Distracted Driving
Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers

Chicago’s Trusted Personal Injury Caused By Distracted Driving Attorney

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving kills thousands of people and injures hundreds of thousands more each year in the United States. Although distracted driving has been illegal in Illinois for decades, in 2014 the state updated its laws to provide specific penalties for distractions involving mobile phones and other electronic devices.      Of course, these offenses result in fines, driver’s license suspensions, and in some cases jail time. When a traffic accident is caused by distracted driving, however, civil compensation kicks in. In other words, you can sue someone for causing an accident that injures you through distracted driving, and you can also file an insurance claim if the driver carries liability insurance.

How Can I Use Distracted Driving to Win a Personal Injury Claim?

If a person injures you through negligent conduct, you are generally entitled to full monetary compensation. Not all “negligent” conduct is illegal, however, and some illegal conduct (such as distracted driving) may or may not be considered negligent under the particular circumstances of the accident. It can get complicated, and that is where Malman Law can help.

How Can Malman Law Help Me Win?

Winning a personal injury claim is not like winning in small claims court. To the contrary, winning a personal injury claim at trial requires a strong command of the complex rules of procedure and evidence. Even negotiating a private settlement can be surprisingly tricky. Here are some of the ways we can help:

• Evidence collection: It is nearly impossible to win a claim without evidence that is admissible in court under the Illinois Rules of Evidence. Even an insurance company seeking an out-of-court settlement will be reluctant to settle unless you have evidence that might result in a courtroom victory. We know how to uncover admissible evidence, and we understand what is legally useful and what is not.
• Bargaining skills: Insurance adjusters are professional negotiators whose sole purpose is to save as much money for the insurance company as they possibly can.  Attempting to negotiate a settlement with an insurance adjuster is like stepping into the ring with a prizefighter – you have to know what you are doing or you’ll lose quickly. Our stellar track record proves that we know exactly what we’re doing.
• Information processing skills: Establishing a viable personal injury claim involves applying the facts of your case to a nuanced understanding of Illinois personal injury law, and exploiting these nuances to strengthen your claim for compensation. We fully understand that no two cases are alike, and we know how to use that to your advantage.
• Persuasion: Ultimately the outcome of a case comes down to persuasion – either you can persuade the judge or jury that you are right, or you can’t. Although you may never convince an insurance adjuster that you are right no matter how persuasive you are, we can convince him that he cannot win in court against us and that settlement is the safest course of action.

Our Clients Say…

“This firm has gone above and beyond to keep me updated and get answers to my questions at any time, weekends included! Malman Law rules in my opinion!” – Cheryl Wagemann “Two years ago, I was involved in a trucking accident involving a 14-wheeler truck that nearly disabled me for life. Steve fought to make sure that I received the most possible compensation for my injuries. I was about to take the insurance company’s lowball offer, but decided to call Steve first – it was the best decision I’ve made yet.” – Malman Law Client

Our Main Practice Areas

Selfies While Driving: Taking “selfies” at the wheel with a handheld device is not only illegal in Illinois, it can result in a civil lawsuit if an accident is caused that way. Even if it was the other driver who caused the accident, your compensation could be reduced if taking a selfie contributed to the accident.

Driving While on Bluetooth: Using a hands-free Bluetooth device while driving might seem like a safe activity. Indeed, there is no specific legal prohibition against it, as long as you are at least 19. If a driver injures you that way, however, it is still possible to win a personal injury lawsuit against him.

Talking on the Phone While Driving: Chatting on the phone behind the wheel is deceptively dangerous, even if you are using a hands-free device — in fact, it is generally thought to be more dangerous than drunk driving. If an accident results, it can be used as the basis for a negligence claim against the driver.

Arguing While Driving: Would you rather share the road with a drunk driver or with a driver engaged in a heated argument?  Statistically, you’d be safer with the drunk driver. Arguing while driving can easily be characterized as negligence, regardless of whether the argument is taking place on the phone or in person.

Personal Injury: “Personal injury” is a catch-all term that covers any injury you might have suffered that was caused by someone else’s wrongful conduct. At Malman Law we practice personal injury law and only personal injury law.  Keep in mind that “wrongful” can not only mean “careless” (negligent), it can also refer to reckless or even intentional misconduct (a beating for example).

Vehicle Accidents: Over 30,000 people are killed on U.S. roads every year, and over two million people are seriously injured. A great percentage of these deaths and injuries were attributable not to the victims themselves, but to the wrongful behavior of someone else. Because of this, vehicle accident claims are among the most common of all personal injury claims.

Wrongful Death: Any personal injury claim can become a wrongful death claim if the victim dies from the injury. The Illinois legislature has enacted a wrongful death statute to deal with compensation claims, and damages are typically paid to close relatives and the victim’s probate estate.