blog | Lane Brown, LLC

Have you ever wondered what personal injury attorneys do in their spare time? Watching sports, spending time with family and friends, and traveling are commonly found on many “spare time to-do lists.” However, if we, as attorneys, work as hard as you do, then you might understand how “spare time” can often seem like a rare commodity.

At Lane Brown, one thing that every one of our attorneys has in common is the fact that we all enjoy teaching; specifically, teaching other attorneys throughout Illinois and the rest of the country.

William Arthur Ward once made a well-known quote about teaching that inspires us. It goes, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” With the experience we’ve gained and the success that we’ve had over several decades in the legal profession, it’s our desire to pass this on to other attorneys who are looking to grow and develop their skills in order to best serve their clients. We hope that this statement can be true of us!

What Are Our Attorneys Teaching the Legal Community?

Fred Lane and Scott Lane are the co-directors of Fred Lane’s Illinois State Bar Association’s Trial Technique Institute. This year-long course helps to further train attorneys on the various aspects of trial work. Scott is also an adjunct professor at the Loyola University at Chicago School of Law, and assists in coaching their trial teams. Recently, Scott and Fred spoke on Opening Statements and Direct Examination of Witnesses.
Steve Lane was recently on the faculty of a Chicago Bar Association program on Voir-Dire (Jury Selection), representing the Plaintiffs’ Attorney perspective, and spoke at the Illinois State Bar Association’s Lawyers Post-Graduate Clinics on Direct Examination and other trial techniques.
Mark Brown recently spoke at a CBA program geared toward law students from 14 regional law schools. Mark spoke on the topic of serving in a career dedicated to representing victims of personal injury and medical malpractice.

We hope to continue our efforts to make our civil justice system better—and one which will touch the lives and protect our communities and families.

Do you have experience with our firm? We’d love your positive feedback, or suggestions on how we can better serve you—our clients. Please feel free to share your comments.

You’ve probably experienced been stuck in traffic before and experienced one of “those” drivers. You know the ones; the ones driving so s-l-o-w that you can’t help but tail them. The natural tendency may be to honk your horn at them, follow them extra close to hopefully get their attention, or even to speed around them and give them the glare as you pass by. Maybe you’re one of those drivers yourself. You’re never in a hurry, and enjoy seeing the sights around you—no matter where you are. Every road you’re on is the “scenic route” and you love to “see what you’ll see.”

In either case, slow drivers can be more than just an inconvenience for others on the road. They can be a danger, too. In many cases, the biggest offenders are people who don’t even realize how slow they’re actually driving. Here are four of the primary groups of “slow-driving” offenders. Do you fit into one of these categories?

Seniors – The elderly population is often stereotyped within this category of drivers—sometimes unfairly. However, the natural aging process may cause more mature motorists to drive more cautiously on the road. Physical ailments, vision or hearing problems, or even reduced reaction times could be a contributing factor to this problem.
Tourists – Often times, tourists or other area visitors are unfamiliar with an area. Slowing down to search for specific roads or locations can cause traffic back-ups or rear-end collisions unintentionally. Many times, drivers are just unfamiliar with the traffic laws, habits, and patterns of local drivers.
Young or newly licensed drivers – This group is often overly cautious when first starting out driving. If you fall under this category, aggressive driving may be scary or unnerving. Turning across busy intersections could be tricky and becoming acquainted with the rules of driving can also become a primary focus behind the wheel. Placing a “student driver” sign in your window can alert other drivers to have patience as you’re learning to be a safe motorist on the road.
Distracted Drivers – Talking or texting on the phone, staring at accidents outside, talking with other passengers, and eating are just a few distractions that can pull your attention away from the road—and your speed. Paying attention to the road, and your driving habits, can help keep traffic moving smoothly, and keep you, and other drivers, safe on the road.

Before you head out for a drive, please remember that safe driving is a multi-faceted idea. Extremely slow driving can be dangerous, just like speeding. Following the recommended speed postings is one simple way to avoid a car accident on Chicago’s busy streets.

Know someone who drives a little too slowly? Share this, and other information about the dangers of slow driving—it could be a lifesaver one day.

Emotional distress is a common response to any traumatic event one may experience. For some, this distress is temporary, and may only last for a short period of time. But for others, this type of trauma may have an especially painful effect on life after a car crash.

Maybe you know someone who’s afraid to drive through downtown Chicago after getting hit at an intersection. Did you experience serious injuries that left permanent scarring or injuries after the crash? Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression after undergoing extreme financial hardship after getting hit by an underinsured driver. There are many different ways that psychological trauma can affect your life after an injury accident. But, in any case, your life can be changed forever because of it.

Strengthen Your Emotional Health After a Crash

Don’t Isolate Yourself. Those who are depressed often retreat to isolation. Asking for support, joining a support group, or finding ways to volunteer can help you maintain focus and purpose during an emotionally difficult time.
Stay Grounded. Try to stick to your normal, daily routine as much as possible. Finding activities that you enjoy, and keep you motivated, may help you focus your attention on positive, daily things.
Your physical health matters. Neglecting physical health is a common result of emotional trauma. But, it’s also been shown to have a direct, contributing effect on emotional trauma, too. Improving your physical health by eating well, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding drugs or alcohol, can also help you heal from the effects of psychological trauma.

The road to recovery from psychological trauma can be a long and weary one that also proves to be rather costly. At Lane Brown, we believe that those ultimately responsible should be held accountable.

Have questions about your rights after a serious Chicagoland auto accident? Not sure where to turn? Our attorneys may be able to answer your questions and provide you with the information you need to help aid in your recovery process. Fill out an online comment form to get more information from a skilled attorney.

Everybody wants, and deserves, to have the same opportunities in regards to employment and job placement. And, in reality, we all should. However, what does this mean for those with disabilities who want to drive semi-trucks? The American’s with Disabilities Act exists to make sure that those who do suffer from disabilities are given the same opportunities as those fully-abled individuals. However, in some cases—like those working in the trucking industry—this could be an extremely dangerous cause of serious truck accidents throughout Illinois.

So, what does this mean to you, as a motorist, driving down the Dan Ryan Expressway? Well, you may not think much about it, but driving next to a 40-ton semi-truck and trailer can be disaster on wheels. Although not all disabilities should disqualify drivers from getting behind the wheel of a semi, it’s important to understand that some disabilities, when combined with the large, dangerous nature of these trucks, can become significant contributing factors of truck accidents.

Disabilities That Could Be Hazardous to Drivers in the Trucking Industry Include:

Vision problems
Hearing problems
Heart conditions
Seizure disorders
Some sleep disorders

In many cases, not only are these health conditions potentially dangerous for truck drivers behind the wheel, but also the medications needed to maintain these conditions can be just as dangerous. In 2010, reports found that approximately 37,000 truck accidents occurred while a driver was taking prescription pain medications inappropriately.

In past years, studies conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Transportation found that more than 500,000 commercial truck drivers were eligible to receive full disability benefits due to their health conditions. Although there are strict health and medical regulations for truck drivers in all 50 states, some of these reports found that several states, including New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Florida featured drivers with the most frequent sanctions due to health related problems.

In an effort to be fair, ethical, and respectful of every person’s right to employment, despite any present disabilities, one would have to wonder if some medical conditions could be putting other drivers at risk of serious harm that might otherwise be preventable.

If you’ve been injured in a semi-truck accident, and evidence shows that the driver was disabled, it’s possible that the trucking company could be found negligent for placing a driver—who is deemed medically unsafe to drive—behind the wheel. If this is the case, we might be able to help.

Please share your thoughts on this subject with us. We’d like to hear from you. What do you think about disabled truck drivers operating semis? Leave us your thoughts on Facebook or share your ideas below.

This winter season has been an especially difficult time for many drivers on Chicago’s roadways. Ice and snow have turned Illinois’ highways into “accidents-waiting-to-happen.” This is especially true for semi-trucks. Numerous accounts of roll-over accidents have made news headlines over these winter months. Aside from winter weather road conditions, there are a few different factors that lead to the majority of semi-truck roll-over accidents.

Speed is the leading factor that causes most truck roll-over accidents. Because semi-trucks most commonly travel on highways, this doesn’t necessarily refer to a semi going 65 mph in a 55mph zone. In reality, it tends to refer to traveling too fast for the road conditions.
Curves are another significant problem that can lead to roll-over crashes. These are commonly found at on and off ramps for highways throughout the Chicago area. Driver misjudgment, speed, delivery time restraints, road rage, and improper sign postings can all contribute to roll-over crashes on roadway curves.
An inability to control the truck is also a problem for many drivers. Driver inexperience causes many drivers to overcorrect in hazardous situations. When this happens, truck roll-over accidents can happen very easily.
Driver distractions also cause too many truck accidents. An inattention to the road and a lack of sleep can cause drivers to drift between lanes and not see many hazards along the road—including other nearby vehicles. As a result, truck drivers may inadvertently cause accidents in the process of trying to avoid them.

Were you injured because of a roll-over truck accident? Did a cargo spill from the accident cause your crash? If so, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Talking with an experienced attorney can help you understand the full scope of your legal rights. For more information about what to do after an Illinois car crash, you can request a free copy of our guidebook, The 8 Steps to Follow After Your Illinois Car Crash. Let us equip you with the information you need to protect your rights after a crash.

At Lane Brown, our team of attorneys have taken the initiative to help inform area community leaders, parents, students, and school leaders about the dangers of distracted driving. Throughout our experiences working closely with victims of distracted driving accidents, we’ve gained firsthand knowledge of the physical, emotional, psychological, and financial hardship that results from resulting accidents. Because of this, we’d like to help promote awareness and protect other Chicago families from this devastation.
How We Are Spreading the Message of Safe Driving

We’ve taken the message to local schools through public presentations. Our talks are geared toward high school students, parent groups, teachers, and other community leaders who influence the lives of Chicago’s youth. The subjects we cover include:

Dangers of distracted driving
Safe driving practices for accident prevention
Tips to remember if you are involved in a Chicago car accident

Distracted driving continues to be one of the leading causes of traffic accidents throughout Illinois and the rest of the country. Young, inexperienced drivers tend to be in the age group of the greatest offenders, although no demographic is completely exempt from this problem.
What Is Distracting Our Motorists?

Cell phone use (talking, texting, taking pictures, etc…)
Other passengers in the car
Day dreaming
Eating
Using other electronics (radio, GPS, etc…)

We’ve had the privilege of sharing this information, at no cost, with numerous audiences over recent months, and look forward to more opportunities to communicate this life saving information with other schools throughout the greater Chicago area. If your school or organization is interested in learning more about the dangers of distracted driving, please contact us today. We’d be honored to come discuss this extremely important topic with your group.

Category: Car Accidents

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