Evidence shows that bus passengers in Illinois and nationwide run a higher risk today than in the past. Whether due to poor oversight, poor bus design, maintenance problems, or inattentive operators, the level of safety on the average commercial bus is far from what it should be. If these issues…
In September 2008, a Illinois First District Appellate Court decision ordered Zurich American Insurance Company to cover a Illinois wrongful-death lawsuit against its insured Key Cartage and Terry Washington. Zurich American Insurance Co. v. Key Cartage, 2008 WL 4445122 (1st Dist., Sept. 30). The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to…
Under the Illinois Vehicle Code, every motor vehicle liability policy issued in Illinois must cover drivers who have expressed or implied permission from the insured. Recently, in a question of first impression, the Illinois Appellate Court was asked whether this statutory requirement for omnibus coverage applies to a liability insurance…
New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate the coming of 2009. Restaurants and bars in Chicago and nationwide are lively as many celebrate the holiday and the arrival of the new year with drinks and merriment. It is easy to imagine that New Year’s Eve is a risky time…
Typically Illinois courts reward and protect an injured party. For example, if one party is negligent because they ran into a stopped car at a red light, then the injured driver would normally prevail at trial. But this is not the case when the negligent driver was part of an…
In Illinois and most other states when an automobile owner permits another person drive their car then the driver’s negligence can be assigned to the vehicle’s owner. For example, consider a Missouri case of Sam and his aunt Sandra [Back v. Winfield-Fire Protection Dist., No. SC 89001 (Mo. banc 2008)].…
When 16 year-old Illinois resident Hancock began making a left-hand turn at an intersection she did not see a tractor-trailer coming towards her. When the truck struck her car it was going approximately 10 m.p.h. over the speed limit. Hancock and her 16 year-old passenger were fatally injured in this…