Tag: car accidents

Spring often brings sunnier, warmer weather, but there are driving challenges to be aware of. Keep reading to learn about spring weather driving hazards to avoid car accidents. However, if you have been in a car accident because of someone’s negligence, our Schaumburg car accident lawyers at SJ Injury Law can help.

Daylight Savings Time

Government data reveals more car accidents happen when daylight savings time (DST) is in effect. This data shows that deadly car accidents increase by 6% after daylight savings time goes into effect. The ‘spring forward’ change affects when the light is in the sky and how people sleep. Some drivers may be sleepier than they realize in the first few days after DST takes effect.

Fortunately, it is easy to avoid this problem. Ensure you get a lot of rest in the two or three days before and after a time change in your area. It is only one hour’s difference, but it may have more of an effect on your body than you think.

Ice

It is spring in Schaumburg, and flowers are poking out of the soil, so there should not be any ice, right? However, there still can be ice on the roads. The temperature may be well above freezing during the day, but rain in the streets can freeze at night. This may cause black ice, which is hard to see and extremely slick. Assume in the early morning that the roads are slippery and slow down if there is any moisture in the streets.

Flooded Roads

Flooded roads often occur in the Illinois spring. The melting snow and heavy rain can flood almost any street in your area. The smartest way to drive on a flooded road is not to do it at all. Instead, look for a better route if you see a flooded road. There probably are safer routes. If not, stay home.

Many drivers need to realize how powerful and dangerous standing water is. There may be only a few inches of water, but it can quickly make you lose control.

Shoulders

Use caution when driving on road shoulders in the spring. There could be ground erosion, and the spring rains and floods can make the surface softer. There have been cases of cars left on the shoulder sinking into the ground, causing thousands in damage. If you need to park on the shoulder in the spring, keep it as short as possible.

Spring Rains

Rain is a regular visitor in Illinois in the spring, so be aware showers can cause difficult driving situations. Staying safe in the spring rain means slowing down, turning on your headlights, and putting more space between you and other vehicles. Also, always remember just a bit of moisture and oil on the road can make the pavement almost as slick as ice.

Underinflated Tires

During the cold winter months in Schaumburg, your tires can slowly lose pressure. Science tells us for every 10-degree decrease in temperature, car tires may lose one or two pounds of pressure. Drivers unaware of this issue could drive with underinflated tires in the spring and summer. Underinflated tires increase gas usage, and tire wear and make the vehicle more challenging to control in an emergency.

Avoid this problem by checking your tire pressure at the beginning of the spring. If the tires are low, most gas stations have an air compressor to top off your tires.

Animals

There is more animal activity in the spring. For many animals, it is mating season; for others, they are waking from weeks or months of inactivity. Animals are most active at dusk and dawn, so watch out for animals darting onto the roadway.

Pedestrians

As the temperature warms, you may notice more pedestrians and bicyclists. Always slow down when you see a pedestrian and be careful around crosswalks. If the pedestrian has the green signal at the crosswalk, they have the right of way. That means yielding to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are hard to see because of their size and speed. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident call (847) 434-3555. In a spring rain, seeing them can be even more difficult. So, take a second look in front of you and in your blind spots. Motorcyclists have the same right to the road you do. If you are behind a motorcycle, stay at least four seconds back to avoid an accident. Remember, a minor fender bender can be deadly if the other driver is on a motorcycle.

Potholes

Illinois is notorious for big potholes in the spring. The combination of salt, sand, snowplows, and alternating warm and cold weather is brutal on the roads. The best way to avoid issues with potholes is to avoid them. However, if you cannot avoid an upcoming hole, slow down, then just before you hit the pothole, take your foot off the brakes. This will reduce the speed when you hit the hole, and the suspension will reduce the impact.

Hail

Driving in hail is not just bad for your car’s paint and body. It also is dangerous because of the combination of moisture and ice on the road. If there is any sign of hail, you should pull over in a covered area until it passes. Also, people tend to drive distracted in a hailstorm, so staying off the roads at that time is best.

Large Puddles

Major spring rains can leave big puddles on the roads. If you see one on your drive, it is best to avoid it; you never know how deep it is. Even on a road you know, heavy rain can create new potholes, deepen current holes, and even damage whole sections of asphalt. Even driving through a small amount of water on the road can affect your brakes, so use caution and avoid if possible.

Be Aware Of Severe Weather

There are a lot of heavy storms in the spring in the Midwest. This part of the country sees about 24 significant tornadoes yearly, and spring is primetime for twisters. So pay attention to the weather on the radio before driving and stay home if storms are approaching.

If you see a funnel cloud when you are driving, it is a dangerous situation. Drive away from it at a right angle. But if you are already in high winds, get your car out of traffic. Stay in the vehicle and keep your seatbelt fastened. Get below the windows as best you can, and cover your head. Seeking shelter under an overpass is not a good idea, so always stay in your vehicle until the tornado passes.

Get Your Vehicle Ready For Spring

Now that you know how to stay safe when driving this spring, you should ensure your car is ready for the road. Getting your vehicle ready for warmer weather is another way to be proactive about keeping your vehicle and family safe:

Give The Car A Complete Wash

Roads treated with salt all winter do more than make the car dirty. Salt is corrosive and will make it rust if it stays on the car too long. Look for a car wash that does under-spraying to remove salt from beneath the vehicle.

Watch For Rust

Do you see any signs of rust on your car after the past winter? It is always best to deal with it immediately. Search for tiny brown specks and stains. Also, watch for bubbles in the paint or a moist floorboard.

Small rust spots on the paint surface can be sanded down to the metal then primed and painted. However, taking the car to a body shop is best if you find a larger rust spot.

Put On New Wiper Blades

Ice and snow in winter are hard on your wiper blades. You may notice during a spring rain that your blades are smearing the rain on the windshield, not wiping it. So, replace the wiper blades every spring to ensure they are in the best condition. Then, when the first big storm hits, you will have a clear windshield, which is safer and reduces eyestrain.

Check Your Headlights

Driving in the spring in Schaumburg often means driving in hard rain when you cannot see as well. Good headlights are vital so you can see and others can see you. You should check the headlights, backup, taillights, brake, and parking lights. Many oil change facilities can change these for you while replacing the oil.

Check Tire Treads

Cold, ice, and snow can wear out your tires and cause them to deflate slowly. Check your tires for the correct pressure, tread, and alignment every spring. This also is a good time to check your spare.

Do A Brake Check

Winter is tough on your brakes. Between the ice, snow, and sudden slowdowns during heavy Illinois traffic, you should check your brakes to ensure they are safe. Check the rotors, pads, and brake fluid, or have your automotive professional do it.

Contact A Schaumburg Car Accident Lawyer Today

Were you in a car crash near Wintrust Field, Woodfield Mall, or another site in Schaumburg? Accidents can happen anytime: spring, summer, fall, or winter. You might be entitled to compensation if the other driver was negligent. Our Schaumburg car accident lawyers at SJ Injury Law can help, so contact our Schaumburg personal injury lawyers now at (847) 434-3555.

Claim Your Justice Live Session January 25th 2022

What To Do In The Event Of A Car Accident

Hello, good afternoon, attorney Keith Shindler coming to you for our second Facebook Live. The purpose of these live sessions is to give our viewers and the rest of the Facebook community valuable and useful information on personal injury cases, and personal injury topics. We welcome positive comments and questions, you can always call us to Claim Your Justice™ at 1-888-88-Keith. We are here to help you Claim your Justice™.

Last week, we covered the topic of who pays for the cost when a client has to pursue a personal injury case, it was basic information, but we’re going to start basic. So we covered that item. Today we’re going to cover what to do in the event of a car accident. What’s the first thing necessary to do, you’re going to be shaken up, in pain, concerned about your injuries, and so on.

Make Sure Your Surroundings Are Safe

The first thing you want to do is make sure that your surroundings are safe. Sometimes when an accident happens, there’s a secondary accident because the parties didn’t secure their safety. I do not recommend that you move your car. If you can exit the car and walk out of the car, under your strength, I suggest you do that. If you can, make sure your hazards are on, and you’re giving approaching traffic any possible notice that there’s an accident ahead.

Of course, if you’re injured, the first thing you need to do is call the ambulance. The second thing you should do, if you can, is call 911. I understand these are all very basic pieces of information, but I need to relay this information to you. Although we know what to do in this calm setting that we’re in now, sometimes when there’s an accident, you’re nervous, you’re not going to remember what to do.

Hopefully, my reminding you of these things will help penetrate them into your memory so that you’ll know what to do in the event of an accident. Once the ambulance comes, they’re going to give you the medical attention you need. Of course, if they take you to a hospital because you’re injured, you’re not going to be able to do this next piece that I’m going to talk about.

Take Pictures If Possible

It’s very important to take pictures of the area where the accident happened. If you could take pictures of the car that struck you, or the truck that hit you, do that. Take pictures of any important street indicators, if they’re under construction, you may want to get a brief couple of pictures of the construction site.

Why is that important? Sometimes the car that hit you may move, and you may not be able to secure the pictures, or the mechanics of how the accident happened can be reconstructed through the pictures that you take.

Don’t Worry About Your Car

My job is to make sure my clients get the treatment that they need. So if you need to go to the emergency room, you should go to the emergency room. The ambulance, of course, will ask if you need to go to the emergency room? How do you feel? Many times a client will say I don’t need to go to the emergency room. In part maybe because they’re not injured, but they’re also very worried about their car.

Clients have asked me in the past if I go to the emergency room, what’s going to happen in my car, it’s going to get towed, I’m not going to find it, that was a new car, and so on. Very real-life things. However, your health, and dealing with your injuries are critical. If you don’t go to the emergency room with the ambulance, then you may go after you secure your car. Sometimes if you’re injured, the ambulance driver may not give you the choice because they’re going to make the assessment you need to go.

Let’s say the accident happens and you tell the paramedics that you don’t need to go to the emergency room. A couple of hours later at night, or the following morning, you’re in a lot of pain. You can either go to the emergency room then or if you can get in to see your doctor, you can get the follow-up treatment that way. Sometimes clients call me and say what do you think, I had an accident happen, should I go to the doctor? That’s not a decision for me to make, that is a decision for you to make. If you’re injured you should go get the treatment that you need.

Don’t Talk To The Other Party’s Insurance Company

Sometimes after an accident happens, you’re going to get a call, it could be the same day, it could be the next day, it could be a couple of days later from the responsible party’s insurance company, be very careful here. They’re going to ask you how you’re doing, they may offer you a $500 settlement right away to settle your case. They’re also going to ask you to give a recorded statement.

I do not suggest or recommend that you give a recorded statement.

Get Experienced Legal Representation

Of course, the final thing you should do is make sure you get the proper legal representation. That’s where the attorneys at Claim Your Justice™, come to your rescue and help you prosecute your case. Again, you can reach Claim Your Justice™ at 888-88-Keith, my name, Keith Shindler.

One of the other things I want to do with each Facebook Live session on the 2nd of each month, is I want to talk about a real case. So I’m going to start with that today.

It’s cold, it’s snowy, it’s windy. Lots of ice. Well, slip and fall cases happen all the time. Many of them are very difficult to prosecute, and many of them aren’t eligible for recovery because you may have to watch where you’re walking, you may slip and it was no one’s responsibility.

However, we recently signed up a new case two days ago, where a client tripped and fell over an uneven sidewalk. It was about four inches separated, and it was at night. Interestingly enough, around the sidewalk were painted indicators of upcoming construction. However, there was no warning, no construction lights, there was no indication to walk on the other side of the street. Our client tripped and fell at night. It was not a well-lit street.

The client had surgery on her broken wrist and also had to have staples in her head. So I’m going to track this case as it goes along through the prosecution. I will keep you updated. It takes a lot of time, but we’ll have lots of time to share.

Remember, if you’re injured in any type of accident, car accident, trip, and fall, medical malpractice, or wrongful death. Let us help you Claim Your Justice™, call 847-434-3555. Thank you. This has been Keith Shindler, have a successful rest of your week.