable to reach its intended destination or otherwise “misfires,” it can cause a seizure. Although many types of seizures are caused by identifiable seizures, a rare few are not, which means…
Most workers don’t want to get in trouble with their employer, even when they know that their employer is doing something wrong. Unfortunately, this type of thinking contributes to many unsafe workplaces around the country. The people who see something is unsafe are the same ones who are worried about reporting it. The conflict begs…
Construction accidents can be entirely prevented in the vast majority of incidents. They usually happen because someone was not being as safe or as mindful as the jobsite required them to be. As such, it is important for every worker on a construction site to know how to report any jobsite hazards they encounter. Otherwise,…
As we reported in a previous blog entry, there are about 3 fatal construction accidents a day in America, based on data from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). To bring that number down to zero, construction workers and employers alike need to think more about preventing accidents around the average jobsite. We share…
How common are construction accidents? According to data from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA), there were 1,061 worker fatalities on construction sites in 2019. This number equates to nearly 3-a-day and about 20% of all work-related fatalities recorded by OSHA that year. Despite how harrowing it might be to know that three fatal…
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) tracks and reports on known car accidents throughout the state and as they happen throughout the year. The data that the IDOT collects can shine a light on what type of traffic collisions are happening and possibly why. Although we are only in May, our team from McHargue &…
Speeding is one of the leading causes of serious car accidents in Illinois. Speed limits are not random — they are carefully established using traffic engineering studies designed to reduce crashes and prevent catastrophic injuries. When a driver exceeds a posted or statutory speed limit in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois and causes a collision,…
Repetitive stress injuries happen quietly. You don’t fall, slip, or get crushed by machinery — instead, your body breaks down from lifting, bending, typing, kneeling, scanning, pulling, twisting, or standing for years. Many Illinois workers aren’t sure whether these injuries qualify as workers’ comp claims. The answer is: often, yes — but the insurance company…
Can You Choose Your Own Workers’ Comp Doctor in Illinois? Updated 2026 Illinois Workers’ Compensation Guide Quick Answer Yes. In most Illinois workers’ compensation cases, you can choose your own doctor for treatment after a work injury. Your employer or the insurance company may send you to a company clinic, such as Concentra, but that…
Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right of Way? It’s a common saying: “Pedestrians always have the right of way.” And while it is true that motorists should always do everything they can to avoid hitting people on foot, there are certain times when Illinois law requires pedestrians to yield to oncoming traffic. In Chicago and…
No, Illinois is not a no-fault car accident state. Illinois follows an at-fault (tort) insurance system, meaning the driver who caused the crash is responsible for paying damages. To recover compensation, injured victims must typically prove the other driver’s negligence. Illinois also applies a modified comparative negligence rule (the 51% rule), which can reduce or…
When someone is assaulted, you might expect that they can file a lawsuit against their assailant for damages. Criminals can be frustratingly good at doing bad things, though, so catching an assailant is not always easy or possible. Yet an unidentified assailant does not mean that the assault victim is out of options for collecting…
If man’s best friend becomes your worst enemy and you suffer a dog bite or attack, what you do afterward will be crucial. Depending on the steps you take after a dog bite, your chances of recovering fair compensation later will increase or decrease, so you want to make certain you are doing the right…
