In 2020, Krzak Rundio Law Group was proud to announce the start of our annual academic scholarship. The goal of our scholarship is to help first-year students obtain the education they need to succeed and make a difference in our world.

We received many applications! We’re happy to say we have chosen a winner:

Congratulations to Marina Yingling of Virginia!

Marina is attending Virginia Tech as an English Pre-Law and Sociology double major, as an undergraduate.

Since 2014, Krzak Rundio Law Group’s own Michael Krzak and Matthew Rundio have been selected as Top Lawyers each year by Super Lawyers, including 2021. Only the lawyers in the top 5 percent of total lawyers in the state are selected to the Super Lawyers list each year.

Throughout the year, lawmakers write and propose bills to help better the lives of their constituents. When the bills are passed into law, they can take effect with the new year. There are a few law changes that went into effect early this year that Illinois residents should know about.

As an Illinois resident, you’ll want to know how these laws will affect you and your future. It’s important to stay informed about the state’s law changes and new laws so you’re aware of your rights and what’s going on in your state.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, (IDOT), there have been 100 fatalities from motorcycle accidents in Illinois as of September 2020. When motorcyclists get into accidents, they are more at risk for suffering fatal injuries because they are more exposed to the force of the blow than an occupant in a car would be.

Looking back to 2018, which has the most recent crash data for the state from the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were around 3,000 motorcycle wrecks and over 2,000 motorcyclists injured in those crashes. From 2016 to 2017, IDOT reported the same percent of motor vehicle accidents for motorcycle accidents, which was 1.1 percent. In 2018, though, that percentage fell to less than 1 percent.

Motorists don’t always see cyclists on the road. When drivers of motor vehicles pay attention to the road, most times they’re only looking out for other vehicles and fail to keep an eye out for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Since bicycles share the road with regular-sized vehicles and often don’t have their own bike lane, it can be dangerous for cyclists if motorists perform certain maneuvers.

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have made getting rides easier and more streamlined. Now, when you don’t want to drive to the airport or bar, or if you have had just a few too many drinks while enjoying a night out, you have more options than just calling a cab. Rideshare apps give you direct access to affordable transportation. But rideshare drivers are just like any other driver—they’re human, which means they can get into accidents, too.

When you’re riding in an Uber or Lyft and your driver gets into an accident that injures you, you might have the grounds to take legal action.

In March of 2020, a 25-year-old Chicago woman suffered from a serious concussion when a light pole that was rusted at its base started falling and crashed through her windshield. Originally, the Chicago Police tried to say that she crashed into the pole which caused it to fall, but the police report proves differently. CBS2 Chicago reports that rusted light poles are an issue that has been a danger in the city for years now, causing the poles to fall and potentially injure nearby pedestrians and motorists.

This wasn’t the first time that a rusted city light pole fell on its own and injured a citizen—just the most recent. In November of 2019, another woman was injured in the Loop by a falling light pole. CBS2 Chicago reports that there have been nearly 8,000 complaints of leaning or falling poles to the city since 2014. There have been almost 500 reports of property damage and 75 reports of injury from the rusted city light posts.

In Chicago, high-speed police chases that cause injuries are more common than in most other cities in the United States. Oftentimes, those who are injured in police pursuits aren’t even the violators that the police are pursuing. They’re often innocent bystanders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists. In Chicago alone, there have been over 200 deaths caused by high-speed police chases since 1979, and over half of those killed were non-violators, according to research done by USA Today.

Despite restrictions put into place by airlines, travelers are regularly hurt and injured by falling overhead compartment luggage. Size limits for carry-on luggage are meant to prohibit passengers from bringing on bags that won’t fit in the overhead bins, but size limits don’t stop the overhead compartments themselves from becoming unlatched during a flight or upon the plane’s landing. Additionally, it’s common for overhead compartments to become unbalanced when multiple heavy bags shift around in the compartment during flight. Both instances may result in injury despite airline restrictions.

Minor injuries are one thing, but who is liable when someone is seriously injured due to falling luggage? What about in cases where the luggage falls on another passenger when someone is stowing their bags? Determining liability can be complex in these situations.

If you were involved in a truck accident and are planning on pursuing legal action to seek compensation for your losses, one important consideration is the type of trucking accident you were in. Determining the type of crash that happened is crucial to the presentation of your case.  Most types of crashes are categorized by the angles at which the two vehicles first collided.

Jackknife truck accidents, which happen when the trailer of a truck swings out past the cab, are a type of common tractor-trailer accident. The name comes from the fact that when the trailer swings over, this leaves the truck in a jackknife or “V” shape since the two parts are still connected. These types of accidents are incredibly dangerous and have the potential to result in serious or even fatal injuries. There are a number of reasons as to why jackknifes are so dangerous, which is what we’ll take a look at below.