Tractor-trailer trucks and other commercial vehicles are much larger and heavier than passenger cars and trucks. This means that when truck accidents occur, people in other vehicles are much more likely to be seriously injured. There are many potential causes of semi-truck accidents, and one issue that is often overlooked is the danger of cargo that is not properly secured on a truck. Following a cargo-related truck accident, multiple parties may be liable for the injuries suffered by the victims.

Liability for Cargo-Related Truck Accidents

When cargo is loaded on a truck, it should be properly distributed in the truck’s bed or trailer, and it should be tied down or secured to ensure that it does not shift during transit. There are multiple ways in which cargo that was not loaded properly can lead to truck accidents, including:

• Cargo that is not distributed correctly may cause a truck to become unbalanced. With too much weight on one side or near the front or back of a trailer, a truck driver may lose control when going around curves, and this could potentially lead to a rollover accident. Improperly distributed cargo can also affect the traction of a truck, making it more difficult for a driver to slow down properly.

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Nursing homes and assisted living facilities provide essential services for many people who are elderly or disabled. Those who are unable to care for themselves can benefit by living in a facility where staff members can make sure they are receiving the proper medical treatment and nutrition while also socializing with others and participating in activities they enjoy. Unfortunately, some nursing homes do not provide the proper care for their residents. This may occur because a facility is understaffed or because staff members do not have the proper training to address patients’ needs. In these cases, residents may suffer serious harm due to nursing home neglect, including injuries such as bedsores or falls.

Neglect Leading to Injuries for Nursing Home Residents

A nursing home’s staff should provide the necessary assistance to address a resident’s daily needs. If a facility does not have enough staff members to fully provide for everyone’s needs, or if staff fail to regularly check on patients and address any issues they are experiencing, a person can suffer serious harm. Bedsores and falls can affect patients in these cases, and they can not only cause a great deal of pain and discomfort, but they can have a negative impact on a person’s overall health.

Bedsores can occur when a person remains in one position for a long period of time. In these cases, the pressure placed on different parts of the body can restrict blood flow, leading to painful sores. Nursing home residents who cannot move about freely may be confined to a bed or wheelchair, and if staff members do not ensure that they adjust their position regularly, they may experience bedsores in areas such as the back of the legs, buttocks, shoulder blades, or heels. When left untreated, bedsores may cause damage to the skin and the underlying tissue, and they can also lead to dangerous infections.

The summer months offer many opportunities for people to travel and enjoy the outdoors. However, this increased amount of travel also brings the risk of car accidents. This is especially true for teen drivers, who will be spending more time on the road while they are on vacation from school. Safety advocates have deemed the months between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the “100 deadliest days of summer” for teens. During this time, the number of teens killed in car accidents is 26% higher than during the rest of the year. Those who are injured in car accidents involving teen drivers will need to work with a skilled attorney to determine their options for receiving financial compensation.

Safety Issues Involving Teen Drivers

Inexperience is one of the primary reasons why teenagers become involved in car accidents. While teens are usually required to take driver’s education courses and receive training from their parents on how to drive safely, they simply do not have the amount of time behind the wheel that provides older drivers with an understanding of how to avoid dangerous accidents. In addition, teens are prone to risk-taking, and they may not fully consider the consequences of their actions. As a result, the decisions made by teen drivers can lead to collisions that cause injuries to themselves, passengers in their vehicle, people in other vehicles, or pedestrians and bicyclists.

Distracted driving is one of the top causes of car accidents involving teen drivers, accounting for 60% of crashes. Teenagers frequently use cell phones and other electronic devices and attempting to use these devices while driving can be very dangerous. Drivers who take their eyes off the road to check their phone, take their hands off the wheel to make a call or send a text message, and pay attention to a device rather than what is happening on the road around them will be likely to miss important details that would allow them to prevent or avoid a collision. In addition to cell phone use, teen drivers are also likely to become distracted by passengers in their vehicle, as well as factors such as loud music or attempting to eat and drink while driving.

As the weather continues to warm up this spring, many Illinois residents are looking to enjoy the outdoors, and bicycling provides a great way to do so. In addition to getting fresh air, bicyclists can improve their health through exercise and save on transportation costs. However, these benefits also come with certain risks, since bicyclists can be seriously injured if they are involved in a collision with a motor vehicle. In many cases, bicycle accidents are caused by the negligence of drivers. Injured bicyclists can work with an attorney to establish liability for their accident and pursue compensation for their injuries.

Negligence That Can Cause Dangerous Bike Accidents

Drivers are required to share the road with bicycles, but many people fail to take the proper measures to protect the safety of bicyclists, either because they do not notice bicycles or because they do not respect bicyclists’ rights. Drivers may strike bicycles and cause serious injuries for a number of reasons, including:

• Failure to yield - Drivers should yield the right of way to bicycles just as they would to other vehicles. Before making a right or left turn or proceeding through an intersection, a driver should check in all directions to avoid striking a bicyclist who is proceeding through the intersection. 

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Even though driving is a daily activity for most people, it can still be dangerous. A small mistake by a driver can lead to a serious car accident involving injuries to drivers or passengers and extensive property damage. Because of these risks, drivers should always be sure they are following traffic laws and avoiding behaviors that could put themselves or others at risk. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to drive safely, and one of the most common ways that they act negligently is by driving while distracted. 

Dangerous Types of Distracted Driving

Because driving is something people do every day, it can be easy for a person to fail to pay complete attention to the road around them. This is especially true for people who are driving on familiar routes, such as the roads they take to and from work. A person’s mind may wander, and instead of focusing on driving, they may look at signs and billboards, people in other vehicles, or buildings and objects on the side of the road.

While daydreaming can be a serious distraction, many drivers act even more dangerously by attempting to do other activities while driving. Many people believe that they can multitask, but mental energy devoted to something other than driving can cause a person to miss important details or fail to notice the movements of other vehicles, people crossing the street, or obstacles in the road.