Expertise.com carefully selects the top lawyers and law firms across geographical regions based on the following numerous variables across five categories: Reputation, Credibility, Experience, Availability, and Professionalism.

After reviewing the quality and history of thousands of firms in the area, Expertise.com has selected Clifford Law Offices to be recognized among the top legal professionals in the categories of Best Car Accident Lawyers, Best Truck Accident Lawyers, and Best Motorcycle Accident Lawyers categories, demonstrating their excellence in these practice areas.

Clifford Law Offices has also been named to the following Expertise.com lists for 2024:

• Personal Injury Lawyers
• Litigation Lawyers
• Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Clifford Law Offices has significant experience representing individuals who have been injured in car, motorcycle, and truck accidents. They have the track record and resources to help you fight for complete compensation and stand up to large corporations.

Click here to learn more about Chicago’s premier personal injury law firm or to schedule a free case consultation.

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The tragedy occurred on September 29, 2023, when several vehicles were involved in a crash near Teutopolis, about 75 miles from the state’s capital, Springfield. At least five other people were injured and airlifted to area hospitals for treatment. Responders in hazmat suits tried to rescue those involved and clean up the highway, which area residents in the tight-knit community called a catastrophe.

A truck carrying about 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia rolled over in a ditch causing the toxic substance to leak out and forcing the evacuation of several hundred residents in the area until late September 30, 2023. About 4,000 gallons reportedly were released in the air. Exposure to anhydrous ammonia exposure can cause breathing difficulty, irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, and burns or blisters.

The Chicago Tribune reported that in addition to having a commercial driver’s license, the person behind the wheel of a toxic-substance tanker must study further and successfully complete a test for a hazardous material endorsement, according to Don Schaefer, CEO of the Mid-West Truckers Association.

“All truck drivers and trucking companies are strictly regulated by the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Regulations, however, those that transport hazardous materials have even much stricter requirements under the regulations,” said Kevin P. Durkin, partner at Clifford Law Offices and who has successfully tried a number of trucking crash cases, some to record verdicts and settlements. “A thorough investigation of this horrific accident is needed to determine the failures that led to this in order to enhance public safety. While the NTSB likely will investigate this as will the Illinois State Police, the results will be months off. An immediate investigation is needed to protect the interests of the injured and the families who lost loved ones. Clifford Law Offices has conducted many of these investigations in the past and it is important to hire someone who has experience and knows how to get to the bottom of what occurred.”

A 15-member team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are reportedly at the scene and officials expect to hold a press conference on October 1, 2023. Illinois State Police reportedly continue to investigate the scene as the highway remains closed.

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Sofiane Bessai, 33, of Elgin, was driving a car westbound on Interstate 80 with Brayan Jimenez Velasquez, 26, of Lake County, Indiana, when they were rear-ended by a West Side Transport, Inc. semi-truck on Aug. 12, 2022, at approximately 5 p.m. The force of the crash caused the car to veer across the median into eastbound traffic where an oncoming truck crashed into their car. Both men were killed in the crash.

“This crash was caused by the semi-truck driver’s failure to pay attention to the surrounding traffic before changing lanes,” said Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices. “The deaths of these two young men were entirely preventable.”

The case was settled last week before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas V. Lyons II of the Law Division.

“Both men were such wonderful people who came to the United States in search of a better life and were in the prime of making their dreams a reality. Because of this tragic event, their lives and dreams were needlessly cut short,” Pullos said.

For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

Case Name: Abdul Basroui, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Sofiane Bessai, and The Chicago Trust Company, as Independent Administrator of the Estate of Brayan Mauricio Jimenez Velasquez v. West Side Transport, Inc., et al.
Case No. 2022 L 011296
Court: Cook County
Defense Counsel: Carlton Fisher, Hinshaw & Culbertson

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As the investigation continues on a two-mile stretch of highway in downstate Illinois, it makes one pause to think if the 72-car pileup should have even happened at all. The Federal Motor Vehicle Carrier Administration and the Department of Transportation expect trucking companies and motor carriers to practice defensive driving – an industry term to mean exercising caution in emergency situations and refraining from operating 80,000-pound tractor-trailers when visibility conditions dictate otherwise.

“Driving a tractor-trailer with little to no visibility is reckless and wanton conduct that can place other motorists in the worst possible scenario – the death and injuries of innocent people,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago. “This terrible tragedy needs to be thoroughly examined so those whose lives have been forever changed have answers.”

Six people have been reported dead and at least 30 more were injured when Interstate 55, outside of Springfield, Illinois, experienced what state police described as zero-visibility on the road for about a two-mile stretch around 11 a.m. Monday, May 1, 2023, when a “dust-out” storm occurred.

Federal motor vehicle laws governing truck drivers require that truck drivers pull over in such conditions. The FMVCA rules state, “If conditions become sufficiently dangerous, operations must immediately be discontinued until the vehicle can again be safely operated.”

Instead, it was reported that semi-trucks carrying heavy loads, and perhaps hazardous materials, crashed into helpless others. “It was very dangerous – the drivers couldn’t see. Truck drivers know that it takes a long time to stop their heavy vehicles when traveling on highways at higher speeds, and if they strike something, the other person doesn’t have a chance,” Clifford said. “Drivers, particularly truck drivers, cannot be in a hurry. In situations like this, safety must take precedence over everything else.”

In the pile-up on I-55 near the state’s capital of Springfield, six people are now dead. Dozens of others are critically injured ranging in age from 2 to 80 years old, including some who had to be airlifted to hospitals. Several tractor-trailers turned over and others burned out on the highway. I-55 reopened Tuesday morning as police continue to examine what happened in this horrible wreckage.

This “dust-out” is very similar to a winter “white-out” when responsible drivers pull off the road and seek shelter to avoid tragedies like this that can be caused by zero-visibility conditions. The incident brings back horrible memories of a family whose car was crushed in a pile-up on I-90 near Rockford, Illinois, during a white-out snowstorm. The Yoder’s car was crushed. Their four-year-old daughter in the back seat was killed and their little two-year-old boy suffered permanent brain damage that required round-the-clock care for the rest of his life. The mom suffered severe skull and facial injuries requiring 31 surgeries. Of course, that family was devastated. Kevin Durkin, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a record $38.3 million verdict in 2004 on their behalf.

For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner, Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

www.CliffordLaw.com

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Expertise.com carefully selects the top lawyers in the city based on the following five criteria: Reputation, Credibility, Experience, Availability, and Professionalism.

After reviewing 724 Car Accident Lawyers, Expertise listed Clifford Law Offices as one of the top 30 firms. Additionally, the firm was listed in the top 16 Motorcycle Accident Lawyers out of the 2,243 reviewed and in the top 21 Truck Accident Lawyers in Chicago after scoring 2,244 firms.

Clifford Law Offices has also been named to the following Expertise.com lists for 2023:

• Personal Injury Lawyers
• Litigation Lawyers
• Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Clifford Law Offices has extensive experience representing individuals who have been injured in car, motorcycle, and truck accidents. They will fight for fair compensation and offer free case evaluations.

Click here to learn more about Chicago’s premier personal injury law firm.

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As our world continues to become more and more reliant on advanced technology, autonomous vehicles present a fascinating new approach to transportation. Nearly all car manufacturers are racing to develop models offering degrees of self-piloting travel that feed the promise of increased safety. Despite optimism from the National Traffic Safety Administration, it may be too early to rely on these vehicles.

The article identifies the dangers of driverless cars as advanced technologies become more popular among car manufacturers and discusses some of the potential dangers that self-driving cars face including:

• False sense of security
• Danger of fire
• Imperfect technology
• Cyberattacks
• Unpredictable real-world driving conditions

One of the most concerning dangers is the lack of regulations that govern self-driving vehicles, including the ability to sidestep some federal crash safety requirements. Currently, there are not many industry standards that deviate from the regulations of conventional vehicles despite tremendous differences in the functionality of fully automated cars. While states are increasingly open to considering additional legislation and regulations, manufacturers like Tesla are not hesitating to send their technology to market.

Currently, there are no fully automated car systems available on the market. The most advanced available technologies offer driver assistance technologies, which still require full attention from the driver. But with the promise of new technology on the horizon, consumer safety must be a top priority.

Read the full article on The Potential Dangers of Driverless Cars in the National Law Review.

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During this scary time, our highly experienced attorneys can handle your legal and insurance battles so that you can focus on your healing. We know how to address your situation efficiently and compassionately to help you receive the maximum possible compensation for your case.

History of Drunk Driving Laws in Illinois

In 1997, Illinois implemented drunk driving laws that reduced fatal accidents. For example, in 1996, a year before the .08 law took effect, 552 people died in drunk driving collisions. In 2020, the latest year for data, only 254 people died in alcohol-related crashes. Learn about more recent DUI and alcohol laws in Illinois here.

Drunk Driving Stats in Illinois

The Illinois Secretary of State’s 2020 DUI Fact Book outlines the following findings:

• DUI arrests: 27,046
• DUI arrests who were male: 75%
• DUI culprits who were under the age of 35: 57%
• DUI average blood alcohol content (BAC): 0.16
• Nearly all (91%) of those charged with a DUI lost their right to drive
• DUI arrest for first-time offenders: 86%
• 244 drivers under the age of 21 lost their driving privileges due to Zero Tolerance law violations

Blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .08 is the legal limit in Illinois and the rest of the country for people 21 and over. For commercial drivers, it is .04%. Anyone under 21, it is anything over .00%. The risk of being in a crash begins to climb with a BAC between .04 and .05 and increases rapidly. When a driver’s BAC hits .08, they are 11x more likely to be killed in a single-vehicle crash than non-drinking drivers. Drivers with a BAC under .08 can still get a DUI if there is evidence they were impaired while driving. Despite popular “sobering up” practices such as drinking coffee, eating a meal, or taking a shower, none of these helps lower your BAC – only time does. 

DUI Fees in Illinois

Not only could drinking and driving lead you to endanger yourself or others on the road, but it could also lead to suspension of driving privileges from 6 months to 3+ years, jail time, public records, and substantial fees. The average cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois is $18,130. This doesn’t add in additional costs associated with a DUI, which could include medical treatments (limitless), in-patient substance abuse programs ($3,500+), legal fees ($5,000+), and compensatory damages awarded to crash survivors ($10,000+).

The Liquor Control Act

This law states that bars and other alcohol-selling establishments could be liable for injuries and damages caused by intoxicated individuals if:

• The establishment sold alcohol to the intoxicated person.
• This person caused injuries and damages.
• Intoxication was at least one major cause of the injuries.
• The establishment was the proximate cause of intoxication.

Meaning, you may be able to file a claim with the commercial establishment(s) that the driver patronized before the accident. 

Contact Clifford Law Offices Today

Are you a survivor of a drunk driving accident? Have you tragically lost a loved one because of a drunk driver’s negligence? Clifford Law Offices may be able to help. We will seek the maximum possible compensation for your physical, financial, and psychological losses. To schedule a confidential and free case review, call 312-899-9090 or fill out this online form. 

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Bradley M. Cosgrove, partner at Clifford Law Offices, obtained the verdict on behalf of Gustavo Cornejo, Jr., then 17-years-old of Gary, Indiana. He and his father were pulled over on the right shoulder of Interstate 394 on Sept. 27, 2016, when a tractor-trailer struck the young Cornejo, hurling him more than 30 feet in the air. He struck his head and suffered severe brain injuries as well as broken ribs and vertebrae.

Following a three-week trial before a jury of five women and seven men, the jury deliberated eight hours over two days before reaching the verdict this afternoon against all defendants, Dakota Lines trucking company of Vermillion, South Dakota and Alliance Shipper, Inc. of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

“This young man will require care the rest of his life due to something that simply shouldn’t have happened,” Cosgrove said following the verdict. “Truck drivers on the road need to understand that they can kill or seriously injure people with their large vehicles. They must be particularly aware when vehicles and their occupants are on the side of the road, and they must pull away from them to ensure a safe distance or else tragedy like this strikes.”

The case was heard before the Hon. Bridget Hughes in the Daley Center.

Media

• Cornejo Complaint
• Press Conference Footage
• Verdict Form

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At Clifford Law Offices, our Chicago car accident lawyers have decades of experience handling many different types of cases related to car crashes and collisions. We provide victims with the best possible representation while also giving them sound legal advice to help them make educated decisions about their case.

Every case is different, and every client has their own goals and personal circumstances. Our attorneys make it a point to learn these by talking and listening carefully to each individual client, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all strategy to the case.

Have you been in a car crash and need a lawyer?

If you or a loved one has been in a car crash and are looking for legal representation, here are questions to ask your potential lawyer:

• What is your firm’s success record with vehicle crash cases?
• How long has your firm been in business?
• How often will your firm communicate with me (or my family members) about the case?
• Do you handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis or will I be paying out of pocket?

Clifford Law Offices’ car accident lawyers have decades of experience in car collision cases and have handled countless different scenarios. We’ve obtained more than $5 billion on behalf of our clients because we work to seek maximum financial recovery. We vow to treat each client as if they are our own family and are transparent with our communications to the client and/or their family members throughout the case. You will always know how your situation is proceeding.

Call us today at (312) 899-9090 to schedule an appointment for a free review of your car crash case.

Learn more about how our Chicago car accident law firm works in this video.

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Even Tesla, who offers an “Autopilot” feature and boasts that their cars can run by themselves, admits (sometimes) that there needs to be a human at the controls. This is partly because of the accidents that continue to occur when people allow the car to do what it promises to do: drive itself. Clearly, safety continues to be a significant concern. (See our November 7, 2019 post, “As Cars Grow More Autonomous, Safety Remains an Issue.”)

In April of this year, a Tesla vehicle was involved in a fatal crash that killed two people. Just before the drive, eyewitnesses said that the parties left to test-drive the vehicle without a driver utilizing Tesla’s Autopilot feature.

Tesla claims the accident occurred because there was no one behind the wheel. The company says they include a warning on when and where to use this feature in the vehicle’s manual. They also state on their website that active driver supervision is required, yet they continue to advertise the Autopilot feature as autonomous.

So, before we examine who’s at fault if you’re involved in an accident with a driverless car, it’s important to understand the complexities surrounding self-driving cars, from what defines the term to current regulations and the latest developments in the industry.

What are Self-Driving Vehicles?

The terms “self-driving,” “driverless,” and “autonomous” are often used synonymously, although there are important distinctions.

Self-driving vehicles have been assigned levels of autonomy by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Most cars on the road today operate at Level 1, where there are some autonomous functions such as cruise control or Lane-Keep Assist. It’s worth noting that the NHTSA recently updated their descriptions of Levels 4 and 5 to include a greater degree of autonomy and lack of human intervention.

There has been some reluctance for people to grab onto the self-driving concept. However, according to forecaster Scott Hardman, as driving becomes more automated, people will drive more, based on his interviews with 35 Tesla BEV with Autopilot owners. Those interviewed perceived less stress and increased comfort associated with partial automation.

In the meantime, technology is moving forward amidst hope, some trepidation, and, most of all, confusion.

Essential Self-Driving Vehicle Stats

Exact statistics about driverless vehicles are difficult to get due to the lack of mandates on reporting accidents and the lack of industry-wide standards, where confusion abounds. Nevertheless, here are some important numbers worth considering:

• More than 80 companies are testing over 1,400 self-driving cars in the U.S.
• About half of the population familiar with self-driving cars say they would be willing to ride in them.
• The Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Laboratory in Japan launched the first primitive, semi-automated car in 1977.
• Google’s self-driving car first crashed into a bus in February of 2016; there were no injuries.
• Tesla autonomous vehicles have been involved in several accidents. The first accident that resulted in death occurred in Florida on May 7, 2016.
• The first Uber self-driving car crash occurred on November 20, 2018, in Tempe, Arizona. The cause was human error and resulted in the death of pedestrian Elaine Hezerberg.
• Uber was involved in 37 crashes prior to the fatal accident in 2018.
• Waymo, the self-driving division of Google parent company Alphabet, Inc., partnered with the trucking giant J.B. Hunt and began hauling commercial loads on Texas highways with Level 4 autonomous big-rig vehicles in March of 2020.
• Waymo has also been running a driverless taxi service in the Phoenix, Arizona area since 2018. In May of this year, one of these Waymo taxis got confused in Chandler, Arizona traffic and took off on its own. Fortunately, no one was injured.
• Lyft predicts autonomous rides could arrive by 2023.

Many experts say driverless cars are safer than those driven entirely by human operators. Regardless, accidents have occurred and will continue to take place for many reasons. But if you’re involved in a driverless car accident, who’s at fault? Do you have any recourse?

Who’s to Blame in a Crash?

The blame, or cause, of the accident, can be murky at best and may rest with more than one party. That’s why it is essential to have a professional and experienced personal injury attorney on your side who specializes in these types of accidents. He or she must be able to accurately assess the situation, interpret the data, and consult the right experts to support your case and present it properly to the court.

What to Do If You’re in an Accident with a Driverless Car

If you’re involved in an accident of any kind, you’ll want to seek medical help as soon as possible. Often physical, mental, or emotional trauma doesn’t show up right away, even if you think you weren’t hurt.

Be sure to:

• Stop and wait for the police to arrive. Never leave the scene of an accident.
• Take pictures.
• Write down what happened while your memory is fresh.
• Get statements from all witnesses as soon as possible. Get people who can corroborate what happened while their memories are fresh.
• Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible.
• Get medical help, even if you think the injury is minor.
• Retain all related receipts, bills, and notes.

In addition to the above, if you or someone you love is involved in an accident with a driverless car, contact an attorney at Clifford Law Offices. We can give you specific, expert advice based on your individual circumstances. Accidents involving driverless cars can be highly complicated, and you don’t want to go it alone.

Contact us online today for a free, confidential case consultation. You can also call us toll-free at (800) 899-0410 or (312) 899-9090 in the Chicago area.

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