At Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP, we’re dedicated to providing our clients with expert legal representation. Since 2014, three of our lawyers have continually been recognized for these efforts and have been named to Super Lawyers’ Top Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Michael Krzak and Matthew Rundio have been selected to the Top Lawyers list yet again in 2021, and Adriane Lashure has been selected to the Rising Star list this year as well.

Illinois representatives work all year to find ways to improve the lives of residents. When they have new laws to implement, residents may expect them to occur at the start of the new year. New laws and law changes have taken place since 2021 began.

Rideshare services are often a quick and convenient way to get from one place to another. Apps like Uber and Lyft allow drivers to use their own cars to give rides to app users in both urban and rural areas. Like all other drivers, however, even rideshare drivers can get into accidents.

Whether they’re driving a commercial truck, regular-sized vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or walking through a crosswalk, Illinois roads have all kinds of drivers and people using them. Of the population using our roads, one of the most vulnerable is the motorcyclist population.

Motorcycles are a fun and freeing way to get around in our state. Plenty of people choose to ride a motorcycle as their form of transportation. In fact, as of 2020, there are over 300,000 licensed motorcyclists on Illinois’ roads, and that number is constantly growing.

Bicycles are a fun and efficient way to get from one place to another, but they can be dangerous when sharing the road with regular-sized motor vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), bicyclists are more likely to be injured in a bicycle accident than the occupants of a vehicle. Since bicycle accident injuries can be serious and lead to permanent disability or death, it’s important to look at ways to address and prevent those injuries.

Throughout Illinois, in cities and rural areas, individuals have taken to riding bicycles to get around in a more healthy, cost-effective, and ecofriendly way.  While many drivers have grown accustomed to sharing the roads with bicyclists, accidents between motor vehicles and bicycles still happen. These bicycle accidents are especially dangerous for cyclists because they are more exposed on a bike, and their bodies usually take the force of the blow from the vehicle.

The National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2017, 26 pedalcyclists were killed in traffic accidents in Illinois. Under Illinois law, drivers in the state are responsible for rendering aid to injured cyclists after an accident occurs. This is due to the fact that motor vehicles and bicycles can cause such serious injuries to any cyclists.

Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP recently donated to two food pantries in Illinois. With winter on the way and the holidays rapidly approaching, the food pantries that provide food assistance to local families can use these donations to help them serve those in need.

In a recent ruling, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that an employee’s injuries from everyday activities, like bending, kneeling, and reaching, are compensable under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. This, however, will only be the case if the employee is reasonably expected to perform those actions incidental to their assigned duties.

The decision came after Kevin McAllister, the claimant, injured his right knee while he was working as a sous-chef at a restaurant in Illinois. His job duties included checking in orders, arranging the walk-in cooler, and preparing and cooking food.

On Friday, September 25th, part of Interstate 80 in LaSalle County just west of Ottawa was shut down due to a fiery crash involving six different vehicles. The crash happened just four miles west of Ottawa at 9:24 a.m. According to Illinois State Police and the LaSalle County Coroner, two individuals passed away and several others were injured. The deceased victims– a 47-year-old LaSalle woman and a 43-year-old Joliet man– were in two different vehicles. Three other drivers were injured and brought to local hospitals. One of those driver’s injuries are life-threatening.

Four of the vehicles, including a box truck, an SUV, and a van, were found fully engulfed in flames. Reports say that one of the vehicles was transporting batteries, which exploded when two other vehicles caught fire. Firefighters and paramedics were quick to get to the scene and treat injured victims and extinguish the fires. The State Police say that the collision occurred in an area where traffic was already slowed due to a nearby construction zone.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the country has been unprecedented. There have been so many changes to our everyday lives. One of the biggest changes is how we communicate. With the rise of social distancing and remaining at home when possible, many in-person interactions we used to have daily may not be happening at all.

This has especially affected those who live in care communities. While the physical separation can be difficult, there are virtual options for residents in these communities to stay in touch with their loved ones. Operation Smart TV is providing this opportunity for the residents of LaSalle Veterans’ Home.